Black Coffee Movement

Dr. Wade Nobles on The Afrikan History of Togetherness

2010-08-05T11:02:00.000-07:00

The Meaning of Black August 2008 by Kiilu Nyasha

2010-08-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

The Meaning of Black August 2008

by Kiilu Nyasha

This is the 29th anniversary of Black August, first organized to honor our martyred freedom fighters, Jonathan and George Jackson, Khatari Gaulden, James McClain, William Christmas, and the sole survivor of the August 7,1970 Courthouse Slave Rebellion, Ruchell Cinque Magee. It’s a time to embrace the principles of unity, self-sacrifice, political education, physical fitness and/or training in martial arts, resistance and revolution - transforming ourselves into the new man, the new woman.

As Mumia Abu-Jamal noted, “August is a month of meaning, of repression and radical resistance, of injustice and divine justice; of repression and righteous rebellion; of individual and collective efforts to free the slaves and break the chains that bind us.”

Primarily, August is the month we recall the great loss exacted upon our Black revolutionary movement with the assassination of George Jackson and his younger brother, the teenaged Jonathan Jackson. Jonathan was martyred when he led the August 7th rebellion; George was martyred a year later, August 21.

I had the privilege and the good fortune of being in the right place at the right time to initiate a correspondence with George in the winter of 1971, and months later, a one-hour visit in the holding cell of San Quentin. I’ve met no one before or since more dedicated to revolutionary change.

As you will note from some of the quotes below, George was a brilliant leader who set a righteous example of intellectual, physical growth and advanced development of consciousness.

Attorney Steve Bingham, tried and acquitted of all charges in the case resulting from the events of August 21, ’71, once told me that when prison staff cleaned out Jackson’s cell after he was killed, they found 99 books covering the history of the world. In fact, he had sent me a book list (I had a lot of catching up to do.), and told me he read some six dailies and several books a week, while doing 1,000 fingertip pushups a day. He was in solitary confinement for most of his 11 years in prison for a $70 robbery when he was 18 years old.

Bingham noted in an interview, “It’s clear to me that his responsibility in bringing international attention to prison conditions in California brought on him the wrath of the California Department of Corrections. This, together with his designation as Field Marshal of the Black Panther Party, certainly put him in their cross hairs.”

Moreover, his two books, bestseller “Soledad Brother: The Prison Letters of George Jackson” and “Blood In My Eye,” completed just before his death were also factors.

As California prisons prepare to integrate double cells, beginning with Mule Creek in Ione and Sierra Conservation Center (what a euphemism!) in Jamestown, Jackson’s words should be heeded:

“If there were any differences or grievances between us in the black colonies and the peoples of other colonies across the country, around the world, we should be willing to forget them in the desperate need for coordination against Amerikan fascism… To destroy it will require cooperation and communion between our related parts; communion between colony and colony, nation and nation.

Moreover, it’s important to bear in mind that “race” is a false construct, that our genetic map is 99.9% the same indicating one human race (having cultural, religious, national, political differences), and that all humans originated on the Mother continent of Africa.

From “Blood in My Eye,” George Jackson calls upon us to:
“Settle your quarrels, come together, understand the reality of our situation, understand that fascism is already here, that people are dying who could be saved, that generations more will live poor butchered half-lives if you fail to act. Do what must be done, discover your humanity and your love in revolution.”

Given today’s harsh realities, the need to organize a revolutionary movement is greater than ever.

Today’s social and environmental problems are many times worse than they were 30 - 40 years ago and threatening to worsen. Economic disparities are greater than ever with one percent of the world’s population owning 80% of the wealth. Multibillionaires vs. billions of people living on less than a dollar a day!

Food riots have broken out in Haiti, Bangladesh, Egypt and elsewhere as food prices soar along with the cost of fuel. And millions are going hungry right here in the belly of the beast.

The U.S. now has the highest rate of incarceration in the world – and rising. It currently has 2.4 million people locked up with seven million more on probation or parole.

California has the greatest number of prisoners and prisons– some 90 prisons, jails, and camps housing more than 170,000 men and women. – with a plan to add another 53,000 beds! And the cost is astronomical.

Add to this the lack of adequate health care, education and employment, proliferation of drugs and guns, homelessness, hunger and destitution, unjust imperialist wars, and climate-change disasters.

The result is the destruction of our families and communities, social isolation/alienation, PTSD, drug addiction, child and spousal abuse, and violence turned inward as manifested in random, senseless killings of oppressed people by other oppressed people.

By the end of the 1970’s, the Black Panther Party was dissolved - victim of the FBI’s notorious COINTELPRO that used every “dirty trick” in the book to destroy it, as well as its youthful lack of experience. Yet its impact upon the Black community, the nation and the world was immeasurable.

I still believe Comrade George was correct when he said, “withdrawal from the enemy state and its social, political and economic life is the first step toward its destruction.”

As George put it, “Fascism has temporarily succeeded under the guise of reform.”

Modern-day fascism is the combined dictatorship of big business and government, characterized by greed, militarism, racism, homophobia, and classism.

I think the fascist powers that be feel compelled to put a fresh face on fascism – a brown face.

We cannot be so naïve as to think that Democratic Party nominee Barack Obama has broken all records in campaign fundraising because he’s going to change things for you and me. Please. As Jamil al-Amin (H.Rap Brown) noted, “If voting could change things; they’d make it illegal.”

It should be obvious that Obama cannot and will not produce real change, like moving from capitalism to socialism, redistributing the wealth, abolishing the prison system per se, changing domestic and foreign policies.

In fact, upon his sealing the nomination, Obama beat a path to AIPAC (American Israeli Political Action Committee, the Zionist lobby) where he pandered grossly to the Zionist occupiers of Palestine. This is nothing short of a betrayal of the Arab/Palestinian people, especially those desperate children, women and men currently under siege in Gaza, an open air prison.

But Obama knows on what side his bread is buttered. No candidate for Congress or the White House can get there without the Israeli lobby. Congressional representatives, Cynthia McKinney and Earl Hilliard learned it the hard way.

“When we participate is this election to win, instead of disrupt, we're lending to its credibility, and destroying our own. With all the factors of control over the electoral process in the hands of the minority ruling class, the people's party can always be made to seem isolated, unimportant, even extraneous...

“All political parties, as things stand, will support the power complex.” -George Jackson

In conclusion, let’s honor this Black August by honoring the politics of our beloved Comrade brother, George Lester Jackson. Study his works and struggle to release political prisoners, especially his comrades, Hugo L.A. Pinell and Ruchell Cinque Magee, doing their 44th and 45th year, respectively, in California gulags.

In closing, I ask you to send your love energies to our wounded warrior, Comrade Mjumbe Gazi, who is gravely ill with lung cancer, hospitalized in Oakland. His voice can be heard on “Black August Commemoration 2006,” a four-hour radio program produced by yours truly and archived at KPFA.

Long live the guerrilla.

Power to the people.

Free ‘em all!

Dr. Henry Clarke Teach Our Children Our History 1/4

2010-07-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

Movement Building Series: Part III - Why are we doing this again?

2010-07-09T06:36:00.000-07:00

photo by: Kazeeee

SMART Goals

S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym that stands for: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. When we develop goals for a strategy they need to meet the SMART criteria.

They need to be Specific meaning that they need to be concrete and tangible. It needs to address what needs to happen in order for us to win...we’ll get into this deeper when we talk about victory and benchmark goals.

They need to be Measurable meaning that we need to know when we have accomplished the win, and access our progress. Measurable goals help in evaluation of the strategic plan. We can not evaluate the progress of a plan if the goals are not measurable. This also may mean placing number goals where applicable.

They need to be Attainable meaning that we need to be able to achieve the goal. What is the point of working toward something that is not reachable. Not only is it a waste of energy, but it is a waste of resources.

They need to be Realistic. This goes hand-in-hand with attainability. Do we have the resources - meaning time, people, and money - to achieve this goal? If not, can we get it in a reasonable time frame?

They need to be Timely. What is the socio-economic climate? Are the stakeholders, allies, and partners in a position to carry out the work involved in the plan?

VICTORY GOAL: This is the final win. It’s the goal that once achieved you will have completed the strategic plan. Think of it similar to the headline you want to be in the newspapers/media when your strategy has been successful.

BENCHMARK GOALS: These are smaller, paced out wins. These goals are vital to the final victory goal. They help us assess the progress of the plan, and give us reasons to celebrate, revive us, and refocus those working on the plan. These are essential to the success of a strategic plan - without benchmark goals we burn out, feel stagnant, and stuck.

Common feat. Lauryn Hill - Retrospect for Life

2010-07-09T00:31:00.000-07:00

The Airbus Chronicles: Detroit

2010-07-06T06:35:00.000-07:00

RETROSPECT:

My first trip to Detroit I was 7 years old. My mother had just married my step-father - whom I lovingly refer to as ‘pops’ - and we were headed to Detroit to meet the rest of his family. I do not remember much that happened during that trip, but I remember the images.

As we drove through the streets to my grandmother’s house, my eyes widened. I had never seen buildings ravished by fire or just down-right abandoned still standing and being stripped for it’s copper piping. Never seen bullet proof glass in fast-food restaurants. Had never seen bars on everyone’s windows. And as we walked up my grandmother’s steps I took in another first, I had never seen bullet holes in the siding of a house.

Perhaps the most striking image of my first visit to Detroit -- I had never seen women, black women, walking the streets with chains, pipes, and baseball bats. My mother was mortified, but I was fascinated! In 1991 there was a serial rapist harassing the female population in the city of Detroit. And my sistas being the strong women they are, refusing to be his next victim, were walking the streets with their protection visible. That was all anyone had ever talked about on the at the house, on the block, and in the news. I thought it was great!

PRESENT DAY:

I had not been back to Detroit in 4 years. I had not planned on going, but the Aiyana Jones event [if you don’t know what happened, look it up] compelled me to make the trip with my family and observe the buzz in the city. So I took a quick weekend trip.

Keep in mind this is solely from my vantage point in 2 days as an outsider --

Sadly, the ride in was much of the same. Buildings and homes still standing, but crumbling and abandoned - the very same buildings from ’91 plus some. The only buildings that seemed untouched were the church buildings. Bars still lined the windows and doors of house, after house. And the bullet holes in the siding of my grandmother’s house are still there.

This trip I did learn about how the city is divided. I appears that Woodward is the street that runs north and south and dictates whether you’re on the east side of Detroit or the west side of Detroit. North of 8 Mile Road, which runs east to west, you think you’re in an entirely different place. Few if any abandoned buildings, storefront business and strip malls. Nothing elaborate, but no where near the dilapidation.

In ways it is worse that I remember. The bust of the american car factories, combined with today’s current economic situation left Detroit nearly desolate. But not all lost, according to the local residents. I heard several people talk about hidden gems in the city - though none offered to share what or where they were.

I spoke with more women than men about the Aiyana Jones situation from my limited scope of conversations several women, even women with young daughters, appeared desensitized. They were either uninformed about the incident and it’s details, or shook their heads in disgust but were simply glad that it wasn’t them. Not the chain and baseball bat toting sistas I remembered from before. The few men I was able to speak with overwhelmingly blamed the father. Not one person I was able to speak with on this short trip even touched on the police’s responsibility in the situation.

While I was there, the Heal Detroit Peace Rally was happening. I’m not sure if this is an annual rally, but this year it was focused on bridging the gaps between East & West Detroit, in light of the murder of Aiyana Jones. I did not make it down until the end of the rally, but everything appeared to have been peaceful and there was residue of a decent sized crowd. I’m still looking to connect with the event coordinator to get more details.

What I observed from this trip was the Detroit is in dire need of unity and building - physical builders & mental builders that come from the community. It needs some of everything - except churches, it’s got plenty of those. I know there is good work happening in Detroit, because despite the way the city looks it’s got some of the kindest people I’ve met.

How do we stand with the residents that are doing the work? What can we offer to aid in the build-up of our bothers and sisters there? I am seeking the answers to those questions. I’m already planning a longer trip back. So with that, this chronicle entry is to be continued...

***The Airbus Chronicles will be a series of my personal observations of various cities and communities I observe on my travels across the country and the world. Particularly as they relate to the Afrikan community. ***

Movement Building Series: Part II - Knowing Your Environment

2010-07-02T06:57:00.000-07:00

SWOC Analysis (also referred to as SWOT Analysis)

SWOC stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Challenges [some call this Threats]. Strengths & Weaknesses are assessed internally; Opportunities & Challenges are assessed externally. Neither are mutually exclusive - meaning that a strength could also be a weakness & an opportunity could also be a challenge/threat.

INTERNAL:

Strengths: what do we [stakeholders, allies, and partners that will carrying out the strategy] have going for us? What are we good at? What resources do we have? What makes us unique/what is our niche?

Weaknesses: What do we not do very well? What problems have we encountered internally in the past? What problems or issues are we still dealing with? What could hinder us; what could be a barrier?

EXTERNAL:

Opportunities: What’s going on in the world/socio-political climate that could work in our favor? What’s being covered that we could play on? What is the general public talking about that would relate to what we are trying to do? What systems/institutions - that are not apart of the campaign - would benefit us?

Challenges: What is going on in the world/socio-political climate that would work against us? What is the opposition doing/talking about? What system/institutions are barriers to us?

photo by: Jean-Louis Zimmerman

Step one to planning is completing this SWOC Analysis as truthfully & honestly as possible. If we do not know the environment we are working in we can not accurately plan successful SMART goals, actions or tactics for a campaign or movement.

We’ve heard the saying: “to know where you’re going to need to know where you’ve been.” That statement is valid, but I’ll add - that to know where you’re going you need to know where you’ve been AND where you are! Since resources (time, money, and people) are limited we need to be intentional about the energy we exert.

The SWOC Analysis allows us to recognize if we are in a place to even plan for a campaign or build a movement. Sometimes the SWOC results in some internal work that needs to be completed, before we move forward with a campaign/movement. There is no right or wrong outcome to the SWOC Analysis, it is simply an assessment tool that gauges the preparedness of the campaign/movement.

The next step in this process is to develop some S.M.A.R.T. Goals, which will be covered in the next post in the Movement Building Series.

Movement Building: Organizing, Mobilizing & A Method for Strategy

2010-06-25T16:30:00.001-07:00

PART 1: INTRODUCTION & DEFINITIONS

Many people in our communities across the nation discuss and idealize about getting blacks in amerikkka organized. The term organizing is used often and interchangeably but I wanted shed some light on the differences between strategy, organizing, and mobilizing, how they work together, and present a methodology.

Strategy is perhaps the most important and vital of the three concepts, in respect the to the fact that organizing & mobilizing should be apart of a strategy. Strategy is not mutually exclusive. In order to move and have a successful strategy you must have good organizing and you also must be able to mobilize.

Before we go farther let me quickly define organizing and mobilizing:

Organizing is actually very simple it concept. It is building and maintaining strategic relationships with individuals, communities, and institutions. The complexity comes in actually carrying out the action of organizing - building & maintaining those relationships.

Mobilizing is also quite simple. It is maneuvering [or moving] the strategic relationships you have, from organizing, to complete some kind of action. The more energy you have put into maintaining the relationships from organizing, the greater the potential action people are willing to take.

For example, if you have put little energy into a relationship with an individual they may complete a small action [i.e. signing a petition]. However, if you have put a lot of energy into a relationship they are more likely to complete a larger or more consistent action [i.e. taking leadership in a campaign].

That said, it is possible to mobilize people without having a relationship with them - but it is not sustainable for the type of movement we’re building. Sometimes it is a cause that pulls a person in, but its the relationship that we have with the people, the community or organization that keeps them coming back and pushes them to take on more responsibility. Think about it like this: we are much more likely to complete things for people we know versus people we do not.

So, we’ve made the connection between organizing and mobilizing - how does strategy fit into all of this?

Strategy is basically designing a plan that addresses the following:

SWOC Analysis
S.M.A.R.T. Victory and Benchmark goals
Power Mapping
Strategizing: Who will do What to Whom When and for How Much?

I’ll break each of these pieces down in the following 5 weekly posts.

The Garden of Love

2010-06-20T01:15:00.000-07:00

Why are men and women, generally speaking, afraid of giving themselves completely to another in the name of love? Are we afraid of leaping out and putting our faith in another? Are we afraid of being lied to, lead astray, cheated on, abused, or simply left broken hearted? These fears and possibilities are the poisons that infest the garden of love before the first bud appears.

Relationships are reminiscent of gardens and whatever is cultivated will surely grow. In order to build a successful garden of love, each mate must display an equal amount of fruitful traits. Fruitful traits have strong roots and include truthfulness, honesty, compassion, loyalty, dedication, diligence, and an open line of communication. When these traits are present, relationships have the potential to bloom into beautiful bonds that may last a lifetime and eventually multiple. The length merely depends on the amount of time and energy that is placed on making sure the relationship flourishes. How much time is spent working in your garden of love will clearly show.

Weeding out and clearing unwanted growth from a garden is vital and you must do the same in relationships. Weeding out negative traits is the key to building and destroying. Without an even amount of each, relationships will surely turn brown and die. If negative traits are not weeded out as soon as they appear, they will slowly take over the fruitful traits and infest your love garden.

As with all structures, the foundation is most important. It is the bases for everything that will follow. Rather a relationship is based on a lie or the truth, everything that follows will be an offspring of that. It is vital to be completely honest about every situation that arises in a relationship. Although the truth may sometimes be hurtful, it is easier to except than a lie. Lies are like garden pest, that slowly eat away at everything that is whole until it completely vanishes. Unfaithfulness, disrespect and non communication are the same and must not exist under any circumstance. Love gardens must be watered and fertilized with actions of loyalty and dedication.

The highest understanding between two people is love, yet its the hardest to attain. Often we find ourselves on a search for a companion to share in the adventures of life and hopefully, one day, we will each connect with the person who matches our being perfectly.

1 of 8 - Black or White: Kids on Race - Inside The AC360 Doll Study

2010-06-17T15:19:00.000-07:00

Rhymefest | "Stolen" | Directed by Konee Rok

2010-06-11T12:04:00.000-07:00

In Relation to the Sun: Melanated People and the 'Hidden Epidemic'

2010-06-05T15:43:00.000-07:00

Sunlight. It’s humanity’s main source of an essential vitamin: vitamin D. The sun’s UVB rays carry vitamin D, and our bodies photosynthesize nutrients from sunlight just like plants. Making exposure to the sun vital to our health.

Why is vitamin D an essential vitamin?

Vitamin D regulates calcium levels and absorption, making it essential for healthy bones & teeth. It also aids in auto-immune functionality, endocrine [glandular] and digestive system, regulates insulin/blood sugar, and nerve functions. Basically, vitamin D is a necessary component for good health.

Vitamin D deficiency & African Americans

Recent studies suggest upward of 66% of African Americans are deficient in vitamin D.

But Why? Melanin makes the synthesis of vitamin D from sun exposure harder, particularly for eumelanated people. So while the news, and doctors are saying that 15-30 minutes of sun each day are sufficient for vitamin D absorption - what they don’t say is that amount of time is sufficient for non-melanated. While there is no standard recommended dosage of vitamin D it has been suggested that eumelanated people need 2-3 hours (120-180 minutes) of sun exposure to gain the same units of vitamin D a non-melanated person would get in 15-30 mins.

African American women, of every adult age, are at even greater risk of vitamin D deficiency [estimated at over 70%]. This deficiency can result in osteoporosis later in life. I’d be remiss if I did not touch on the other, non health-related issue with sun exposure: the American standard of beauty. There is a stigma surrounding black women, and a ‘culture’ of staying out of the sun as to not get ‘too dark.’ This mentality could be killing us - literally.

What about skin cancer?

While some scientists and doctors would tell you the risks of too much sun exposure most of their concerns are directed toward non-melanated [white/pale skinned] people.

First, eumelanin is a natural sunscreen. Making non-melanated people much more susceptible to skin cancer - cause by sun exposure - than other even slightly melanated folks.

Secondly, UVA rays from the sun actually are responsible for most skin cancers. Remember, UVB rays contain the vitamin D. UVA rays are highest during mid-day, so morning and evening sun is best for vitamin D synthesis [and avoidance of cancer-causing free radicals].

Thirdly, do not use topical sunblock with SPF! Again - eumelanin is a natural sunscreen already. Even something as small as an SPF8 can block up to 95% of vitamin D synthesis!

And finally, vitamin D deficiency can actually raise the risk of other type of cancers [not to mention increased risk of diabetes & cardiovascular disease].

While you can get vitamin D from foods, very few actually contain vitamin D. You get vitamin D naturally from fatty fishes, egg yolk, and mushrooms, but also vitamin D fortified foods.

Let me throw this in for free: Sunlight also stimulates the pineal gland, which creates and secretes a number of key hormones [serotonin & melatonin] into the body - and is ultimately responsible for the amount of melanin produced in your body. SO sunlight is not only essential for vitamin D, but also hormones that make the body function properly.

Recommendations:

Get some sun. Morning and evening sunlight - for as long as you can
Supplement your diet with foods that contain or are fortified with vitamin D
Healthy body, which means healthy diet and exercise so you can function properly

Ashra Kwesi Explains the Invasions and Battles of Kemet

2010-06-05T09:42:00.000-07:00

SC Police: Black man shot to death, body dragged

2010-06-05T07:40:00.000-07:00

By SUSANNE M. SCHAFER - Associated Press Writer

NEWBERRY, S.C. -- Two men who worked at a South Carolina poultry processing plant had spent most of the day together Tuesday, hanging out late into the evening, maybe rehashing their long shifts.

By the next morning, one of the men - who was black - was dead, shot to death and then dragged behind a pickup truck for more than 10 miles down a country road. The other - a white man - was in jail, charged with murder, and authorities were investigating the death as a possible hate crime.

"We've not been able to rule that out," Reggie Lloyd, chief of the State Law Enforcement Division, said Thursday. "You have to chase that down, as an angle of this."

Read more: http://www.thesunnews.com/2010/06/03/1510589/sc-police-black-man-shot-to-death.html?storylink=addthis

Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop pt.1

2010-06-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

Black Family Pledge

2010-05-14T02:13:00.000-07:00

By Dr. Maya Angelou

Because we have forgotten our ancestors our children no longer give us honor.
Because we have lost the path our ancestors cleared, kneeling in perilous undergrowth, our children cannot find their way.

Because we have banished the God of our ancestors, our children can not pray.

Because the long wails of our ancestors have faded beyond our hearing, our children cannot hear us crying.

Because we have abandoned our wisdom of mothering and fathering, our befuddled children give birth to children they neither want nor understand.

Because we have forgotten how to love, the adversary is within our gates, and holds us up to the mirror of the world, shouting, Regard the loveless.

Therefore, we pledge to bind ourselves again to one another;
To embrace our lowliest,
To keep company with our loneliest,
To educate our illiterate,
To feed our starving,
To clothe our ragged,
To do all good things, knowing that we are more than keepers of our brothers and sisters. We are our brothers and sisters.

In honor of those who toiled and implored God with golden tongues, and in gratitude to the same God who brought us out of hopeless desolation,

We make this pledge.

http://www.melanet.com/watoto/pledge.html

10 Most Offensive Tea Party Signs

2010-04-01T04:57:00.001-07:00

10 Most Offensive Tea Party Signs