Fresno Highest Deadly Per Capita Police Shooting Rate in America, CA Lea...

Many Blacks in my home town of Fresno are more concerned with my use of the N word than police killing Blacks. See my Juneteenth speech in Fresno:

Marvin X: The subject is Dante

Marvin X spoke in Fresno for Black History Month, he returned for Juneteenth

Marvin X at Fresno CA Juneteenth: Dante is my subject today

After opening remarks, Marvin X declared his subject today is Dante. We want to talk about Dante. The whole world is concerned about Dante. President Obama has a program for Dante. The schools and prisons are having a time with Dante. The community is in terror of Dante. Dante has many issues: he wants to wear his pants hanging off his behind. Now who wants to see his funky ass, who wants to see his dirty drawers, he told the audience in his hometown in the central valley that gathered to celebrate Juneteenth. And you OGs are afraid of Dante, afraid to say a word to him. Marvin declared 99% of time he tells Dante to pull his pants up, he does so, sometimes with a smile, sometimes with a laugh. Sometimes Dante will walk pass and he will read my mind and pull up his pants, without me saying a word, eye contact worked.

They say Dante is ignut, mentally retarded, suffers attention deficient disorder, to say nothing of his full blown addiction to white supremacy. Yet Dante is a genius, he can rap for hours without missing a line, but the schools can't get him to read and write, yet he can rap endlessly.

They (and who is the mythical they?) say Dante is useless and shiftless, yet he has created hip hop culture emulated and imitated around the world. Although there are those who denounce the word Nigguh, Dante has made Nigguh a multimillion dollar word, and every body in the world, those in youth culture, call themselves Nigguh, Mexicans, Chinese, Japanese, Africans, Arabs. Everybody wants to be a Nigguh except certain Nigguhs. Marvin X was informed after his speech that some in the audience departed because of his usage of the N word. In Marvin's world, he isn't being effective if some in the audience are not provoked to leave, sometimes screaming, hollering and tearing off their clothes! Such was the reaction to his recovery classic One Day in the Life.

He said Dante is valuable commodity who is now traded on the stock exchange, similar to oil, hogs, beef and corn. He is worth $60,000 per year per inmate incarcerated. Marvin said why not send them to Harvard, it has free admission for the poor. If they go to Harvard, they can learn how be real criminals, thieves, robbers and pimps. Harvard will make them global bandits, like President Obama, who walks about checking off his kill list weekly. But Dante wants to be a petty killer, a petty pimp, who terrorizes the hood but won't cross the line to kill white people. He will beat his woman have to death because he thinks he owns her body, especially her pussy that he claims is his, but he doesn't have a pussy, Dante doesn't bleed five days a month.

Dante wants to pimp his woman, even his sister and first cousin, even his moma, yeah, he pimps on a bicycle while living at his mama's house! Dante, please go to Harvard so you can learn how to pimp like the big boys!

Nigguh wanna pimp
can you pimp a Jew
can you pimp Arabia
Africa, Latin America
can you pimp teachers
preachers politicians judges
nigguh wanna pimp
nigguh please....
can you pimp the father, son and holy ghost
nigguh wanna pimp, yeah....

Marvin X told of speaking with youth at the Riker's Island youth prison in New York. He asked the youth how much it cost to keep them in prison for a year. One said ten thousand, another said twenty thousand, but a guard said $60,000. And the boot camp cost more, but if one graduated, he was provided a free college education. Think Dante took advantage of it, of course not, once Dante was back in the hood with the hood rats.

As we said, Dante is really a genius, a very smart guy, so smart he outsmarts himself. Then he wants to write Marvin X for books, free of course, but Dante adds his commissary lists. Marvin X said he doesn't mind sending books but he ain't filling out no commissary requests.

He asked the audience who visits Dante, who puts money on his books? His mama and his girl, rarely does his father visit him. Actually, she mother is mother and father. Marvin X said it was so in his case growing up, but he managed to come out all right, the author of thirty books. For sure, he said, this society does not want Dante to be another Marvin X or Malcolm X, or George Jackson or Tookie Williams. Any potential persons of this type are tracked from childhood like prison prophet Mumia Abu Jamal who was tracked from the age of 14. As was noted at his 60th birthday celebration in Philly, Mumia is free (he who is free in mind is free indeed--he just needs to be released).

Marvin's talk was interrupted with music, signaling his time was up, even though he was the featured speaker and rappers had been on stage talking loud but saying nothing for an extensive amount of time. He ended by noting that there had be 28 shootings in 30 days in Fresno, but not one white man had been killed. He was later informed the people at the police booth were disturbed. There were those who went to his defense. NAACP President Pamela Young said, "We know how Marvin is, Marvin was just Marvin." A Mexican lady came to his booth afterwards to tell him how much she appreciated his remarks and that youth need to hear him but she only objected to his use of the N word. And so it is.

Let's see what happens Sunday at Berkeley's Juneteenth. Marvin X will kickoff the event at 12 noon with a reading. Berkeley Juneteenth is at Adeline and Alcatraz, south of the ASHBY BART station.

Photos by Carl Donaldson: Marvin X and Felipe Luciano (The Last Poets) at Ras Baraka Inauguration, Newark NJ

Felipe Luciano and Marvin X have been friends since the Black Arts Movement in Harlem, NY., 1968.

Marvin X escaped Newark NJ just in time before the coming hurricane. Every time I come to the East coast, shit happens: 9/11, Sandy, Ice storm, etc. Even then, the plane spent two hours on the runway during the rain, thunder and lightning on Wednesday afternoon. 

He returns home to take up Paul Cobb's (publisher of the Oakland Post News Group) offer to help him produce the Black Arts Movement festival in Oakland. In Newark, Dr. Tony Montiero and Pam Africa urged him to set up a BAM headquarters in Philly. They vowed to help him with the Philly leg of the 27 City Tour of the Black Arts Movement Poets Choir and Arkestra. Now we know the Mayor of 

Newark, Ras Baraka, will bring the tour to his city, In sha Allah!

Marvin X will be in Seattle WA. next Saturday, July 12, 3pm, reading and signing books at the Life Enrichment Bookstore 5023 Rainer Ave. S., hosted by Hakeem Trotter.

Photo Essay: Newark NJ Mayor Ras J. Baraka inauguration, July 1, 2014

 FYI, Amiri Baraka, Jr. is the man behind the man. He is the thinker and planner, i.e., strategist of Team Baraka.

 Holy Mother Amina Baraka

 We are the Mayor!

 Mayor David Dinkins, Mayor Sharp James, Cory Booker, now Senator

 I always said this guy is a preacher. He called on God throughout his message at swearing in.

 Watch those daughters! 

 Mary J in da house!

My friend AB would have loved to see this day. We know he was there, in the air, in the sun, in the breeze! You did this AB, you set this ship in the ocean. Better ax somebody!

Ras J. Baraka takes oath of office as Newark's Mayor

Mayor Baraka with two daughters

I was never moved by the singing of the national anthem until today when Alana Smith, a very young female, blasted into the mike outside Newark's Performing Arts Center during the inauguration of Ras J. Baraka as the new mayor. Yes, I was moved to tears, but tears of joy at the child and the event of a young man I've known since he was a child, Ras J. Baraka, son of my recently departed friend of 47 years, poet Amiri Baraka and his beautiful wife, Amina.

After Ras was administered the oath of office, he proceeded with the inaugural address. After giving the eulogy at his father's funeral in January, we knew his speech would be powerful, for he is a poet in his own right, although he revealed he is as much a preacher as poet with his call and response cadences. He began with the mantra of his campaign, WE ARE MAYOR, and went on to delineate the social economic issues facing the city of his birth. He listed economic disparity, educational inequities, violence and incarceration as issues he must address. Mayor Baraka repeatedly called upon God to help him and the people of Newark, but declared he was a fearless radical who will call a spade a spade.

He told how he was in his mother's womb when Martin Luther King, Jr. dropped by their house. He was three years old when the Newark rebellion took place: his father was beaten bloody and mother terrorized. This was his socialization, his rites of passage into the political world of Newark--and America. His mother, poet Amina Baraka, grandmother and three daughters sat behind him on stage, along with former elected officials, including Governor Richard J. Codey, New York Mayor David Dinkins and Newark Mayor Sharp James.

Embattled Temple University Professor, Dr. Tony Montiero at the event. "I don't think much of political statements. We'll wait to see how events play out on the ground."

photo Marvin X

Newark's perennial  radical Baba Zayid 

photo Marvin X

Philadelphia's Harriet Tubman, Pam Africa

photo Marvin X

Radicals present included poets Sonia Sanchez, Haki Madhubuti, Marvin X, Dr. Tony Montiero of Temple University, Philadelphia; Pam Africa of the Committee to Save Mumia Abu Jamal, New York senior Black producer, Woody King and Baba Zayid of the New Black Panther Party.

The following notes from the Mayor were printed in the official inaugural program:
...Today, we take our oaths of office and our greatest duty will be to serve each and every one of you with professionalism, efficiency and effectiveness. We are committed to listening and leading, to answering and acting and to be compassionate and caring.

...We seek a Newark of safe streets, strong schools, a clean environment and abundant prosperity. We are proud of how our City stands at the center of our regional economy, a focus for development and increasingly, a destination for entertainment and the arts....

We have families to support, children to teach, homes to build, neighborhoods to strengthen and jobs to create. Together we will do so. Together we will overcome all challenges and adversities. Together we will build Newark's greatest days.

And so it is, on a hot day in Newark, the child of radical parents took the reins of power. In an act of political self diminishment and people's empowerment, he said repeatedly, We are the Mayor!

 Art by Emory

Da Mayor and poet Marvin X

Campaign to Bring Mumia Abu Jamal Home

Jun 30 at 12:17 PM

EMAJ Colleagues –

Mumia continues to send out commentaries from prison, this one, immediately below, on current journalists’ coverage of developments in Iraq.

Then below Mumia’s image, see the latest Minutes from Organizers in the Campaign to Bring Mumia home.

Mumia is at work, we are at work.

Keep on everyone,

EMAJ
___________________

MUMIA’S LATEST RADIO ESSAY FROM “IMPRISONED NATION” –

ENTITLED: “Lessons Unlearned from History – Re: Journalists and Iraq”  

 

The Campaign to Bring Mumia Home

Minutes of Coordinating Committee Meeting

June 14, 2014, 2:25 - 5:25PM

Philadelphia, Church of the Advocate

I. April 24 - 26th Report Back (NY, Philly, Mexico, France, Germany)                             *See Agenda Handout

II. Goals for 2014 - 2015:  Convictions Review Unit, FOP, Mainstreaming Mumia's Innocence, Palm cards, Petitions            

Convictions Review Unit Announcement

·         D.A. of Philadelphia, Seth Williams, announced the opening of the Convictions Review Unit (CRU)

·         CRU provides opportunity to have Mumia's case brought back into the court with standard for new evidence being lowered

·         Continue building a movement locally, nationally, internationally that will put pressure on D.A.'s office to open Mumia's case

·         The representation body who presents the case of Mumia to D.A.'s office "has to be carefully chosen, so that they can't say no"

·         Important to develop a narrative campaign (innocence narrative of Mumia)

·         Strategy needs developing on how to pressure LDF to act                                                                                                             Proposals: 1.) Writing a letter to LDF which states the significance of                       CRU and states the argument for Mumia's innocence.           

             2.) Have Mumia, high profile individuals, and                                                     organizations sign the letter       

·         Important that we understand the specifics of the cases that are opened by D.A. office in order to show the similarities between opened cases and Mumia's --> Will increase pressure on D.A. to open Mumia's case

Goals Around Convictions Review Unit

1.) Forming a representative body to present Mumia's case to CRU

2.) Ensuring NAACP strongly pursues and supports the case to the CRU

3.) Direct actions towards Seth Williams that will increase pressure for him to open Mumia's case

4.) Recruit 10 high profile people who will be our CRU ambassadors

Goals Around FOP

1.)    Develop a short FOP Document that we can easily deploy in the future when the FOP rears its head (Response Plan)

2.)    Putting a face on FOP (what FOP represents, what it does, its impacts on people’s lives)

Mainstreaming Mumia’s Innocence

1.)    Target Racial Justice News Outlets to Cover our Mumia Narrative (b/w now & Dec.)

2.)    Popularize Kenneth Freeman Story

3.)    Mumia Freedom Bus in Philly (mobile museum)

Petitions & Palm Cards

1.)    Assign a couple of people to collect and mail palm cards

2.)    Establish monthly goals of how many petitions we want signed

3.)    Modernize tradition of street outreach in NY and Philly (palm cards and petition distribution)

4.)    Add signature line to palm cards

Structure

1.)    Dues/Membership Organization: Still need more suggestions on what processes would work best four our structure

2.)    Team of 4 (David, Jackie, Jeff, & Sophia) assigned the task of proposing a structure at our next meeting

3.)    Elders Counsel can serve as consultation body for new people to learn from older, more experienced folks

4.)    Assembling team that goes through every website that has Mumia info and ensure that info is correct

5.)    Agreed that we would need the following committees:

          Finance, Outreach and New Membership, Media/Communications

Although structure is in flux -- agreed that the following committees would be formed to proceed with immediate work, volunteers signed up and point people were assigned to each:

1. FOP Document = Johanna, Rebekah

2. Media/Communications = Jackie

3. Finance = Jamila, Gabe, Betsy

4. Convictions Review Work = Lee, Johanna, Charlotte, Patrice 

5. Narrative on Innocence = Jamila, Pam

6. Outreach and Membership = Jeff, Gabe, Carlito, Kamau, Frances, Sophia, Lee

Attendees:

Shesheena

Johanna

Gabe

Sheena

Jamila

Rebekah

David

Patrice

Dr. Monteiro

Carlito

Sophia

Charlotte

Jeff

Pam

Ramona

Lee

Frances

Next Meeting, July 20^th

Time & Location TBA

Marvin X in Seattle WA, Saturday, July 12, 3pm., Life Enrichment Bookstore

The Human Earthquake will visit Seattle WA for a reading/booksigning at the Life Enrichment Bookstore, Saturday, July 12, 3pm. Marvin X has fond memories of the few months he lived in Seattle while working on his autobiography Somethin' Proper, Black Bird Press, 1998.

I was treated royally by the Seattle people, Black and White. I made a lot of money hustling Seattle's Homeless paper, $400.00 per day @ $20.00 per paper. I wish I could show the homeless brothers and sisters how to hustle in a big way. I don't make that much now selling my books. Maybe I should go back to selling the homeless paper.

When White women read my poster poem For the Women, they weeped on the street. Their reaction to my poem humbled me because it revealed the power of words, how words can move the heart. They wanted to know how a man was able to write such a poem. I told them many women had to suffer my physical, emotional and verbal abuse, especially the mothers of my children. Then too, my attitude changed when my three daughters grew into womanhood. I certainly would not allow any man to abuse them. And I saw my intellectual and spiritual consciousness expressed in my daughters as well as my sons, so I had to throw that patriarchal mentality into the dustbin of history, the notion that sons are more important than daughters. My daughters are the intellectual and spiritual match of any man! Of course, I give all praise to their mothers.

Amira, Nefertiti, Muhammida and Marvin X

We thank Seattle Wa for the invitation, especially Hakeem Trotter and the folks at Life Enrichment Bookstore, located at 5023 Rainer Ave. S, Seattle WA., 3pm.

Marvin X is still working on the 27 City Tour of the Black Arts Movement Poets Choir and Arkestra.
For booking, please call 510-200-4164.

The Honorable Ras J. Baraka, Mayor of Newark, New Jersey and poet Marvin X

The Honorable Ras J. Baraka, Mayor of Newark, New Jersey and poet Marvin X

Ras J. Baraka, Mayor of Newark, New Jersey and poet/author Marvin X. "When I become mayor we become mayor!" Mayor elect will be inaugurated Tuesday, July 1, 12 Noon, at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Evelyn Williams, a Ras Baraka supporter, told Marvin X at campaign headquarters, "We rising up!" 

Mrs. Amina Baraka, revolutionary artist/activist and mother of Ras, said, "People coming at me like I'm the first lady. He's my son, so don't call me first lady. And don't try to use me to get to him. Send your resumes to him, not me!"

National Association of Black Storytellers Contest

NATIONAL BLACK STORYTELLING CONTEST SEEKS COMMUNITY HEROES Who are our unsung, unknown and uncrowned heroes/ sheroes who have had and are having a profound impact on our lives? The National Association of Black Storytellers, Inc. (NABS) encourages our community members to tell family, neighborhood and historical stories, and to enter video narratives into the 2nd annual NABS National Storytelling Contest.

The call is to create, Storytelling  record and share an original story inspired by the NABS’ statement, entitled “The Need to Crown our Heroes/Sheroes.”  The competition has a youth and an adult category. Winners in each category will receive a cash prize, along with an opportunity to perform, during the 32nd Annual National Black Storytelling Festival and Conference, to be held in Chicago, IL, November 12-16, 2014. This annual national event draws attendees from across the country.

NABS believes stories are transformative. When we share the courageous victories of our people we pass on invaluable lessons of faith, determination and endurance. We create and sustain a culture that freely speaks out for the rights of freedoms, justice and equality. This call to action is in keeping with the NABS mission to promote and perpetuate the art of Black Storytelling -- an art form, which embodies the history, heritage, and culture of African Americans.

NABS is calling all members of the community to encourage one another by making their heroes and sheroes known to the world by recalling and sharing original family stories and oral histories. Storytelling Contest deadline, September 21, 2014.

To read the official NABS statement in its entirety and review guidelines to enter the second annual National Storytelling Contest, as well as register to attend this year’s Festival, please visit www.NABSinc.org

NABS is the authentic voice of Black Storytelling. The contest is sponsored by In FACT, Inc. and the NABS Past Presidents Advisory Council.

This information has been distributed through BlackPR.com and BlackNews.com