Nation Time for North American Africans!

For thousands of years, Black People in Africa had enjoyed Freedom, Independence, Self-Government and Self-Determination. When Black People came to the Americas as adventurers and explorers and established settlements here, they maintained their love for freedom, independence, self-government and self-determination. And, when Black People were brought to this land as slaves, Our most powerful motive was to regain Our freedom, independence, self-government and self-determination. From day one, Black People rebelled and sought a way-of-life that was more rewarding and beneficial to Us. We did so in 1526 by rebelling against the Spaniards in South Carolina and running to the Indians, who helped Us drive the Spanish away and experience the self-governing process again. Thus began Our quest to establish a Black nation, a REPUBLIC OF NEW AFRIKA, in North America.
To the Black People who were forced to come to this land, Black Nationalism was a top priority. Self-government was what Blacks wanted more than anything else. Between 1850 and 1860, Blacks became more daring in their determination to rule themselves. For 250 years they had expressed their nationalistic desires by rebelling against whites, terrorizing whites and establishing camps that were governed by Black People.

Throughout the Civil War Black People demonstrated a preference for self-government by taking every opportunity available to govern themselves. Black People flocked in large numbers to areas where northern armies had won battles, and confronted the military officers with situations that could only be controlled if immediate governments were established. Black People would have to to run those governments, and had a right to. In 1864, Special Field Order #15 set aside for Black People a stretch of land from Charleston, S.C. to the country bordering the St. John's River in Florida. In this area, the official order read, "no white person whatsoever, unless military officers and soldiers detained for duty, will be permitted to reside; and the sole and exclusive management of affairs [of government] will be left to the free people [Black People] themselves." Similar centers were established in Mississippi, where more than 70,000 Blacks established governments where all property was under Black government and control, and where all Black residents had the inalienable right to liberty. With such settlements as these, on land from South Carolina to Florida and Mississippi that had been declared Ours, We, Black People, settled down to manage Our affairs [and did a good job]." We wanted to continue managing Our affairs, too. For this reason We resisted efforts made later on by the federal government to take away Our land and oftentimes only gave it up after We had been defeated in battle by army troops.

In the late 1960s, a convention of Black delegates met in Detroit, Michigan and proclaimed that Black People in the United States were in fact a Nation of People separate from the American people. This convention of delegates, including Imari Obadele (who was later elected president of the Black Nation) gave that Nation of People a name, the Republic of New Afrika. The Republic of New Afrika took the concept of Black Nationalism to its ultimate stage when, in 1968, it declared Black People to be free and independent of the United States government.

The Republic of New Afrika declared Black People's independence because it "believes that Black People in Amerikkka make up a nation of people, a people separate and apart from the Amerikkkan people. The RNA also believes that as a nation of people, We are entitled to all of the rights of a nation, including the right to land and self-determination. The RNA further believes that all the land in Amerikkka, upon which Black People have lived for a long time, worked and made rich as slaves, and fought to survive on is land that belongs to Us as a People, and it is land We must gain control of because, as Malcolm X said, land is the basis of independence, freedom, justice and equality. We cannot talk about self-determination without discussing it within the context of land. Therefore, the RNA [identified the five states of Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina as Black People's land and] believes that gaining control of Our land is the fundamental struggle facing Black People. Without land, Black Power, rights and freedom have no substance.

We know after 400 years of free and nearly free labor, North American Africans have the human and divine right to self determination and sovereignty. We have the same rights as others in American to declare or total freedom from the USA. If American states and citizens can declare themselves independent of the US government, then certainly we have the right to do so. As Ron Paul is saying below, "This country was born through secession. Some felt it was treasonous to secede from England, but those traitors became our greatest patriots." 

In our case, we were not allowed the right of self-determination. The 14th amendment forced US citizenship upon us, we had no say in the matter, thus we went from chattel slaves to wage slaves which is our condition at this hour. We are very much like the Palestinians, under occupation by a foreign power that has no right whatsoever to maintain occupation of our cities, subjecting us to apartheid stop and frisk laws and incarceration rates that are the highest in the world, yet because we have a white man in black face as President, we are supposed to drink the poison Kool Aid without question, in fact, be glad about it. 

While reparations are fine, national independence is the ultimate goal, and this means a land of our own, perhaps similar to how Pakistan was carved out of India when it was clear Muslims needed their own nation at the fall of the British empire. We are now at the fall of the American empire, so get ready for the break up, just as the USSR cracked apart. We agree with Ron Paul:

“At what point should the people dissolve the political bands which have connected them with an increasingly tyrannical and oppressive federal government?”.

He added: “And if people or states are not free to leave the United States as a last resort, can they really think of themselves as free? If a people cannot secede from an oppressive government, they cannot truly be considered free.”

--Marvin X

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(Politico) – Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) said Monday that secession was a “deeply American principle,” amid a growing number of people petitioning the White House to let their states secede from the U.S.

“Secession is a deeply American principle. This country was born through secession. Some felt it was treasonous to secede from England, but those ‘traitors’ became our country’s greatest patriots,” the former presidential candidate wrote in a post on his House website. “There is nothing treasonous or unpatriotic about wanting a federal government that is more responsive to the people it represents.”

He continued: “If the possibility of secession is completely off the table there is nothing to stop the federal government from continuing to encroach on our liberties and no recourse for those who are sick and tired of it.”

Since President Barack Obama was reelected earlier this month, a flurry of secession petitions from states were created — most notably from Texas, which with more than 115,000 signatures far exceeds the 25,000 signatures needed for an official White House response. Critics have said it’s disgruntled voters upset that former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney lost.

Paul wrote that secession must still be an option to be used as leverage to make sure the government doesn’t “encroach” on Americans’ liberties.

“In fact, the recent election only further entrenched the status quo. If the possibility of secession is completely off the table there is nothing to stop the federal government from continuing to encroach on our liberties and no recourse for those who are sick and tired of it.”

Paul wrote that secession is a form of American freedom.

“At what point should the people dissolve the political bands which have connected them with an increasingly tyrannical and oppressive federal government?” Paul wrote.

He added: “And if people or states are not free to leave the United States as a last resort, can they really think of themselves as free? If a people cannot secede from an oppressive government, they cannot truly be considered free.”

Free the land! No justice, no peace! America is the Black man's battleground!

ChickenBones: A Journal for  Literary & Artistic African-American  Themes

Books on the Negro and Georgia Chronology of African-American History by Alton Hornsby, Jr. and the Encyclopedia of Georgia by Somerset Publishers, Inc. *   *   *   *   * Special Field Orders, No. 15 Reparations  for Freed Slaves " Forty-Acres & a Mule" By William T. Sherman General William T. Sherman issued the following Special Field Orders, No. 15 in 1865 after meeting with the black clergy Savannah to discuss the future of former slaves after emancipation: 1. The islands from Charleston south, the abandoned rice-fields along the rivers for thirty miles back from the sea, and the country bordering the St. John's River, Florida, are reserved and set apart for the settlement of the negroes now made free by the acts of war and the proclamation of the President of the United States. 2. At Beaufort, Hilton Head, Savannah, Fernandina, St. Augustine, and Jacksonville, the blacks may remain in their chosen or accustomed vocations; but on the islands, and in the settlements hereafter to be established, no white person whatever, unless military officers and soldiers detailed for duty, will be permitted to reside; and the sole and exclusive management of affairs will be left to the freed people themselves, subject only to the United States military authority, and the acts of Congress. By the laws of war, and orders of the President of the United States, the negro is free, and must be dealt with as such. He cannot be subjected to conscription, or forced military service, save by the written orders of the United States military authority, and the acts of Congress. By the laws of war, and orders of the President of the United States, the negro is free, and must be dealt with as such. He cannot be subjected to conscription, or forced military service, save by the written orders of the highest military authority of the department, under such regulations as the President or Congress may prescribe. Domestic servants, blacksmiths, carpenters, and other mechanics, will be free to select their own work and residence, but the young and able-bodied negroes must be encouraged to enlist as soldiers in the service of the United States, to contribute their share toward maintaining their own freedom, and securing their rights as citizens of the United States. Negroes so enlisted will be organized into companies, battalions, and regiments, under the orders of the United States military authorities, and regiments under the orders of the United States military authorities, and will be paid, fed, clothed, according to the law. The bounties paid on enlistment may, with the consent of the recruit, go to assist his family and settlement in procuring agricultural implements, seed, tools, boots, clothing, and other articles necessary for their livelihood. 3. Whenever three respectable negroes, heads of families, shall desire to settle on land, and shall have selected for that purpose an island or a locality clearly defined within the limits above designated, the Inspector of Settlements and Plantations will himself, or by such subordinate officer as he may appoint, give them a license to settle such island or district, and afford them such assistance as he can to enable them to establish a peaceable agricultural settlement. The three parties named will subdivide the land, under the supervision of the inspector, among themselves, and such others as may choose to settle near them, so that each family shall have a plot of not more than forty acres of tillable ground, and, when it borders on some water channel, with not more than eight hundred feet water-front, in the possession of which land the military authorities will afford them protection until such time as they can protect themselves or until Congress shall regulate their title. The quartermaster may, on the requisition of the Inspector of Settlements and Plantations, place at the disposal of the inspector one or more of the captured steamers to ply between the settlements and one or more of the commercial points heretofore named, in order to afford the settlers the opportunity to supply their necessary wants, and to sell the products of their land and labor. 4. Whenever a negro has enlisted in the military service of the United States, he may locate his family in any one of the settlements at pleasure, and acquire a homestead, and all other rights and privileges of a settler, as though present in person. In like manner, negroes may settle their families and engage on board the gunboats, or in fishing, or in the navigation of the inland waters, without losing any claim to land or other advantages derived from this system. But no one, unless an actual settler as above defined, or unless absent on Government service, will be entitled to claim any right to land or property in any settlement by virtue of these orders. 5. In order to carry out this system of settlement, a general officer will be detailed as Inspector of Settlements and Plantations, whose duty it shall be to visit the settlements, to regulate their police and general arrangement, and who will furnish personally to each head of a family, subject to the approval of the President of the United States, a possessory title in writing, giving as near as possible the description of boundaries; and who shall adjust all claims or conflicts that may arise under the same, subject to the like approval, treating such titles altogether as possessory. The same general officer will also be charged with the enlistment and organization of the negro recruits, and protecting their interests while absent from their settlements; and will be governed by the rules and regulations prescribed by the War Department for such purposes. 6. Brigadier-General R. Saxton is hereby appointed Inspector of Settlements and plantations, and will at once enter on the performance of his duties. No change is intended or desired in the settlement now on Beaufort Island, nor will any rights to property heretofore acquired be affected thereby. By order of Major-General W.T. Sherman Savannah, Georgia January 16, 1865 *   *   *   *   * TimeLine 1733: Arrival The first Georgia colonists arrive in Savannah to lay out a debtors colony; among them are African servants and slaves. 1749: Official enslavement Although the trustees who organized the settlement restricted slavery to prevent greed and laziness among the settlers, many smuggled in slaves and pushed for greater land ownership. By 1749 the ban was repealed and the number of African slaves would soon near, and at times outnumber, the number of settlers. 1865: Slavery abolished Following the Union Army's defeat of the Confederacy, the state reluctantly agreed to emancipate slaves as part of an agreement to restore them to the union. 1867: Reconstructing lives Bitter Georgians refused to ratify the 14th Amendment giving blacks full citizenship in 1867, and the state was placed under military rule. As a result, the state had its officials forced upon it by outside military appointment. In the election of 1868 a new constitution was adopted and 32 blacks were elected to the state legislature. Land ownership programs had been established to ease the transition from slavery to freedom and many blacks looked forward to a progressive future. 1868: Deconstruction of reconstruction Racist groups like the Ku Klux Klan were organized to combat black political and economic progress. In September 1868 the white legislative majority expelled the blacks from office. Eventually, the brief period of black advancement was erased and violence and legislation was used to segregate the races, subjugate blacks and maintain economic and political power among white affluent classes. 1932-1940: Great migration Southern blacks began moving to Northern cities in search of social and economic opportunities and relief from racial oppression and agricultural life in the South. 1985-present: Homecoming The rise in cultural awareness prompted many African Americans to return to their Low country southern roots to explore their Gullah and Geechee culture. Source: Chronology of African-American History by Alton Hornsby, Jr. and the Encyclopedia of Georgia by Somerset Publishers, Inc. Few, Jenel. "Black History Month Feature: Living with or without 40 acres and a mule." Savannah Morning News. Web Posted, February 21, 2000 . Higher education reporter Jenel Few can be reached at 652-0325 posted 2 November 2007

*   *   *   *   *

Family Fun at the Free Marketplace, Brooklyn this weekend

FAMILY FUN AT THE FREE MARKETPLACE FREE FAMILY ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE - THE FREE MARKETPLACE THIS WEEKEND FREE FAMILY FUN ACTIVITIES THIS HOLIDAY WEEKEND The Free Marketplace will launch this Sunday, 11/25/12 in Brooklyn. It is a monthly indoor artisan market and the first market of its kind with a section dedicated to children and families featuring kid friendly gear, goods, treats, crafts, stroller parking, and activities such as art projects led byWeeCreate BK, yoga courtesy of Sacred, and complimentary organic goodies provided by Happy Family Brands. The market's main room will host curated vendors, live music courtesy of actor Adrian Grenier’s Wreckroom Records, creative workshops, a wellness lounge with massage and community acupuncture! 11am - 6pm FREECANDY 905 Atlantic Avenue, 2nd fl (bet St. James & Grand Ave) Brooklyn, NY 11238 Family Room Schedule All Workshops are free but you must register as space is limited. Send email with Workshop and number of kids you’d like to register to thefreemarketplace@gmail.com 11:30            Kid’s Yoga Workshop* – presented by Sacred (must bring your own mat) 12:30            Storytime with author Melanie Hope Greenberg 1:00            Creative Art Workshop – presented by WeeCreate BK 2:00            Happy Family Brands Healthy Food demonstration 3:00            Storytime w/ author Melanie Hope Greenberg 4:00            Kids Craft Workshop – presented by Prosperity Unlimited 5:00            Happy Family Brands Healthy Food demonstration Main Room Schedule All Workshops are free but you must register as space is limited.  Massage and Community acupuncture are first come first serve basis. 11:30                      Adult Yoga presented by Sacred (must bring your own mat) 1:00                        Live Music presented by WRECKROOM Records 2:00                        Screenprinting Workshop presented by Philadelphia Printworks (bring a tee) 3:00                        Live Music presented by WRECKROOM Records 4:00                        Frank White Awards 5:00                        DJ presented by WRECKROOM Records WANT TO VEND, PARTNER, SPONSOR? thefreemarketplace@gmail.com Media inquiries, contact: Sun in Leo PR | 718 496 2305 |prgirl@suninleo.com NOVEMBER 2012 25 GET MORE INFO FOLLOW ON TWITTER FRIEND ON FACEBOOK FORWARD TO A FRIEND

Poems for Palestine, Egypt, Syria by Marvin X and Mohja Kahf

 PALESTINE by Marvin X (Imam Maalik El Muhajir)

I am not an Arab, I am not a Jew
Abraham is not my father, Palestine is not my home
But I would fight any man
Who kicked me out of my house
To dwell in a tent
I would fight
To the ends of the earth
Someone who said to me
I want your house
Because my father lived here
Two thousand years ago
I want your land

Because my father lived here
Two thousand years ago.
Jets would not stop me
From returning to my home
Uncle toms would not stop me
Cluster bombs would not stop me
Bullets I would defy.
No man can take the house of another
And expect to live in peace
There is no peace for thieves
There is no peace for those who murder
For myths and ancient rituals
Wail at the wall

Settle in "Judea" and "Samaria"
But fate awaits you
You will never sleep with peace

You will never walk without listening.
I shall cross the River Jordan
With Justice in my hand
I shall return to Jerusalem
And establish my house of peace,
Thus said the Lord.
© 2000 by Marvin X (Imam Maalik El Muhajir)

After Friday Prayers

Egypt: After Friday Prayers 

After Friday Prayers
After salat
salaam-alaikum
al humdulilah
we shall meet in the streets
to shout no more pharaoh
no more presidents for life
no more American aide for guns and tear gas
no more uncle abdullah
no more
no more reactionary theology
no honor killings
suppression of women's dignity
no more
after Friday prayers
in Tunisia
Cairo
Yemen
Sudan
Jordan
Saudi Arabia
Persian Gulf
no more
after Fatihah/Ikhlas
we shall meet the guns of Pharaoh Mubarak
we shall meet the tear gas
even death even
we shall meet
and go to paradise
for freedom
we have no fear of Pharaoh's guns/tear gas
no fear no more
we are mostly young and invincible
we have the model
we shall meet in the streets
to live again
to breathe
to love
to take control of our lives
to feed our families
to fly in the sun of freedom and liberty.
--Marvin X

1/27/11

To Egypt With Love

Dedicated to my son, Abdul (Darrel P. Jackmon, RIP)

He studied at the American University in Egypt

fell in love in Egypt

some Ghanian ambassador's daughter

told him don't give no woman keys to your apartment

he never did

not even the ambassador's daughter, he told me

he loved Egypt

spoke the language

graduated UC Berkeley in Arabic and Middle Eastern Literature

said the Africans were slaves throughout the Middle East

Arabs took their passports

making them slaves

racism was pervasive

unsustainable

yet understandable

they are not the aboriginal Arabs

not the Arabs of Sabah

Queen of Sabah's land

who ruled from Canaan to Jerusalem to the Persian Gulf

Queen of Sabah

who fascinated King Solomon

My son loved Arabic, Persian

Fulbright fellowship to University of Damascus

Syrian intelligence  interrogated him daily

why was he hanging around those filthy Palestinians

Why did he swim at the American embassy 

Dad, they tried to recruit me for the C.I.A

Mormons controlled the US Embassy

wanted me to be a Mormon

Toward the end my son became a Mormon

lived with Eldridge Cleaver

himself a Mormon, for a time

said Eldridge got strange phone calls

from strange people

we know Eldridge was dr. strangelove

The Ghanaian woman came to see my son in Cali

I do not know what happened

but she went home

In the end he loved a Portuguese woman

he loved Brazil

said he wanted to live in Bahia

dance Condomble 

a man of the world

at his funeral came his friends

no black man no black woman

Asians whites

after all

he was a man of the world

what could he say to a nigguh in the ghetto

his travels to Africa, Egypt, Jerusalem, Brazil,Japan, what could he say to a ghetto nigguh

In Japan, he said they teach the women to say three things:

yes, thank you and I'm sorry

Japanese woman he got pregnant said no to his black baby

so she could go home in peace

family told her don't bring no black baby home.

Abdul loved the Middle East

loved Persian

poetry

the rhythms of the language

poets who dervish.

Egypt may fall today tomorrow

my son will be pleased

Pharaoh Mubarak is no more

the regime is history

what a story to tell my son

who walked into a train

in his midnight madness

Dr. Hare said he was like Malcolm and Martin

he was 38, they were 39

he self destructed

suicide and homicide is the same

different sides of the same coin.

Let Egypt arise for the sons and daughters who have suffered

a long suffering that has come to an end.

Mubarak a page in history

a pitiful note in the eternal song of a people.

--Marvin X

1/31/11

Two Poems for the People of Syria

Oh, Mohja
how much water can run from rivers to sea
how much blood can soak the earth
the guns of tyrants know no end
a people awakened are bigger than bullets
there is no sleep in their eyes
no more stunted backs and fear of broken limbs
even men, women and children are humble with sacrifice
the old the young play their roles
with smiles they endure torture chambers
with laughs they submit to rape and mutilations
there is no victory for oppressors
whose days are numbered
as the clock ticks as the sun rises
let the people continue til victory
surely they smell it on their hands
taste it on lips
believe it in their hearts
know it in their minds
no more backwardness no fear
let there be resistance til victory.
--Marvin X/El Muhajir

Syrian poet/professor Dr. Mohja Kahf

Oh Marvin, how much blood can soak the earth?

The angels asked, “will you create a species who will shed blood

and overrun the earth with evil?” 

And it turns out “rivers of blood” is no metaphor: 

see the stones of narrow alleys in Duma

shiny with blood hissing from humans? Dark

and dazzling, it keeps pouring and pumping

from the inexhaustible soft flesh of Syrians,

and neither regime cluster bombs from the air,

nor rebel car bombs on the ground,

ask them their names before they die. 

They are mowed down like wheat harvested by machine,

and every stalk has seven ears, and every ear a hundred grains.

They bleed like irrigation canals into the earth.

Even one little girl in Idlib with a carotid artery cut

becomes a river of blood. Who knew she could be a river 

running all the way over the ocean, to you,

draining me of my heart? And God said to the angels, 

“I know what you know not.” But right now,

the angels seem right. Cut the coyness, God;

learn the names of all the Syrians.

See what your species has done.

--Mohja Kahf

Black Power Babies Explode Brooklyn NY

Black Power Babies dropped a bomb on Brooklyn NY yesterday afternoon. Produced by Muhammida El Muhajir, the intergenerational discussion was so successful when the time came for Q and A, there were no questions from the audience. MC Muhammida, daughter of Nisa Ra and Marvin X, only asked
three or four questions that were answered succinctly by panelist, e.g., what legacy did your parents give you? How have you handled this legacy? Of the parents, she asked, how did you give black power consciousness to your children?

A summary of answers might read as follows: We know no other way than what they taught us. We may have wanted to go another way but the forces would not let us. The Oba said he knows the ancestors are watching his every move, so if he does not fulfill his mission, i.e., carry on the legacy of his father and mother, bad things shall happen to him. Bunmi Samuels said there is no way he can escape the legacy of his parents who were in the Black Arts Movement, including his aunt Barbara Ann Teer. Aishah Simmons told of wanting to be normal but could not as the price of being a movement child. The children talked of growing up attending rallies and marches and being educated in  independent black schools. Parent Michael Simmons said we could not send our children to be educated by the enemy, thus schools were set up in homes that were childcare centers as well.
Marvin X said parents in the Black Power Movement sacrificed for the cause of liberation, even the children were often sacrificed, some might call it abandonment, abuse and neglect.

Mrs. Amina Baraka let it be known Black Power was no joke, no party, no game, people lost their lives, went to jail, prison, exile. We must tell the truth of this history so others can stop lying about it!

The Black Power Babies met at Restoration Plaza's beautiful Skylight Gallery, full of beautiful Black Art. The intergenerational session began with a processional by the Oba of Oyotunji African Village, Shelton, South Carolina, including his  entourage of drummers, priests and devotees. The libation was said in Yoruba, then English.



The panelists were seated and producer/MC Muhammida El Muhajir opened the discussion with questions for the Black Power Babies, followed by questions for their parents.

The audience had no questions after the panelist finished.

Black Power Babies and parents, Left to Right: Michael Simmons, Aishah Shahidah Simmons,

Amiri Middy Baraka, Jr., Bunmi Samuels, Muhammida El Muhajir, Marvin X, Oba Adefunmi II,

Mrs. Amina Baraka, Nisa Ra, Aaliyah Madyun, Malika Iman, Barbara Rivera and daughter

Filmmaker Nisa Ra, Daughter Muhammida El Muhajir

and Father Marvin X

Mrs. Amina Baraka and Malika Iman,

daughter of Yusef Iman (BAM,

NOI, East, OAAU)

After the series of questions, Muhammida asked her father, Marvin X, to read a parable from his latest book, the Wisdom of Plato Negro. He read Parable of the Woman at the Well.

Parable of the Woman at the Well 

A woman asked Plato why are youth out of control ? He replied that youth are out of control because adults are out of control and youth observe then emulate their behavior.

Even during the revolutionary 60s, the militants, who are the fathers and mothers of today’s youth, were guilty of contradictions, or saying one thing but doing another. They talked black power but went home to beat their wives and women. They preached discipline but were guilty of drug abuse and abuse of power. Much of our behavior was patriarchal white supremacy actions that debased women, considering them less than human.

Of course we learned this behavior from our white supremacy socialization. True enough, there were many good things we learned and achieved during that time, and many sincere and honest people gave their lives for the cause of freedom.

But if we had been of sober minds, we would have been able to detect agent provocateurs and snitches. We would have been able to see through the US Government’s counter intelligence program or Cointelpro. With sobriety and discipline, we might have been able to show our children better examples of male/female relations, and perhaps today’s youth would be more respectful of women, elders and peers.

The woman asked Plato what can be done today to reconnect with our children ? Plato said we must embrace them with unconditional love and do not abuse them, physically, sexually or otherwise. Do not show them contradictory behavior, saying one thing but doing the opposite.

We must not say we are about freedom, yet make their mothers slaves in the home, treating them with abuse that the children observe. Many children have been abandoned and left to fend for themselves. They are without mother or father. Many are living in foster homes, the result of parental drug and sexual abuse.

Adults must stop being predators and instead be mentors and guides. The youth want and seek our wisdom, but we must reach out to them because many are terrified of us just as we are terrified of them. It is communal insanity when we allow children to rule our community, making us afraid to go outside at night, afraid to go to the store.


But we can only take back control of our community by reconnecting and embracing our children, no matter how painful it is for us and them. We must make amends to them for our wickedness and then demand of them the same.

Yes, they must apologize to the elders they have harmed and disrespected. What we are talking about is the urgent need for a healing session between youth and adults, a time and space where we can gather to admit our mistakes and promise to do better now and in the future.

We must, youth and adults, swallow our pride and reconnect. We cannot allow the chaos to continue because we know things go from bad to worse, if we do not address the issues. Nothing is going to change until we change our thinking and actions. We must rise up from animal to divine. The tide is turning because you are turning the tide!

Mothers and fathers who are separated must come together for the sake of their children, if only for a moment. When children see parents reconciling, they will do likewise. No matter the pain of the past, adults must show the way to community unity.

Why shouldn’t youth resort to violence, after all, they see adults resolving their conflicts with violence? Adults cannot get out of our responsibility to show the way, to guide and mentor. Every youth is our child, thus our responsibility to show the right way.

Give youth a chance, support them when they are selling items other than dope, such as DVDs, CDs, gear and other items to get their hustle on in a legal way. At least they are not killing to make a dollar, so reach out to them. Hug a thug before the thug hugs you!

The woman seemed to understand the wisdom of Plato. Although frustrated to the max, she said she would try to reach out to youth, rather than simply complain about their behavior and shortcomings.

from The Wisdom of Plato Negro, parables/fables, Marvin X, aka Dr. M, Black Bird Press, Berkeley, 2012.

Jesse Jackson Jr. Leaves Mental Health Clinic

Does corruption or oppression cause manic depression or bio polarism?

Jesse Jackson Jr. Leaves Mayo Clinic

DION RABOUIN

 

17 hours ago

The Congressman, who has been on leave since June, left the Mayo Clinic today

After winning reelection by a landslide in his Chicago-area district, despite not campaigning and barely even being seen in public, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. left the Mayo Clinic today after his second treatment for bipolar disorder.

Mayo Clinic spokesman Nick Hanson said he did not know where Jackson was going after he left the Minnesota hospital,according to the Associated Press.

[ALSO READ: Jesse Jackson Jr.: Condition ‘More Serious’ Than Expected]

Jackson returned to the hospital in October while facing a new federal investigation into potential misuse of his campaign finances in the scandal over then-Senator Obama's vacated Illinois Senate seat.

He is still under a U.S. House committee's investigation because of possible dealings with imprisoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.