photo Kamau Amen Ra
Marvin X as Plato
By
Marvin X
After stopping by Marvin X's
outdoor classroom at 14th and Broadway, downtown
Oakland, Ishmael Reed told the students gathered around
Marvin X, "He's the modern day Plato, teaching his
students on the street." Marvin told the people gathered
in front on DeLauer's bookstore, "Ishmael Reed is my
elder. He's always been supportive of my projects and I
deeply appreciate him for this."
Ishmael had come to the bookstore
/24/7 new stand to get a copy of the Sunday Los
Angeles Times which carried a review of his latest
book. He said the review cut him up as usual. He said
people cut him up for his views on Alice Walker and
other feminists, but according to Ishmael the most
critical review of Walker's Color Purple was by
Toni Morrison.
The people who stop at the open air
classroom include a cross section of Oakland's humanity,
including whites, blacks, youth and elders. David
Glover, director of OCCUR, stopped through to advise
Marvin to be a part of the cultural committee for the
Ron Dellums administration soon to take the reins of
Oakland.
A young sister stopped to say she
was in pain because her friends are being killed on the
streets for no reason. She has vowed not to be a victim
but she is traumatized at the loss of some many friends.
She is 19.
The police officer who works the
beat that includes 14th and Broadway, comes through
picking up litter. Seems a waste of time for the officer
to pick up litter when there are so many unsolved
homicides. The officer is known to post up at 12 o'clock
to listen to Plato talk with his variety of students.
A brother came by to challenge
Plato, telling him he didn't know anything, especially
since he wasn't from the south, New Orleans in
particular. Plato told him New Orleans was as much a
killing floor as Oakland, look at the recent deployment
of National Guard to stop the murders.
Another brother came through and
invited Marvin to speak with youth at a West Oakland
school. He agreed, telling the brother, "I recently
spoke with children at the Black Repertory Group's
summer camp. I was deeply impressed with their
intelligence. They asked serious questions, as serious
as any I've received from college and university
students across the country."
On Sunday, July 30, Plato was given
a book party in Richmond, another Bay Area killing
floor. But the party, hosted by Sister Shukuru, was
probably the most powerful gathering of black
consciousness people in Richmond history. The party was
attended by movement elders and organizers, including
Alona Cliffton, Phil Hutchins of SNCC, Margo Dashiel, Dr. James Garrett,
Dr. J. Vern Cromartie, Jim Lacey, Ann Lynch, Suzzette
Celeste, Richmond poet President Davis representing
conscious hip hop.
Poet Opal Palmer Adisa gave a
reading of her work that was as spicy and hot as a two
dollar pistol in South Philly.
The audience was enraptured by the
musical accompaniment of Elliott Bey Savoy, who backed
Marvin's reading and the audience discussion. A brother
showed a video of himself reading Marvin X's poem The
Origin of Blackness in Venezuela. He read in Spanish,
then English. The poem was originally written in
English/Arabic. Marvin then read an updated version on
the theme of the poem, Black History is World History.
Much thanks to Sister Shukuru, a great organizer,
formerly with Brooklyn's East.
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| photo Pendarvis Harshaw |
posted 3 August 2006 /Chickenbones.com
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