The Glory of Africa Part 5 (in 2012)

The Glory of Africa Part 5

Once again, it's on. Looking at 2012 and beyond has opened my eyes about new issues plus future horizons. We live in profoundly interesting age that deals with economic, technological, and social issues. We are in a new phrase of the human rights movement. The world is ever complex with its cellphones, I-Pads, smartphones, and other computerized devices, but the GLORY OF AFRICA is never diminished. Africa is the black people's sovereign land. I am blessed to be black. I am black and I am beautfiul. Far too often, society omits the real significance of Black African history. On the other hand, in this prose, real history will never be obfuscated here. Our people made monumentus accomplishments from music to engineering. The great, inspiring characteristics that form the totality of human history is lacking without our DNA. We were involved in the cultural & political development of ancient Egypt. Nubian Kings and Nubian beautiful Queens are forever etched in our historical timeline. We were here in forming the universities of Timbuktu centuries ago and in the vital social movements of the globe (then and now). Now, we are still here existing as engineers, scholars, inventors, althetes, orators, scientists, lawyers, teachers, musicians, plumbers, architects, and other leaders from Lagos, Nigeria to Seattle, Washington. Loving our being and moving concretely forward are excellent executions to adhere to faithfully. Not only that, we should assist humanity. This can allow our ancestors to be happy and our spirits joyful. Therefore, this engaging prose include the following: a wide multiplicity of information, quotes, sources, history, studies, and a lot of insight that relate to our modern world.

There are many heroes of black Afrikan peoples. Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Charles Drew, Philip Ameagwali, Kwame Ture, Connie Matthews, Dr. John Henrik Clarke, Professor John G. Jackson, Dr. Umar Johnson, Joel A. Rogers, Ida B. Wells, and there are others are great black heroes. These people desire a keen goal of improvement among the black race in general. One such hero was especially John Henrik Clarke. He lived from January 1, 1915 to July 16, 1998. He came from Union Springs, Alabama. His parents were sharecroppers. His family moved into Columbus, Georgia. By 18, he traveled to Harlem. He loved to learn about Afrikan History. He was included in the Harlem History club. Dr. Clarke visited the famous historian Arturo or Arthur Schomberg. The other members of the Harlem History Club include luminaries like Hubert Henry Harrison, William Leo Hansberry, Willis Huggins, Charles Seiffert and John G. Jackson, who among others, would serve as jegna's and guides to the budding autodidact. Dr. Clarke never completed high school or college, but he could understand a wide spectrum of information in a very cogent fashion. Dr. Clarke worked in professorships of history at Hunter College, and at Cornell University inside of New York City. He gave speeches, articles, books, articles, etc. to black people all over the world. He is a great storyteller that can tie information in an understandable fashion. Sometimes, skilled musicians would be active during his lectures. Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana's first post-colonial President), Omowale or Macolm X (Omowale is a Yoruba word that means "...("the son who has returned..."), and others worked with him. These individuals used his great depth of knowledge. That is why Dr. Clarke talked about the lessons he gave to Malcolm X all of the time. Some of his books were entitled, "My Life in Search of Africa", "Christopher Columbus and the Afrikan Holocaust" ,"Africans at the Crossroad: Notes on an African World Revolution","Marcus Garvey and the Vision of Africa" , and "Rebellion in Rhyme the Early Poetry of John Henrik Clarke." His life and worked are documented in the film John Henrik Clarke: A Great and Mighty Walk," by Wesley Snipes, and in the book, "Dr. John Henrik Clarke: His Life, His Words, His Works" by Anna Swanston, who for years was his personal secretary. He was a great inspiration for all of us. I read some of Dr. Clarke's literature before too. He was one key figure (out of many people) that brought the beautiful history of Mother Africa to the whole entire world. We come from women and without women, we wouldn't exist in the Universe. So, Dr. Clarke told us before he met up with the ancestors in spirit that we should always respect women. One great sister named  Drusilla Dunjee Houston  wrote great works in describing Black African history too. Men are women are one in the human family. If we want solutions, then we should advocate communication & healing among both genders, fights against crime, advance real education promoted in our communities, develop the growth of businesses, and execute better health & fitness for our people. We have to allow a man to be a man, and allow a woman to be a woman. It is just to for us to utilize the pooling of resources in the black community in order for us to help out the poor & suffering. The end result of these efforts will manufacture tons of other creative ways to take Black Power into another level of existence. The truth is not lukewarm, but it's ice cold with facts, wisdom, and soul. The truth gives us a profound obligation to seek out genuine justice for all of the human race.

DON'T EVER LET HOW YOU LOOK LIKE, YOUR SOCIOECONOMIC LEVEL, YOUR GENDER, YOUR BACKGROUND, OR THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN STOP YOU FROM DOING ANYTHING. YOU CAN DO IT AND SUCCEED IN YOUR LIFE.

Special Leaders

Much information is necessary to learn in order for all of us to get a more comprehensive picture of black culture and black history in general. So, as black people we identify with Africa as the origin of us all. Also, we have a cultural connection with Africa and our brothers in sisters throughout the world from Brazil to South Africa. As the late Marcus Garvey said: "...A people without the knowledge of their past history origin and culture is like a tree without roots..." It's our goal to fight in this common struggle for the liberation of Black people everywhere. Liberation means independence as well. We are not truly free unless our black people develop enough power and resources to assist the poor among us and massively develop massive occupations for our people. Imperialism and racism are some of our enemies that ought to be obliterated from the face of the Earth. The revolutionary words from Lumumba (a declassified document show that the President Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered a CIA hit on Lumumba in 1960), Malcolm X, CLR James, Amilcar Cabral, Fanon, Dr. King, and great sisters too inspire us in this day and beyond. We ought to give due credit to the black Queens fighting for our people too like Queen Nanny from Jamaica fighting against British imperialists. The Jamaicans historically have been some of the strongest resisters to the European imperialists' sick aims. The black Sister Ann Nzingha was a strong warrior who stood up to the Protugeuse slave trades back in the 1600's.  Nzingha was born in 1582. Being part of the Jagas ethnic group, Ann Nzingha acted as a strong buffer against the Portugeuse slave trading goals in the area of Angola. Nzingha loved her people and expressed a potent sense of African bravery that we should all emulate. Harriet Tubman freed thousands of slaves in North America. You have the great sister Ida B. Wells who fought against lynching and discrimination against Diaspora Africans in America. Now, tons of black women are performing great in helping the black community. So, we owe a lot to black women indeed. The blacks in Africa and in the Caribbean greatly contributed their time, knowledge, and efforts to support the Civil Rights Movement inside of the United States of America. Ella Baker was one critical women who promoted the Civil Rights Movement. She was born in December 13, 1903 in Norfolk, Virginia (where I was born at too). As far back as in the 1930's, she worked in the civil rights and human rights movement. Behind the scenes, she worked with WEB DuBois, Thurgood Marshall, A. Philip Randolph, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She mentored the younger civil rights leaders (during the 1960's) like Diane Nash, Kwame Ture, Rosa Parks, and Bob Moses. She was raised in Littleton, North Carolina. Early on, Ella Baker taught about economic development, African history, and labor history. He worked in Harlem in order to promote the culture of black people. She protested Italy's invasion of Ethiopia and supported a group of young black men accused of raping 2 white women (or the Scottsboro defendants). So, the Sister was right to criticize the terrorism by Euro criminals for over 5 centuries (these criminals pillaged, exterminated, enslaved, and subjugated people of color for centuries). She founded the Negro History Club in Harlem Library and worked with the great scholar and activist John Henrik Clarke. Ella Baker believed in having grassroots efforts in the local level and beyond in order to have social change. Baker wanted freedom for the human race as she said. She wanted social change to be a team effort. In other words, individuals can contribute their talents as part of a collective framework in order for all people to genuinely achieve equality, justice, and freedom. Ella Baker continued to support the Puerto Rican independence movement. She spoke out against apartheid in South Africa, and she promoted the causes of women. She agreed with peace. She passed away in 1986 in NYC. To the day she died, the sister Ella Baker was in the thick of the movement of human freedom. Her words influenced the Students for a Democratic Society and other radical plus progressive groups that were created in the 1960's and the 1970's. She organized the freedom rides of the 1960's and did a lot for the world as well. Ella Baker loved humanity and we appreciate her contributions to the human rights movement. RIP Sister Ella Baker.
What more can be said about Marcus Mosiah Garvey. He was one of the greatest leaders in human history. He inspired tons of people, especially black people, to fight for truth, dignity, and liberty. He lived from August 17, 1887 to June 10, 1940. He was the leader of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (or the UNIA). He organized millions of black people for the cause of promoting African liberation. He admired the philosophies of Booker T. Washington and his ideas of self-improvement for Black Africans. Garvey's thinking was that black people the world over should connect more with their origin from Africa. He opposed the evils of European colonialism, so he wanted blacks globally to build a free and United Black Africa. His shipping company called the Black Star Line that dealt with his program in uplifting the power of black people. The motto of the U.N.I.A. was "One God! One Aim! One Destiny." "The Negro World" was the U.N.I.A. weekly newspaper founded in 1918. It was published in French and Spanish as well as English. In it, African history and heroes were glorified. The UNIA has been made up of leaders in the Niger, those folks from Ethiopia, people from Uganda, etc. not just Black Africans from the Diaspora. The federal government hated Garvey and indicted him on mail fraud. The feds used agents in trying to discredit him, but it failed. The power & wisdom from Marcus Garvey and other black people inspire all of us today in 2012. Yet, this UNIA still exists today. His inspiration and vision is still upon us. Marcus Garvey helped to establish schools and he organized an international business network. Garvey wanted to form a central national bank for those of black African descent. There were hotels, restaurants, etc. in America. The Harlem Renaissance was heavily influenced by the Garvey movement. Many artists and scholars in the Harlem Renaissance were Garveyites. Even Marcus Garvey had his predecessors, but Marcus Garvey was one of the most successful leaders of the black people after the Civil War. Garvey and others organized the red, black, and green colors that symbolized our black race. He influenced a lot of human beings like the following individuals: Kwame Nkrumah, Nelson Mandela, Julius Nyerere, Leopold Sedar Senghor, Henrietta Vinton Davis, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Alhaji Ahmed Sekou Toure, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Amy Jacques Garvey, Jomo Kenyatta, M. L. T. De Mena, Paul Robeson, Malcolm X, Steve Biko, Kwame Ture, Patrice Lumumba, Frantz Fanon, and so many other black brothers and black sisters. Marcus Garvey gave us as a people, one vital blueprint (that includes organizing our people, mobilizing our people to create our own infrastructure, and an undying love for our people) in solving our own issues. A lot of people know about his work, ideas, and literature. I do encourage people to read his words and look at his literature in order for folks to realize the great perspective of the man Marcus Garvey. Marcus Garvey is a representation of not only black manhood, but the strong power of BLACK PEOPLE in general. YOU ARE AFRICAN AND YOU ARE BLACK, SO WE SHOULD ALWAYS HELP OUR PEOPLE OVERTLY.

A special mention ought to made to Sister Soujah. I was really young when I first heard about her. The mainstream media (like they always do) falsely described her as an extremist, as a racist, and as a hater of non-blacks. So, when I got older, I decided to read her real quotes, look at some of her videos, and look at her website. She was famously featured in one episode of "A Different World," which is a great show that I saw as a child (and still see sometimes on the TV One channel). What I discovered was completely the opposite of what the mainstream media described her as. The sister is not only very intelligent and cognziant of the conditions of our black African people, but she was never a racist. She believed rightfully that the rights and aspirations of black African peoples ought to be respected and justice should flow in the world. So, Sister Soujah is a role model for our people, especially for the Black Sisters living their lives. She wrote the following in her own words many years ago: "...As you can see I am no newcomer to the world of politics. I am mentally, spiritually, physically, emotionally, intellectually and academically developed and acutely aware of the condition of African people throughout the entire world....Breaking it down, this means injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. As Sister Souljah, I reserve the right to fight against White racism--I have not ordered anyone to kill anyone. My album creates pressure on White America--a lot of pressure, and pressure is what America needs, deserves, and inherited--no justice, no peace..." Sister Soujah talked her walk by setting up programs in helping the poor, organizing reading institutions, speaking across the world in calling for improvements for the human race, and being a shining example of black heroism in action.

 

By 1965, Malcolm X went through a lot of changes after his Hajj to Mecca, but Malcolm X never turned soft. He was still a strong black brother. Malcolm X felt that in order to have more progressive society, women ought to have equal educational and social opportunities as a male should have. He believed in equality for all people, but didn't want to allow people to unite with him in brotherhood if they desired oppression. On January 24, 1965, Malcolm X gave one of his most important speeches in his life. It is called "On Afro-American History." In that speech, he didn't express race-neutral, soft rhetoric as some revisionists believed. Malcolm X expressed uncensored truth. In that speech, Malcolm X said that black people can't learn the present or the future without understanding the past. He said that the non-white people in the world are having a larger influence globally and that black people must think internationally about issues beyond just national (since black people live in the 4 corners of the Earth. In fact, there are more black people living in Brazil than in the United States of America). His quote from that January 1965 speech reads: "...But those of us who come here, come here because we not only see the importance of having an understanding of things local and things national, but we see today the importance of having an understanding of things international, and where our people, the Afro-Americans in this country, fit into that scheme of things, where things international are concerned. We come out because our scope is broad, our scope is international rather than national, and our interests are international rather than national. Our interests are worldwide rather than limited just to things American, or things New York, or things Mississippi. And this is very important.." The fall of the European Empires after WWII was a good thing, but we must seize the day in making the world better without imperialism & without evil oppression against human beings. So, it's reasonable for us to establish cultural, business, and social connections with black people all across the globe. Malcolm X said that just because something is all-black doesn't mean that it's racist. He expressed the history of advanced black civilizations that used religion, science, engineering, technology, government, and other components of life to enrich their areas in the world. Malcolm X said that the slave owning Founding Fathers founded America and if it was up to them collectively, we (who are black people) would still be slaves. Now, there are too many certain types of people with that superiority complex (like you know who. You know about the identities of those types of people that I am talking about. LOL. The truth is not shady nor slim on facts, get it. Additionally, the truth is not pale without life, but it's golden and full in living color) as a product of living in Western society. Malcolm X identified with other revolutionary struggles in the world as a way for people to fight against the agenda of the Western elitists.

In January 1965, Malcolm X said "...I believe that there will ultimately be a clash between the oppressed and those that do the oppressing. I believe that there will be a clash between those who want freedom, justice, and equality for everyone and those who want to continue the systems of exploitation... It is incorrect to classify the revolt of the Negro as simply a racial conflict of black against white, or as a purely American problem. Rather, we are today seeing a global rebellion of the oppressed against the oppressor, the exploited against the exploiter."

We should fight against the slave mentality and advance justice instead. It is obvious what Malcolm X felt about capitalism. In January 18, 1965, Malcolm X said the following words on the modern-day capitalist system: "...It is impossible for capitalism to survive, primarily because the system of capitalism needs some blood to suck. Capitalism used to be like an eagle, but now it's more like a vulture. It used to be strong enough to go and suck anybody's blood whether they were strong or not. But now it has become more cowardly, like the vulture, and it can only suck the blood of the helpless. As the nations of the world free themselves, then capitalism has less victims, less to suck, and it becomes weaker and weaker. It's only a matter of time in my opinion before it will collapse completely..."

Some people even believed in the deception that Dr. Martin Luther King turned soft on a brother or a sister. That is demonstrability incorrect. As a matter of fact, Dr. King become more militant as time went on his life. He started to wake up especially in about 1967. 1967 was the year when he experienced a revolutionary change in his thinking. He agreed with the young black militants that Black Power should be promoted by the black community and society needs revolutionary changes from the current traditionalist mores. Now, Dr. Martin Luther King wanted a radical change in society, because he questioned the current capitalist system. He viewed capitalism as failing to see that life is social and he wanted a policy of democratic socialism in order for all human beings to benefit in a society of equality. He opposed the Vietnam War as destructive to Third World peoples and it drained desperately needed resources that could help fight against poverty in the United States of America. He wanted an economic bill of rights to promote economic justice. He supported reparations for people of black African descent. These policies aren't representative of man gone soft neither a moderate as reactionaries falsely ascribe Dr. King as being. To his dying day, he believe in nonviolence and an opposition to war. I respect that since he held onto his core convictions all of the time when he was alive. Even though Dr. King was raised middle class in Atlanta, the brother spoke up for the interests of those living in the ghettos of America. I am from the ghetto (from Virginia) and his words certainly gave me tremendous motivation in my life, because the people in the ghettos of the world have as much social value as people living in a gated palace. Dr. Martin Luther King publicly advanced a humanistic, progressive agenda for society, which was in contrary to the ideological views of those of reaction in the world. The brother Dr. Martin Luther King exposed the culture of war in the following words:

"...First, the majority of the present Congress and the Administration, as distinguished from the majority of the people, is single mindedly devoted to the pursuit of the war. It has been estimated by Senator (Harkey) that we spend approximately $500,000 to kill a single enemy soldier in Vietnam. And yet we spend about $53 for each impoverished American in anti-poverty programs. Congress appropriates military funds with alacrity and generosity. It appropriates poverty funds with miserliness and grudging reluctance. The government is emotionally committed to the war. It is emotionally hostile to the needs of the poor....Another tragic consequence of the war domestically is its destructive effect on the young generation. There can not be enough sympathy for those who are sent into battle. More and more it is revealed how many of our soldiers can not understand the purpose of their sacrifice. It is harrowing under any circumstance to kill but it is psychologically devastating to be forced to kill when one doubts it is right. Beyond the tragedy at the front, at home the young people are torn with confusions, which tend to explain most of the extremes of their conduct. This generation has never known a severe economic crisis. But it has known something far worse. It is the first generation in American history to experience four wars in twenty-five years, World War II, the Cold War, the Korean War, and the war in Vietnam. It is a generation of wars. It shows the scars in widespread drug consumption, alienation, and the feverish pursuit of sensual pleasures. Yet we can not call this generation of the young the 'Lost Generation.' We are the 'Lost Generation' because it is we who failed to give them the peaceful society they were promised as the American Heritage. [Applause]..." (Dr. Martin Luther King's December 1967 speech called "Domestic Impact to the War" speech to the National Labor Leadership Assembly for Peace).

It's a historical fact that Dr. Martin Luther King supported revolutionary movements in Africa. The African scholar Ali Mazrui remembers his meeting with Dr. King during the 1960's. Professor Ali Mazrui is a Kenyan scholar. He is a holder of the Albert Schweitzer Chair in the Humanities and the director of the Institute of Global Cultural Studies at Binghamton University in New York. In the early 1960s, he was a graduate student at Columbia University staying at International House, a residence for specially selected international graduate students of several New York City institutions of higher learning. During one night, he meet with Dr. King. They talked about Kenya in its early days of independence. Dr. Martin Luther King respected Tom Mboya. Tom Mboya was an influential labor leader and he was a government minister. In 1959, Mboya helped to allow 81 Kenyan students to come into the USA in order for them to experience university study (one of the students that came into America was the father of President Barack Obama). "[King] knew quite a bit about Kenya," said Mazrui. "We discussed its march towards independence. He knew of Mboya, the second most famous Kenyan at the time, and they knew each other very well. In retrospect, it was very sad that both were assassinated. That was a fate they shared, eventually." Professor Mazrui legitimately saw ties or links between the African movements for independence and the American civil rights movement. He said the following on that specific connection: "...They were interrelated," he said, "which was part of the awakening of the underprivileged, because the 1960s especially were the most preeminent decade of protests by the underprivileged throughout the world." The struggle isn't over, but the social movement for human rights are interrconnected without being enclosed in a limited capacity.

By Timothy