Saturday, April 7, 2012

The revolution will not be televised - Boy do I hate rallies

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised:


You will not be able to stay home, brother.
You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out.
You will not be able to lose yourself on skag and skip,
Skip out for beer during commercials,
Because the revolution will not be televised.

The revolution will not be televised.
The revolution will not be brought to you by Xerox
In 4 parts without commercial interruptions.  by Gil Scott Heron

I hate rallies...

From my college days on I sure planned, organized and hosted enough rallies for a life-time. I have been a panel member, guest speaker and a moderator at several rallies, but I must say, I hate rallies -- although I will concede they do have a place, purpose and value.

I hate them because too many people falsely believe that attending a rally or a march solves the problem. Too many microphone fiends descend upon the city, issue or controversy du jour with their camera ready speeches and rally cries:  What do ya'll want? Justice. When do ya want it? Now. Or, No justice/No peace.

As if shouting those tired cliches will expeditiously usher in a new dawn for the oppressed. 

And after CNN, MSNBC or Fox leave town, cameras in tow, these self-described Tree Shakers not Jelly makers also head for the door. Or, should I say they head for the next stage to express their mock outrage.

Boy do I hate rallies...

Yea, I do...when the time to comes -- in the aftermath of a rally -- to roll up the sleeves and do the nitty gritty work that substantively brings about change, you need a CSI Forensic team to locate the so-called leaders, spokespersons or should I say the TV/studio personalities.

The thing about it...

These folks actually do more harm than good. Why? They may raise the profile of a heretofore local issue, but at what cost? Often our Tree Shakers/Studio Personalities have so much baggage that instead of uniting all people -- black, brown, yellow, red and white -- they bring about more entrenched polarization.

Give me institution building over the bling-bling of Drive-By-Rallies any day...

"One is fully conscious when he or she is the results of having been informed and instructed by the experience of his or her ancestors and use that knowledge to master, understand and become able to create institutions that allow him or her to live in harmony with the rest of nature and the universe." 

Professor James Small 



Monday, April 2, 2012

Trayvon Martin's Letter from Sinead O'Conner

Even with my one arm - still suffering from a fractured wrist - I had to post, without a doubt, the most beautiful, eloquent and poignant statement regarding the horrific and tragic killing/murder/assassination of Trayvon Martin.

This open letter by Sinead O'Conner brings to mind the Letter from a Birmingham Jail written by Martin Luther King in 1963.

My sista...

A Letter From Sinead O'conner:

I would like to extend my very deepest sympathies  to the family and other loved
ones of murdered teenager, Treyvon Martin. I am very sad today (and am certain the
whole of Ireland is) to learn of poor Treyvon's terrifying ordeal and horrified by the
fact his known and named and admitted killer has not been arrested, despite the
crime having taken place a month ago.  This is a disgrace to the entire human race.


For those out there who believe black people to be less than pure royalty, let me
inform you of a little known, but scientifically proven, many times over, FACT. Which
after reading, you will hopefully feel both very stupid and very sorry. For you dishonor
your own mothers and grandmothers.


EVERY human being on earth, no matter what their culture, creed, skin colour, or
nationality, shares one gene traceable back to one African woman. Scientists have
named it  'The Eve Gene'.  This means ALL of us, even ridiculously stupid, ignorant,
perverted, blaspheming racists are the descendants of one African woman.


One African woman is the mother of all of us. Africa was the first world.  You come
from there! Your skin may be 'white'.. because you didn't need it to be black any
more where you lived. But as Curtis Mayfield said.. "You're just the surface of our
dark, deep well".  So you're being morons. And God is having the last laugh at your
ignorant expense.


If you hate black people, its yourself you hate. And the mother who bore you. If you
kill or wish ill on black people, its yourself you kill and wish ill on. As well as the
mother who bore you
.
When you dishonor the the utter glory and majesty of black people, you lie. Your
heart lies to you and you let it. Despite seeing every day, all your life, how you and
your country would be less than wonderfully functioning and inspiring to the world,
without the manifold and glorious contributions made by the descendants of African
slaves, who did not by the way actually  ask to go to America and leave their future
families there to be  disrespected for eternity.




What are you doing hating yourself by hating your brothers and sisters who daily
show you nothing but inspiration and love, despite having NOTHING, in their  own
country?  Despite having barely a chance of anything, because of racism. Despite
being granted no 'permission' for proper self-esteem.


These beautiful people continue to believe in and even manifest Jesus Christ better
than you do. That alone could stand as the greatest reason your racism is
blasphemy, were it not for all the other reasons.


These people you hate and fear ARE the body of Christ, just as we all are. Every
child, woman or man. And they know it. Maybe thats why you cant bear to look at
them. Because you see Jesus Christ and you cant stand the light.


Stop this ridiculous and uneducated attitude. You would be dead without black
people. Think of all the greatest music ever composed. The greatest songs. The
greatest inspirational heroes..  Muhammad Ali, Mandela, Martin Luther King,
Harriet Tubman, Soujourner Truth, Bob Marley, Nina Simone, Curtis Mayfield.
So many absolute angels, sent from God.


Without the inspiration of these people many millions of so-called 'white' people,
including myself would not have had the strength to pay the price of life.


And black youth in America.  I'm talking to you here too. I love you. So I don't mean
to sound cross, I'm just being a mother..  Why are you killing each other? Why are
you hating yourselves? You are the most important people God ever sent to this
earth, every man, woman and child among you!  Don't let uneducated people win
and take your self-esteem or your esteem for each other, and make you kill each
other. over guns, drugs, bling, or any other nonsense.


You are now entering YOUR version of a sort of civil rights movement and you're
gonna see history being made in what has certainly the profoundest potential to
become THE most wonderful country on earth. Because soon ALL 'isms' and 'ists'
will end. including racism, as the people of the earth begin to understand, we are all
one.


We came from one mother. We are all brothers and sisters. And we CAN get beyond
this ILLUSION  of separateness. With prayer and love. It CAN change. It WILL
change. And YOU guys (young people of all kinds) are the ones who are gonna
GENTLY change it. And you know where it starts? With MUSIC.
Don't be guided by rap. Gangsta or otherwise. Sure.. enjoy it.. adore it…as I do.. but
realize this.. rap ain't about your civil or spiritual rights, baby boys and girls. It.. along
with most music nowadays.. is about falsenesses and vanities. Bling, drugs, sex,
guns and people- dissing. Its giving you the message you ain't 'good enough' if you
don't have bling and ting.. and money.  Or if you're not what it deems 'sexy'.
(This is true of all popular music not rap alone. I know. Its tragically true of all popular
youth culture the world over).


Poor Curtis Mayfield must be crying all day and night ALL day and night in heaven,
every day and night..  To see what has been so successfully achieved by those who
sent guns, drugs, and bling to squash the civil rights movement. Now you all don't
have to be murdered by racists any more.. you're murdering each other FOR them!
And your parents and grandparents are left crying.


Go back to strong black musical guides who left you information in the 60s and 70s.
when they were living through the civil rights struggle. Curtis Mayfield. The
Impressions. Nina Simone, Mahalia Jackson. Sing back the Holy Spirit ladies and
gentlemen, boys and girls, as those artists did.


Forget bling. Forget  "Get Rich Or Die Trying". That is an evil message. Evil my
dears is only life backwards. Turn it the right way up. With music.  The messages
American black youth are being given through music are not about the spiritual and
therefore strong and conquering but PEACEFUL making of YOUR country into the
wonderful place it secretly is and can be.. BECAUSE OF YOU, and BY YOU!!


You know not how you are adored, appreciated, valued, loved, cried for,smiled for,
prayed for, all over the world. You know not how much inspiration and uplift-ment of
heart you give to millions just by your presence on earth.


These musical guides will give you self-esteem. When you have self-esteem you can
achieve anything. You can stand in the street as many did yesterday  and change
your country peacefully and with song. Chant down Babylon as the Rastas say.
Rastafari will also give you self esteem. Investigate it.


You will notice, my beautiful sons and daughters, when you study, as you must,
footage of all civil rights gatherings, how singing and music and sound and voice and
the Holy Spirit were all employed and were so much part of the energy which moved
things along.. just as running was in the South African gatherings I saw on tv in my
own childhood, which inspired me to survive my own horrors.


What you listen to musically and whether or not you employ the Holy Spirit's highest 
will for your life is whats gonna make you transcend all  you're having to suffer (the 
worst of which is low self-esteem.. or esteem based upon material 'success' or 
'sexiness'))  as a result of being the descendants of people who didn't ask to be 
stolen and leave you where you are. Delete bling. Get conscious with your music. 
Demand conscious music from your artists. Go back to the artists who left you proper 
guidance. 


This is some serious stuff  and we (all manner of musical artists) are too silent on 
matters of enormous spiritual importance. Lemme ask you.. Jayzee and Eminem et 
al… Why was it always the black people only worked in the post rooms of record 
companies, which was always in the basement? Why was it that as each floor went 
up the skins got paler till it was practically ghosts at the top? And all us artists.. even 
me.. said nothing? Those buildings (record companies) always struck me as being a 
microcosm or painting of America, racially speaking. Christ almighty.. if its like that in 
the music business how is anything ever going to change?


We, musical  artists are too silent on important stuff. And it is our job to be the gatekeepers of  truth. ALL the people of this earth must come together eventually and 
see that we are one. ALL artists must stand up. Black, white, yellow, green, pink,  
polka- dot.. and be a light in these times. 


The world is going to shift massively this year.. spiritually speaking. Musical artists 
are to be a massive part of that shift.  Get up, lets all of us. And light Jah fire.. and 
BE lights. 


Where's the fire gone from music? Where is the love? the oneness? The knowing 
that music CAN and WILL move things in the right spiritual direction without hatred or 
violence?  We must box clever. Sing the devil to sleep at your feet. Thats what Curtis 
teaches. He is the master of ALL musical masters. forget, forget, forget and forget 
again bling and guns and drugs and the worship of fame and money. Its time to 
wake up. We KNOW the power of music. Why aren't we using it to change anything 
important? 


Musicians all over the world should now gently demand this child's killer be arrested 
immediately and the family of Treyvon Martin be immediately apologized to upon 
bended knee. Frankly… I myself would like an apology!  America is a country I love 
and adore. what this man has done is un-American in the most horrific extreme.

Him not being arrested is extremely embarrassing and does absolutely NOT paint 
the true picture of of a country and a people who for the 90% majority are the 
kindest, most loving, intelligent, and wonderful people you could know.


Please.. ALL Americans should deplore this crime. As should ALL people of ALL 
nations. And deplore the fact this man has not been arrested. All Irish people should 
do the same. And I ask that we here in Ireland should express through our American 
embassy that we would like to see this man arrested this very minute. Because 
racism is not acceptable. Nor is vigilantism. And this was very clearly in no way at all 
a case of self-defense. The child was un armed. I know not if he was misbehaving. 
But a 17 year old un armed child misbehaving, whether he was or not, does not 
deserve to be shot dead. 


I leave you with some lyrics of Curtis Mayfield's which I feel are appropriate for this 
situation. I am certain Curtis would have wanted to contribute to discussion on the 
issue of Treyvon's murder and the condition of young black people in America 
today.. so here goes…. the song is called This Is My Country.. from the album of the 
same name.


Some people think we don't have the right
to say its my country
before they give in
they'd rather fuss and fight
than say its my country
I've paid three hundred years or more
of slave-driving sweat and welts on my back
This is my country


Too many have died in protecting my pride
for me to go second class
We've survived a hard blow and I want you to know
that you must face us at last
And I know you will give consideration
shall we perish unjust or live equal as a nation? 
This is my country