dDid America support Malcolm X? Did America support Nelson Mandela and the ANC? No, no, no, but Fidel and the Cuban did. Today the Great Shaitan returns to Cuba, raising the flag of imperialism and white supremacy. Yankee/Gringo go home!
Friday, August 14, 2015
Fidel Castro and Cuba as Pan African
dDid America support Malcolm X? Did America support Nelson Mandela and the ANC? No, no, no, but Fidel and the Cuban did. Today the Great Shaitan returns to Cuba, raising the flag of imperialism and white supremacy. Yankee/Gringo go home!
Oba Okunade Sijuwade, the Oni of Ife has joined the ancestors
The Oni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, has passed away.The monarch died at the age of 85 in a London hospital on Tuesday, Punch reports.
A source told the newspaper that Oba Sijuwade was flown out of the country from Ibadan about five days ago in an unconscious state.
“Kabiyesi was flown out of the country about five days ago in an air ambulance. He was unconscious; his situation was critical.
“As a matter of fact, some people have been weeping in the palace since the weekend because of his situation when he was flown out from Ibadan in that air ambulance,” he said.
Oba Sijuwade became the fiftieth traditional ruler or Ife in 1980.
| Ilé-Ifẹ̀ Ifè Oòyè |
|
|---|---|
Ilé-Ifẹ̀
|
|
| Coordinates: 7°28′N 4°34′E | |
| Government | |
| • Ọọ̀ni | Olubuse II |
| • Local Government Chairman of Ife Central | Taiwo Olaiya |
| • Local Government Chairman of Ife North | Lanre Ogunyimika |
| • Local Government Chairman of Ife South | Timothy Fayemi |
| • Local Government Chairman of Ife East | Tajudeen Lawal |
Contents
History
Yoruba Copper mask for King Obalufon, Ife, Nigeria c. 1300 C.E.
Mythic origin of Ife, the holy city: Creation of the world
According to Yoruba mythology, Olodumare, the Supreme God, ordered Obatala to create the earth but on his way he found palm wine which he drank and became intoxicated. Therefore the younger brother of the latter, Oduduwa, took the three items of creation from him, climbed down from the heavens on a chain and threw a handful of earth on the primordial ocean, then put a cockerel on it so that it would scatter the earth, thus creating the land on which Ile Ife would be built.[2] Oduduwa planted a palm nut in a hole in the newly formed land and from there sprang a great tree with sixteen branches, a symbolic representation of the clans of the early Ife city-state. The usurpation of creation by Oduduwa gave rise to the ever lasting conflict between him and his elder brother Obatala, which is still re-enacted in the modern era by the cult groups of the two clans during the Itapa New Year festival.[3] On account of his creation of the world Oduduwa became the ancestor of the first divine king of the Yoruba, while Obatala is believed to have created the first Yoruba people out of clay. The meaning of the word "ife" in Yoruba is "expansion"; "Ile-Ife" is therefore in reference to the myth of origin "The Land of Expansion".Origin of the regional states: Dispersal from the holy city, Ife
Oduduwa had sons, daughters, and a grandson who went on to found their own kingdoms and empires, namely Ila Orangun, Owu, Ketu, Sabe, Popo and Oyo. Oranmiyan, Oduduwa's last born, was one of his father's principal ministers and overseer of the nascent Edo empire after Oduduwa granted the plea of the Edo people for his governance. When Oranmiyan decided to go back to Ile Ife after a period of service in Benin, he left behind a child named Eweka that he had in the interim with an indigenous princess. The young boy went on to become the first legitimate ruler of the second Edo dynasty that has ruled what is now Benin from that day to this. Oranmiyan later went on to found the Oyo Empire that stretched at its height from the western banks of the river Niger to the Eastern banks of the river Volta. It would serve as one of the most powerful of Africa's medieval states prior to its collapse in the 19th century.Traditional setting
The King (Ooni)
The Oòni (or king) of Ife claims direct descent from Oduduwa, and is counted first among the Yoruba kings. He is traditionally considered the 401st spirit (Orisha), the only one that speaks. In fact, the royal dynasty of Ife traces its origin back to the founding of the city more than two thousand years ago. The present ruler is Alayeluwa Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse II, styled His Imperial Majesty by his subjects. The Ooni ascended his throne in 1980.[4] Following the formation of the Yoruba Orisha Congress in 1986, the Ooni acquired an international status the likes of which the holders of his title hadn't had since the city's colonisation by the British. Nationally he had always been prominent amongst the Federal Republic of Nigeria's company of royal Obas, being regarded as the chief priest and custodian of the holy city of all the Yorubas.[5] In former times, the palace of the Oni of Ife was a structure built of authentic enameled bricks, decorated with artistic porcelain tiles and all sorts of ornaments. [6]Cults for the spirits
Ife is well known as the city of 401 or 201 deities. It is said that every day of the year the traditional worshippers celebrate a festival of one of these deities. Often the festivals extend over more than one day and they involve both priestly activities in the palace and theatrical dramatisations in the rest of the kingdom. Historically the King only appeared in public during the annual Olojo festival; other important festivals here include the Itapa festival for Obatala and Obameri, the Edi festival for Moremi Ajasoro, and the Igare masqueraders.[7]Art history
Bronze Head from Ife, probably a king and dated around 1300 C.E., in the British Museum.
The city was a settlement of substantial size between the 12th and 14th centuries, with houses featuring potsherd pavements. Ilé-Ifè is known worldwide for its ancient and naturalistic bronze, stone and terracotta sculptures, which reached their peak of artistic expression between 1200 and 1400 A.D. In the period around 1300 C.E. the artists at Ife developed a refined and naturalistic sculptural tradition in terracotta, stone and copper alloy - copper, brass, and bronze many of which appear to have been created under the patronage of King Obalufon II, the man who today is identified as the Yoruba patron deity of brass casting, weaving and regalia. [9] After this period, production declined as political and economic power shifted to the nearby kingdom of Benin which, like the Yoruba kingdom of Oyo, developed into a major empire.
Bronze and terracotta art created by this civilization are significant examples of naturalism in pre-colonial African art and are distinguished by their variations in regalia, facial marking patterns, and body proportions. Ancient Ife also was famous for its glass beads which have been found at sites as far away as Mali, Mauritania, and Ghana.
The modern town
Today a mid-sized city, Ife is home to both the Obafemi Awolowo University and the Natural History Museum of Nigeria. Its people are of the Yoruba ethnic group, one of the largest ethnolinguistic groups in Africa and its diaspora. Ife has a local television station called NTA Ife, and is home to various businesses. It is also the trade center for a farming region where yams, cassava, grain, cacao, and tobacco are grown. Cotton is also produced, and is used to weave cloth. Hotels in Ilé-Ife include Cameron Hotel, Hotel Diganga Ife-Ibadan road, Mayfair Hotel, Obafemi Awolowo University Guest House etc. Ilé-Ife has a stadium with a capacity of 9,000 and a second division professional league football team.Exhibition
A major exhibition entitled Kingdom of Ife: Sculptures of West Africa, displaying works of art found in Ife and the surrounding area, was held in the British Museum from 4 March to 4 July 2010.[10]See also
Notes
References
- Olubunmi, A.O. The Rise and Fall of The Yoruba Race 10,000BC-1960AD, The 199 Publishing Palace ISBN 978-2457-38-8
- ---: On Ijesa Racial Purity, The 199 Publishing Palace ISBN 978-2458-17-1
- Akinjogbin, I. A. (Hg.): The Cradle of a Race: Ife from the Beginning to 1980, Lagos 1992 (The book also has chapters on the present religious situation in the town).
- Blier,Suzanne Preston. Art and Risk in Ancient Yoruba: Ife History, Power, and Identity c.1300, Cambridge University Press 2015. ISBN=978-1107021662.
- Blier, Suzanne Preston. "Art in Ancient Ife Birthplace of the Yoruba" African Arts 2012 [1]
- Bascom, William: The Yoruba of Southwestern Nigeria, New York 1969 (The book mainly deals with Ife).
- --- "The Olojo festival at Ife, 1937", in: A. Falassi (ed.), Time out of Time. Essays on the Festival, Albuquerque, 1987, 62-73.
- Frobenius, Leo, The Voice of Africa, London 1913 (Frobenius stayed for nearly two months in Ife, in 1910-11).
- Johnson, Samuel: History of the Yorubas, London 1921.
- Lange, Dierk: "The dying and the rising God in the New Year Festival of Ife", in: Lange, Ancient Kingdoms of West Africa, Dettelbach 2004, pp. 343–376.
- ---: "Preservation of Canaanite creation culture in Ife", in: H.-P. Hahn and G. Spittler (eds.), Between Resistance and Expansion, Münster 2004, 125-158.
- ---: "Origin of the Yoruba and 'Lost Tribes of Israel'", Anthropos, 106, 2011, 579-595.
- Ogunyemi, Yemi D. (Yemi D. Prince), The Oral Traditions in Ile-Ife, ISBN 978-1-933146-65-2, Academica Press, 2009, Palo Alto, USA.
- ---: The Aura of Yoruba Philosophy, Religion and Literature, ISBN 0-9652860-4-5, Diaspora Press of America, 2003, Boston, USA.
- ---: Introduction to Yoruba Philosophy, Religion and Literature, ISBN 1-890157-14-7, Athelia Henrietta Press, 1998, New York, USA.
- ---: The Covenant of the Earth--Yoruba Religious & Philosophical Narratives, ISBN 1-890157-15-5, Athelia Henrietta Press, 1998, New York, USA.
- Olupona, Jacob K.: City of 201 Gods: Ile-Ife in Time, Space and Imagination, Berkeley 2011.
- Stride, G.T. and C. Ifeka: "Peoples and Empires of West Africa: West Africa in History 1000 - 1800", New York 1971.
- Walsh, M.J., "The Edi festival at Ile Ife", African affairs, 47 (1948), 231-8.
- Willett, Frank: Ife in the History of West African Sculpture, London 1967 (The book also deals with some oral traditions of Ile-Ife).
- Wyndham, John: "The creation", Man, 19 (1919), 107-8.
Black August: Hugo Pinell down in Cali, BPP Dhoruba Bin Wahad jaw broken in ATL clash with NBPP
Movement Activists Violently Attacked at Atlanta Conference
On Saturday, August 8, 2015, a group of six Black Liberation Movement activists were violently attacked at a downtown Atlanta hotel. The group included members of the Free The People Movement, including their Coordinator, Kalonji Jama Changa, members of the Nation of Gods and Earths and Dhoruba Bin Wahad, the internationally recognized former Black Panther Party leader and political prisoner of 19 years. The group was jumped by 25 to 30 members of The New Black Panther Party at “The Power Belongs to the People 2015 Summit” in Atlanta, Georgia, an event hosted by the New Black Panther Party.
According to eyewitnesses, 71 year-old
Dhoruba Bin Wahad and the others approached the side of the stage where
attorney Malik Zulu Shabazz was speaking. While standing there, Shabazz,
leader of the New Black Panther Party asked, “Who is that?” Bin Wahad
replied, “You know who I am!” Shabazz responded “WAHAD! We’ll deal with
you later!” Bin Wahad countered with “You can deal with me now…” Knowing
that Dhoruba Bin Wahad was there with information that would publicly
expose Shabazz’s government affiliations that contradict his stance as a
Nationalist and activist for Black liberation, Shabazz immediately
ordered the NBPP members in attendance to “Get his b*tch ass out of
here!” At that point the whole group was mobbed and violently attacked
by at least 25 members of the audience.
As they defended themselves, the men were
struck with chairs and other objects. Bin Wahad’s jaw was broken in
three places, one of his associates was choked unconscious and others
received head gashes that required staples.
As of this release, Bin Wahad
is undergoing a 6-hour surgery to reconstruct his jaw and the others
have been treated and released. More details will follow as information
is gathered.
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Blacks 4 Palestine needs your signature now!
Black Arts Movement Poet Marvin X at Gaza Rally, Seattle WA
To: Marvin X, Black Arts Movement District, Oakland CA
Sent: Thursday, August 13, 2015 9:26 AM
Subject: Pushing for 1,000 signatures before our statement is published next week!
Peace everyone,
We wanted to give you a couple of updates on publishing the statement:
- The statement will debut in Ebony next week!
- The statement will remain open for additional signatures until the end of Monday
- We currently have 700 individuals and 29 organizations signed on and we'd like to reach 1,000 over the next five days
If we can add 100-150 signatures by Friday, we'll be in pretty good shape! Can everyone reach out to 5-10 people or organizing lists today? If everyone only gets one new person to sign, we'll still be at 1,500!
We encourage organizations to sign the statement as well. If your org has already signed on, please send another blast asking for individual signatures.
Sample appeals for signatures are below, as well as a list of the orgs and some of the notable figures who have signed so far.
We
recognize we've said that the statement is being
closed/re-opened/published a few times now and appreciate your
patience--it's taken us more time than expected to iron things out, but
the statement has only grown stronger in that time.
Kristian & Khury
Here are some sample social media messages. We still recommend posting on Facebook/mailing lists over Twitter, as the latter opens us up more to getting trolled by anonymous people.
700 Black activists, artists, and scholars have signed this statement of solidarity with Palestine. Help us get to 1,000 over the next five days!
A group of Black activists, artists, scholars, and writers are circulating a solidarity statement with Palestine. We're trying to add 300 signatures by Monday. Will you read, sign and share it? http://www.blackforpalestine.com/
Join Angela Davis, Cornel West, Mumia Abu-Jamal, and me in signing this Black Statement of Solidarity with Palestine! http://www.blackforpalestine.com/
Here is a list of organizations and notable signatories to help with your efforts:
Individuals
Angela Davis
Bill Fletcher, Jr.
Boots Riley
Cornel West
dream hampton
Emory Douglas
Jasiri X
Mumia Abu Jamal
Phil Hutchings
Robin DG Kelley
Rosa Clemente
Sundiata Acoli
Talib Kweli
Tef Poe
Marvin X
Organizations
Amistad Law Project
Assata's Daughters
Baltimore Bloc
Barry University Black Student Union
Black Arts Movement District, Oakland
Black Autonomy Federation-North East Branch
Black Bottom, LLC
Black Student Alliance at Yale
Black Student Alliance Executive Board
- St. Louis University
Black Unity Group
BlaQue UCLA
C
oalition of African Lesbians
Columbia University Black Students' Organization
Columbus Coalition on Mental Health, Addiction & Mass Incarceration
Dorothy Cotton Institute
Friends of the Congo
Hands Up United
Muslim American Society - South Florida
Muslims for Economic, Racial and Reproductive Justice Network for the Elimination of Police Violence
New Afrikan Independence Party
Organization for Black Struggle
Peace by Piece
Spoken Word Alliance at Tufts
Stanford NAACP Executive Committee
The Dream Defenders
Tribe X
UCLA Afrikan Student Union
Ujima People's Progress Party
Wisdom Within Health & Wellness
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.
PALESTINE by Marvin X (El Muhajir)
I am not an Arab, I am not a JewAbraham 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.
© 1972 by Marvin X, published in Black Scholar Magazine, circa 1970
Two Poems for the People of Syria
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
www.blackbirdpressnews.blogspot.com
jmarvinx@yahoo.com
Black August: Killing of San Quentin Six inmate Hugo Pinell sparks inmate reaction
Killing of 'San Quentin Six' inmate Hugo Pinell sparks New Folsom prison riot
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Published: Wednesday, August 12, 2015, 6:14 PM
Updated: Thursday, August 13, 2015, 8:31 AM
Hugo Pinell, a member of the infamous 'San Quentin Six,' was killed on Wednesday during a prison riot at California State Prison-Sacramento, authorities say.
Hugo Pinell, 71, was once one of the country's most infamous prisoners. The convicted rapist was one of the "San Quentin Six" whose escape attempt ended the lives of six people, including two corrections officers, three inmates and George Jackson, founder of the Black Guerilla Family prison gang, a corrections spokeswoman said.
A fellow inmate attacked Pinell on Wednesday in the exercise yard, sparking a behind-bars battle.
The violence broke out around 1 p.m. local time in a maximum security general population yard of the state prison, authorities said.
"Inmate-made weapons were used" during the brawl, authorities said.
Long live the spirit of Yogi (Hugo Pinell), long live George Jackson, BGF!
The San Quentin Six
Bottom row, left to right: Johnny Spain, David Johnson, Willie Tate; top row, left to right: Fleeta Drumgo, Luis Talamantez and Hugo Pinell
During the escape, which sparked a riot on the cellblock, Jackson had a .32 caliber pistol allegedly smuggled into the prison by attorney Stephen Bingham (immediately after the incident, Bingham went on the run and fled the country for 13 years; he returned in 1984 to stand trial, and was acquitted of all charges in 1986). During the riot caused by Jackson and two dozen other prisoners, three corrections officers and two inmates were tortured and killed.
In addition to Jackson, those killed in the altercation were guards Paul E. Krasenes, 52, Frank DeLeon, 44, and Jere P. Graham, 39, as well as inmates John Lynn, 29, and Ronald L. Kane, 28.[3] Spain was found guilty in the shooting deaths of guards DeLeon and Graham, Pinell was convicted of cutting the throats of guards Charles Breckenridge and Urbano Rubiaco, Jr., and Johnson was convicted of assaulting Breckenridge.[3] There were no convictions for the killings of Krasenes, Lynn, or Kane.[3] Cleared of all charges, Drumgo, Talamantaz, and Tate were found not guilty on various counts of murder, conspiracy, and assault.
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Amnesty International backs decriminalisation of prostitution
The resolution recommends that the full decriminalisation of all aspects of consensual sex work is supported by the organisation.
Salil Shetty, Amnesty's Secretary General, said about the resolution: "We recognise that this critical human rights issue is hugely complex and that is why we have addressed this issue from the perspective of international human rights standards."
Amnesty's announcement that they would consider decriminalisation was criticised by some prominent groups (AFP/Getty) "We also consulted with our global movement to take on board different views from around the world."
Amnesty International now joins a host of other groups in their support for decriminalisation, including the World Health Organisation, the United Nations AIDS programme UNAIDS, and leading medical journal The Lancet.
These groups see the stigma and criminalisation that surrounds prostitution as roadblocks to stopping abuse, trafficking and the spread of diseases like HIV and AIDS.
Some proponents also see the decriminalisation of prostitution as simply an extension of the idea that two consenting adults should be able to have sex without the interference of the government.
However, there is opposition to the idea, most prominently from actors like Lena Dunham, Meryl Streep, Kate Winslet and many others.
They were included in a list of signatories on a letter to Amnesty International written by the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women.
It said that the decriminalisation policy "flies in the face of [Amnesty International's] historical reputation."
It also said the organisation's proposal was "incomprehensible", and said the decriminalisation of prostitution would increase the rates of trafficking and abuse.
The English Collective of Prostitutes has been fighting for the abolition of laws that criminalise sex workers since its establishment in 1975 (AFP/Getty) In its statement, Amnesty makes it clear that it remains opposed to human trafficking, which it says should be criminalised "as a matter of international law."
It also calls prostitution "a form of violence against women and an affront to human dignity".
Much has been made of the 'Swedish model' of prostitution legislation - in which selling sex is legal, but buying it is punishable by hefty fines or prison sentences up to six months.
Marvin X calls for all Men to March who love ho's and multiple wives
Maestro Marvin X with his Black Arts Movement Poets Choir &
Arkestra; David Murray on sax, Earl Davis on trumpet; Malcolm X Jazz/Art
Festival, Oakland, May 17, 2014
After da nut, then what?
by
Marvin X
FROM THE MYTHOLOGY OF PUSSY AND DICK (EXPANDED VERSION): A POETIC DIALOGUE ON PSYCHOSOCIAL SEXUALITY by Marvin X, unpublished
If you love you
I love you
don’t make me love you
if you don’t love you
it’s yo thang
do what ya wanna do
just be true to you
to you yo life
to me mine
lakum dinu kum wa liya din.
no time to hate ya
let me live my life
don’t block me
me no block you
life is a micro second in time
moments precious
no time to hate
a waste
enjoy yourself
don’t worry bout billy and billy
sally and sally
enjoy yourself
organize yourself
like billy and billy and sally and sally
After da nut then what
satisfied bewildered overwhelmed
wow
smile to frown
a moment lost in the wind
The white boy told us
don’t live your life
like a candle in the wind.
Let people be happy
find your bliss
does it involve anyone else
except a friend who comes in love
love da one ya wit
praise them for loving you
let the other people be happy
don’t rain hate
do you know their story pain trauma
let them be
they smile
do you smile in your lover’s eyes
are you thankful and thoughtful
like Sly Stone
It’s a family affair
let lovers love
ease the pain express joy
the mystery of it all
a momentary thing
but standing tall in the night
be thankful for lovers
who know love is all there is
who find joy in the night or early morn
sing along with them their happiness
can you dance your dance of joy
can you say wow.
After da nut then what
it is the most sacred of things
precious
even among the sex workers
praise those with zest
Oriental touch
happy ending
tip for attitude
thank God he sent them to bless you in the night/early morn
treat them with kindness
God sent them to you
Didn’t Jesus love dem ho’s
they washed his feet
who touched the hem of his garment?
After da nut then what
in all your joy look for spirit person
dwelling in the higher self
a tuning fork
steel sharpens steel
water finds itself
drink from the well of love
nothing else
goin on
up in here.
—Marvin X
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