The Irony of history

 Marvin X

Marvin X 

Photo Doug Harris

PThe irony of history: in 1970 I was deported from British Honduras for entering illegally, though the real reason was associating with the BH Black power movement radicals, Evan X Hyde, Ishmael Shabazz, et al., who were on trial for sedition. And further, I reported on the trial for Muhammad Speaks Newspaper (Publisher Herbert Muhammad issued me a press badge while I resided in Mexico City as a political refugee who refused to fight in Vietnam for American imperialism). The final straw was when the natives begged me to teach them black power in the village where my pregnant wife and I settled on Gales Point, an island five hours up river from Belize City.  After a few weeks, a drunk man came by our hut singing, "Boy, dey comin' ta git ya in da mornin'! You been down here teachin' day black power an' dey comin'ta git ya in da mournin!" My wife and I laughed and wished the drunk man would get away from our door." But the next day when I boarded the boat for the five hour ride through the jungle, I was under arrest, or shall I say I was under surveillance by the undercover officer on board with the 22 rifle. I wasn't arrested until I arrived at my friend's house. They weren't home but the door was open so I went inside and chilled until I heard my name called to come outside. At first I hesitated, grabbed a rifle, but decided not to have a black panther style shootout.
I was taken to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Minister read my deportation order, "...,My presence was not beneficial to the welfare of the British Colony of Honduras, therefore I will be deported to Miami on the 4PM plane

After the Minister of Home Affairs read my deportation order, I was taken to the police station and told to sit down in the lobby. I was not handcuffed or put in a cell. Oh, irony of ironies, soon I was surrounded inside a circle of black police.
I had no idea what was going on. When the circle was full, one officer said, "Brother, teach us about black power!" I was blown away, I couldn't believe I heard what I heard. I was in a dream state. For a moment I was speechless, then I said, "Brothers, Marcus Garvey came here in 1923 and told you to get the Queen of England off your walls. It's 1970 and you still got that white bitch on your walls. Get that bitch off your walls!" The police cracked up, then pointed out to me the Uncle Tom police who came into the station but didn't join the circle. "Broder, he's black mon wit white heart, black mon white heart! We don't understand why they sending you back, you teaching us black power. White hippies come down here and smoke dope but they don't send them back!"
Continued