Our Community and Our Issues.

One of the most disrespectful comments by numerous sellouts is that they want to abandon helping suffering and poor people in low income areas because of the unjust murder of Nipsey Hussle. These sellouts talk about the "hood doesn't love us, so we must abandon the hood." They seem to forget that poor neighborhoods are composed of diverse people. The majority of the people in those areas are not murderers, rapists, or other violent criminals. They are hardworking people who work daily. They deserve the same dignity and respect as anyone living in a middle class area or a rich area. Selfishness and materialism consume many people's lives. Therefore, some folks desire a mentality of egoism with no responsibility to help others. I disagree with that mentality, because I believe that anyone with great power has great responsibility. Therefore, you should never apologize for giving back to the hood. We do have the responsibility to help others, especially those suffering in poorer areas. This doesn't mean that we are invincible. We aren't. In any location, we have to take precautions as black people have been stalked and killed not just in poorer areas but in richer areas too as a product of hate crimes. Likewise, we have to find ways to unite with our communities from across class backgrounds in order to establish solutions to our issues. Doing something is better than doing nothing. It is also our responsibility to promote faith and to use sincere, excellent deeds in making a way for fellow human beings.



Far right populism doesn't work since it relies on bigotry and unfair scapegoating in order to advance their causes. It has the promotion of fear and misunderstanding plus misinformation as their tactics. That is why progressive populism is a great antidote to the extremism found in society today. That form of populism is about promoting the interests of the people collectively instead of just the few. That is why taxes, antitrust laws, subsidies, contracts, property rights, and other aspects of the economy must be favorable for the poor, the working class, and the middle class. You can't have a totally just society without democratic fairness. The system must change to stop the growth of oligarchy and economic corruption. Education and job training are important tools to develop the economy, but these legitimate actions aren't enough. Wealth must always be redistributed to all people fairly.

Spending among the people and investments in infrastructure will grow the economy too. A coalition among the poor, the working class, and the middle class should form coalitions (among many backgrounds) to promote power plus solutions. In that sense, we can form ideals and grow countervailing power. Basic income, jobs, universal health care, a wealth tax, stronger unions, new organizations, better antitrust laws, election finance policies to end corruption, expansion of voting rights, and advancing strong leadership are great solutions. Also, we should report on the truth. At the end of the day, we need to organize to help the poor, the elderly, black people, immigrants, and all people. This is about living the Golden Rule in real life.

We must always honor and acknowledge our legends who have passed away. Sister Maya Angelou conveyed literature that has stood the test of time. Her passing was in 2014, but her legacy has not been forgotten. Her story is a long one filled with discovery, adventures, social activism, and a lover of academic work. She was the friend of both Malcolm X (she helped Malcolm X to build up the new civil rights organization, the Organization of Afro-American Unity) and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Her stories like Why I Know why the Caged Bird Sings deal with the complex, important lives of especially black women. To know black women is to know truth, and Maya Angelou is the personification of the Black American experience. She was born poor and fought for the rights of our people. Later, she became greatly admired not only because of her 50+ honorary degrees or her other awards. She is admired by us, because she has done glorious work behind the scenes in helping black people worldwide. In 1961, Angelou performed in Jean Genet's play The Blacks, along with Abbey Lincoln, Roscoe Lee Brown, James Earl Jones, Louis Gossett, Godfrey Cambridge, and Cicely Tyson. All of those actors and actresses are the the Dream Team of black theater and black acting period. Journalism was part of her life as she loved to write about Africa and other important subject matter. One of her gifts was that she loved people and wrote literature that motivated people to fight for change. Reading her books and poetry gives the audience a glimpse of the phenomenal spirit of a woman. A woman gives life, and any human should cherish and respect women as equals. She taught us about how the beauty of Blackness is diverse and still we rise to promote justice in our daily living.
Rest in Power Sister Maya Angelou.

Yesterday was the day of 51 years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He wasn't even 40 years old when he passed away, but he was profound in leadership and intellect. Being against racism, being against the Vietnam War, and praising democratic socialism are all part of his life. He took courageous stands when others criticized him. A lot of people don't know that the majority of Americans didn't support Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. By the time of 1968, the establishment hated Dr. King. They tolerated him when he talked about ending Jim Crow (Jim Crow is evil and it ought to end) and talked just about civil rights. When he publicly questioned the Vietnam War and talked about economic issues in revolutionary ways, then they targeted him. He was illegally monitored by the FBI and the NSA constantly. He didn't just speak in America. He traveled into Jamaica, Europe, and Africa including Asia to advance progressive principles.

He planned a march in the Poor People's Campaign to demand billions of dollars to help the poor and suffering. His life's work is relevant today since we are still fighting for the billions of dollars to assist the poor in our time in early 2019. Certainly, his advocacy of nonviolence was revolutionary since he was right that nonviolent resistance can be an effective means to cause constructive change. Dr. King's family supported him too. Labor rights was supported by him plus reparations. His words live on. From Montgomery to Memphis, Dr. King was a man on a historic mission to unequivocally desire freedom and justice for all.
Rest in Power Brother Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.


By Timothy