Ahmed Sékou Touré offered the concepts of Party-State; national democracy; harmony between religion and Revolution and developed the concept of a Mass Revolutionary Party. . . .
Nkrumahism-Toureism
Bourgeois Idealism & the Promotion of Anti-Intellectualism
I know already as I’m writing this piece that it’s not going to be a piece that’s widely read and/or shared. I know this because I’ve written a number of pieces that have been read and shared by thousands. As a result, I’ve learned that the formula for that level of popularity in literature is ensuring the topic is high on the popular culture list. This relates to what bourgeois celebrities, politicians, etc. are doing. These are the people the capitalist system validates as worthwhile. And, all of us, whether we know it or not, whether we admit it or . . .
Xenophobia, Narrow Nationalism, & Capitalism
There is a devastating and unfortunate manifestation to the ruthless oppression African people have faced for over 500 years that we must discuss. Capitalism, built and maintained through its barbaric and horrific exploitation of cheap African human and material resources, has always utilized systemic white supremacy as its chief weapon to perpetuate its dominance. What this looks like in real time is a remote controlled misinformation campaign that paints Africa and the African masses (approximately two million of us scattered and suffering in almost 120 countries worldwide) as lazy, shiftless, dishonest, violence prone, and irresponsible. The reality is that those . . .
Dave Chappelle & The Dishonesty of the African Petit-Bourgeoisie
If you want to really be impressive, figure out how create some jokes that attack the system that’s oppressing all of us. I can tell you already, that will never happen because doing that would do nothing for Chappelle except bring some systemic wrath down upon him and that’s clearly not what he’s trying to do. Again, he said it himself, he’s rich and famous, and at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about for him. If his so-called back and forth with the LGBTQ community hadn’t caused him some personal discomfort, whether he admits it or not, he wouldn’t even be talking about any of this. That should be all you need to know to realize he’s not speaking out to speak up for the African masses against white supremacy. He’s only doing what people like him always do, using the African masses to advance themselves. . . .
The Drum
The drum sounds philosophical beats that engage us all and compel us to strive for a better life. These are mystic licks calling for unity, in a global march for dignity, liberty and peace. Booming beats beckon us to free our minds and take a road, full of obstacles, ambushes and dead ends. The drum calls us to a sojourn of conscience, one that can only be successfully traversed by those aligned to the people and their collective interests. The drum calls us to journey to redemption. A journey that must, of necessity, reshape our soul and resurrect our twisted minds. . . .
Why Did Kwame Ture Move to Africa?
On November 15th, 1998, Kwame Ture (formally Stokely Carmichael) made his physical transition. I remember where I was when we received the news. We were at Sacramento State University, early on a Sunday morning, preparing to begin our work study meeting when one of the members came in and made the announcement. None of us were surprised. Kwame had been ill with the prostate cancer that eventually took his life for quite some time. I remember thinking things were about to change for all of us. [Over] Twenty years later, we have gone through major growing pains as an organization . . .
When I Actually Got to Hang out with Assata Shakur
Some folks actually follow celebrities from city to city with the objective of taking pictures with these well known actors, musicians, athletes, etc. You’ll never catch me doing anything like that. I’ve actually had opportunities to meet many people in those fields whose work I admire such as George Clinton, Chris Webber, Forest Whitaker, and Derek Jeter. But I passed on walking up to them because although I respect their craft, I just don’t see what they do as something deserving of that level of adulation. At least not from me. What I mean is, it’s not like Jeter, Michael . . .
55 Years Since the Black Panther Party & We Still Affirm Our Right to Defend our Communities
During a year where so many of our people have been abandoned and are looking for direction, we must ask ourselves how might the Black Panther Party grappled with the coronavirus pandemic? How would an organization that looked at the pandemics of their time— dope, illiteracy, police terror, etc., approach supporting communities who desperately need health care that is being withheld from them. . . .