Crusin' Oakland July 2021

 

photo Alicia Mayor

Marvin X returns to his classroom in the Laney College Theatre, aka Odell Johnson Theatre, opens for Donald Lacy's Color Struck. Marvin read from the scene in his play One Day in the Life, depicting his last meeting with his friend from Merritt College, 1962, Dr. Huey P. Newton, in a West Oakland Crack house. The play became a recovery community cult classic. After his drug recovery drama, Marvin went on to declare that if one can recover from drugs, one can recover from the addiction to white supremacy, alas, the CDC has declared white supremacy is the cause of the mental health epidemic. Now I am known for hyperbole, so let me say the CDC says mental health is epidemic. America appears to still suffer from denial that racism is systemic and the most critical factor of mental illness in America. The American response to Critical Race Theory is clear evidence she is not ready to enter the necessary long term recovery program that would allow neural placidity to occur, i.e., a change in the brain cells due to a changed environment. But let's be clear as Dr. Nathan Hare delineated in his Foreword to Marvin X's manual How to Recover from the Addiction to White Supremacy, "Whites suffer from addiction to white supremacy type I, blacks suffer from addiction to white supremacy type II, and do not mix the two!" Alas, how can the oppressor suffer the oppression of the man with the boot on his neck, as George Floyd suffered? We can't even comprehend the suffering of Officer Derek Chuvin. Perhaps white people can explain Chuvin's addiction to Type I white supremacy.  Was his addiction mild, moderate or severe?

Crusin' Oakland

Sunny July day in da bay

Gotta git ta north oakland

'fore chinese cleaners close

San Pablo Stanford

Chinese there before I born

Makin' millions off you know who

never hired nigga in hunid years

nigga don't care

he donkey of world

everybody rides a nigga to success

downstairs in my apartment building

latinx girl children scream hollar in play

everyday

didn't know girls screamed so loud

like a Sun Ra Arkestra John Gilmore

upper register sax sound

let the children scream

Haki said Don't Cry, Scream

Leave North Oakland to Westside

childhood turf

Defermery/Lil' Bobby Hutton Park

vendor tents baseball game

Shout to woman from my car

What's going on here

Police playin' West Oakland she say

I say wow ain't dat nice

Police playin West Oakland

yes it is, yes it is

I heard Mayor Libby and OPD Chief were gonna march today

maybe this was end of march

Baseball game with my westside peoples

Cruise down Adeline to 14th

BAMBD town (Black Arts Movement Business District)

Heard the anti-police terrorism project caravan to Lowell Park for "Pick Nic" pic a nigga

2021 we still say pic nic? Hmmmmm

Well X you still say da N word

WTF I'm from west oakland

nigga wasn't no bad word

but if you called a nigga black

you might have a fight

and don't call his mama black

might git ass whuppin'

At Lowell Park Cat Brooks was speaking

Told how artists as activists can change world

with stories tales of truth paintings murals mind changing

Cat spoke of Carole Fife, new councilwoman of west oakland

we got ya in gul

don't forget how ya got in 'an where ya came from

Cat said we go be on yo ass gul

like roy rogers on trigger

better stand 'n deliver

don't get sucked into Mayor Libby Schaaf's Jerry Brown in drag dreams

police dreams of nothingness and dread

wanna stop da killin'?

give nigga jobs

secure da hood if nothin else

won't let a nigga hold a stop sign on construction sites

an' ya wonder why we kill late into night

don't give a fk 'bout Juneteenth 4th a Jew lie

New Year's auction block day

Easter wit rabbit's laying chicken eggs

Xmas bout a homeless nigga 

who came to save world

Crusin' Oakland

Stop by Arab liquor store

nigga beggin fa dolla

make me wanna holla

i'm blessed

come out ta give nigga dolla'

I used to hustle too

crack days of yore'

dolla nigga busy talkin ta nigga on bike

I drive on da lake

stop at watermelon man

black man guarantee his melons 

they ain't from Mexico?

Naw, Bakersfield

Hell, I'm from Fresno gimme two

check out vendors at lake

police got niggas roped off with cones

control niggas with cones these days

better'n police dogs I must say

horses pepper spray

cones contain unofficial vendors

liquor weed vendors

Hey hey hey

got good weed

all a nigga want all a nigga need

good weed

official vendors wanna be wit unofficial

they make more money

they vice vendors

square git ya nowhere

cruise on to gas station

gotta go deep east

they my peoples too

Think I don't love them

They from west oakland too

580 to keller

Bancroft to 90th

pass liquor store Olive

closed down now

used to be busy waterhole

gamblin' killin' popo know

was store public nuisance

Arab sellin guns dope too

won't buy nothin' from a nigga

they sand niggas too

Ain't Hajar they moma

Abraham screwed when Sarah old

she had Isaac

Hajar Egyptian maid had Ishmael

fled to well of Zem Zem

Mecca in the night

Cruise down 90th to friend house

raising three boys ain't his

he don't have no kids

boys no daddy

he daddy love 'em true

they stuck on computer games earphones

can't hear me say hello

I say hey stupid they look up

faintly hear me call 'em stupid

baby boy #3 come in room

I say how ya doin'?

I'm good he say

Oh, you don't do nothin bad

Yeah, I'm bad I beat my big brother

I say kick 'm in da head

he tried brother blocked his move

Thank God for the fathers

who raise children not their own

even such children ungrateful bastards

we call them

how you hate man was yo daddy

woman was yo mama

never seen real mama and daddy

and you say man and woman who raised yo funky ass ain't shit

Fk you ungrateful bastard

I depart deep east

hit 98th Bancroft

'nother nigga beggin' when I turn at light

blow my horn

give nigga the dolla nigga a liquor store didn't want

after he git ma dolla 'nother car call him over

he come past me with pep in step

I see five dolla' bill in his hand

He gone ta see crack man

Didn't know crack was still 'round

but I heard it was

98th to 580 freeway

but goin back #13

I love #13 cause it so green

trees n' things

some niggas never been on #13

sometimes I turn down my cruising music

Jimmy Smith Hammond B-3

wanna hear silence of trees

talk to me trees green leaves

remind me of dirty south roads

glad #13 freeway

get off on Park to my apartment up from Lakeshore

Yeah, I heard the gunshots on Juneteenth from my apartment

Thought the copter was gonna land on my roof

God/Allah told me don't go out yo house on Juneteenth

God/Allah said I'm don't care if a million niggas at lake

peace be still my servant

I listened to My Lord

Sami allahu liman hamida/Allah hears those who praise Him

Rabbana laka al hamd/Our Lord to Thee is due all praise

Al hamdu lilah.

Next day I got email say: "You have been awarded a grant of $100,000."

Peace be still.

As I entered my apartment from crusin' Oakland 

young girls were screaming

were they running from the boys? 

--Marvin X

7/10/21

Elegy for Terry Collins, Memorial Service Saturday, July 24, 2-6PM, African American Cultural Center

A Memorial Service for 

Terry Collins will be held on 

Saturday, July 24, 2-6PM 

The African American Cultural Center, 

762 Fulton street San Francisco, 2-6PM

Terry Collins-KPOO FM Radio

KPOO-FM Radio co-founder and station board chair Terry Collins passed away July 8th. 

Terry was a leader of the 1968-69 San Francisco State University Black student strike 

that created the world's first college Ethnic Studies department at SF State. Terry helped 

obtain the license of KPOO FM Radio at a time when few African Americans were in 

possession of an FCC broadcast license. Terry was also a host and producer of several 

shows on KPOO and was a mentor to hundreds of KPOO volunteers and interns who have 

become elected officials, college professors and award winning journalists. A memorial 

service will be broadcast live on KPOO 89.5 fm and kpoo.com 2 PM Saturday July 24th. 

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to KPOO FM Radio https://kpoo.com/support

Come with a heart and mind to celebrate the Dedicated, Loving Life that Terry gave

to the Community.

To those of you who have asked where to send cards and financial assistance to

Terry's family, you can send to Terry's wife:

Cecelia Johnson-Collins

1151 Webster St. Apt. 2

San Francisco Ca. 94115

Elegy for Terry Collins

Oh, Terry

Tip of spear

Look of Lion King

Dapper Swagger Classic

Like yr uncle Malcolm X

Yo Mama Ella Collins bad too

Didn’t she run Boston?

Collins family owned land in dirty South

no share-croppers jim crow slaves

black land owners shot back

better ax somebody

Ella Collins bout it bout it

Paid Malcolm’s way to Mecca

You and brother Rodnel

Royal brothers I say

Glad to know you both

Wife Cat Cecelia

daughters too, Renya, Kiara

KPOO family royal

We know JJ got the baton

Joe Rudolph taught us all

how to talk on radio

Let me throw in some JB funk

John D taught, "Don't go on no talk show

without the Black woman

yen-yang woman

Ma-at woman. Pass ball back'n forth!"

Who John D John Douimbia

If you a Frisco Negro

you remember John D

Like Terry a classic

Hustled in Harlem with Malcolm

On release from prison, Malcolm told John D

help organize San Francisco Mosque #26

Only one man dressed better'n John D

The Most Honorable Willie Brown

Can I get amen, ache', hotep

But Joe Rudolph taught One more

No matter how many takes

One more Joe said

you be tired wanna get out that hot room

Joe said one more

Oh, Terry You interviewed me so many times

I know we got book in KPOO archives

So many nights so many subjects

world events

Africa, Palestine Iran Syria Afghanistan

You my draft counselor when I refused to fight in Vietnam

I did exile twice listening to you, Canada, Mexico City, Belize

Terminal Island Federal Prison too

Oh, Terry changing of the guards

Soldier, you relieved of post

Let the new generation soldiers carry your coffin

Let them know weight of revolutionary love action

study your life

revolution beyond color class sex gender

Change is revolution nada mas

Oh, Terry, you did all to make change

chains off brains

preached til you could say no more

do no more

What shall we do without you

alone exhausted

solitude of our lives

inundated with isolation

terrified in rooms

scared of virus vaccine too

watching elders dancing daily into ancestor land

We must catch and hold high torch of revolution

Oh, Terry your team were true troopers at San Francisco State

University Strike for Black Third World Studies

Joe, Corbett, Benny, Jerry, JoAnn, Ramona

Danny, Crutchfield, Arnold, Bernard, Jimmy, Mar-yam, Charlotta

Victory is your legacy for us to grow

Oh, Terry, you did 85 in Babylon

Old New York Communist Party women told me

Better be a Communist

We Communists live long time

You did your revolutionary duty

for all to see

freed everybody

wife, children, comrades, community, world

and me!

a friend to the end

true friend

Love you, Terry

heart broken

want to cry

Tears don't come

May come today

I cry for your love

tenacity lessons

for generations to come.

Hip Hop generation say 60s revolution failed

We broke heroes, Askia Toure' son said

Was revolution about money or freedom?

Is revolution about branding bling bling?

Dr. Cornel West said you got branded when you landed!

Francis Bacon said, "Truth will not make you rich

but it will make you free."

Bible say people were destroyed for lack of knowledge

not lack of money.

How you ignut with global wisdom on yo cell phone?

All you wanna know is "Where you at, where you?"

Ask yoself where YOU at?

Fanon said the oppressed man/woman is disoriented

are you west east north south

You gotta ask Siri Karen Becky

Yo phone is a weapon of knowledge to free yo mind

Google Africa, Reparations, Sovereignty Self Determination

Land, Equity, Pan Africa, Five states to be free

Google voting rights, George Floyd, 1619 History Project

Critical race theory

Google mass incarceration

Figure out when we be free

240 years before economic equity

What Ancestor Amiri Baraka say

Don't let them take yo um boom ba boom

you be in deep trouble let them take yo um boom ba boom

take you centuries to get out"

Be in harmony with Indigenous peoples

Reparations, Sovereignty Self Determination

National Liberation

no eternal suffering in pseudo democracy

languishing eternally between

Tweedledum and Tweedledee

vote for me I set you free

good cop bad cop mystery

Didn't Uncle Malcolm say Revolution is land

You wanna vote or you want land

voting ain't endgame

voting a process to freedom

Land is the endgame

When they took us from land

they took our minds too

Malcolm said you left you mind in Africa

it's still there in the bush somewhere

how we go be free at the whim of gentrification

Free the Land

Free the Man/Woman

Don't say black lives matter

then buy the hood

blacks in tents under freeway

you got they house

black lives matter sign in window

blacks walk they old hood

you watching with binoculars

call 911

suspicious persons in the hood

Free the land

free the land

Elijah said, Republic of New Africa said

Ancestor Amiri Baraka asked long ago

When white power falls where will you be

What land shall you seize when America Balkanizes

when every ethnicity grabs their share of cherry pie

what part of the pie do you want

Sun Ra said in Space is the Place

"You don't want nothin'!"

Texas long been wantin' to be

Lone Star Nation

Bloods better want Houston Nation

Better Ax Somebody

California wanna break into three nations

have you heard

What part for North American Africans

Where we go be

we go be where we wanna be or where somebody else want us to be nowhere stuck under freeway in tents

We want The North American African

People's Republic of Oakland Houston Brooklyn Harlem

Fillmore Hunters Point

whites with strange habits

go your way be free

you black white people go your way too

We go our way

Ma'at Sankofa we Africans say

Oh, Terry remember the Black Arts Movement 50th Celebration

at Laney College

Intergenerational Discussion with your daughter, Phavia's child and my daughter Nefertiti

whose words went viral

"Dad, you say you gonna pass the baton

but you won't pass the baton

we qualified and ready

so pass the baton!"

Oh, daughters Renya and Kiara

Dad passed the baton

you feel it in your hands?

run for your life to finish line of liberation

see him there

If you fall he will catch you

time after time!

We elders will catch you

time after time

feel like you slipping into darkness

give us a call

Oh, Terry, our work is not in vain

Children grandchildren coming strong

Like Garvey said

Look for them in the Whirlwind!

--Marvin X

7/8/21

Revised 7/22/21

Marc Lamont Hill and Judge Joe Brown Get into Heated Debate on Media’s P...

BAMFEST PRODUCER DR. AYODELE NZINGA INTERVIEWED BY MARVIN X

Breaking News: Academy of Da Corner awards PhD in Community Black Studies to Ayodele Nzinga

 

Academy of Da Corner, Oakland, California

Marvin X, Chancellor,  Academy of Da Corner

and Ayodele Nzinga

photo Adam Turner

With the power invested in me as Chancellor of Academy of Da Corner

a project of the Black Arts Movement 

I hereby award 

Ayodele Nzinga

Doctor of Black Letters

PhD

Having previously completed her thesis 

a creative work of poetry entitled

Sorrowland Oracle

On this day 

7/3/21

Ayodele Nzinga

Passed her orals examination

Deconstructing

The poetic and dramatic works of

Marvin X and August Wilson

We therefore confer upon her

PhD 

Doctor of Black Letters in Community Black Studies

Marvin X

Chancellor

Academy of Da Corner

Oakland, California

Dr. Cornel West and Marvin X in Conversation (Part 1 of 4 Segments Marvin X will present at BAMFEST 2021