Tuesday, April 30, 2019

My Angel came by today

My Angel came by today
 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland CA


Marvin X on the balcony of  the Cliff House Restaurant, Ocean Beach, San Francisco, April 9, 2019, celebrating the 86th birthday of the Most Honorable Dr. Nathan Hare, Father of Black and Ethnic Studies in America
photo Adam Turner



Cover design Adam Turner
Photo Marvin X
Alicia Mayo

My Angel came by today
Academy of da Corner, Lakeshore Ave., Oakland
Long time no see Angel
she came today
Angels come to bless
She blessed me and all who came by
Academy of da Corner
Angel down fa knowledge
people came no money
Angel paid for books
especially women
Angels love women
Had man Angel at Academy of da Corner, 14th and Broadway, downtown Oakland
Man Angel
blessed all women with no money
Said he wasn't blessing men only women
Female Angel didn't say but did same
I don't know why Angels love women
Do women have Angel hearts souls minds spirits
Today my Angel in sorrow
Dr. Julia Hare transition
She blessed women with Julia's books
my books too
Somebody asked Angel my wife?
No Angel wife
Between Angel and wife
Give me Angel!
Angel pure blessings
love for love
no love hate love
Give me pure love Angel love
no stress zone love
Angel love
Angel's love for Goddess/God
Angel love unconditional sacred holy love
Can't abuse Angel love
wife love abuse not Angel love
Angel love too strong
Rasta man/woman vibration strong
God sent Angel love
Can't box with God
God don't like ugly
Respect Angels
They Special
Sacred holy.
--Marvin X
4/30/19
Academy of da Corner, Lakeshore, Oakland

FYI, Marvin X will be signing his latest book Notes of Artistic Freedom Fighter Marvin X, Black Bird Press, Oakland, 2019, 289 pages, Saturday, Sunday at the Bay Area Book Festival, Berkeley. He will be at the National Writers Union booth #146.

FYI, on May 29, 2019, in celebration of his 75th birthday,  the poet will release his magnum opus, Mythology of Pussy and Dick, Poetic Notes on the Human Condition in the #Metoo Era, Black Bird Press, Oakland, approx. 400 pages, limited edition, numbered and signed, donation $99.95. Order by Credit card, PayPal, et al., call 510-575-7148. Not available in bookstores or Amazon.com. This a Black Independence project. Credit cards acceptable.






Saturday, April 20, 2019

Some ancestors ain't nothin nice

Some Ancestors Ain't Nothin Nice


Ancestors
Who are the real motherfuckers
who fucked our fathers and mothers
onto good ship jesus
door of no return
sea of blood and bones
sharks and wail
who sold us to the ghost
Baraka say
ancestors we call you in the name of nigguhs
black nigguhs in the hoods of america
not pseudo black kemetic fakes and frauds
scared to see the new imperial king of the realm
too blind by the Sun of Ra to find a bone at pyramid
search in vain year after year
earth is ours
no matter Africa
no matter Arabia
no matter Asia
no matter Americas
no matter Europe
earth is the black man's land
Gullahland is Africa
Africa is Mississippi Alabama Georgia, New Orleans
claim land forever hold tongues
see pyramids of Louisiana Moorish mounds
Seminoles of Florida
Gullahs Geeches up and down coast
ancestors all
fucked by the motherfucker
king and queen motherfucker son of a bitch
male rape child rape mother rape by devil king and queen
massa mistress
miss ann mr ann
motherfuckers all
guilty
charged
Sun Ra say pay
Africa pay too like the white man/woman  devil pay
yeah, Africa pay
gold diamonds precious metals everywhere
pay
no pay europe and pay negro
you  african motherfucker led us to ship with red flag
through door of no return
warrior now bitch
pants sagging bitch
raped in front of women/children
man whore kept us alive sexing master
massa wanted all women men  children
greedy bastard
talk of king's english
fuck english
fuck every word of it
fuck you too
you speak it
love it
seek to purify it
don't say n word
b word
mf
f
p
d
fake asses
let ancestors be cursed for their iniquities
debaucheries
selling of souls in centuries of time
you call them holy
call Mississippi holy
call Alabama Georgia Louisiana Carolina holy ground
marsh swamp bayous rivers creeks
holy trees of strange fruit blood wine
call ancestors from woods forests
call from  pine trees moss wood
call rice cane cotton fields
plantation
wicked cities of death in the family
Clara wanted to put head in oven
in detroit of her time
Elijah drunk as a coot she said
Master Fard came selling red silk
same red we followed to shore
red for blood
king sold farmer to ghost, Baraka said
Baraka say railroad in ocean bottom
filled with bones
ancestor bones resisted wailed cried shitted
vile moans shouts screams to the motherfucker
son of a bitch ancestor king
pitted tribe against tribe warrior against warrior
man against woman for trinkets barrels of rum
we yet praise them
in our abject ignorance
culture of madness and gold
madness and diamonds
madness and chopped hands clitoris legs
no end even today
kings and queens alive and well
presidents prime ministers
working overtime to feed themselves full
as we whore and rape each other into night of full moon
where silence is loud world over
silence of hunger disease
silence of ignorance demands king for life
never end terror
never avenge righteous
plunder til new kingdom comes
wicked reduced to dust
motherfucker receives his fucking
Amen.
--Marvin X
4.17.09

Saturday, April 13, 2019

Parable of the rich man and his son


A rich man called to bless his friend but the friend's phone was off so he missed the call. Later he saw the rich man had called so when he returned the call, the rich man told him he needed to keep his phone on because he wouldn't know when somebody wanted to bless him. And the clean and sober rich man chided his friend, "And you need to stop drinking that alcohol so you can answer your phone!" The friend told the rich man where he would be working this day. The rich man asked how long he would be there? The friend said all day. The rich man said okay, I might come through. After a short time the rich man arrived with his wife and handed his friend a wad of money. The friend was busy with a customer and had other money in his hand so he didn't bother to count the bills from the rich man until he finished with his customer. It was a generous donation so he thanked the rich man for his generosity. The friend knew God/Allah sent this blessing because he needed to make a trip to visit sick relatives but the money he had was for other projects. Now he could visit his relatives. The rich man's wife so something she wanted buy from the friend but when they friend tried to give it to her for free, she refused to take it for free, instead she opened an envelop and gave him a small but generous donation. The friend asked the rich man if it was ok to accept this donation from his wife, after all, the rich man had been generous and the friend didn't was to appear greedy. The rich man said it was ok with him because it was her money, even though he had given it to her. He said they were going to a restaurant for dinner and would talk later. They departed.

Since he was blessed, he packed the items he was selling and departed home, first stopping by the grocery store for a few items to eat. As he was pushing the shopping cart down aisle, a young man came up beside him that he didn't immediately recognize and when he did, he refused to acknowledge he knew the young man who kept calling him unk, unk, unk. It was the rich man's son he hadn't seen in a long time and he seemed to have aged from the stress of life, even though his father was rich. The friend told the son he had something for him and to meet him outside the store. They arrived at the cashier stands across from each other. The son could see his "unk" handed the cashier a hunid dollar bill as she packed his bags. They walked outside and the friend went to his car to get a gift for his "nephew".The adopted nephew thanked his unk. Unk said,"So how you doing man, what's up? When you talk with your father? The nephew replied, "I talked with him last night." The friend said,"You know your father's rich, boy, you need to straighten up so you can accept your kingdom."
The nephew said,"Yeah, him and my mom be going on cruises every week!" The friend/unk repeated, "You need to straighten up so you can accept your kingdom! So how you doing otherwise?"
"Shit, unk, I'm flat broke." Unk reached into his pocket and handed his nephew fifty dollars." The young man thanked his unk and they departed. The friend thought about how many times the rich man had told him his son was an ungrateful bastard!
--Marvin X
4/13/19

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Breaking News: Dr. Nathan Hare hospitalized

Breaking News

Dr. Nathan Hare hospitalized due to a possible stroke. He is fine and should be released tomorrow.


Sunset at Ocean Beach, San Francisco
photo Adam Turner

I am Queen Julia



Queen Julia Speaks

In the name of Oshun  Yemanja
goddesses of oceans seas rivers steams
love me in my eternity
spirit essence
indomitable
unsurpassed  
unequal
with all my breath
I spoke truth to power
beyond fortune fame
I did not come in the name of gold
my name is worth more than gold
I came in the name of beauty and truth
study my words
study my life as queen wife
nathan hare
 my king for life
Sisters
I swam out to me my king
I didn't wait for my ship to come in
my message to sisters
love yourself
only then
you can love your mate
love is all 
nothing else
no money
no shoes
dresses
wigs
love is all 
no need new lovers
same lover
different name
don't focus on problem
find solution
new relation
same problem
you
woman/man in mirror
look
love you
then somebody else
must be  friend
to have  friend
must be lover
to be loved
enjoy good times
when bad times come
roll with punches
don't  flee
another lover
same problems
different name.
--Marvin X
4/11/19



Dr. Nathan Hare enjoyed his 86th birthday at San Francisco's Cliff House on Ocean Beach. We selected the Cliff House because he and Julia (RIP) lived in the area during the 1968 BSU/Third World Strike at San Francisco State University to establish Black and Ethnic Studies. When I drove him to Ocean Beach shortly after the demise of his wife of 62 years, he suddenly came alive with memories of eating at the Cliff House, jogging on the beach and sipping wine by the fireplace at their apartment. I invited Julia's close friend, Amelia Ashley-Ward, Publisher of the San Francisco Sun Reporter. Although Amelia said she was on her way to SF City Hall to observe a meeting on the closing of Juvenile Hall, she agreed to meet us at 7PM.



Dr. Nathan Hare, Marvin X, Amelia Ashley-Ward, Publisher of the San Francisco Sun Reporter Newspaper at San Francisco's Cliff House Restaurant for Dr. Hare's 86 b day
photo Adam Turner

We wanted a seat by the window but had to wait, so we went out on the balcony for photographer Adam Turner to depict Dr. Hare looking at the ocean. It was too cold and windy for Amelia, so she went inside during the photo shoot.


l

let light of truth shine
Julia Oshun
Julia Yemanja
Julia Isis searching earth for king's manhood Osiris Nathan Hare
crucified on cross of blackness consciousness community
black studies
black studies community model
no academia tenured negro finality
black studies
community
Julia
Harriet Tubman womanhoood
Sojourner Truth womanhood
Ida B. Wells womanhood
Amy Marcus Garvey womanhood
Clara Muhammad womanhood
Dr. Betty Shabazz womanhood
Queen Mother Moore Reparations womanhood
Sharazad Ali
Pam Africa
Angela Davis
Dessie X
Edith Austin
Kathleen Cleaver
Erika Huggins
Fania Davis
Angela Blackwell
Latifa Simon
Amelia Ashley
London Breed
Kamala Harris
Mechelle Obama
Mae Mallory
Fannie Lou Hamer "Tired of sick and tired, tired of being sick and tired!"

Jesus Julia
Woman, where  husband?
Woman at well said,
"Savior, I have  none!"
What Jesus  tell whore,
"Hoe' go
sin no mo'!"
Wait. What JC say,
"He/she without sin
cast first stone!"

Julia told pimp/hustler/dope dealer authors, Fillmore Slim, Mickey Moore, Gansta Brown, Jimmy Star, et al, "Don't feel guilty about your pimping/hustling life. We got ecclesiastical pimps every Sunday morning."

--Marvin X
4/11/19


Beyond horizon
beyond eternity
beyond oceans seas rivers
I see my lover Julia
calling me to join her
how can I be without her
what is life without my lover
I must join her
see her soon
how can she leave me here alone
this wretched earth
without my love supreme
thank you marvin x
returning me to Cliff House
julia and I dined  many times
in those days the Fat Lady laughed at Ocean Beach
we loved her laugh
as back then
tonight
Ocean Beach is cold
Julia and I loved our apartment fire place
used to light fire
drink wine
as the fire burned
look into each other's eyes
look of love
Oh, those days of love at Ocean Beach
thank you Marvin X
for tonight
thank you Amelia for coming too
thank you Adam for recording this moment
in eternity.
--Marvin X
4/11/19
e


Cling to elders
stand on shoulders
devour elder wisdom
stupid shit
throw in dustbin of history
absorb what you can
you 21
elder 75,85, 95
what do you know
why reinvent wheel
break dance hip hop joy
hip hop freedom break dance
rap for freedom
fuck pussy and dick rap
rap liberation
Palestine style
Iraq Afghanistan
Syria Libya
no pants sagging
war
how you sag in war zone
usa war zone
mama cry every time you leave house
will black son come home
mama cry


por favor
spit
conscious rap
no P and D
pussy dick rap
Sun Ra say
Marvin X say
spit P and D
if you know
mythology pussy and dick
myth/ritual of Pussy and dick
you don't own the pussy
you don't own dick
chattel slavery over
chattel real, i.e., personal property
real estate: all other forms of ownership
you chattel real 400 years
now you married in chattel real?
Woman said, "I know I'm just a slave/ho in disguise of a wife!"
thank you Julia and Nathan, 62 years of marriage. These days we can't endure 62 minutes!Yes, I speak for myself."



Over dinner, we discussed many things, e.g., how Dr. Julia Hare mentored and advised Amelia, especially while raising her man child in the promised land as a single parent. Dr. Hare recalled those phone calls. Dr. Hare reminded Amelia that when Julia was asked a difficult question, she would turn to him for the answer as Amelia waited on the phone. Dr. Hare said he deeply appreciated Amelia and I for giving Julia memorial services in San Francisco and Oakland. 

Dr. Hare, Amelia and Marvin deciding what to eat.
photo Adam Turner

Dr. Hare ordered crab cakes, Amelia, Adam and I ordered New York steak. The men enjoyed a bottle of Merlot, Amelia drank ice tea. Amelia showed us the many pics of  herself with VIPs, including Senator Kamala Harris, Mayor London Breed, Barack and Mechelle Obama, Dick Gregory, et al. Dr. Hare said, "People want to know what I am going to do in my apartment by myself. Do you think I am scare of ghosts? I'm a scientist, I don't believe in ghosts. I don't believe in God, you must prove to me God exists!"

We were all full after the meal and didn't want dessert but the Cliff House gave Dr. Hare something special for his birthday. 



Dr. Nathan Hare, 86
photo Adam Turner


"Hapi b day, Dr. Nathan Hare. We love you madly!"
--Marvin X
photo Adam Turner


A drink of Melot for Julia at the Cliff House

This sip of  Melot is for you
my darling dear
Julia
let you enjoy this sip of your love
sweet wine of your love
62 years of  love
Julia
you are my essence
my reason to smile
my reason of  joy
yes
you came of  age with me
transcended the
black bourgeoisie world of make believe
conspicuous consumption
Frazier talked about
Black Bourgeoisie
no bourgeoisie you
after my revolutionary lessons
you listened learned
no more world of make believe
black nationalism world
black love lives world
Amina Baraka says
my husband educated me
Julia same
my husband made me a revolutionary!
I thank him
Nathan
darling dear
thank you
thank you
thank you
--marvin x

Tuesday, April 9, 2019

Parable of No Fall Insurance

Poet Marvin X, Sister Debbie, Brother Tommy

Consciousness and prayerfulness is the only insurance against falling. In youth, the African proverb says to stumble is not to fall but to go forward faster. In elderhood, a fall can be fatal, can end life.
There was a man who descended steps without watching his steps, soon he fell. To fall in youth is no matter, to fall in elderhood can be fatal, especially when no one is with the elder, thus he falls alone and msay remain so for days unto death. So take care of elders. How you take care of elders will determine how youth and young adults shall take care of you. How you treat your teachers will determine how your students shall treat you. Honor your teachers and your students shall honor you!e

I love Cydni  Lauper's Time After Time, especially the Miles Davis versions in Japan and Germany. But imagine the message, "If you fall, I will catch you, time after time, time after time." We must be there to catch our elders from falling, time after time. And there shall be those who shall catch us time after time, the next generation of children and youth. Let the circle be unbroken! Let the dead, living and yet unborn be blessed with this surety of truth and good deeds to those deserving such.

Let children honor elders, let elders honor children. No fall insurance. No Sisyphus syndrome, no rock up the hill to fall again for eternity. Catch the rock, catch the baton across the finish line. No stumble no fall, no woman no cry!

We must pray descending every step, praise your Lord and watch that last step across the finish line.
The last step will get you, deceive you with the slip of your mind that you have finished the Sisyphusian myth yet one step remains. Guard against being deceived by self.
--Marvin X
4/9/19

Monday, April 8, 2019

The Marvin X Family Memorial for three first cousins in Sacramento today

The Marvin X Jackmon/Murrill/Conley/Benjamin/Lee 
Family Memorial for Cousins Stan, Faye and Sandra Murrill 
Sacramento 4/8/19

"My God, be strong my brother!"--Dr. Cornel West to Marvin X on learning of the transition of X's cousins in Sacramento, West's hometown. FYI, West's cousin, Kwame Satterfield, is Marvin's stepson. What a small and wonderful world!

 Stan the Man!

Faye and Sandra Murrill

This morning I rode to Sacramento with my daughter, Attorney Amira Jackmon, and granddaughter Naima to attend the memorial service for my three first cousins, Stan, Faye and Sandra Murrill, siblings who died within three weeks from various causes. We arrived in Sac at the hall where the memorial took place. My daughter was hesitant about attending as she doesn't know her paternal cousins, but once there she fell into the groove of discovering her relatives on my side of the family. She knew a few of them but not most of them, especially those her age and younger. My granddaughter hardly knew any of them. 

Marvin X, Sister Debbie and Brother Tommy

As I sat next to my sister Debbie with our baby brother, Tommy, I asked Naima did she know Tommy is my brother, She replied yes since she had attended a party at his house over the weekend in Sacramento. My cousin Rodney Murrill came over to our table and chatted. We used to look so much alike people confused me with him and him with me. Then I embraced one of my cousin Kathy's daughters, Amber, that so resembled my sister Suzy it was frightening. DNA is a mother! My nephew Monti Hall and his son, Chris, sat down at our table. Although Monti Hall interviewed me for a grad school paper for his MSW at USC, and I thought so highly of the paper that I made it the preface to my Notes of Artistic Freedom Fighter Marvin X, Monti had no seen a printed copy of the book so I gave him a copy and his son, Chris, as well. My brother Tommy immediately asked Monti to autograph his copy. In the deep structure of this family conversation is the fact that my brother Tommy, my nephew Monti and my son, Marvin K, grew up as brothers, and all three became estranged from me for various reasons, partly political because although I refused to serve in the US military, Tommy and Monti joined the Navy and Army respectively and essentially became right wing Negroes who wanted nothing to do with my radical ideological notions. But Monti reconciled with me enough to interview me for his MSW. Tommy told one of my sisters, "I love my brother, Marvin, we just opposites!" My son, Marvin, doesn't deal with me at all. No matter!

The memorial service began with my departed cousin Faye's son, Byron, officiating. Byron noted that his mother had taught him how to handle details, and he learned well from his mother. For example, Byron is a manager at the DMV in Oakland. When I came to the DMV to renew my driving license, Bryon was on his job. When a clerk told me I needed a certain amount of money to renew, and I didn't have the money on my, Byron said, "Cuz, don't come to the DMV with no money!" I departed to the bank to get some money and returned to handle my bizness. 

Byron told the story of being in the car with his mother and aunt, Sandra. He said one was hot and one was cold, so he didn't know what to do. He thought of turning on the heater and letting the window down simultaneously. Perhaps the sisters were going through menopause. And then he spoke his uncle Stan II, the wild man, hustler, revolutionary, Stan the Man, Butterball, the man everyone loved because he had a heart of gold and was, in the family tradition, raw and blunt to the max. But Stan had a certain charisma that was overwhelming. Byron and other nephews and nieces spoke on his ability to attract people, especially, women with his charming good looks, Jesus hair style and clean dressing. 

Byron was followed by Ron Conley, maternal uncle of the deceased, but he was overwhelmed by the moment. Two nephews testified how their aunts treated them but most especially how Stan gave them manhood training when they visited for summers. Let's be clear, this family drama began in Fresno, no matter the Murrills, Conleys, Jackmons, and even the Lee's, although they mostly lived in Modesto where the oldest Murrill brother, Adam, resided. Marvin's favorite cousin was Carol Lee, daughter of Adam. As a teenager, Marvin used to party with his cousins in Modesto. They were into Jazz, Johnny Walker Red, MJQ, Ahmad Jamal, as well as Sam Cooke. The last time Marvin saw Sam Cooke was at a concert in Stockton that he attended with his Modesto cousins. One of the Modesto cousins came to him at the memorial, reminding him who she was and gave him the health status of his Modesto cousins. 

The truth is that many family members who had lived in the central valley, Fresno, Modesto, Madera, Merced, eventually moved up the valley  to Sacramento, including the Murrill's, Lee's, Benjamin's, Conley's and Jackmon's.

Nieces told of how detailed Faye was, how into fashion Sandra was, who told them the seasonal fashion colors that they cared nothing about. But even on dialysis, they said Sandra went in fashion. Cousin Connie's sons, Alphonso and Eric, told of how their Uncle Stan gave them game and manhood training. 

Murrill/Jackmon family, left to right: LaTanya Murrill Toney, Amira Jackmon, Rodney Murrill, Debra Jackmon, Patsy Murrill, Marvin X, Tommy Murrill Willis, Monti Hall, Naima Jackmon Douglas

After I spoke saying my cousins were like brothers and sisters, somebody shouted, "Sometimes better than brothers and sisters!" I continued, "But my uncle Stan was not only the single father of six children, he was my surrogate father as well, the man determined to make me a man in the absence of my father. Further, in adulthood, when I visited Sacramento as a writer, Stan, Sandra, Faye and their siblings supported me. When I was a featured author at the Sacramento Black Book Fair, Stan kicked it with me at my hotel suite, but when he requested I come spend the night on his couch, I declined his hospitality although I loved him madly, yet, I told the audience, Stan loved me more than I loved myself. He spoke of me constantly, even in my absence. He distributed my books in his apartment complex and throughout the hood. He took me to his neighbor's apartment, Fillmore Slim, who purchased my books and has been a friend ever since. I ended the comments section of the service with a recitation of Surah Al Fatihah in Arabic, then the repast began.


We give thanks and praise to Bryon Murrill for organizing this memorial under great stress, trauma and grief. We pray our family will heal in due time. As the Qur'an says, "After difficulty comes ease!"
--Marvin X
4/8/19




Sunday, April 7, 2019

Oakland sends Warrior Queen Julia Hare home

Oakland sends Warrior Queen Dr. Julia Hare Home 
by
Marvin X
photos
Johnnie Burrell


 Fillmore Slim sings St. James Infirmary 

 Dr. Nathan Hare and his Sister Mildred, Mrs. and Mr. Gay and Paul Cobb, Marvin X

 Dr. Ayodele Nzinga offering libation

Seated, Dr. Nathan Hare and his older sister Mildred
Standing, Marvin X and his star student, Dr. Ayodele Nzinga

 Congresswoman Barbara Lee

 Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Dr. Hare


Rabboni Sela, Dr. Hare, Dr. Ramona Tascoe

 Sax man Jethro and guitarist Mike


Vocalist Bryant Bolling

Rt. Judge Horace Wheatley, Rashid Shabazz, Dr. Nathan Hare

Oakland gave Warrior Queen Dr. Julia Hare a home going celebration befitting a royal Black African queen in the hell's of North America. It was a power to the people's farewell at Geoffrey's Inner Circle, the anchor venue in the Black Arts Movement Business District along the 14th Street corridor from the lower bottom to Lake Merritt. 

The celebration began with a Blues musical interlude by San Francisco Blues brothers, Jethro on sax/vocals, accompanied by Mike on guitar. Dr. Ayodele Nzinga gave the libation in the Yoruba tradition, followed by Minister of Poetry, Marvin X, who delivered in Arabic Surah Al Fatihah and Surah Al Ikhlas. He told the audience, "I am not going to translate, you  felt the vibration, that's good enough!"  

Representatives of Congresswoman Barbara Lee's office, District Director Tatyana Kalinga and Staff Assistant Antonio Burnett, presented Dr. Nathan Hare with a framed copy of the Congressional Record in honor of Dr. Julia Hare.

Legendary Black Arts Movement poet Avotcja  read a poem in honor of Dr. Julia Hare, followed by Blues/Mack Man Fillmore Slim singing St. James Infirmary, made famous by Louis Armstrong and Bobby Blue Bland, among others. Marvin requested Fillmore do the Satchmo version, but Fillmore liked the Bobby Blue Bland version,  He began with the Bobby Blue Bland version, sax solo by Jethro, and  closed with the Satchmo version. The audience was overjoyed. Fillmore told Marvin, "I think I put myself on another level today!" The poet agreed.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee entered and sat at the table with her representatives.

When called to the mike, she gave honor and praises to Dr. Julia Hare as her shero! "When I  first heard her, I wanted to be like her! Julia set the model of black women  talking truth to power!"

The celebrants viewed the video of Julia's last hurrah, when she stole the show from other prominent "leading blacks" on Tavis Smiley's Black Forum, see Youtube. If there was any doubt Julia was the female Malcolm X in delivery and wit, her performance on Tavis Smiley shut down any debate. The audience of thousands applauded her time after time. Although many have seen this video, those in the audience who had not were stupefied, in total shock at the bluntness and boldness of this Warrior Queen, yes, this Black Goddess in our time who has slipped into eternity.

The Minister of Poetry said, "Ok, people, we have heard from Dr. Julia Hare. Now, you are going to hear from Dr. Nathan Hare, who wrote a love song in praise of his Queen, "She Always Stood by me!" The entire essay was in the program, but Marvin began to read it with the Black Arts Movement Reader's Theatre, a newly formed dramatic group originated by the poet without prior knowledge of the participants. He began reading, then passed the mike to Dr. Ayodele Nzinga, who passed it to Tureeda, then to Dishonne Muhammad. Since the complete essay was in the program, the poet skipped to the last paragraph and ended. 

Bryant Bolling ended the reading singing Unforgettable, after which the celebration opened  for comments from the people, followed by the repast. Dr. Hare told the poet, "Marvin, I think you outdid yourself today!"


Dr. Ramona Tascoe

Norman Brown, Zakiyyah and Bryant Bolling, Dr. Hare, unidentified sister


Marvin X

Thursday, April 4, 2019

Amelia Ashley Ward and Marvin X: A Conversation of their love for Dr. Julia Hare

Amelia Ashley-Ward
Publisher of the San Francisco Sun Reporter
In Conversation with Marvin X 
on their mutual love of Dr. Julia Hare


Dr. Julia Hare, Female Malcolm X, Ball of Fire


Amelia Ashley-Ward, Publisher of the San Francisco Sun Reporter Newspaper and Dezi Woods-Jones, Founder and President of Black Women Organized for Political Action
photo Adam Turner

Marvin X, author of thirty books, most below the radar but his works are beloved in the community.
Poor people sometimes pay $100.00 per copy for the limited editions of his books. Often they put them on lay-a-way. Marvin X, who teaches at his Academy of da Corner, 14th and Broadway, downtown Oakland and Lakeshore Ave., says, "I wish our people  knew the beauty of our people. I give credit and 99% of the people pay me while I keep no record of their account. Of course, money means nothin' to me. I don't write for commercial success, I writer for the joy of writing and to educate my people and all people, no matter what color.



Amelia Ashley-Ward, Publisher of the Sun Reporter Newspaper, founded by Dr. Carlton Goodlett and Tom Fleming, organized and officiated the memorial ceremony for Dr. Julia Hare at Third Baptist Church. Marvin's review of the event is in the current edition of the Sun Reporter. The occasion made possible the renewal of friendship between Amelia and Marvin X, who is known to travel on the other side of planet earth!



Sun Ra, Father of Afro-futurism, see the movie Black Panther, see Space is the Place, filmed in Oakland. In 1971-72, Sun Ra and Marvin X taught Black Studies at UC Berkeley. Sun Ra arranged music for Marvin's musical Take Care of Business, performed at X's Black Educational Theatre, Fillmore District, later at the Harding Theatre on Divisadero Street; a five hour concert without intermission, reviewed in the Sun Reporter.

Indefatigable, peripatetic poet/playwright Marvin X and Sun Ra, co-founders of the Black Arts Movement; Sun Ra is the undisputed father of Afro-futurism In 1972 these Gemini twins taught Black Studies at UC Berkeley. Sun Ra's UC Berkeley lectures, audio version, are available on YouTube in four parts. Sun Ra and his Myth-Science Arkestra did the music for Marvin's classic play Take Care of Business.


After all, he was a coast to coast confident and artistic associate of the legendary father of Afro-futurism, Sun Ra, who synchronized Kemetic mythology and science fiction. Thus, Marvin X traveled the space ways with his buddy Sun Ra, not to mention his other earth and space travelers: Huey P. Newton, Bobby Seale, Eldridge and Kathleen Cleaver, Amiri and Amina Baraka and Drs. Nathan and Julia Hare, et al.


Dr. Huey P. Newton

Dr. Huey P. Newton said, "Marvin X was my teacher. Many of our comrades came through his Black Arts Theatre, e.g., Bobby Seale, Eldridge Cleaver, Emory Douglas, Samuel Napier,  Judy Juanita, JoAnn Mitchell, Ellendar Barnes, Sharon Treskanoff, et al."

After Marvin's aunts and uncles joined the ancestors and he became elder of his many cousins, in despair at the lost of his eders, he "adopted" Julia and Nathan as his aunt and uncle and became even closes  friends,associates and comrades in the revolutionary black nationalist liberation movement. Nathan Hare wrote the introduction to X's Black Arts Movement autobiography Somethin' Proper, Black Bird Press, 1998. Hare wrote the forward to his How to Recover from the Addiction to White Supremacy, a manual based on the twelve step model. Dr. Hare did the introduction to X's latest work Notes of Artistic Freedom Fighter Marvin X, Black Bird Press, 2019.


Amelia used to have phone conversations with Julia every morning at 6AM. Although Dr. Nathan Hare informed her Marvin would be attending the San Francisco memorial, Amelia was shocked to see him in person after so long, and happy to see he was calm and cool at the service. She noted that he seemed to be enjoying himself. He told her after the service, "If that preacher, Rev. Haynes, III, said two more words, I might have become a Christian!"


Rev. Haynes honoring Dr. Julia Hare at Third Baptist Church, San Francisco
photo Adam Turner

Marvin congratulated Amelia on the excellent memorial she organized and officiated. "I doubt we can top that when I officiate the Oakland memorial on Saturday, April 6, 3-6PM, at Geoffrey's Inner Circle, 410 14th St., Oakland. "Marvin, why do you think you need to top what I did?" "Well, I don't really mean top, all I can say is the Oakland celebration will be different!" Their conversation continued throughout the week anod as the Oakland date neared, Marvin told her, "Amelia, in Oakland we gonna put the funk in the game, Oakland style. Blues musician/hustler Fillmore Slim's going to sing St. James Infirmary." "Yes, and I see you stole Ricardo Scales for your event as well." "Yes, Ricardo is going to get down funky too, as he did at Third Baptist Church. Amelia, when I produced the Kings and Queens of Black Consciousness Concert at San Francisco State University, 2001, Dr. Cornel West told the folks, "We must keep the funk in place. That's whey we love Marcus Garvey, Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr., they kept the funk in place, kept it real, they were authentic!"


Dr. Cornel West and Marvin X in Philly for Mumia Abu Jamal

Now, this was the same event that Julia proclaimed to the sisters, "Sisters, I didn't wait for my ship to come in, I swam out to meet it," then called out her husband in the audience, "Nathan, didn't I swim out to meet you?" and blew him a kiss! She also told the audience, "When Marvin X calls you to do something, it's like God calling. When he says jump, you say how high!"

Amelia and I agreed that we were united in our love for Julia and Nathan, that's it that's all. I invited Amelia to speak at the Oakland celebration, especially to share a few tidbits of her 6AM conversations with Julia. After telling Dr. Nathan Hare of our conversation, he said she needs to also mention the many luncheon conversations she and other women had with Julia throughout the years.:

Dr. Nathan Hare at the Third Baptist Church memorial of Dr. Julia Hare, wife of 62 years.
photo Adam Turner


Nathan and Julia Hare in the UK, where the Black newspaper called her the female Malcolm X


Participants 
Oakland  memorial for Dr. Julia Hare

Dr. Ayodele Nzinga
Tureeda Mikell
Geoffery Grier
Pam Africa
Fillmore Slim
Representatives of Congresswoman Barbara Lee's office
Vocalist Bryant Bolling
Pianist Ricardo Scales
Violinist Tarika Lewis
Officiated by Marvin X, Minister of Poetry

Videographers

William Drummond
Khalid Waajib
Mitchael Satchel


Sound/lighting
Langstyon Williams
Bobby, Blue Dream
William Drummond

Program
Dennis Jeffrey
Karen Cheadle

Repast 

Geoffrey Pete
Congresswoman Barbara Lee
LaNiece Jones
Judy Juanita
Delores Noche
Dr. Ayodele Nzinga
Dr. Ramona Tascoe
Mr. and Mrs. Leon and Carolyn Teasley
Mr. and Mrs. Hasan James
Attorney Amira Jackmon
Nefertiti Jackmon