BHM 10 Point Program

Black History Month 10 Point Program

Service by Kenyatta Sadiki

1.     Select a specific Black Achiever and learn about their life, their movement and the impact they had on the Black Population & Humanity as a whole.

2.     Buy from as many Black owned business as possible.

3.     Try to refrain from using the “N word” for the entire month.

4.     Get involved in at least one developmental project to better yourself. It could be vocational, academic or religious.

5.     Go on a healthy diet and do at least 30 min of exercising each day.

6.     Shut down all negative talk about others (gossiping) and focus on self and your own goals & aspirations.

7.     Reflect each day on where we have been, where we are and where we are headed as people.

8.     Show respect to yourself and others wherever you are and help a brother or sister whenever you can.

9.     Control your anger and negative emotions for the month with hopes of learning to master them for the rest of your life.

10.  Practice atonement with your immediate and extended family. If you have a loved one locked up or in rehab, reach out to them with words of unity, love & encouragement.

All I can do is put it out there! Those who wish to participate, great! Those who don’t, I understand! We barely even know BHM still exist.

Black Man Stand Up Pt.2

Black Man, Stand Up. Pt. 2

   What is Black History Month? With the entire repetitive dialog we’ve heard, including February being the shortest month; Valentine’s Day seems to be more important to our society. BHM is still celebrated by many and remains a time of reflection and remembrance for black people, even if not made a big deal out of in media and society and apparently, BHM is sadly becoming more irrelevant to today’s generation of our young Blacks and others, not being recognized to the fullest, as it should, it in this short month. It is quite possible that one may go through the entire month of not even hearing a word mentioning Black History and it is equally disappointing to know that Fort Bend ISD requires it’s schools to recognize BHM as “Cultural History Month” in an effort to ‘include’ the other students who may otherwise feel alienated during this month. If that isn’t blatant hypocrisy, then what is?

            Before we can expatiate on the topic at hand, let us first take a brief look at the author of the month, Carter G. Woodson who wrote, “We Are Proud to Be Black.” Carter Woodson was born in 1875, in Virginia, to former enslaved parents. Being forced to grow up fast, Woodson was determined to educate himself at an early age, and then began teaching to do the same for others. He later earned a PhD from Harvard and soon after started erecting African centered programs and holding open dialogs; then quickly realizing the need to address Black issues within the academic arena, Woodson launched the journal of Negro history, which was completed in 1922, being his first full length text book titled, “The Negro in Our 

History”. Four years later, he established ‘Negro Week’, which was acknowledged in the second week of February, choosing to pay homage to Fredrick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln, who were born in that particular week.  Woodson was adamant about challenging contemporary academia for its lack of Black involvement and obvious distortions, so determined to educate the black masses, he married his work, producing, what many consider as his most profound work,  ‘The Miseducation of the Negro’, which is considered a must-read by Black/African studies elite.  Carter G. Woodson dedicated his whole life to his work, starting in his mature, pubescent years, where he serviced his people and passed with a dream that materialized several years after his death—Encyclopedias Africana. 

            To begin this next section, I will use a timeless quote from Sista’ Assata Shakur: “No movement can survive unless it is constantly growing and changing with the times; if it isn’t growing, it is stagnant; and without the support of the people, no movement for liberation can exist no matter how correct the analysis of the situation is.”  Likewise, the Obama campaign was a movement, where he seized the moment and maximized his potential within the time allotted; hence we all witnessed a flawless campaign and Obama became “A Man of his time.”  Now, the same enthusiasm, fervor and determination we all had throughout the campaign, must not only remain, but increase in our own life campaigns, as we too, must seize the instant in time and show what kind of potential we have to make this moment and time work for us!

What happens when we discover ourselves, our purpose; and know who we are historically, culturally and traditionally? Why did Malik El Hajj El Shabazz(Malcolm X) say, “ At the forefront for Africans in America is the consciousness of our people, and the dominant structure will use every vehicle at its disposal to maintain a grip on that consciousness”? Because when he and others tapped into that consciousness, their true life missions began! They connected with the God given power within themselves and movements were born. I can’t say that enough. Black consciousness doesn’t automatically make you a community activist per se, but it does induce pro-activity and necessitates being pro-life and pro-gressive! It sets us in the right direction to master self and produce more-the result of a heightened sense of purpose, which comes from being conscious and aware.  Our outlook on life must be positive and progressive and our values healthy. We must have faith in our abilities, knowledge of self and most of all, belief that a power greater than ourselves supports our efforts! BHM started off as a Black History Bulletin, then Black History Week, then Black History Month. BHM is the result of a reborn consciousness, the brainchild of Mr. C.G. Woodson who discovered the malignant flaws in the education he was receiving in the American school system. Where is our fruit?

In his book, Know Thyself, Dr. Naim Akbar (formally a president of The National Association of Black Psychologists and a long time African Studies Professor) writes about the functions of education, two from which I will expound on here: Legacy of Competence and Acquired Immunities.

1.     Legacy of Competence:

When we are able to look at our past and present accomplishments and gain a sense of self-purpose and empowerment because we see how competent we have been throughout history. When this generation and the next can extract from previous generation the active energy propelling the Black soul to endure and the Black mind to wake up, and the people as a whole to Stand Up! In other words, each generation leaves a strong legacy, and in turn, “invites” their progeny to do the same.

2.     Acquired Immunities:

This is similar to how the bodies T-Cells and antibodies reproduce to build up the body’s immune system in order to resist and fight off viruses and diseases. Black people collectively make up one body. We are exposed to many social diseases such as poverty, drug addiction, police brutality, teen pregnancy and racism. After being exposed to such social ills, over time, the body develops immunity towards them. We learn from the mistakes and the accomplishments of those who have been exposed to the social diseases that we are faced with today and can deal with them more effectively or even prevent them, instead of allowing them to fester and passing them on and reproducing more self hating, prison prone, school drop-outs!

Why is history beat into our heads so heavily in just about everything that we read, study and are taught about. We should all know the importance of going to the origins or roots of things in order to understand them better. The purpose of learning about our heritage and history is to build up our self worth and appreciation of our culture and present reality. When we view the accomplishments and contributions we have made to the world as being equal to that of others, we too can enjoy the fruit of constructive minds, community cohesiveness and Black Nationalism. So how in the hell did we develop the opposite of all the above? Either there is something wrong with the history being taught or the people it’s being taught to, or both. Those who control the flow of and the actual information regarding the history of themselves and others within their borders, have a considerable amount of power in their hands. Why? Because we tend to believe what the “experts” teach us about ourselves through their own curriculums and sources of information which they created for their own benefit. As a consequence, when an expert from among ourselves steps forward to challenge and/or refute the distortions and incorrect information, we discard it as if our own scholars and experts are the ones being biased or have some sort of deceitful hidden agenda. In the words of South African freedom fighter Steve Biko, “ The greatest weapon in the hands of the oppressor, is the minds of the oppressed!”

In the early history of America, psychologists, “the experts” proclaimed that Black people had smaller brains and were better off under the authority of whites. Earlier than that, the western word considered us savage, uncivilized and in need of White-Christian-Civilized dominion. Aside from being beaten or killed, Blacks and even white women were considered insane for thinking they were somehow equal to white males. Some “experts” concluded that those people who are born with a natural physique, or people considered ugly, are more likely to indulge in criminal behaviors. Point is, over the years, we began to believe we are inferior, ugly, uncivilized, crime prone and not as smart as whites.  White Christians even convinced us to “obey our earthly masters” and that chattel slavery was ordained by God and justified because of the curse of Ham and his descendants. As a result, still in 2012, we suffer from lack of self-esteem and self worth, destructive thinking, racial and cultural ignorance and self inflicted annihilation. In her book entitled Yurugu, profound author and motivational speaker Marimba Ani writes,

“The secret Europeans discovered early in their history is that culture carries rules for thinking, and that if you could impose your culture on your victims, you could limit the creativity of their vision, destroying their ability to act with will and intent and in their own interest”.

In conclusion, stand up Black Man and be the example that you want your son to be like, and your daughter to be with. Man up, and act like what you want to be treated like! We must focus more on our priorities, instead of our habits and wants. We must love to be educated, as much as we love to be entertained! We must allay our egos and pride, and have some dignity and integrity! We have more than enough bull-shittin’ ass niggas to last 2 lifetimes! Real Black men must Stand Up!

Hotep! (Peace!)

Kenyatta “Kaa-S” Sadiki signing off

Black Man Stand Up!  Pt.1

The call for Black men to stand up may seam redundant and outdated to some, and yet irrelevant to others. In either case, the call has lost much of its power and momentum, swept away by the winds of violence, drugs and poverty—reality! Much like the energy surrounding President Obama’s historical campaign run for election, The holiday celebration effect takes precedence and now celebrating Black History Month or even Kwanzaa has become somehow insignificant and outdated.

     From the grassroots to the tip of the social, political and economic iceberg, standing up or stepping up to the plate directly involves men from all social classes to transform and improve the current conditions we live under collectively. All bullshit to the side, look at yourself, then look at all the Black men around you and be honest—how does it really look for the home team?

Just ask Black children about their Black fathers and see what they say, if they even know who they are. Then, ask Black women about their thought on todays Black men and see what kind of responses you get.  Then, ask yourself about how you feel about other Black men around you and why? Do you love them? Do you trust them? Are you a living example of what you want your son to be like? Do you model what your daughter should look for in a man?  Lastly, if every male over 17 claims to be a man, what is the criteria? What is the standard?

     I am not going to waste your time pointing out problems about us that you are already aware of. My intention is to stay motivated and encourage other Black men to stay motivated and step up. It is not a question of why, but why not? I offer only a few why’s to meditate on from my very limited knowledge: (M is for Meditation)

M1 To see if we measure up:
Think about the valor of those many men and women who decided it was more honorable to stand firm, stand up and struggle for what the were entitled to instead of sitting on their asses complaining or just flat out laying it down. Part of being a man means being able to bounce back or get back up after being knocked down—right? Well, in order to be knocked down, we must first be willing to stand the fuck up! You may be at one of the lowest points in your life right now, question is, how well will you bounce back?

 M2  It’s what we were asked to do:

 Just name a Black leader revered and/or celebrated by the masses and I bet I can point to a book or a speech where that person instructed us to stand up and man up! Like parents of bosses asking their children to respect the family legacy; like a coach explaining to his or her team about their winning history as a motivation tool; or like runners in a relay hoping that whoever they pass the baton to will give his/her 100% effort towards victory! Out of respect and appreciation, we must stand up, strive and obligate ourselves toward individual and united improvement. We’ve done enough clapping and celebrating to last for centuries. What can we say about our pro-activity and progress?



M3 The criteria of manhood must be clearly defined in our lives:
 The traditional role of man in our society and the role of man prescribed by religious faiths concede that it is our duty to maintain responsible dominion and authority in our world. We are by natural law, responsible for maintaining and raising the standards of manhood. Instead of acting like boys stuck in boyhood and wanting to be treated like men, we must act like men and be worthy of being treated as such!

    The time I right now! We don’t want to work, we want to play!; we don’t want to be educated, we want to be entertained! We don’t want to have to struggle; we want our blessings right now! If that’s what’s up with you, please stay out of the way of those of us who understand the urgency of growth and development and equipping ourselves with the tools which will allow us to live like we want to live.  Nobody cares about our excuses or what were going through right now. All people want to know is what we are going to do about our right now. I feel that it is important to reflect on the following:  (R is for Reflection)

R1 To Become a force: 
We must make our presence felt and respected wherever we go. Reality is, the majority of our peers aren’t willing to go the extra mile which gives those of us who are willing a chance to shine!  Those whom we strive to be like, are those who had the balls  and patience to do what it takes to win. Don’t front, you too want to be relevant and loved by the people who matter in your life, and you want to be appreciated by those whom you love. We must discover our true purpose and live our lives accordingly.

R2 To produce something worthwhile and timeless:
As men, we must be able to influence our environment. Ask yourself, who was the last person you had a positive influence on?  Our minds have the capacity to produce empires, movements and timeless knowledge. We must be able to turn our ideas into tangible realities! In order to do so, our minds have to be connected to the right things. We must focus and pay close attention to the right internal and external stimuli. Our potentials and hidden talents can only be maximized when we commit to self-mastery.

R3 Immortalize ourselves:
Tupac and Biggie have been physically deceased for well over a decade now, but yet, continue to be reborn every time their music is blazing through a speaker. How is it that individuals can be copied, talked about and still have a major influence on millions of others hundreds and thousands of years after they have passed? Theses are the peoples shoes who had been left virtually unfulfilled and whose work is considered unparalleled. We have to raise the bar the same way they did. The legacy of our ideas and deeds can live on forever through others from one generation to the next. Anybody can fuck up, not work, go to prison, etccc… It is easy to do, right? Not everybody has the balls to stand up and be a responsible father, husband, man, and/or role model!

    Our true worth is not defined by material possessions, but by what we posses in spirit. How does one born and raised in the projects, slums, ghetto, barrio, etc.. Become a doctor, lawyer or the CEO of a large corporation ---or even the president?! Will power! If your in prison—with or without a release date, if you are an ex-dope fiend, ex-con, ex-whatever, you can achieve the highest levels of success!
We are designed by God to be  MEN! It is my honor and duty as a 33 yr. old Black Man to stand up and encourage others to do the same! In the midst of a recession, who do you think will suffer the most? Where is the murder capital of the U.S. and what does its population look like? Who has the baby mamma plight? Who is filling up  the jails and prisons?  What are you? What is your purpose? While you are thinking about the answers to those questions—Black Man Stand Up!

Pamoja Tutashinde!

(Let The Black Nation Rise!)

By Kenyatta Sadiki

Pg. 1                        

                                   

Martin Luther King Jr.: The Mind of a Martyr

By Kenyatta Sadiki

            By the time we are able to read, or maybe even before, here in the U.S, we will have heard or been briefly educated about the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968). Every year during Jan. and Feb., his name will be revered and heard along with the likes of even today’s  most celebrated heroes. Who else to align the success of President Barack Obama with but the man who turned hope into one of the most massive movements in history; The man who broke down centuries of racial barriers and captured the hearts of people from every ethnic background in America, then the world?!

            That said,  who is the man behind the name? What did he embodie  that made him such a durable force? A Soul like King’s is erected from certain conditions which make his presence necessary. The creator makes no mistakes in birthing his children right under the roof of satan’s domain. I often tell brothers that The Black Panther Party for Self Defense was not produced by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seal alone, but was actually started by the Oakland Police Department. The O.P.D. made the B.P.P.S.D. necessary and were ultimately responsible for their(B.P.P.S.D.) presence. So, when dealing with Dr. King and his Southern Christian Leadership Conference, we are dealing with the forces of good, produced by the forces of evil. Through the death threats, extreme violence and constant opposition, Dr. King knew what he was up against, and yet, chose to go into battle against the power structure.

            We must not allow his legacy to be reduced to claps and parades. His wisdom is far too great to be tucked neatly and conveniently into the rhetoric box of non-violence or used to argue against the more militant actions and philosophies of Newton and Malik El Hajj El shabazz. How dare we buy into the propaganda that Dr. King was the “Good” leader for us and place him high above our other heroes because “they” said he is more acceptable and “they” approved of him because he believed in passive resistance. We must embrace all of King and qualify him with our own criterion.

            Here, I would like to examine some of the knowledge and philosophies of Dr. King; To go beyond the contemporary views we have of him; and, to analyze his thoughts from a slightly different perspective. Below are select quotes from Dr. King at various stages in his life and commentary strictly from my own thoughts:

  Quote #1:

            “If physical death is the price that someone must pay to free their children from a permanent life of psychological death, then nothing could be more honorable. Once more, it might well turn out that the blood of the martyr will be the seed of the tabernacle of freedom.”

            Dr. King recognizes that it is honorable to die for a righteous cause, in this case ,our children. It has been repeated over and over again by our scholars and other learned men and women that psychological death is worse than physical death as is psychological slavery. The mentally dead are very dangerous, not only to themselves, but to those whom they share the same space with while those who benefit from their ignorance are left to live in peace. Dr. King suggests that we must be willing to pay a price in blood which will remind the next generation to continue fighting for true freedom-mental physical and spiritual.

Quote #2:

            “If man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michael Angelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well’.”

            This is a statement about dignity and integrity. Dr. King is saying, “Quit half stepping”. He is qualified to say this because he set the bar with his own efforts. It is a question of, “what do we want to be remembered for”? We must first recognize our own calling and/or purpose, then commit 100% to fulfilling that purpose.

Quote #3

            “Any religion that professes to be concerned about the souls of men, but ignores the economic and social conditions that cripple the soul, then it is a spiritually morbid religion  waiting to be buried.”

            Dr. King was adamant about addressing the middle class & exurb so called “religious folk” who couldn’t seem to take their religion beyond the bible and the church. These same preachers and religious men would question and ridicule King’s political activities as if he were wrong to challenge white supremacy. What they were worried about was losing their “good standing” with their white neighbors. King recognized their hypocrisy in worshiping God, praying and asking for help, but when it came to putting in political, economical and social work, many proved to be pulpit pimps, and media jockeys while others were simply too religiously  drunk, therefore their religious practices were dead and void. Along with this commentary, I will include a corresponding quote from Dr. King: “How can we continue preaching about the spoils of heaven, when we are still living an earthly hell?’’

Quote #4

“Hell is reserved for those who maintain neutrality in a time of moral crisis”

            Again, Dr. King is mainly speaking to his middle class peers who “didn’t want any trouble”, and tried to play the middle to be safe- selling their souls for a miserable price. Here, King implies that we must choose a side as a moral obligation. Either you are for right, or youare for wrong, and if you are on the side of right and justice, then stop pussy footing around and tap dancing and let it be known verbally and physical. Hell is mentioned because it is said to be the dwelling place for those who don’t choose the right way.

Quote #5

“Change doesn’t just come rolling in on the wheels of inevitability, but is a constant process.”

            This, like so many of King’s thoughts, is timeless wisdom. He knew that his work would take time to manifest; that his words and actions would be slowly accepted; and, just as the first quote says, he knew that his life had to be sacrificed so that others could live. You know a man is truly great when he knows that he may not even live long enough to see the fruit or results of his labor, or when he knows he could be murdered any day for what he stands for, but still chooses to put the lives of others before his own life. Even with a wonderful wife and beautiful kids, he did not stop to say, “I think I should stop angering these people before they kill me and I can’t be with my family anymore.” This is why King’s name can be mentioned even among the prophets of God. From Otis Redding to Barack Obama, we have been singing about change. In our personal lives, we must ask ourselves if we really want change and are we willing to sacrifice and do what it takes for change?

Quote #6

“Whenever you set out to build a temple, you must face the fact that there is a tension at the heart of the universe between good and evil.”

            This temple King is talking about should be viewed as a hidden temple—the temple of the mind and spirit. As we attempt to build our  temples, there is a constant battle of tug-o-war between right and wrong-good and evil, for our souls which is a universal tension. No one is exempt from the universal energy pull and we must be mentally and spiritually fortified with righteousness to resist the negative forces which can destroy a weak temple.

Quote #7

“Sometimes conscience pictates that we take a position that is neither safe , nor political, nor popular, but you must take it because it is right. This is where I find myself today—I have come to the conclusion that the ultimate measure of man is not where he finds himself in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he finds himself in moment of challenge and controversy.”

            I purposely saved this one for last, for it is among the most repeated and revered quotes from King. Again, men like Dr. King can make these sort of powerful statements because his life bore witness to its authenticity. He knew his message would arouse hatred toward him (not safe). He knew his anti-systematic remarks and constant indictments against the government and the status quo would cause a political uproar (not political).He also knew his middle class peers were content with going along with the flow and mostly stay in their place, but he chose to go against the grain (not popular). Dr. King showed us that in moments of challenge, and controversy, the real men stand up from among the people who are being wronged and experiencing tumultuous conditions. The creator will raise up leaders armed with truth to challenge and expose the wicked. Kings valor definitely set a standard for the ultimate measure of man!

            So, this MLK Day and every day afterwards, let his knowledge and his life be a guidepost to give us directions and purpose in our own lives. Kings legacy can only live through us. Talking about him on MLK Day-cool, visiting the memorial erected in his honor-good, acting on the messages and instructions he selflessly gave-Great! So in remembering our hero, let us not forget to take care of our responsibilities as well.

Peace!

*** I dedicate this to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., his beloved wife Corretta Scott King and the rest of the King family. I hope I did at least some just  to Dr. King’s unparalleled legacy!