Happy Mother's Day Mrs. Amina Baraka and all mothers throughout the world. Prophet Muhammad said, "Heaven is at the feet of your mothers!"

Ras J. Baraka, The Honorable Mayor of Newark, NJ and his mother, Mrs. Amina Baraka
Jet Magazine, May 20, 1971

Support Reparations Initiative of Institute of the Black World

Dear Friend in the Struggle: As predicated, the National/International Reparations Summit convened April 9th – 11th in New York by the Institute of the Black World 21st Century was truly historic, a potential game-changer that will fuel the global Reparations Movement for years to come. All across the Pan African world, heads of government, activists and scholars are stridently and effectively demanding repair of African people for the damages inflicted during the holocaust of enslavement, the trans-Atlantic slave trade and for enslavement during the colonial era. As a veteran proponent of reparations, I have never witnessed such energy, enthusiasm, optimism and momentum as was evident at the Reparations Summit. I strongly urge you to take time to review the Final Communique, videos and photos in the multi-media package incorporated into this message [link below]. It’s the next best thing to being an eyewitness to history! As stated in previous appeals, IBW urgently needs your financial support to expand the Reparations Movement in the U.S. in the months and years ahead. To reiterate, this is not an Initiative for which we had a budget, nor is it an Initiative that mainstream foundations and corporations are going to fund. The expenses for the Summit were just under $40,000 and through various fundraising appeals and contributions for individuals and organizations, we raised $34,000, leaving a deficit of $6,000. In the spirit of Marcus Garvey, I am asking you to make a sacrificial, tax-deductible contribution/donation to erase the deficit and contribute toward the $150,000 needed to finance the follow-up to the Reparations Summit through the work of the National African American Reparations Commission over the next 12-18 months. We really NEED your support. If you have donated before, consider donating again and signing-up to make a monthly contribution. Thanks for considering this appeal. God and the Ancestors will surely bless you! For the love of African people! Dr. Ron Daniels, President Institute of the Black World 21st Century

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http://ibw21.org/?lang=en&emunsub=NDUxOHxmOTFhNDY3ZDAzMTBkNzdmMm

Message from Dr. Halifu Osumare, one of the Black Arts Movement Elders

 Dr. Halifu Osumare, second from left at the Laney College Black Arts Movement 50th Anniversary celebration, Feb. 7, 2015. On her left, Elaine Brown, former chair of the 
Black Panther Party; to her right: Judy Juanita, BAM/BPP member, editor of the 
BPP newspaper, Portia Anderson, author, Kujichagulia, Author, Aries Jordan, 
author, BAM baby 2.0. Standing, Marvin X, BAM co-founder and producer.

Dear Friend, Colleague, Family,

I have upgraded my official website and thought I'd share my new look with you!  
It still has some of the old features, like my publications and an updated bio, but 
it has a new BLOG, in which you might want to participate.  You know I have 
always been interested in the African disapora, and Gene and I recently took 
a couple of trips to some interesting places: BRAZIL AND NEW ORLEANS!

NEW WEBSITE BLOG

Check out my entries about presenting in the August 2014 8th Annual Black 
Brazilian Researchers Conference, and our always-exciting trip to Salvador 
Bahia in Northeast Brazil.  Gene and I also went in April 2015 to New Orleans 
where I presented my same research paper at the Annual Popular Culture 
Association Conference. While there, we had a great ancestral time at Congo 
Square in Louis Armstrong Park.  New Orleans is a true testament to African 
American culture.  It's easy to put in your comments on the Blog, and I would 
love to hear from you.

NEW BOOK IN PROGRESS

After my two books on global hip-hop, I am now turning to my own career in 
 DANCE!  I am writing a memoir that will chronicle my dance career in Oakland-SF 
Bay Area, New York, Boston, Copenhagen and Stockholm, Ghana, East St. Louis 
with Katherine Dunham, Hawaii, and so many other places over 47 years.  If you 
know me, you know I have been there and have done it.  I'm hoping it will be in print 
in 2016.  I will post some blog entries about the process soon.  So check it out, and 
follow along my life's journey, as I collect a life that I am still living.

HERE'S THE WEBSITE: Halifu Osumare | BLACK POPULAR CULTURE SCHOLAR | DANCE EDUCATOR

				Halifu Osumare | BLACK POPULAR CULTURE SCHOLAR... Halifu Osumare, Ph.D. Scholar/Artist Professor Halifu Osumare is currently Professor of African American and African Studies (AAS) at University of California, Davi...
				View on www.halifuosumar...	Preview by Yahoo

Stay in love with yourself and Life,

Halifu

Halifu Osumare, Ph.D.
Professor 
African American & African Studies
University of California, Davis
(530) 402-7425
www.halifuosumare.com

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The Marvin X theory of Writing as taught to his students at the Academy of da Corner, 14th and Broadway, downtown Oakland

 Aries Jordan and Prosperity, Academy of da Corner students, both have their own books of poetry; they perform with Marvin X and do their original works.

Berkeley High B-Tech Students at the home of Marvin X, checking out his archives that were acquired by the Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Marvin X on Writing

Perhaps, one day I can present testimonies in the first person, especially since I am pushing the suffering oppressed to write their narratives of How I Survived, the essential theme in North American African literature, beginning with the so called Slave Narratives. We say Narratives of North American Africans caught in the American Slave System of pseudo democracy  and unfair free trade capitalism based on wage slavery and exploitation of the national resources of underdeveloped nations in Africa, Middle East, Asia and Indigenous America, i.e., USA, Latin America and the Caribbean (American Slave System is Ed Howard term). 

All those who come to me claiming they have a book in their heads, I tell them to write one page a day. They say, how can I do this? I say turn off the cell phone, get the lover off your shoulder, put them out the room for an hour or two; do not show them what you are writing, then write, write, write. Got blockage? Get some Henny, weed or Blizo! No writer's block up in here ! If you are serious about writing a book, don't call me until you have done one page per day, then call me. I don't have time for bullshit. I'm writing my own books, thank you very much! --Marvin X

The Wild Crazy Ride of the Marvin X Experience Tour 2015

 I am so thankful to have Sun Ra as my mentor and comrade in the Black Arts Movement. What a wonderful teacher!

May 21

University of Chicago Sun Ra Conference

Screening: Film Space in the Place

 May 22

Presentations, Symposium, Concert

Marivn X speaks on Sun Ra and Black Resistance  at University of Chicago.

Marvin X performs with Sun Ra musicians Marshall Allen and Danny Thompson, also, David Boykin and invited Chicago musicians.

May 23

African Liberation Day Chicago. Marvin X and David Boykin will perform together.

June 5-7, 2015

The Wild Crazy Ride of the Marvin X Experience at Sacramento Black Book Fair,

June 5,6,7, 2015

Sacramento Black Book Fair

Marvin X will perform with his Academy of da Corner students, Aries Jordan and Prosperity, both have their own books as students of Marvin X. Student Aries Jordan coined the term "Wild Crazy Ride of the Marvin X Experience!" Aries and her sister Prosperity have endured Marvin X's well-known Ordeal by Fire! But when the dross is removed, only gold remains!

Juneteenth San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, Fresno

Marvin X will autograph books and/or speak. Look for his booth.

African Liberation Day, 2015, Oakland