Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Marvin X on Same Sex Marriage


Marvin X on Same Sex Marriage

We were taught the purpose of marriage was for the procreation of the species. If this is still the purpose of marriage, then we must be against same sex marriage, but if marriage is for love then it does not matter if the marriage is same sex or not. For sure, same sex couples cannot procreate the species, but they can fall in love and remain in love as long as straight couples. We think same sex couples, absent the procreation motive, have every right to marry, especially when we consider that 50% of straight marriages end in failure. Can the same sex couple do better, time shall tell. We know they don't do much better in the area of partner violence, verbal and emotional abuse. Shall we say they are simply normal human beings in this regard?

As per our President coming out in favor of same sex marriage, we expect a politician to be political, to evolve at the expeditious moment for political gain. Yet we must be truthful and recognize this is but another diversion from the very serious economic matters facing this nation. What do the homeless and jobless care about who's marrying whom? They have more important matters that approach life and death, thus they would have misplaced priorities to concern themselves with same sex marriage. The President should be inclined to concern himself with more pressing matters, especially since he only made a personal not policy statement.

Enter the reply from his worthy opponent Mich Romney, "I support marriage between a man and woman." Now we could believe this statement if it weren't from a Mormon, a religious group that still practices polygamy or plural marriage, if only on the down under. But if you are familiar with Mormons, we know many of them are hardly down under, they are open and unashamedly practicing their religion that did indeed ban polygamy officially many years ago.

Monkey Mind Media and "The First Gay President" 

So the Monkey Mind Media that perpetuates the world of make believe is off and running with "The First Gay President," taking our minds completely off pressing economic issues. But we are too old to be concerned with what other people do in public or private, whether straight or gay/lesbian.

We must admit we like the natural order of things, though as an artist we are known to transcend the natural, so perhaps we should shut up since no one wants to hear what an old man thinks, especially one who has transcended so much of what normal people consider natural. Alas, my son cried, "Dad, why can't you drink like normal people!"

Today, though, much of what used to be natural is no longer such. Because of growth hormones in meat and other genetically altered foods, it is not surprising to find the emasculation of man and the masculation of females, i.e., black is white and white is black or the upside down world of today.

What we are alluding to is not solely sexual but political and economic. It is a political policy when women are entering colleges in great numbers and earning advance degrees while men, especially in the black community, are entering prison. Imagine the result of this social-sexual economic reality on the black family in particular. Not only are the prisons a breeding ground of homosexuality with the concomitant diseases, including HIV/AIDS, but such behavior is forcibly altering the sexual identity of men and women, for if the men are wards of the state, what choice do women have but to love each other, whether they want to or not? With men as prisoners of war, the women must bond with each other, often times for sexual and economic reasons. Yes, women are pimping these days, after all, brother pimp is doing twenty-five to life! Need we mention the economic independence of women in general. Even though black mothers have had to play the male role for, yes, centuries, it is even more pervasive today, to the extent the young women are saying, "He the baby mama, I'm the baby daddy. He stays at home babysitting while I work." Indeed, someone remarked recently how many young men can be seen on the streets pushing baby carriages during working hours.

Same Sex Chickens, Cows

Long ago we heard about animals, chickens, cows, turning homosexual. We know a diet of Big Macs and KFC is consequently altering the sexuality of our boys and girls. We know hormones are recycled in the water, and even chemical residue from plastic water bottles is polluting the water and  causing sex changes in those who drink it.

And finally, we must consider that we are at the end of an Age of Time, entering a new cycle that is bringing forth a new consciousness. The old patriarchy is giving way to a balance between the patriarchy and matriarchy or Ma'at. In this process of transformation, we must be aware of the crisis in sexual identity as men and women seek to put themselves in harmony with the universe. Although so much of the ancient teachings may be considered reactionary, we think manhood and womanhood rituals are urgently needed so our boys and girls have some understanding of gender roles. For sure, men must no longer think of women as their chattel property. And this must be true for same gender loving persons.
--Marvin X
5/14/12

Rape and the Egyptian Revolution


Rise in Egypt Sex Assaults Sets Off Clash Over Blame
Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters
Women in Cairo's Tahrir Square protested on the second anniversary of the revolution on Jan. 25.
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CAIRO — The sheer number of women sexually abused and gang raped in a single public square had become too big to ignore. Conservative Islamists in Egypt’s new political elite were outraged — at the women.
Tara Todras-Whitehill for The New York Times
Hania Moheeb described her rape in a television interview.

Readers’ Comments

“Sometimes,” said Adel Abdel Maqsoud Afifi, a police general, lawmaker and ultraconservative Islamist, “a girl contributes 100 percent to her own raping when she puts herself in these conditions.”
The increase in sexual assaults over the last two years has set off a new battle over who is to blame, and the debate has become a stark and painful illustration of the convulsions racking Egypt as it tries to reinvent itself.
Under President Hosni Mubarak, the omnipresent police kept sexual assault out of the public squares and the public eye. But since Mr. Mubarak’s exit in 2011, the withdrawal of the security forces has allowed sexual assault to explode into the open, terrorizing Egyptian women.
Women, though, have also taken advantage of another aspect of the breakdown in authority — by speaking out through the newly aggressive news media, defying social taboos to demand attention for a problem the old government often denied. At the same time, some Islamist elected officials have used their new positions to vent some of the most patriarchal impulses in Egypt’s traditional culture and a deep hostility to women’s participation in politics.
The female victims, these officials declared, had invited the attacks by participating in public protests. “How do they ask the Ministry of Interior to protect a woman when she stands among men?” Reda Saleh Al al-Hefnawi, a lawmaker from the Muslim Brotherhood’s political party, asked at a parliamentary meeting on the issue.
The revolution initially promised to reopen public space to women. Men and women demonstrated together in Tahrir Square peacefully during the heady 18 days and nights that led to the ouster of Mr. Mubarak. But within minutes of his departure the threat re-emerged in a group attack on the CBS News correspondent Lara Logan. There are no official statistics on women attacked — partly because few women report offenses — but all acknowledge that the attacks have grown bolder and more violent.
By the second anniversary of the revolution, on Jan. 25, the symbolic core of the revolution — Tahrir Square — had become a no-go zone for women, especially after dark.
During a demonstration that day against the new Islamist-led government, an extraordinary wave of sexual assaults — at least 18 confirmed by human rights groups, and more, according to Egypt’s semiofficial National Council of Women — shocked the country, drawing public attention from President Mohamed Morsi and Western diplomats.
Hania Moheeb, 42, a journalist, was one of the first victims to speak out about her experience that day. In a television interview, she recounted how a group of men had surrounded her, stripped off her clothes and violated her for three quarters of an hour. The men all shouted that they were trying to rescue her, Ms. Moheeb recalled, and by the time an ambulance arrived she could no longer differentiate her assailants from defenders.
To alleviate the social stigma usually attached to sexual assault victims in Egypt’s conservative culture, her husband, Dr. Sherif Al Kerdani, appeared alongside her.
“My wife did nothing wrong,” Dr. Kerdani said.
In the 18 confirmed attacks that day, six women were hospitalized, according to interviews conducted by human rights groups. One woman was stabbed in her genitals, and another required a hysterectomy.
In the aftermath, victims of other sexual assaults around Tahrir Square over the last two years have come forward as well. “When I see Mohamed Mahmoud Street on television from home, my hand automatically grabs my pants,” Yasmine Al Baramawy said in a television interview, recalling her own attack last November.
She and a friend were each surrounded by two separate rings of attackers, she said. Some claimed to be protecting her from others but joined in the attack. They used knives to cut most of the clothes off her body and then pinned her half-naked to the hood of a car. And they continued to torment her on a slow, hourlong drive to a nearby neighborhood, where, she said, residents finally interceded to rescue her.
“They told people I had a bomb on my abdomen to stop anybody from rescuing me,” Ms. Baramawy said.
The attacks have underscored the failure of the Morsi government, with its links to the Muslim Brotherhood’s political arm, to restore social order. The comments by the president’s Islamist allies blaming the women have proved embarrassing.
Pakinam el-Sharkawy, the president’s political adviser and the highest-ranking woman in his administration, called such statements “completely unacceptable.”
She attributed the attacks to the general breakdown in security but also to the refusal of the protesters to allow the police into the square since the revolt against Mr. Mubarak. “The protesters insist on keeping security out of the square, even to regulate traffic,” she said.
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On Sunday, the Morsi government convened a meeting of women to discuss plans for their advancement. So far, though, its most tangible measure to address the problem is draft legislation to criminalize sexual harassment.
But women’s rights advocates say the bill would do nothing to protect women from social attitudes and scorn that assault victims face in hospitals and police stations — not to mention in the Parliament — if they try to bring legal complaints.
Ms. Moheeb said in an interview that after she was attacked, nurses told her to keep silent in order to protect her reputation.
With police protection negligible, some women are taking their security into their own hands. At a recent march to call attention to the sexual attacks, several women held knives above their heads. “Don’t worry about me,” said Abeer Haridi, 40, a lawyer. “I’m armed.”
Members of the political elite, meanwhile, have appeared more concerned with blaming one another. The Muslim Brotherhood “plotted the sexual harassment in Tahrir Square” to intimidate the demonstrators, asserted Mohamed Abu Al Ghar, the president of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party.
The Muslim Brotherhood said opposition leaders “ignored the brutal party of harassment and rape” in the square, according to a column on the Brotherhood Web site. The rapes are “a disgrace on their foreheads,” the column declared.
Other Brotherhood lawmakers faulted protest organizers for failing to segregate the demonstrators by gender as the Islamists usually do.
Some ultraconservative Islamists, now a political power alongside the Brotherhood, condemned the women for speaking out at all.
“You see those women speaking like ogres, without shame, politeness, fear or even femininity,” declared a television preacher, Ahmed Abdullah, known as Sheik Abu Islam.
Such a woman is “like a demon,” he said, wondering why anyone should sympathize with those “naked” women who “went there to get raped.”
Ms. Moheeb called such remarks “scandalous” and accused Islamist lawmakers of being complicit.
“When ordinary people say such things, ignorance might be an excuse,” Ms. Moheeb said, “but when somebody in the legislature makes such comments, they’re encouraging the assailants.”



Monday, March 25, 2013

Radical Black Mayors on the rise?

Ras Baraka, next Mayor of Newark, New Jersey

We support the mayoral races of Ras Baraka and Chokwe Lumumba, but as my friend, Baba Lumumba, noted, what is the endgame of this political process? What are these guys going to do differently than their predecessors? Can they do anything. For sure, the rats are biting their heels, trying to configure a way to use them and debase them so they can crawl back on the plantation. Amina Baraka, mother of Ras, says she is not going to let the rats destroy her son. And will Jackson, Mississippi, allow a radical black nationalist to take power in that majority black city? We know Mississippi is not the brightest place on the planet. 

Chokwe Lumumba, next Mayor of Jackson, Mississippi

In Oakland, we had three do nothing black mayors, Wilson, Harris and Dellums. So while we will do all in our power to support Ras and Chokwe, we yet wonder about the possibilities in this game of politicks! Only people's power can radically alter the status quo once and forever. In Newark, Ras must overcome the Corey Booker division of Blacks and Puerto Ricans. In Jackson, don't be surprised if the devils don't come up with their own version of a Black radical to oppose Chokwe, just as the devils in Brooklyn, NY came up with the son of Dr. Leonard Jeffries to oppose City Councilman Charles Bsrron's run for the US Congress. No matter, I support the campaigns of Ras Baraka and Chokwe Lumumba.
--Marvin X 


From: abdul

There has to be a two step

1.  the system must be played - bond rating, etc. WE NEED SOME OF OUR 
LAWYERS THAT HAVE MASTERED THEIR DOUBLE SPEAK - their game

2.  Our game:  neighborhood hot houses and local urban agriculture so 
people can escape factory food and as Curtis says "get back to living 
again" - also Form neighborhood brigades - monthly clean up of all 
streets and lots, monthly free health clinics, MONTHLY NEIGHBORHOOD 
ASSEMBLIES, lighted schools so they become community centers after 5, 
absolute no cocaine or hard drugs - time to get real and use the police 
like they should be used - what else you all have in mind 0- MAIN THING 
IS HOW TO DO THIS, METHOD IS KEY

2014 IS THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MISSISSIPPI SUMMER PROJECT

NEWARK, NJ: Ras Baraka
http://rasjbaraka.com/
http://www.ci.newark.nj.us/government/the_municipal_council/ras_j_baraka/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90uOYEyJSn4

JACKSON, MISS: Chokwe Lumumba
http://electlumumbamayor.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ElectChokweLumumbaMayorOfJacksonMs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6ND4vcnJps

Are there any other electoral races that we should be focused on because of the issues impacting the African American community over the next six months?

Concerning these two races, what research is going on?  Are the campaigns being archived?

What have they learned from Harold Washington?  See our research on Harold Washington: http://eblackchicago.org/

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Ancestor Chinua Achebe: Things Fall Apart


Okonkwo's Curse
 By Rudolph Lewis

Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" was the first African novel I read (in my college requirements) and probably the first African who spoke to me directly of his homeland and his people. The novel did not initially make the impact that it subsequently made on my understanding of African humanity.

About six years ago I wrote a response to a reading of "Things Fall Apart" called "Okonkwo's Curse." It might be of some value in any discussion of Achebe's achievements. http://www.nathanielturner.com/okonkwoscursethingsfallapart.htm
Chinua Achebe: Writer, critic, social historian

March 22, 2013
Chinua Achebe, the David and Marianna Fisher University professor and professor of Africana studies at Brown University , died in Boston Thursday evening, March 21, 2013. Achebe, among the world’s greatest writers of his time, joined the Brown faculty in the fall of 2009.

PROVIDENCE , R.I. [ Brown University ] — Brown University learned this morning of the death of Chinua Achebe in Boston Thursday evening, March 21, 2013.
Achebe, the David and Marianna Fisher University Professor and professor of Africana studies, joined the Brown faculty in September 2009.
Best known for his novels and essays which critique postcolonial Nigerian politics and society as well as the impact of the West on Africa , Achebe was widely acknowledged as “godfather” to a generation of African writers. His first novel, Things Fall Apart, is the most widely read work of African fiction, having sold more than 12 million copies in English alone. It has been translated into 50 languages.
Among his activities at Brown was the annual Achebe Colloquium on Africa , an international gathering of scholars, policymakers, elected officials, writers, and others with a shared interest in current-day African affairs.
“The colloquia he organized at Brown attracted a grand array of guests and effectively demonstrated how the humanities can build understanding by drawing from and encouraging a variety of perspectives,” said Brown University President Christina H. Paxson. “We were honored to have him among us.”
“Professor Achebe’s contribution to world literature is incalculable,” said Brown President Emerita Ruth J. Simmons, who led the University when Achebe came to Brown. “Millions find in his singular voice a way to understand the conflicting opportunities and demands of living in a post-colonial world. The courageous personal and artistic example he offered will never be extinguished. Brown is fortunate to have been his home.”
From Corey D.B. Walker, associate professor and chair of the Department of Africana studies:
He was more than just a colleague, faculty member, and teacher at Brown. He was a gift to the world. We are very privileged to have had him with us for the last four years and even more so for allowing us to get close to him and his family.
At a time like this we could draw many words of wisdom and comfort from the deep wells of various African cultures and traditions to honor him. The most fitting is the simple and elegant phrase, “A great tree has fallen.”
Indeed, the passing of Chinua Achebe is an event of global significance. The entire faculty and staff in the Department of Africana Studies share in the celebration of the great life that is Chinua Achebe.
From Anani Dzidzienyo, associate professor of Africana studies and Portuguese and Brazilian studies:
Part of his impact was that he was always a part of Africana studies. His presence in the department affirmed our intellectual mission and strengthened our commitment and dedication to Africana studies. Indeed, his presence was powerful. When he was first appointed, a friend told me we had captured history and planted it in Churchill House.
He brought the whole history of contemporary African writing to Brown from the time when he wrote Things Fall Apart to the present. His name symbolizes the themes and issues that characterize African societies and cultures. His presence at Brown is something we could not have imagined before it happened. He was an inspiration to us and our students. As a student remarked, “It is incredible that he is here with us.”
In the spirit of Ghanian proverbs, and by implication African proverbs, I leave these words for contemplation: “The path crosses the river and the river crosses the path. Which came first, the path or the river?”
May you travel well, Professor Achebe.
 During his time at Brown, Achebe convened four colloquia:
The 2012 Achebe Colloquium focused on the security situation throughout northern, central, and eastern Africa; ethno-religious insurgency and regime change in West Africa; and peace-building efforts taking place in southern Africa .
The 2011 Achebe Colloquium explored the Arab Spring and the crisis in Darfur .
The 2010 Achebe Colloquium focused on three African nations — Rwanda , Congo , and Nigeria — and the crucial issues impacting those countries, the continent, and the world.
The inaugural 2009 Achebe Colloquium addressed the problems and prospects of the 2010 Nigerian elections.
University flags are flying at half-staff, and the University will plan an appropriate memorial in celebration of Achebe’s life and work.

https://news.brown.edu/pressreleases/2013/03/achebe

Friday, March 22, 2013

Nathan Hare--Still the Heavyweight Champ of Black Consciousness

In assembling the Dr. Nathan Hare and Dr. Julia Hare papers, we found Nathan's boxing robe. In background Archive Project's associate Rahim Ali. photo Marvin X

Doc can still throw a punch. He turns 80 April 9, same birthday as another "Bad Nigguh"
           Paul Robeson. photo Marvin X

Thursday, March 21, 2013

John Coltrane's Naimah for John Dolye

We love you John Henry Doyle, Master of Black Arts Theatre, West Coast style
Ed Bullins, Marvin X style.
Marvin X. Jackmon has shared a video with you on YouTube


by hansgy1
John Coltrane My Favorite Things 1961

1. My Favorite Things 13.41
2. Everytime We Say Goodbye 5.39
3. Summertime 11.31
4. But Not for Me 9.34

John Coltrane - saxophone
McCoy Tyner - piano
Steve Davis - bass
Elvin Jones - drums

Praise be to Allah for John Doyle's journey with us, A genius of Theatre with his heart and soul, nothing else mattered to him, except take directions, follow the script, surrender your soul to the director. And most times he was right with special insight: he was director, actor, set designer, light designer, promoter, We did it all in the Black Arts Theatre, of which John was the continuation. After John came , Buriel Clay, Black Lights Explosion Company with Michael Catlett, et al. And then came the return of Marvin  X with the Black Educational Theatre's Resurrection of the Dead, with Sun Ra's music in Take Care of Business, musical version of TCB. Then Ayodele Nzinga directed In the Name of Love at Laney College Theatre, 1998.  Then Marvin X's Recovery Theatre, 1996-2002, with Geoffery Grier, Ayodele Nzinga, PhD. Ayo directed and starred in One Day in the Life, the longest running African American drama in Northern California.

But John Doyle was in the tradition. As-Salaam-Alaikum, Brother John, Master Teacher.


Gentle soul
ever flowing river
determined
disciplined
directing
commanding
beyond a dream
thoughts concocted in total madness
madness of genius
Grass Roots Theatre
all welcome
pimps ho's hustlers tricks squares
John employed them all
found a way for them to look at the man and woman in the mirror
Remember the time when we were better than ourselves divine

John, master teacher, if you listen, follow orders
He will take you there
land beyond imagination
Ed Bullins
Marvin X
Black Arts West Theatre
San Francisco
grass roots theatre
no shame here
dope fiends on stage in real life
living color pimps
hustlers
playing pimps hustlers
Man in the Mirror
Remember the Time
Better ax somebody.
Love you, John!
--Marvin X

Marvin X. Jackmon has shared a video with you on YouTube

Giant Steps