phavia kujichagulia speaks on the psycho-linguistic crisis and the black arts movement

phavia kujichagulia, senior writer, the movement newspaper www.bambd.org

We've been white-washed, white-balled, white-listed, and white-mailed for so long we think of ourselves as the white sheep of the family. We can't wait to give our oppressors all of our time, thoughts, as well as our earnings and would never think of supporting/financing our cultural legacy and destiny. Worst of all, the popular entertainers who condemn us to racist sambo/pimp/wimp/ho stereotypes get rich doing so while real artists and edutainers working for cultural liberation,social justice, and spiritual freedom from racism, white supremacy, sexism, capitalism, etc. go underappreciated, underpaid (if ever), and underestimated. Mainstream society knows our real power. So it keeps us under control or hidden from the masses unless we buy into their racist, sexist, materialistic, white-insecurity pop bullshit.


For example, during the MC Hammer hay days, I was approached by a major record label. I was offered a recording contract if I did the following:

• Change my name to something ridiculously "ludicrous/racist/sexist/ignorant/canine-like" 
• Press/perm/straighten my hair
• Dye/DIE my hair from black to blonde 
• Bleach my skin
• Show some T&A (tits and ass)

Needless to say, I said NO to all of the above. So the music industry finally gave me one last option - ultimatum:

"Okay, this is the dealbreaker. All you have to do is say the words "bitch, nigger, motherfucker" at least once in every recording." 

I refused. They replied, "Don't you know you could be rich and famous tomorrow if you just say these three simple words just once per album?"

Thus, to this day I remain economically-challenged and few human beings have ever heard of me. Meanwhile a plethora of superficial, shallow, materialistic, self-hating, stupid rappers make bank degrading our culture by promoting white supremacy/insecurity, sexism, and capitalism.

Yes, we need to liberate our minds of euro-centric terrorism, linguistic defamation, and capitalistic insanity ASAP! 

If truth and justice were quantified we'd be super rich!

Forward Ever!