Friday, February 24, 2017

99 Names of Allah

Names of God in Islam

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 99 Names of God (Arabic: أسماء الله الحسنى‎, translit: ʾasmāʾu llāhi lḥusnā) also known as The 99 attributes of Allah, according to Islamic tradition, are the names of God revealed by the Creator(God) in the Qur'an.
The 99 Names of God (Allah) according to the tradition of Islam are:
Name-English Name: Arabic

Ar Rahman (الرحمن) The All Merciful
Ar Rahim (الرحيم) The Most Merciful
Al Malik (الملك) The King, The Sovereign
Al Quddus (القدوس) The Most Holy
As Salam (السلام) Peace and Blessing
Al Mu'min (المؤمن) The Guarantor
Al Muhaymin (المهيمن) The Guardian, the Preserver
Al Aziz (العزيز) The Almighty, the Self Sufficient
Al Jabbaar (الجبار) The Powerful, the Irresistible
Al Mutakabbir (المتكبر) The Tremendous
Al Khaaliq (الخالق) The Creator
Al Baari (البارئ) The Maker
Al Musawwir (المصور) The Fashioner of Forms
Al Ghaffaar (الغفار) The Ever Forgiving
Al Qahhaar (القهار) The All Compelling Subduer
Al Wahhaab(الوهاب) The Bestower
Ar Razzaaq (الرزاق) The Ever Providing
Al Fattaah(الفتاح) The Opener, the Victory Giver
Al Alim (العليم) The All Knowing, the Omniscient
Al Qaabid (القابض) The Restrainer, the Straightener
Al Baasit (الباسط) The Expander, the Munificent
Al Khaafid (الخافض) The Abaser
Ar Raafi' (الرافع) The Exalter
Al Mu'izz (المعز) The Giver of Honor
Al Muzil (المذل) The Giver of Dishonor
Al Sami' (السميع) The All Hearing
Al Basir (البصير) The All Seeing
Al Hakam (الحكم) The Judge, the Arbitrator
Al 'Adl (العدل) The Utterly Just
Al Latif (اللطيف) The Subtly Kind
Al Khabir (الخبير) The All Aware
Al Halim (الحليم) The Forbearing, the Indulgent
Al 'Azim (العظيم) The Magnificent, the Infinite
Al Ghafur (الغفور) The All Forgiving
Ash Shakur (الشكور) The Grateful
Al Ali (العلي) The Sublimely Exalted
Al Kabir (الكبير) The Great
Al Hafiz (الحفيظ) The Preserver
Al Muqit (المقيت) The Nourisher
Al Hasib (الحسيب) The Reckoner
Al Jalil (الجليل) The Majestic
Al Karim (الكريم) The Bountiful, the Generous
Ar Raqib (الرقيب) The Watchful
Al Mujib (المجيب) The Responsive, the Answerer
Al Wasi' (الواسع) The Vast, the All Encompassing
Al Hakim (الحكيم) The Wise
Al Wadud (الودود) The Loving, the Kind One
Al Majid (المجيد) The All Glorious
Al Ba'ith (الباعث) The Raiser of the Dead
Ash Shahid (الشهيد) The Witness
Al Haqq (الحق) The Truth, the Real
Al Wakil (الوكيل) The Trustee, the Dependable
Al Qawiyy (القوي) The Strong
Al Matin (المتين) The Firm, the Steadfast
Al Wali (الولي) The Protecting Friend, Patron, and Helper
Al Hamid (الحميد) The All Praiseworthy
Al Muhsi (المحصي) The Accounter, the Numberer of All
Al Mubdi (المبدئ) The Producer, Originator, and Initiator of all
Al Mu'id (المعيد) The Reinstater Who Brings Back All
Al Muhyi (المحيي) The Giver of Life
Al Mumit (المميت) The Bringer of Death, the Destroyer
Al Hayy (الحي) The Ever Living
Al Qayyum (القيوم) The Self Subsisting Sustainer of All
Al Waajid (الواجد) The Perceiver, the Finder, the Unfailing
Al Maajid (الماجد) The Illustrious, the Magnificent
Al Waahid (الواحد) The One, the All Inclusive, the Indivisible
Al Ahad (الاحد) The Unity, The indivisible
As Samad (الصمد) The Long, the Impregnable, the Everlasting
Al Qaadir (القادر) The All Able
Al Muqtadir (المقتدر) The All Determiner, the Dominant
Al Muqaddim (المقدم) The Expediter, He who brings forward
Al Mu'akhkhir (المؤخر) The Delayer, He who puts far away
Al Awwal (الأول) The First
Al Aakhir (الآخر) The Last
Az Zaahir (الظاهر) The Manifest; the All Victorious
Al Baatin (الباطن) The Hidden; the All Encompassing
Al Waali (الوالي) The Patron
Al Muta'al (المتعالي) The Self Exalted
Al Barr (البر) The Most Kind and Righteous
At Tawwaab (التواب) The Ever Returning, Ever Relenting
Al Muntaqim (المنتقم) The Avenger
Al 'Afuww (العفو) The Pardoner, the Effacer of Sins
Ar Ra'uf (الرؤوف) The Compassionate, the All Pitying
Malik al Mulk (مالك الملك) The Owner of All Sovereignty
Dhu al Jalal wa al Ikram (ذو الجلال و الإكرام) The Lord of Majesty and Generosity
Al Muqsit (المقسط) The Equitable, the Requiter
Al Jaami' (الجامع) The Gatherer, the Unifier
Al Ghani (الغني) The All Rich, the Independent
Al Mughni (المغني) The Enricher, the Emancipator
Al Mani' (المانع) The Withholder, the Shielder, the Defender
Ad Dharr (الضآر) The Distresser
An Nafi' (النافع) The Propitious, the Benefactor
An Nur (النور) The Light
Al Hadi (الهادي) The Guide
Al Badi (البديع) Incomparable, the Originator
Al Baaqi (الباقي) The Ever Enduring and Immutable
Al Waarith (الوارث) The Heir, the Inheritor of All
Ar Rashid (الرشيد) The Guide, Infallible Teacher, and Knower
As Sabur (الصبور) The Patient, the Timeless

Allah is the personal name of God and Muslims worship God mostly by this name. The names refer to "characteristics" and "attributes" of God (Allah).
The English translation of names may have a slightly different meaning than the original Arabic word due to the words available in each language.

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Wanda Sabir on the transition of Sister Makinya, Queen Mother of Kwanzaa

Honoring Sister Makinya Sibeko-Kouate, Queen Mother of Kwanzaa, who brought Black Studies to the East Bay

February 23, 2017

"When I hit Merritt College in 1962, I encountered many people who determined my destiny as a revolutionary Black nationalist, among them Richard Thorne, Huey P. Newton, Bobby Seale, Ernie Allen, Isaac Moore, Ann Williams, Ken and Carol Freeman, Ellendar Barnes, Judy Juanita, et al. I also met some elder women steeped in the revolutionary black nationalist tradition, e.g., Mother Ruth Hagwood and Mother Kakinya, later the legendary grand diva of Bay Area politics, Edith Austin, who used to say my name three times, "Marvin, Marvin, Marvin!" But Mother Makinya survived Mother Hagwood and Edith Austin. She spread Kwanzaa consciousness throughout the Bay Area and throughout Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America.

photo Charles Brown

It was a joyful celebration of her joining the ancestors at Oakland's Evergreen Cemetary Chapel today. The African American last rites was officiated by Minister Imhotep Alkebulan. The Black National Anthem was delivered by Darinoso Oyamaseia with the Leon Williams Ensemble, followed with "Breath" by the Stones of Fire. My favorite "preacher lady poet" Tureeda Mikell delivered a poem for our Queen Mother. BlackArts Movement poet Avotcja delivered a love poem in honor of Mother, informing the audience revolution is an act of love and Queen Makinya was the living embodiment of love through persistent service to her people.

Two of my favorite musicians accompanied Avotcja, then performed themselves, Joan Tarika Lewis on violin and Destiny Muhammad on harp. My favorite percussionist Tacuma King performed as well.

The repast was in the Ruth Beckford Room at Geoffery's Inner Circle. The meal included greens, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, chicken and fish. A larger community memorial is planned."

--Marvin X

Publisher, The Movement, Voice of the Black Arts Movement International

February 22, 2017

Wanda Sabir on Sister Makinya, Queen Mother of Kwanzaa

by Wanda Sabir

Renaissance woman Sister Makinya is responsible for the establishment of Kwanzaa as a seven-day ritual ceremony for African people beginning in December 1967. Here she celebrates her 80th birthday. – Photo: Wanda Sabir

Sister Makinya Sibeko-Kouate (July 1, 1926-Feb. 4, 2017), née Harriett Smith, was born to Turner Smith and Willette Edythe Parker Smith in San Leandro, California, on July 1, 1926, her parents’ only child. She attended kindergarten at Cole School in Oakland, then moved to South Berkeley, where she attended Berkeley Public Schools, among them, Longfellow Elementary School.

Fourth generation of a pioneering African-American family, descendants from Madagascar and Tanzania – her more recent ancestors were freed from Virginian slavery and migrated to California before the Civil War. Her maternal grandfather, Theodore Parker, was a leader in the early African-American labor union movement, her great-grandfather, Edward West Parker Sr., was a member of the National Colored Convention Movement that led the fight for African-American rights in the late 19th century, and her other great-grandfather, Capt. William Henry Galt, was an officer in the Sacramento Zouaves, an African-American militia unit that worked in the successful effort to keep California out of the Confederacy before and during the Civil War years.

Sister Makinya followed proudly in the tradition of her freedom-fighting ancestors.
Her great-grandmother started the Daughters of Coelanth, a companion organization to the Masonic Order founded by her husband, Edward West Parker Sr. She was the first Black woman to enroll and graduate from an all-girls college in Vancouver, British Columbia. This same descendent also founded St. Augustine Church in West Oakland at 27th and West Streets in the late 19th Century. “The founder’s name has been conveniently deleted from church records,” Sister Makinya would always state.

As chairwoman of the YWCA, Western States, Sister Makinya attended the National Convention on its 100th anniversary. She was honored in Berkeley by the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women as a “Global Community Visionary.” Sister Makinya taught piano at age 13 and also performed with a 24 Grand Piano Ensemble for the 1939-1940 World’s Fair at Treasure Island. At 16, having studied aerodynamics, she enlisted in World War II, “bringing airplanes in on a beam.” She was one of the first air traffic controllers, stationed in Alameda.

Geri Abrams, Carol Afua and Wanda Sabir (far right) join Queen of Kwanzaa Sister Makinya (next to Wanda) to celebrate Umoja, the first day of Kwanzaa, at Youth Uprising on Dec. 26, 2008.

In 1946 at 19, she married her first husband, whom she called “the best man in the world.” The two were avid golfers. When he passed, she married again. In the 1950s, under the tutelage of Barney Hillburn, first Black director of HUD, she later became the first woman manager of a 527-unit housing project.
She was a social reporter for California Voice, the oldest Black newspaper in California. In the early 1950s, she completed San Francisco Teachers Normal College, which later became San Francisco State. She graduated with honors and a teaching credential. She also continued to teach piano.
In 1965, she attended Merritt College, where she studied business administration and real estate. As the first Black student body president in the Peralta Community College District, she helped develop the first Black Studies Department in 1966.
It was as president of the student body that she and 10 members went to a Black student conference at UCLA, where Maulana Karenga attended. He gave Sister Makinya a mimeographed sheet of paper with ideas on a new Black holiday called Kwanza (her spelling). When the students returned to Oakland, Sister Makinya hosted one of the first Bay Area Kwanzas in her home.

When she graduated with honors from Merritt College she began taking Kwanza around the world. Sister Makinya traveled to 36 American states and 13 African nations to share her knowledge. She became widely recognized as an individual who was instrumental in spreading traditional community Kwanza celebrations throughout Northern California, the United States, Europe, Africa and Mexico.

Paradise treated Sister Makinya to dinner at the Kingston 11 Jamaican Restaurant, he presented her with the first Black Elders Fund Award, on Feb. 24, 2016.

The educator taught students in every grade from nursery school to post-graduate from 1985-2005. From 1985-1995, the radio show host had an interview program on KPFA, 94.1 FM, called Face the Day.
A lover of the arts, Sister Makinya, from 1998-2016, danced for the ancestors with the International Japanese Buddhist Obon Odari Festivals of Joy in 12 California cities. She also attended the Amachi Ashram in San Ramon. She was an award-winning poet.

Sister Makinya was made Queen Mother of Kwanza in December 2015, and posthumously by Harambee Connection Media Network in February 2017.

Although Sister Makinya was the last survivor in her direct family line and she left no direct descendants, she leaves behind a multitude of friends, acquaintances and extended family who considered her their beloved and treasured sister.

There will be a small ceremony at Evergreen Mortuary in the chapel this Thursday, Feb. 23, 1 p.m. This is also where she will be interned: 6450 Camden St. in Oakland. The repast follows immediately at Geoffrey’s Inner Circle, 410 14th St. There will be a larger community celebration of Sister Makinya’s life at a later date to be announced. It will be posted on Facebook.

Bay View Arts Editor Wanda Sabir can be reached at wanda@wandaspicks.com. Visit her website at www.wandaspicks.com throughout the month for updates to Wanda’s Picks, her blog, photos and Wanda’s Picks Radio. Her shows are streamed live Wednesdays at 7 a.m. and Fridays at 8 a.m., can be heard by phone at 347-237-4610 and are archived at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wandas-picks.

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Dr, Boyce Watkins on Black Scholars in Crisis

Dr Boyce Watkins: How the black scholar’s voice is suffocated by racism in academia

by Dr Boyce Watkins

I was thinking the other day about my days teaching at Syracuse University. I thought about the days when I started off as a naive young scholar, believing that I could change the world behind the walls of the Ivory Tower. It didn’t take long for me to realize that the same rules of racism and white supremacy not only apply in academia, they are actually magnified.You see, many scholars and academic departments run a little like the United States prison system and the NCAA, two other organizations that exist without much governmental oversight. In all three venues, racism often runs unchecked, and there isn’t much recourse for those who are consistently marginalized by institutional culture that is inherently built on an undeniable belief in black inferiority.

Rather than being embraced for having new ideas and objectives, young black scholars are treated like uninvited guests into someone else’s home or like intellectual orphans who should be happy to be given a place to live. When I was in the business school at Syracuse University, they hadn’t, at that time, given tenure to one single African American in over 100 years of operating history. The Ku Klux Klan could not have had a worse hiring record.

The problem for us as black folks is that we REALLY NEED our scholars. We need them solving critical problems in our communities. We need them speaking out on important issues. we need them writing about topics that matter, instead of suffocating under the reign of intellectual babysitters who’ve imperialized their agenda. When our scholars disappear, the black community loses. The fact is that about 98% of our PhDs are nowhere to be seen when it comes to dealing with things that actually matter to their people.
I made this video to describe my experience with white supremacy in academia with the hope that it helps someone else. The truth is that the chains of Blackademia won’t disappear unless you cut them off. Sometimes, you may also have to cut off your own foot in the process.

Muhammida El Muhajir

by afrociphaJuly 9, 2015

Muhammida El Muhajir of Philly: Marketing Guru, Filmmaker, and Tech Connoisseur

Known around the world for producing the first historical global documentary on Hip Hop music and culture, Muhammida El Muhajir hails from Philadelphia as a natural born, generational entrepreneur. She sheds light on what for her has so far been a vivacious, illustrious, and multifaceted career.
AC: Afrocipha
M: Muhammida
AC: Muhammida, what does it mean to be raised with the spirit of an entrepreneur without fear of the world?
M: I was taught to believe if you have an idea it can be manifested. That is hard for a lot of people. I am a fifth generation entrepreneur. My paternal grandparents had their own newspaper in Fresno, California. My grandfather, a floral shop. My grandmother was one of the only black realtors in Fresno. On my maternal side, my great, great grandfather came to California, to the Bay Area–Pittsburg to be exact. So my great great grandfather came to the Bay and owned a number of businesses — hotels and bars. Coming from this lineage, this is a part of who I am. You are really trained to be an independent and critical thinker. My mother was an entrepreneur. She never said you should have a business but I knew how to start and sustain a business. I never went to business school. I never took a marketing class in my life.
AC: In 2014 you were chosen to become a marketing and communications fellow in Ghana, at the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology. What have you/did you find most inspirational and most instructional about being a Fellow in Ghana?
M: I was most interested in the Fellowship because I wanted to immerse myself in the tech space and learn as much as I could about the eco-system, change-makers, power players, startups, media, etc. I also wanted to better understand how my consumer brand marketing, branding and communications skills would translate in the tech world. I found that ultimately being a creative marketer has nothing to do with the product itself but the innovation in strategy is what’s most important whether a sneaker, a soda or startup e-commerce company. Working with Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) gave me the opportunity to work in Africa with some of the continent’s most brilliant minds and entrepreneurs while also being connected to Silicon Valley (where Meltwater corporate is based) and the global tech community. I stay up to date on African tech trends and personalities by editing two blogs, Women in Tech on meltwater.org and the Tech page for OMGGhana.com.
I also felt that incorporating a knowledge and understanding of technology would greatly impact my marketing and communications. Gaining an understanding of how PR can affect SEO and Google analytics has already impacted my media strategies.

AC: As someone finely in tune with Hip Hop culture, both locally and globally, how would you describe the impact and landscape of it in Ghana and West Africa? How does it compare to Philly and the U.S.?
M: I learned many years ago, producing the documentary, Hip Hop: The New World Order, (www.hiphopisglobal.com) the power and impact of Hip Hop. Hip Hop and Hip Life is the leading force in music in Ghana. Artists such as Sarkodie, Shotta Wale and Stone Bwoy (Afro-reggae) and Manifest are at the forefront while legends such as Reggie Rockstone are still making hits and continuing to build musical and cultural bridges with international artists. (Check his recent collaboration Selfie Remix with actor Idris Elba).
The Hip Hop style in terms of fashion and attitude is still very much influenced by US Hip Hop. And the scene is very much up to date on Hip Hop music and trends from the US. In the year I have been in Ghana, I am current on all of the new music and artists including the ratchet music, which is quite popular in the clubs. At hotspots such as Django and Yacht Club there are segments dedicated to Ghanaian music, Hip Life and Hip Hop.
The major difference between the Ghana scene and US scene is that as much as they know about US Hip Hop, in Ghana they also are huge fans of their own home grown talent as well as continental Hip Hop stars from Nigeria and South Africa, whereas in the States we only know about US artists and sometimes only the mainstream artists played in heavy rotation on the radio.
The similarity between Philly and Ghana scene would be that they are both relatively small markets very near to the major market (Philly to New York and Accra to Lagos) but still holding it’s own and keeping it’s own Hip Hop cultural identity.
AC: What were the challenges in connecting with the Hip Hop, Hip Life, and High Life communities in Ghana?
M: Although I have primarily been working in the tech space while in Ghana, I haven’t had any challenges with these communities in Ghana. I have connected with artists such as D Black, Panji Anoff, Wiyaala, artist manager and entrepreneur Zilla Limann, and Jimmy Davis manager for songstress Efya. As a matter of fact I have looked to build bridges and incorporate my relationships within the music industry with the tech industry. I am in the process of finalizing a partnership with Reggie Rockstone and a Ghanaian photo-sharing tech start-up called Suba, (subaapp.com). I have outreach with Nigerian artist/producer elDee who is also very involved in the tech space.
Through my Africa Love Party series, I have been able to really connect with key artists, media and personalities in Accra and will be traveling with the party to other major African cities later this year.

AC: Do the artists you come across make a distinction between Hip Hop and the growing Afrobeats movement? What is the dynamic around this like?
M: I haven’t noticed any major distinctions. As far as I can tell, artists consider themselves Hip Hop even if they perform Hip Life music, which is basically lyrics in Pidgin/Twi (or other traditional dialect) and sometimes High life inspired beats.
AC: How is technology enabling Hip Hop and Popular Culture in West Africa to flourish?
M: Technology is a major aspect of youth culture, pop culture and Hip Hop culture. Many artists here just as in the west engage their international fan base on social media as well as sharing photos, videos, music, news, and trends. Some of the very popular Nigerian artists have millions of followers on Twitter and millions of views of their videos on Youtube. Mobile phones also play a significant role because many people may not own a personal computer so the phone serves as the major connector. Unfortunately it is still very difficult for even the most popular artists in West Africa to realize revenue from their music sales. There are African versions of iTunes/Spotify but adoption of online payments is still slow especially in a market like Ghana compared to Nigeria.
AC: What roles do you see technology playing in the future of the music industry, and what kind of career opportunities does it create for people like the students and young entrepreneurs you spend a lot of time advising?
M: Solving problems and creating solutions to everyday problems with technology and innovation for Africans as well as the people around the globe is a huge opportunity for young entrepreneurs. The ideas are here but the investment, training and promotion/publicity are finally getting here to support Africa’s contribution to technology. What’s happening with US entertainers using their star power to align themselves and resources to invest in tech ideas, startups and entrepreneurs will fast track some of the more consumer based ideas as well as offer potential revenues for both parties.
I would strongly advise any young person to learn as much as they can about technology and consider a career in tech. There are many opportunities both career wise and entrepreneurial that exists in technology. I work with young entrepreneurs who complete a 1-2 year intensive training program that provide them with the tech and business skills necessary for launching a successful tech company. They are proving on a daily basis that stellar ideas can come from any place on earth. These entrepreneurs inspire me on a daily basis and I am even developing my own tech startup, so stay tuned!
Back in the late 1990’s Muhammida made a brave power move that is now paying off in more ways than one, especially with increased developments in new technology. She had neither a corporate sponsor nor a stack of 401Ks. What she did have was keen intelligence, a love for Hip Hop culture and that fearless and confident Philly style. Muhammida was a Philly Girl in search of the marvelous. She embarked on an international film tour to Brazil, Nigeria, South Africa, France, England, Japan and Germany to document Hip Hop Globally; and it’d be featured in her film, “Hip Hop: The New World Order,” which is now available for video streaming and downloading. Muhammida shared some words on how her Film production came together, and what it was like – before that time – doing entertainment marketing for Nike and the William Morris Agency.

S: Spady
M: Muhammida
S: Did you know any Global Hip Hop cultural beings from Africa or the African Diaspora while a student at Howard University?
M: I mean, there may have been but none that I had contact with. They listened to what was on the radio. But I didn’t know any international people during the Howard days who were interested in the business side or anything like that.
S: When you saw Japanese Hip Hop Headz in New York clubs did you approach them to learn more about their interest in Hip Hop?
M: I didn’t approach any of them. I just observed. I knew it was very big over there because I saw so many Japanese in Hip Hop clubs in New York. I also saw Hip Hop artists from here going to Japan. So when I went to New York I was on an exploratory trip.. Most places I went, to be honest with you, had only one or two phone numbers. It was not this researched and planned out kinda thing. In some of these countries where I went in search of Hip Hop, I was there for one day and the person with me would be like, ‘What are you going to find in one day?’ I’m like, ‘just drive me where I need to go and translate.’ [Muhammida laughs knowingly]. Don’t ask me questions because the whole concept just sounds ludicrous. I mean, here I am, I am not traveling with a budget. I got my first camera when I was already in Japan. I got a mini-tv camera. Now, what I shot on Global Hip Hop is so rare! Honestly, when I was doing my film it felt like I was on a Hip Hop Underground Railroad!
S: Why do you say that?
M: Because when you were on the Underground Railroad you would just know one person and you would look for these signs on the doors or on the coats in the window or whatever it was and that is how it was when I was traveling around the world doing my film on Hip Hop. I’m serious, I would have one or two people who I would approach and I’d be searching for Hip Hop like I’m searching for freedom in the 1800’s. And Hip Hop was every place I went. It turned into a domino effect. I would go somewhere and they would say, ‘Oh, she’s here looking for Hip Hop, working on this Hip Hop Film Project.’ And they’d be like, ‘You need to meet this person,’ and I would end up covering the theme, who is who in each country I visited…… When I was in Japan the first time I didn’t get to the radio stations. I’ve been to Japan two or three times. The second time I went there I did another event. And the third time I wasn’t filming at all.

S: Were you already working at Nike at this time or was that later on?
M: I got hired at Nike when I was in France. I got hired while I was shooting in Europe.
S: What did you do at Nike?
M: At Nike I did Entertainment Marketing. So I worked in the music division. I oversaw all of our music relationships and labels; anything that had to do with the music.
S: Who were the artists you handled while at the William Morris Agency? Wasn’t that before you joined Nike?
M: Yes, I worked at the William Morris Agency. I worked in the music-booking department. I knew some of the American artists with William Morris even before I began working with them. But when I embarked on my Global Hip Hop Film Project, it wasn’t like I had this list of contacts. Who would have given it to me? Interest was just starting. Most of it, I would literally land down and try to figure this whole thing out.
S: What is the longest period of time you spent in any single country while doing the film?
M: I was in Japan for two months. I was in Cuba for three weeks. But there, I was filming as I was figuring out Hip Hop communities. Remember, when I first got to Japan I didn’t even have a camera. I was in South Africa for six days. I was in Brazil for two weeks.

S: In the film you appeared much more passionate about Hip Hop in Cuba than any place else you visited. How did the situation differ?
M: You have to remember I was in Cuba for a longer period of time. I was there for weeks and every day they were like, ‘Come here.’ I spent a longer period of time with people in the Hip Hop community there. It was not like we went where it was fast-paced. These artists are not ‘signed.’ You know what I mean? So the access is completely different and it was a different vibe.
To purchase El Muhajir’s Hip Hop: the New World Order Documentary, the first historical documentary film on Global Hip Hop, visit: hiphopisglobal.com
And while you’re at it, check out Suba, the highly acclaimed photo-sharing mobile app. Download it from the iOS or Google Play store. http://www.subaapp.com/

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Hapi B Day, Viola Plummer, The Most Revolutionary Woman in New York--Marvin X

Feb 16 , 2017

VIVA LA VIOLA

George Edward Tait

(For Viola Plummer on the Octogenerian Occasion of Her Eightieth Birthday)

Hewn from the hem of Harriet’s garment

Adorned with the apparel and arsenal of Asantewaa

Girded within the Nubian garrison of Granny Nanny

A weusi woman warrior with a D-12 dossier

Documenting decades of dedication and devotion

Documenting decades of discussion and debate

Documenting decades of discourse and diplomacy

Documenting decades of determination and decisiveness

Documenting decades of dispatch and deployment

Documenting decades of daring and discipline

Definitive dates on the calendar of combat

Doyenne to the twelfth power

Dynamics of a D dominant 12th chord in a Coltrane composition

A December detail with 12 disciples

A diurnal declaration to the 12th of Forever

Building a bustling Brooklyn base into a pan-Afrikan place.

Viva La Viola! – weariness-proof and weather-proof

Armed with the aura of Abubadika

Enveloped within the erudition of Elombe

Motivated by the might of Mugabe and the magnificence of Malcolm -

In the trenches, in the courts; on the tarmacs, at the ports

On the sidewalk, in the street: a movement of melanin fists and marching feet.

Viva La Viola!! – with grassroots grace and global grasp

Asante Sana Afrikan soldier – Freedom ferocity and frontline fearlessness;

Asante Sana Afrikan sage – visceral voice and veracious values.

Viva La Viola!!! – An anointed anthem always sung

An everlasting epic, Eighty Years Young – Happy Birthday!

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Black Bird Press News & Review: The Movement, Voice of the Black Arts Movement International, February, 2017

A Poem by Marvin X: What is Love

What is Love by Marvin X

h

What is Love

What is love
only kisses hugs
what is love
only meetings of minds
what about times
when minds
do not meet

is love
not present
in the air
in the blood
of loving souls
too ignorant
to know the test
of love
the many ways
it strives to be and not be
yet
is always and forever
not always tender
sometimes
rough and sharp
like a razor
cutting to the heart

love is pain
we take to grow
be strong again
tears in the night
alone again
we find ourselves
wondering if love
was even real
yet it was
if we see
if we look
beyond romantic notions
of everything is cool
always with love
but we know
the blues of love
when we miss the words
from lips so tender with truth
but we miss them
in haste to be the authority on love
yet love has been around
since eternity
and will stay
when lovers have gone away
it will stay
in spite of all the tears
fights
verbal bouts
come backs
gimme my keys
why don't you call
don't you still care
why did you go
do you really love her
or really love him
after all the time we shared
how could you do this to me
after all I did for you in the night
what is love
sometimes we must enjoy the hurt pain
to grow
be wise again
do it better next time
correct mistakes
try again this time
with God
in the center of things
but try
for love is precious
time is short
life must be lived
with joy
somehow
through it all
let joy arise
take control of love.
--Marvin X
8/3/04
from Land of My Daughters, poems, Marvin X, Black Bird Press, 2005

<b>Julia</b> Reed <b>Hare</b> | The HistoryMakers

<b>Julia</b> Reed <b>Hare</b> | The HistoryMakers

Friday, February 10, 2017

Breaking the stalemate over the Black Arts Movement Business District

COUNTERPOINTS: Breaking The Stalemate Over Oakland's Black Arts Movement Business District

Lakum dinu kum waliya din, to you your way and to me mine! The Black Arts Movement is a continuation of the long tradition of artistic freedom fighters. We shall continue our struggle for liberation which is not dependent upon association with the City of Oakland, matter of fact, we seek total independence from any governmental agencies and entities!
--Marvin X

Marvin X is Co-founder of the National Black Arts Movement and the Black Arts Movement Business District, Oakland Ca; also publisher of the Movement, Voice of the Black Arts Movement International

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor

The last couple of times we were all together, we were discussing the possibilities of a special district in the downtown area of Oakland dedicated to promoting and supporting Black arts, business, and entertainment (“Imagine A Special District In Downtown Oakland Highlighting Black Arts, Business, And Entertainment”, as well as the evolution of the efforts to create such a district (“A Tale Of Two Visions: Oakland’s Downtown Black Business And Arts District”).

Where we left off the story, the Oakland Black Arts Movement and Business District (BAMBD) had split into two factions, one under the control of the City of Oakland, and a second one operated by a Black citizens coalition headed by Oakland poet and playwrite Marvin X and Lower Bottom Playaz theater group founding director Ayodele Nzinga, with some assistance in the background by Oakland Post publisher Paul Cobb. Adding to the confusion is that both the city and the Black citizens coalition are using the same name to describe their respective organizations—Black Arts Movement and Business District—and, in addition, the Black citizens coalition BAMBD is now openly feuding with District Three Councilmember Lynette McElhaney, with whom they had originally worked to set up the city-authorized version of BAMBD in the first place.

While this seems like one of those difficult Oakland-type knots to undo, actually it’s not, not if one recognizes what two major mistakes were made that led to the current split and impasse in and between the BAMBD(s).

Major mistake number one was when Councilmember McElhaney’s Black Culture Keepers Advisory Group voted to changed their recommendation for the name of the downtown Black business and arts district, including “Black Arts Movement” in that recommended name, the Oakland City Council going along with that recommendation when they set up the official name of the city-sponsored district.
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Major mistake number two was when the Marvin X/Nzinga/Cobb group adopted the name of the now officially-created City of Oakland entity—the Black Arts Movement and Business District—for their own organization, taking actions, publishing a newsletter, and negotiating with various developer interests in that name.

As for the first major mistake, let’s not get it twisted. Honoring and acknowledging the history and impact of the original 1960’s-1970’s Black Arts Movement ought to be an important part of the city’s newly-formed Black business and arts district, and any newly-formed organization using the Black Arts Movement name has every right to be included as part of that district. However, honor and inclusion, as opposed to incorporation into the name of the district, are two entirely different things.

Let’s state the obvious. Including the Black Arts Movement name in the name of the district itself gives the impression that the City of Oakland believes that the Black Arts Movement was the most important—even the exclusive—arts component of the long history of African-descendant people in Oakland. This automatically leaves out in the cold all those African-American and African and African-Diasporan artists in Oakland who were not a part of the Black Arts Movement or do not agree with that movement’s goals and ideology.

And from reading the first two clauses of the resolution authorizing the creation of the Black downtown business and arts district, its clear that the City Council intended for the district to be inclusive rather than exclusive to only one group, or even one segment of Oakland’s African-descendent community:

“WHEREAS, the Black community occupies a central place in Oakland's cultural, economic, social and political development and as such their historical and continuing achievements deserve official recognition as vital and meaningful contributions to the evolving fabric of Oakland's society; and

“WHEREAS, the Black community is inclusive of multiple distinct communities of color including but not limited to African Americans, Afro-Caribbeans, and Africans.”

The use of the name “Black Arts Movement”—which describes a specific organization and historial period as well as ideology instead of something which takes in the great breadth of the entire African, African-American, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Brazilian, and other Afro-Diasporan accomplishment in the arts in and around Oakland—would, therefore, seem to be directly at odds with the stated purpose of the newly-formed Black business and arts district.

That, then, was the first major mistake that led to the current problems in the downtown Black district.

The second major mistake, as I said, was the adoption of that official name by the Black citizens coalition led by Marvin X and Ayodele Nzinga and Paul Cobb and moving forward to doing business in that name.

Here, some of the resulting problems seem to be both obvious and inevitable.

An organization adopts a name in order to develop a distinct brand and identity, so that someone comes across that name, they will immediately associate it with the goals and accomplishments of the group or business to which that name is attached.

In that regard, a group adopting a name already set aside by an official city agency for its own use—such as the Marvin X/Nzinga/Cobb group has done—automatically confuses the actions and intentions of the group with the city agency. While the city-sponsored district remains dormant and on the drawing board, the only confusion that occurs is that many people are led to believe that the Black citizens’ BAMBD is actually doing its business on behalf of the official city-sponsored BAMBD. But that confusion would spread back in the other direction once the city-sponsored BAMBD actually began operations, so that the Black citizens’ BAMBD would get the blame for any detrimental actions taken by the official city BAMBD.

It would be like a citizens police watchdog group adopting “Oakland Police Department” as its name.Why would any organization want to voluntarily take on that burden of confusion?

Worse than that, any good actions taken by the Black citizens’ BAMBD might end up not going to their benefit, but to the benefit of the official city-sponsored BAMBD. One of the most successful activities the Marvin X/Nzinga/Cobb version of the BAMBD—or, at least, the one they appear to take the most pride in—has been negotiating community benefits packages with developers seeking Oakland city permission to build projects in the downtown area.

All benefits won by the citizens’ group in those negotiations are accruing in the name of the Black Arts Movement Business District. The Black citizens’ BAMBD appears to believe that once the development projects are approved and built and it comes time to deliver on those benefits, the benefits will go to the Black citizens’ BAMBD. However, there is a great danger that when it is time for those benefits to be given out, they will be given out not to the Black citizens’ BAMBD but to the official city-sponsored BAMBD, since any developer entering such agreements could quite plausibly argue that this was their understanding of the intent of those agreements.

Finally, the appropriation of the official name of the city’s Black business and arts district by the Black citizens’ group may be one of the reasons why city actions on setting up the district has stalled for a full year. City officials may be reluctant to move forward with a city function whose activities will be immediately confused with a citizens organization that is openly feuding with the Councilmember who helped create the district in the first place.

So can this confusing stalemate between the official city BAMBD and the citizens’ BAMBD be resolved?

Yes, actually, and without as much difficulty as one might imagine.

Aside from the two BAMBDs figuring out a way to work together—a somewhat unlikely occurrence at this point—the simplest way to resolve the problem is for one of the two entities to change their name.

Some might argue that it’s the Black citizens’ BAMBD which should do so, since the city’s official adoption of that name gives it the legal preference. I’d argue otherwise, however. Regardless of who has the legal claim to the BAMBD name, it is the citizens group which has done almost all of the work under that name, defining it by their actions. They, therefore, have established the best and most practical claim to the BAMBD name.

As for the City of Oakland, it has no special attachment to the name Black Arts Movement Business District. The district’s name was changed once already before formal adoption by the Oakland City Council, from the Black Business and Arts District to the current BAMBD, and—since no formal city activities have been undertaken under that name since it’s adoption—the City Council could easily change the district’s name again to something else by a simple amendment to the original Council resolution setting up the district.

And it should. The Black citizens’ BAMBD can keep its name and the important affiliation with the Black Arts Movement, the Black Arts Movement can be an important part of the newly-formed city district, though not the only part, and the city can move forward with the district under a new name. (I can suggest one, if anyone is interested.) And, as Don Barzini said in The Godfather, “there will be the peace.”

It’s time to break the impasse and move this important project forward.

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