Marvin X on Alice Walker's Ministry of Poetry

Tonight we were blessed to enjoy Alice Walker's Hard Times Require Furious Dancing: An Evening with Alice Walker & Friends
Executive Producer Alice Walker
Producer Liza J. Rankow
Featuring WolfHawkJaguar & Osunfemi Wanbi Njeri

One Life Institute event

After the welcome and blessings by Liza Rankow, founder of the One Life Institute,   Alice Walker took the mike and began her   Ministry of Poetry. Her mighty radical spirit was softened by her womanist persona that in quiet tones spoke on the dire human condition today and the need to transcend this global spiritual depression. She said we must not only do a physical dance but a mental and spiritual dance of healing through radical action. Yes, she is in the tradition of the artistic freedom fighter! She read a poem on a mural at San Francisco's Women Center. Five of the painters were in the house and she acknowledged them. Then she read a poem on the death of her dog and how the death of her dog affected her. She rejected another little who came into her presence while she was in mourning. We cannot take the love of dogs lightly these, for many people, young and old, dogs are all the love we have. She said dogs are loyal and faithful.

Then she spoke again on the human condition. How did we get to such a dreadful moment on this earth? Imagine, we live in a time when someone can come into this room and kill us all!

Then in the most democratic tradition of African spirituality, she invited anyone to share. A dancer/poet shared in graceful movements of love and joy.

When Minister of Poetry Alice Walker saw
our beloved Belvie Rooks seated next to the Most Honorable Rev. E of Science of Mind Church, Alice called up Belvie who shared a poem of grief on the lost of her partner Dedan, a revolutionary Brother we all miss.

When Rev Walker asked again for someone to share, I went to the mike and shared my Parable of the Heart, from my latest book Notes of Artistic Freedom Fighter Marvin X. Soon after the music and dancing began. After my star student Dr. Ayodele Nzinga, who had invited me, introduced the band and dancing began, we made our exit from the Lake Merritt Boat House into the hot summer night of the Bay Area's Indian Summer.
--MARVIN X
10/6/19