Through The Wire

Peace,

Ghetto. The word & it's many manifestations (Ghetto Life, Life in the Ghetto, The Hood, Urban Underclass, etc.) are pregnant with meaning & implications for millions of people across the world. From Paris to Philadelphia, the term conjures up both positive & negative images for inhabitants and outsiders. For some, it serves as a living hell, For others, a profit center. Regardless of vantage point, "The Ghe-toe" (So sayith James Evans Jr.) is often painted in Monochromatic terms, all good or all bad.

What results is usually years of neglect (by inhabitants & governments) followed by a social & economic overhaul which changes the population & neighborhood into a shell of it's former self (both positive & negative). The neighborhood may have better schools, & become safer and more attractive to investors, b.u.t. also loses it's charm and "soul", if you will. Additionally, there are also very clear lines of "right" and "wrong" (As in the police and block watch are right, and the drug dealers and women with 4 children from 3 fathers are wrong).

Enter The Wire. From my perspective, The Wire is the most realistic & factual portrayal of the hood that has ever come on TV. Period. It's as they just put a camera on a street corner and let it roll. Anyone who's been to B-More or knows anyone from out there can attest to how close to the mark they are. Basically, It's the realest & scariest S&!# on television, and for good reason.
Two reasons that The Wire stands out:

1) There are no heroes or villain, only players - On The Wire, "humanness" shines through. No one is all good or bad, rather you see fragility & strength on a number of levels. Also, the show doesn't take sides about what happens in the street. Rather than take sides, it just watches the cycle go on as a stoic observer.

2) The issues in our communities are often painted as a issue of "values" (read: personal responsibility and parenting) vs. social & economic breakdown. The Wire refutes that by showing all of the issues that contribute to what goes on (community apathy, economic neglect, political disregard). This season, with its focus on the school should illustrate the comprehensive nature of the problem.

Finally, I'm reposting a editorial from the Detroit Metro-Times that speaks about one of the characters, and what he represents within our community. Occasionally, I'll do a Wire check-in regarding the development of the season. Until next time... Look out for the babies, and teach those who don't know any better!

How could they kill Stringer Bell? How could they do it?I'm still trying to adjust.
If you're a fan of HBO's The Wire, you can relate to my distress. If not, then let me say briefly that this is one of the best TV programs in a long, long time. To call it a cop drama would be an extreme disservice, although that is the basic framework. What the Baltimore-based series does is portray the uglier realities of urban America with a precision and honesty that has never been attempted before. The result is a phenomenal cast of characters that gives individual voices and humanity to people many of us might otherwise ignore or, worse, write off as being all the same. And of all the characters giving the lie to that assumption, Stringer Bell took that lie and tied it up in knots.

String, as he was known on the streets, was a drug kingpin. He was also a drug kingpin who took business courses at night school in order to run a more efficient empire. He was a drug dealer who read great literature and philosophy, who translated his earnings into massive real estate holdings and other ventures. Stringer Bell was a genius who should have run a Fortune 500 company, but instead was trapped inside the twisted mind of a cold-hearted killer (who himself was killed at the conclusion of Season 3) and a drug dealer who would have made Machiavelli proud.

I was fascinated with Stringer Bell because he was a walking, talking contradiction who represented the best and worst of the streets: a highly intelligent black man whose business acumen and leadership skills were employed in all the wrong places. Still, in a perversely misguided way, String was proof of the power of an educated and analytical mind. Most of us working folks have no love for the drug trade. But no matter how much we detest what drug dealers have done to our communities, most of us know that these kids aren't stupid, and you definitely can't say they don't have a work ethic. It takes an education even if it's an education acquired largely outside of the classroom and a serious work ethic to run a drug empire, even if it's the wrong kind of education for the wrong kind of work.

The reasons why kids choose to sell drugs have been detailed in volume upon volume of newspaper articles, studies, books, etc. The bottom line is that the money seems good; there are always opportunities for advancement whenever a co-worker gets shot or locked up; and you get mad respect from your peers .Untiltil you get shot or locked up. Sure there are risks, but it's also a risk being poor and black. From the dealers' perspective, dealing is the best shot at the American Dream and they aim to take it no matter who they have to shoot to get it.

Education, the standard kind that you get in school, is supposed to be that ticket to a better life. If America worked as it's supposed to, drugs and other fringe occupations wouldn't be so appealing to so many inner-city kids. They would see that education can get you where you want to go, that it can get you out of the ghetto. But here we are, nearly four decades after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and some would argue that the black poor are as solidly locked into their wretched existence as they were during the civil rights era.
Urban public schools, the ones abandoned by just about every white and black family with options, are also the only option for most of the black poor. Those who attend are essentially stuck with patchwork education leftovers. You don't have to look any further than Detroit and the recent teachers strike to see the boiling pot of anger and frustration simmering throughout the public school system nationwide. The teachers with the most challenging job of all are the most underpaid, the most overworked and the most unappreciated. Even the most dedicated professional can't prevent that poisonous mixture from spilling over into the classroom, and it's the kids who pay the consequences. These kids know that they are being shortchanged because, like I said, they are hardly stupid. They already know that too many of those who graduate are hardly prepared for college or much of anything else, so they figure why bother with graduation?

So where does that leave us? Well, a brief look at statistics compiled by the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research might give us a place to start.

Among a recent report's key findings:

- The overall national public high school graduation rate for the class of 2003 was 70 percent.

- Nationally, the graduation rate for white students was 78 percent, compared with 72 percent for Asian students, 55 percent for African-American students, and 53 percent for Hispanic students.

- Female students graduate high school at a higher rate than male students. Nationally, 72 percent of female students graduated, compared with 65 percent of male students.

- The gender gap in graduation rates is particularly large for minority students. Nationally, about 5 percent fewer white male students and 3 percent fewer Asian male students graduate than their female counterparts. While 59 percent of African-American females graduated, only 48 percent of African-American males earned a diploma. Further, the graduation rate was 58 percent for Hispanic females, compared with 49 percent for Hispanic males.

- Each of the nation's 10 largest public high school districts, which enroll more than 8 percent of the nation's public school student population, failed to graduate more than 60 percent of its students.

In Season 4 of The Wire, String is dead, his partner, co-kingpin Avon Barksdale, is locked up, and a new power named Marlo is taking control of the corners. But the core drama is the battle inside the schools. I don't know how it will all play out on HBO, but out here in real life I hope and pray that sooner or later the message will resonate at deafening volume throughout the corridors of power that we ignore these kids at our own peril.
If we refuse to care about their welfare for their sakes, then perhaps self-interest might be enough. According to a Detroit News special report last year, "Forty percent of Michigan residents who got cash welfare last year were high school dropouts, costing the state roughly $156 million. And about 70 percent of convicts who entered prison last year were dropouts; housing them for just one year will cost taxpayers about $200 million."
Furthermore, dropouts "are twice as likely to be unemployed and more than twice as likely as others to be in poverty. And when they do find jobs, they make two-thirds as much as a typical Michigan worker."

There's more. "Education at a Glance," an annual study by the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, released a report recently that said, in part:
"The United States is losing ground internationally because other countries are making faster and bigger gains. The high school and college graduation rates of recent U.S. students are now below the international average. For example, among adults age 25 to 34, the U.S. ranks 11th among nations in the share of its population that has graduated from high school. It used to be first."

This isn't about them, OK? It's about us.

Wisdom Knowledge

Peace,

A oft-repeated refrain in the Black Community is "Knowledge is Power". Sadly, that's not necessarily true, as I run into a number of people in my life with Knowledge & no Power! Being that I deal with the science of Supreme Mathematics, it's true that I have somewhat of a bias for equating the two principles when they both have their own space & place, b.u.t. even with that said, Knowledge can be empowering, b.u.t. not Power. Knowledge applied within one's way of life can affect & change the environment.

In that vein, I want to make a quick list of blogs that I check out on a regular basis that I find informative or enlightening. As with all, identify & utilize what is applicable:

www.imedinapeaceful.blogspot.com - Yeah, it might be seen as a shameless plug, b.u.t I get alot out of reading her posts. Besides that, she brings great insight to the table as far as being a Earth & Community Organizer.

www.yellowseed.blogspot.com - Again, one might perceive it as a plug, b.u.t. I just happen to have very sharp thinkers around me!

www.divinecultureallah.blogspot.com - See above statement.

www.analyticalwealth.com - Great blog for economic theory & analysis

www.planetgrenada.blogspot.com - Blog that focuses on Islam, the so-called Latino/a diaspora, and issues of social justice

www.differentkitchen.blogspot.com - A site that provides a good balance between education & entertainment

www.atlantisschool.blogspot.com - Although my good brother can tend to get on the controversial side with dealing with NGE in-house matters, excellent insight for a different take on things

www.blogmaverick.com - Mark Cuban's blog. No matter what one may think of him personally, he's a great businessman

Check these out, and let me know what you think. I'm becoming more technologically adept, so soon I'll be walking into the 21st century, and can make better use of the resources on here.

Quote I'm working with at the date of this writing - "...Plus the seeds/ need a stand-up dude to show & prove degrees" - I Wise Allah

Old School, New School, Need To Learn Mo'

Peace,
In the Black community, there are a number of outposts where "family business", if you will, is discussed. Barbershops, Hair Salons, Pool Halls& Bars have traditionally served as the locations where we build on subjects both serious & trivial, ranging from religion to was Martin really crazy? Inevitably in these trading posts, discussions/debates/arguements will emerge regarding the everlasting debate (and I don't mean Jordan vs. Magic or R. Kelly vs. Aaron Hall): Black Folks vs. Niggas. Yeah, I said it, Black Folks vs. Niggas. The reason that I use such an explicit phrase is that it best communicates what I'm getting at, as far as a us vs. them mentality.

Now don't get it twisted, it's not new, rather it's been taking place in the wilderness of North America since we got here and were fed a steady diet of pork, misinformation, & death. For many years, it played out in secret, or in a mother saying to her daughter " Are you sure you want to be with someone of his kind? You know, as dark as he is & all?

It could also play out when looking at "good" black folks vs. "bad" black folks like " them niggas over there starting all that trouble! Who does Marcus Garvey think he is anyway? Then it was Civil Rights vs. Black Power, and so on.

After the 60's, it went unnoticed due to the amount of Black love & pride that was being shown, so it may have appeared that it was gone, b.u.t. it was only laying low (check Good Times for reference)

It came back in the roarin' 80's with Black Folks vs. Hip Hop due to it not being "respectable" enough for older folks (e.g. "Why do they have to scratch the record all up?)

Now, it's gone to another level: Good black folks vs. Niggas in the Hip Hop subculture, and the charge is led by none other than Mr. Cosby and his legion of "ol'schoolers", proclaiming that what we need is a return to the "old ways", the ways of the black family before Niggas ruined everything!

You know, before people starting naming their babies made-up names like Muhammad or Shaniqua, letting their kids run the streets at all times of night, and generally letting go of all personal responsibility!

Now, I'm not into sarcasm, so I'll get right to my perspective: Seeing the world through Supreme Mathematics - colored lenses means that personal responsibility is paramount as far as being the author of change in one's own life and in the life of others. It goes without saying that the first step to change is the step that you take, and that in order to revive ourselves and our communities, we must step up and be counted.

With that said, how in the hell does The Cos think that we got in this position? By chance? Or because we wanted to kill each other at a all time high & have men in prison at an astonishing clip in the name of "lettin it all hang out"? We've been hit with an economic, political, and social snowball the likes of which the world has never seen. Who among the Black intelligensia during the late 60's / Early 70's predicted post-industrial America? Who warned us against the potential downsides of integration? Did The Cos tell us that America would need a new industry to replace manufacturing & would create a Prison - Industrial Complex based on low level narco-activity by black youth?
What did the Cos & his ilk do to prevent our schools from becoming mini-jails with no resources?

My point is this: it's easy to tell your people what to change, b.u.t. it's alot harder to to speak truth to (so-called) power to remedy the environmental ills, or better yet to remedy the ills through community-built institutions that emphasize personal accountability and create community change? No matter what school you're from, it's time to realize that to fight today's battle, we need a new educational institution.

While some concepts (Take care of your kids, get a job, don't piss on your neighbor's steps) are universal, all "Back in the day" tactics won't necessarily be applicable today, & even if they are, the method of applying them may be different. In a world where many homes are headed by young black women, The Cos & brothers like him blasting everybody like someone's angry (yet somewhat absent & withdrawn) granddad is not going to get it. I'm all for critique, b.u.t. it needs to be constructive so that we can truly begin to work out our issues.

The Shepard & The Flock

Film I'm currently doing the knowledge to - The Weatherman

Peace,

America's an interesting place when observing its contradictions. Walk with me:

- A country that claims to hold free & fair elections, yet holds presidential elections with only 2 choices, and doesn't allow proper recounts. Meanwhile, when other countries have free & fair elections (Palestine), if the desired persons don't win, they don't recognize the new government.

- A country that was built on the backs of free & cheap labor rejects men & women who come to this land to build a better life for themselves (and provide services to meet the ever growing demands of our populace).

- A country that has the best Colleges & Universities in the world has high schools with no books.

- Amazing contradictions, aren't they? Now, how do you keep everything stable in a world like this? A steady diet of social control through obvious as well as subtle means, which leads me to the subject of my post today: Karl Rove. Simply put, Karl Rove is the most powerful man in America. He has orchestrated & maintained republican control throughout a variety of events: 9/11, The unsuccessful duck hunt for Osama, The Iraq (Vietnam) war, the downward spiraling of the economy, etc.

How does he do this you ask? Well, lets start with developing effective wedge issues (homosexuality) that distract the masses from the issues that directly impact one's quality of life (Economics, Crime, etc.). Think about it: get people to vote based on sexual orientation vs. things that affect you on a daily basis. By playing off of the fears of millions of people, you can push your agenda on the entire country.

Next, you create a “boogeyman”. Throughout this country’s history, we have had a number of boogeymen: Niggas, Spics, Japs, Russians, etc.. Our present-day b.m. takes it to another level: Islamo-Facists who would like nothing more than to destroy our way of life, take our land and our ability to drink beer at sports events! Where is our b.m. (and not baby mama) from you ask? Everywhere where there’s sand! Do we make any distinction between different sects of Islam? Hell no! In fact, they all are on the same side and want us dead, regardless of the hundreds of years of sunni-shia conflict!

The result? A populace that will defend the indefensible in the name of “security” and “freedom”.

Add-on: You buy all of the dream-pushers (Black Mega-Church Ministers) with federal faith-based money so that they’ll sell their congregation the following story: Democrats have been taking your vote for granted for too long! Why don’t we play the field and see what options are out there? Plus, it’s time for us to get paid, and we can’t do that on liberal handouts! (To me, the story sounds like a woman whose man isn’t treating her right, and that’s for another blog)

Is this yet another hate fest designed to inspire you to move to action? Nah. We’ve had one too many of those, and look at where we are. In all actuality, what we should extract from this is that to achieve your goals, strategy is needed (and not “vote for me cause I’m black” either). Rove is a masterful strategist who employs all available tools to identify voting blocs and their preferences so that he can market his product (candidates) to them. (Small aside: did ya know that most gin drinkers are republicans, and most bourbon drinkers are democrats? Karl Rove does)

What “progressives” need is more strategy and less emotion. Rove crafts strategy that is relative and relevant to the demographic that he targets. One disappointing thing that I saw at the Hip-Hop convention was that too many demos are painted with a broad-brush stroke, as far as outreach.

Father Allah, The founder of the NGE, instructed us that America was our country, and that we should make it strong. For many years, I grappled with that concept, b.u.t. as I get older I see that we are to make this country what it should be, and not necessarily what it has been made into. People from all over the world look to the U.S. for inspiration, and we truly owe it to ourselves and those who came before us to fight and struggle to make this land work for all who inhabit it’s borders. One way to do it is to make our message applicable and easy to digest for the masses of people so that they can truly do what is in their best interest.

Impressions


Peace,

A couple of impressions from the last 14 or so days of my life:


- Last week was the 1 year anniversary (is this term really applicable?) of Hurricane Katrina & its devastating effects effects on the Gulf Coast. I watched Spike Lee's When the levees broke, and did the knowledge to the various articles & reports from that area. Here are my conclusions:

1) The U.S. Government never gave a damn about Louisiana in the first place. The reason that black people in N.O. were so behind the 8 ball to begin with is that America treats the entire state as a colony (meaning take all it's resources and give it nothing). The state gets nothing from the off-shore drilling that's done in the Gulf Coast. With no federal dollars coming in, and no industries beyond tourism and fishing. This was a castastrophe waiting to happen.

2) Katrina was not a natural disaster, it was a social disaster. Making the distinction is very important. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of rapidly worsening social disaster all over the country. Detroit is a social disaster. Philadelphia (which by the way has the same death rate as the U.S.'s first couple of months in Iraq) is a social disaster. You can't handle social disaster through law enforcement, and you can't change it with prayer, positive thoughts or good intentions. There has to be a comprehensive social upheaval that speaks to every aspect of our being.

3) When watching the HBO special, I noticed that every black person who held any type of governmental position was an understanding seed (light skin) which is due to the social engineering and class structure that has been maintained in the N.O. for hundreds of years(It's one place where black people can say "I'm Creole" and it actually means something). If anything should have been washed away, it should be that.

- The uproar over Andy Young's remark regarding other ethnic groups doing business in black communities can be filtered down to a couple of points:

1) What he said was true, and anyone who has lived in a black community in the last 40 years knows it. I travel all across the country, and it's the same everywhere. The other piece that was inferred b.u.t. not explicitly mentioned is that different ethnic groups are able to come and build a economic foundation based upon the needs of the black community. When I was young & coming up in philly, 90 percent of the corner stores were owned by asians, mostly from Vietnam (the other 10 percent were owned by jamaicans, b.u.t. thats another blog).

The peculiar thing that I noticed was that I only saw the children of the families in the stores during the summer time. When we struck up a conversation, I found that they all lived & went to school in the suburbs, and that none of their future plans included doing anything regarding a store. They were all going to school for subjects like Accounting, Medicine, Business Law, or Finance. I then understood that the family opening a store in the hood was a upward mobility move that allowed the parents (most of whom were 1st generation immigrants) to get a foothold and help their children get an education in subjects that will give them access to resources and networks (my blog on Asians & Education coming soon). Frankly, we would do well to mimic that move.

In about 1995, all of the Asian stores disappeared, and were replaced by Dominican bodegas. I guess that the plan was born (brought to completion), and they were moving on for the next step of individual & community progress. Now, philly looks like new york with bodegas on every corner. Given the history of dominicans & blacks, it shouldn't be long before their work is done, and we see another ethnicity.

2) Andy, why were you representing wal-mart to begin with? As much as I detest what has been done in our communities by other groups, the only difference between them and wal mart is that the food will be cheaper. There's a reason that the empire that Sam built doesn't like unions: they don't want to pay living wage. Recent big-box fights in Chicago have gone against the stores, so their looking for new strategies to get in. Andy was representing walton world as a paid consultant, so who knows where his true loyalties lie?
- America is in some deep shit now. Isreal not being able to knock Hezbollah out, plus the extended engagement in Iraq & afghanistan shows that the world's superpower may be overstepping it's bounds. By the way, what the hell is "Islamic fascism" anyway? Last time I checked,fascism was a national phenomenon, not one that crossed borders

Ideas & Reality

Peace,

Today's topic will initially appear to be a bit of a departure for the topics that I've been building on lately, b.u.t. I will that you see the connection as you continue to read. On the Knowledge Born day (the 19th for those who still gotta learn SM & SA), I had an insightful intellectual exchange with I Medina (www.imedinapeaceful.blogspot.com) regarding the relationship between ideas & reality. I Medina, being the pragmatist that she is, raised a point questioning the worth of an idea if it can't be manifested into something real and tangible. I countered with the point that there are a number of reasons that ideas don't come to fruition that may not have anything to do with the worth or relevance of said idea (timing, quality of work, process, etc).

As we continued to add on, it got me to thinking about a couple of points. Here we go:

- There are some ideas that need other idea/realities to make it work. For example, the idea that we need Black businesses in our communities is as relevant today as it was 30 years ago, b.u.t. Unity & trust are preconditions for that idea to be able to be manifested into reality

- Ideas create reality, and in turn, reality creates the context & environment for ideas. This dynamic can beg the questions "which came first/which is more important?"

- In the context of AWM, the 5 percent and the 10 percent live based upon ideas, while the 85 percent live based upon the reality that they see.

- The power of an idea is that you can see beyond your particular situation/environment. All of the great men & women of time immemorial (as well as many of the infamous characters of history) moved off of an idea
- When looking at the idea/reality relationship, it is important to have balance and understanding. People who live based on ideas alone can find themselves disconnected from reality, while those who live based only on their supposed “reality” often find themselves stuck in the doldrums of their environment, never seeing beyond their particular situation. It is imperative that we find the space where we are not only living in reality, b.u.t. Creating our own reality. Let’s see where we want to go, and create an action plan for making it manifest.

On another note,you know what? That Rick Ross album is bullshit. Simple and plain bullshit. If you're gonna talk about getting money, pull a Jeezy and have the decency to make it hardcore. If jay-z had any influence on that, shame on em!

Chemical Babies

Peace,

A couple of things that I'm pondering at the date of this writing (Allah U God, Knowledge Power, AWM 42):

- The DMX reality show is good for a laugh or two, b.u.t. I don't get anything deeper than you would get listening to his album. His relationship with the white man that lives next to him on the ranch is a tad bewildering, cause it infers that with all the people that X has met over his life, he didn't get any Wisdom or guidance until he went out to the desert. Another interesting aside is that X mentioned that his original rap name was Divine Master of the Unknown! Get outta here! (For those who may not know, that's DMX in the Supreme Alphabet) This is just a testament to the influence that the NGE has on Hip-Hop, and look where Hip-Hop has gone as our influence has waned.

- BET is wild as hell, and not in a good way. I saw a commercial where KFC was sponsoring the "Ultimate Family Reunion". Yeah, I said it: The Ultimate Family Reunion. The winner would receive enough chicken for hundreds of people. Extreme ethnic marketing and stereotyping for the '06. Check this out: I'm the Blackest man in the building, and I ain't had chicken since Biggie returned to the essence. I recognize that we do enjoy chicken, and that family reunions are big business, b.u.t. we are a diverse people.

- Today, while listening to a podcast, I heard a term that I would like to share with everyone: Chemical Babies. Reflect on that for a second while I give you some context. Walk w/me through the mind:

- I'm doing the knowledge to Yellow Bus Radio hosted by Mistah F.A.B. from the bay (Yes, I moves with Thizz & Hyphy, which I'll delve into in a second). He's interviewing San Quinn, and they begin to discuss the violence in San Francisco. San Quinn states that one of the reasons that the babies are tripping in the street is that they are "Chemical Babies", meaning that many of them were born addicted to crack, plus being addicted to sugar and flaming hot cheetos. Currently, the chemical babies are addicted to e-pills and blunt wrappers, and are wild as all outdoors. It's important to understand that we're dealing with a different generation: One raised on TV, Bullshit Hip-Hop & Violence. No wonder they're going dumb.

Two days ago, the Philly Daily News reported that the rate of gun violence in Philly is comparable to the deaths at the start of the Iraq war, and that most of the killers and victims are between 14-24. Family, we have a epidemic on our hands, and the younger generation looks worse.

So I Majestic, since you're presenting all of the problems, what are the solutions?

Detox.

We need a cultural detox. Not a hippie detox; not a Lailaa Afrika 30 day fast detox; not a put your head between your legs detox. This detox that I'm speaking on starts with identifying all the things that keep us addicted within our society. From porn to chocolate bars; High Fructose Corn Syrup to computer time.

Step 2: Identify how and why you're addicted to said element, and the positive and negative effects that it creates.

Step 3: After weighing the pros and cons on a personal and collective level, identify methods to disconnect from said element along with suitable alternative (if necessary).

Step 4: Live it out

Step 5: Identify how to succintly capture your experience and build with others

While it may look like i'm oversimplifying, I'm not. The above process may take years, b.u.t. we have to start with those who don't know anything else. This brings me to a point that might as well be my mantra: Create alternatives. If a young'n sells drugs because they don't want to be broke, and all of the people who tell them not to sell drugs are broke, it only reinforces why they should get the hell away from you and your sad-sack story. If I'm trying to build with a young person on why they should be a vegetarian, and all of my food tastes like alfalfa sprouts, do you really think that they're dropping the hamburger? If you're living a righteous life, stop making it look so damn boring! While I don't eat boca burgers and the like often, I recognize their utility in helping with some people's transition. Family, we are in a war of sort, and slingshot are not enough.

*Plug, Plug, Plug* Rebel Music Vol. 3 is out! Check www.classic1824.com or www.myspace.com/rebelmusic1824 for more details.

Also, be on the lookout for my "Get Money, Teach Kids" T-Shirt

Peace, Progress, & Power

Peace,

Todays Supreme Mathematics is Culture. Culture is a way of life that consists of your ways, words, actions, morals, ethics, intellectual positions, etc... Culture is what gives people a framework for how to interact and conduct themselves in their environment. Ultimately, Culture produces Knowledge, which is the foundation for one's life. I want to cover a couple of topics today that will be dealt with in more detail at a later date. Alright kids? Got your thinking caps on? Heeere we go:

- I took a trip back onto memory lane the other day, and stopped at my time of being infatuated with wrestling; you know, WWF, WCW, AWA, & all of the other alphabet associations from that time period. As I started to think about all of the characters and all of the different situations, a pattern of accultaration started to emerge. Do the Knowledge:

- Junkyard Dog: A slick talking, growling, uncontrollable Black Man from Detroit
- Tito Santana: A high-flying mexican who wears a sombrero and has a chicken with him at times
- Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat: A high-flying Asian who bears an uncanny resembelence to Bruce Lee
- Jimmy "Superfly" Snukka: A high-flying Pacific Islander who has "wild" hair and wears leopard-skin tights
- Kamala & Abdullah The Butcher - African Characters who were portrayed as maniacal dictators (Abdullah) and uncontrallable cannibals who could only be tamed by his white "handler"
- Slick - A pimp who handled various wrestlers
- Razor Ramon - A So - called Hispanic who was a dead-on impression of Scarface
- Whaoo Mcdaniel - A Native wrestler who finished people off with the "Wahoo Chop", and had moves like the "Indian Burn".

Get my drift? From a very early age, we are given a framework from which to look at different ethnicities based on very exaggerated stereotypes. Popular culture has to do this in order to maintain the status quo and keep the social order. In this case, social order is kept by giving everybody what they "need", and making it what they want.

- After pondering for a spell, I'm ready to build about the Hip-Hop Political Convention that took place in Chicago (C-Medina) two weeks ago. At some point, I'll do a larger piece for a project that is yet to come (In comes the sound of anticipation!) For now, I'll share some observations:

- Hip-Hop is not a culture. I repeat, Hip-Hop is not a culture. Hip Hop has some cultural implications, and Hip-Hop can impact and affect culture. If Hip-Hop is culture, what is the value system? The food? The financial framework? Hip-Hop came out of culture, b.u.t. it is not culture.

- With an umbrella as large as Hip-Hop, what kind of political platform could you hope to come up with? You have communists, liberals, conservatives, anarchists, and people who barely care about politics in the same room, and you're looking to come up with....? You'll have a good conference and you may even create some good networks, b.u.t. you won't have a movement. For example like Adisa Banjoko and others have noted, what is the Hip-Hop position on abortion? Foreign Policy? The Middle Eastern conflict? Until we're sophisticated enough to move to that place, it's smoke & mirrors.

- Chicago is on some shit. Gentrification in C-Medina is unlike anything I've ever seen. Community control must include economic self-sufficiency. Say what you will about the projects, b.u.t. it fostered a strong sense of community, and was a strong voting bloc.

More to come....

A Dollar for your thoughts...

Peace,

I just got back from the 2006 Hip-Hop Political Convention in Chicago, and I'm collecting my thoughts so that I can give you a coherent viewpoint on what I saw and the implications thereof. For now, please check out this post from Adisa Banjoko regarding Hip Hop and politics. Where he's at is similar to my point of view at this time.


Right now, I'm not very convinced that Hip Hop will have the political and social impact it CAN have. I believe this is mostly due to the fact that the rap music industry has bought the voices of too many freedom fighters, magazines, TV and radio stations.I also believe that the "Hip Hop movement" is not very clear on what it wants from America OR itself.I will be doing work in urban schools, juvenile halls and writing kids books.But I wont be writing about the potential or actual impact of Hip Hop in a book again.My goal was to have Vol. 3 ready by the next election. But I'd rather work with the kids than just write about them. I'd rather talk to the kids, than just talk about them.Other than as a tool to vent authentic frustration and be a form of propaganda- its got no legs.

The problem is everybody wants to rap and write. But nobody wants to work for the freedom, justice and equality we say we want.At this point, Hip Hop and politics REALLY- don't mix.So, for those that love the idea and are going to carry forward with it- good luck.But I can't pretend this union is working.And our children deserve more.This does not mean I wont write about stuff online or for spots like Davey D, Guerilla Funk or Allhiphop.com. But the book thing, as far as Hip Hop and politics are concerned- its over.


I'll always love Hip Hop. I also hope I'm wrong. I hope Hip Hop DOES carry the new torch of justice. But I don't see that happening.It's about the kids.I'm focusing on kids books- straight up.If we aint saving the kids, we aint saving anything.

PEACE,
Adisa

Equality

Peace,

Today's mathematics is Equality. In our paradigm, Equality is universal balance and homeostasis. Equality is the nature of the Black Woman (Earth), and the ethic of the Black Man (Father). Equality is to want the following things for your brother/sister:

1. What they want for themselves
2. What is in their best interest

Maintaing a cipher of Equality is no easy task, especially in a world that requires most people to be moving 24/7. One must insure that their Knowledge, Wisdom, and Understanding is in porportion to create balance for oneself. (By the way, Equality doesn't mean 50/50; that's sameness.) There's been a lot of talk in the news recently regarding Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, and their philanthropic endeavors. While I applaud their giving, we msut remember that the greatest giving happens on a day-to-day basis, and it goes beyond money. Any outlay of time, compassion, concern, or is giving and needs to be respected as well. The following article profiles a black man with a history of giving. Remember, you can impact the world through a word, way, or action!


Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are widely described as two of the smartest beings on the planet. So it wouldn't surprise me at all if they know about Thomas Cannon.
On the other hand, it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't. Still, when I read news reports of Buffett's and Gates' charitable-giving project, I saw it as a timely tribute to Cannon, who died last year at age 79. The longtime resident of Richmond, Va., was no titan of industry, but for many he embodied the spirit of giving more than any megabillionaire could.

Although he was a postal worker who seldom earned as much as $30,000 a year, Cannon routinely gave away much of what he earned, usually in increments of $1,000. His generosity was celebrated in such national forums as Ebony Magazine and on the Oprah Winfrey and "Nightline" TV shows.
Cannon made his first donation in 1972, when he was 47. He had given away an estimated $150,000 by the time he died. His methods must have required some extraordinary penny-pinching, but he didn't see it that way. He once explained to a reporter at the Richmond Times-Dispatch exactly how he did it: "People say, 'How can you afford it?' Well, how can people afford new cars and boats? Instead of those, we deliberately kept our standard of living down below our means. I get money from the same place people get money for those other things."

It would be easy to point to Cannon, a black man, as a role model for African-Americans everywhere. But, in this regard, African-American communities are qualified to serve as role models for the country at large. According to The Chronicle of Philanthropy, blacks donate 25 percent more of their discretionary income than whites. On average, Black Enterprise magazine notes, black households give $1,614 to their favorite causes. That figure doesn't take into account tithing -- contributing 10 percent of household income -- to churches, a widespread practice among black families.
Target Market News, a Chicago-based research firm, found that African-Americans made $11.4 billion in charitable contributions in 2004. That kind of giving tends to be curiously overlooked by critics who describe their black countrymen as selfish underachievers who lounge around waiting for handouts.
Black Enterprise's 2005 list of the nation's leading black philanthropists included people long noted for their generosity, such as Winfrey, Bill Cosby and radio superstar Tom Joyner. Others on the list, such as basketball star Alonzo Mourning and rapper-actor Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, certainly deserve more credit for their willingness to share. None of them fits the charitable-giving profile of the typical wealthy American. According to a 2000 report by the White House Council of Economic Advisers, the rich tend to give a far lower percent of their net worth than the rest of us.
Gates and Buffett, whether they know it or not, are carrying on in the tradition of Thomas Cannon. And so is Darryl Lester, in his own way.

"We call it an old tradition with a new twist," he told me. Lester is the founding partner of HindSight Consulting, a nonprofit based in Raleigh, N.C., that helps build networks for community-based giving. From informal conversations in private homes, HindSight creates giving circles to help ordinary citizens donate in a more strategic fashion. Members of each circle offer annual contributions, which the group then gives away in the form of grants. "By pooling not just money but time, talent and resources, we help people become part of a larger philanthropic conversation," Lester said.

He established the first circle in Raleigh. Called the Next Generation of African-American Philanthropists, it gave away more than $11,000 in its first round of grant-making, including to local groups helping women with AIDS and working to close the achievement gap in public schools. "Now we have an opportunity to do some collective problem-solving together," Lester said. "Why are so many people hungry and why are so many people homeless? I'm not saying that charity at the basic level isn't important, but as a people we need to look at the root causes of these problems."

HindSight has since helped establish giving circles in Birmingham, Ala., New Orleans, and Christiansburg, Va. Lester said he is now working to establish another giving circle in Raleigh-Durham that will consist solely of black men. It's all about paying it forward, he said. "Maybe the creator helped you get where you are so that you could give back," he said, "not so you could hoard more stuff."

Peace,

The following is an article that I've had in the stash for quite a while. Check it out and tell me what you think!


Is the Nation of Gods and Earths a Muslim Community?

I Majestic Allah

Within and outside the Nation of Gods and Earths (NGE), many are unsure as to the relation of the NGE to the religion of Islam as practiced by over 1 billion adherents throughout the world. Understandably, perspectives on the matter are varied, ranging from inclusion (those who see the NGE within the Islamic scope) to total exclusion (those who see the NGE having no relation to the religion of Islam). There are also those who see the NGE not as Muslims, but a group with ideas in the vein of Shiite and Sufi sects. The primary consequence of this argument is the way in which we define ourselves in relation to other cultures/religions in society. Furthermore, it begs the question: is the NGE merely an offshoot of the Nation of Islam (NOI), and by extension, orthodox Islam; or is it a new value system unique to itself? The answer to this question is one that incorporates many factors and connects varied cultural and social dynamics.


In order to look deeper into the question, it is imperative that we first evaluate the ideas and value system of the respective cultures/religions to see if they are indeed similar. The primary reason that many accuse the NGE of being quasi or Proto-Islamic is the use of the terms Allah and Islam. Although both groups use the terms, the meanings and context in which they are used are strikingly dissimilar.

In the traditional Islamic context, Allah is used to refer to an omnipotent, omniscient, astral God who is the object of adoration and worship in western monotheistic thought (Judaism, Christianity, Islam). God in Arabic is Ilah, so the prefix Al (meaning the) was added on to indicate a shift away from polytheistic culture/religion, as was the norm in pre-Islamic Arabia. In the paradigm of the NGE, Allah is the Blackman, who after gaining an acute awareness of his positive qualities, history, and the world around him, actualizes these positive qualities in order to be the creator of his own destiny and a positive enriching influence in his family and community (global and local). This worldview is not unlike the concept of the “perfect man” in Sufism and the Kabbalah. While many would hold that Allah is a term exclusive to the religion of Islam, it is actually an Arabic term that is also used by Arab Jews and Christians when speaking of God. Our use of the Arabic term is not only related to the history of the NGE (and our evolution out of the NOI, but also on the profound affect that the term carries when speaking of a change in the worldview from the Christian perspective held previous by many in the African-American and Latino community. While the Terms Allah & God are similar in religious usage, when used among a population that has been oppressed by a mix of white supremacy and religion (in this case Christianity), the term Allah often signals a stance of independence and separation from their previous cultural and religious experience.

The term Islam in the traditional Islamic context means “peace through submission”, and refers to the religion and culture developed by Muhammad Ibn Abdullah in 7th century Arabia. From the perspective of the NGE, Islam bespeaks the cultural filament of high civilization practiced and maintained by people of the Afro-Asiatic Diaspora. Even in orthodox Islam, it is acknowledged that Islam as an ideal championing the existence of the oneness of God predated the emergence of Islam as a religion. Similar to the term Allah, the NGE does not use the term Islam to be seen as Muslims, but to underscore the correlation between a civilization’s development of character & humanity, and it’s development of science & mathematics. It is well documented that the religion of Islam was a catalyst for the development of science, mathematics, and philosophy for hundreds of years, even influencing the enlightenment period in Europe. Within Africa, cities such as Djenne and Timbuktu are testimonies to Afro-Islamic achievements in mathematics and science, as well as human development and spirituality. In the African- American community, Islam (in it’s myriad of manifestations) usually indicated a system that improved one’s character, as well as one’s knowledge of and standing in the world. By seeing oneself within this ethno-cultural framework, the mental paradigm is developed where people of varied backgrounds can transform the behaviors that many of us suffer from (lack of motivation, defeatist behavior, anti-intellectualism). This is why within the NGE community, you will find terms such as “science/scientist”, “mathematics”, “right and exact”, and so forth. The NGE use of the term “Mathematics” is of particular importance as it relates to the Hindu-Arabic numerals we use. The history of the Hindu-Arabic number system is an example of the historical and social bond that connects civilizations and promotes human development by way of cultural and intellectual exchange. By seeing the filament that runs through the high civilizations of people of color, one can develop a universal worldview that champions and relates to the achievements of people of color all over the planet. While some may dismiss this framework as underdeveloped and imaginary, it is no more fantastic than the Zion of Rastafarian thought, or the “glory days” of Kemet of some Afrocentrists.

On a religious level, however it is important to note that orthodox Islam and the NGE are in no way the same. There is no veneration of Muhammad as the last prophet in the NGE, and the NGE has no set amount that is required to be distributed to the poor. Due to the view that man is the creator of his individual and collective destiny, prayer in the form of Salat is not required. Fasting is encouraged in the NGE, but not in a structured and mandated form as is Ramadan in orthodox Islam. Conversely, most Muslims would consider it anathema to call themselves God, and there is no outward expression of ethnocentrism present in the religion of Islam. Historically, there have been Islamic groups/sects that held views similar to the NGE, such the Zaydis of Yemen, the Druze of Lebanon, and the Baye Fall sect in Senegal, but these groups are the exception and not the rule. While comparisons to Sufism are fair (Exemplified by famous Sufi Al Hallaj, who was beheaded for exclaiming Anal Haqq, or “I am the truth”), it is important to note that many of the Sufis that advocated self-actualized Godhood identified with Gnostic and Neo-Platonic thought and often ran afoul of traditional Islamic tenets.


While it is understandable why the NGE is identified with Orthodox Islam given the history of the NGE as well as the usage of selected terms by both groups, the truth is that the NGE espouses many concepts that do not fit neatly within an Islamic scope. In fact, after Allah, the founder of the NGE left the NOI, he went to great lengths to identify the NGE as a separate community, even going so far as to order sweeping name changes so that the Gods and Earths would not be mistaken for Muslims of the NOI. While one may be tempted to dismiss this change as slight, it is no less indicative of a new worldview than Muhammad changing the direction of prayer from Jerusalem to Mecca. It is also important to note that Allah, when asked about Islam, remarked, “that’s just I-Self-Lord-And-Master”, again speaking to the process of self-actualization rather than submission. Ultimately, to place the NGE in an Islamic scope does a disservice to both groups. One, it forces the NGE to fit it’s values within a previous but unparallel framework. Secondly, It compels Orthodox Islam to include a group with values that are dissimilar to their own. It also infers that there will be no “new” value systems, and that no cultural/religious development can take place after the last revelation of the western monotheistic tradition (Islam). Following this train of thought, Christianity would be seen as “Quasi-Judaic”, and Protestants would be known as “Pseudo-Catholic”. The NGE is a new value system that has similarities to and influences from a variety of Cultures/Religions (Islam, Buddhism, Gnosticism, Christianity), but is a unique ethno-cultural response to the condition of people of color in contemporary society. It is no less valid due to it originating from another group than Protestantism, being a response of the excesses of another group (Catholicism in this case). Building upon the legacy of Cultural/ Religious Nationalism left by the Moorish Science Temple and the NOI, the NGE and the ethno-cultural worldview that we espouse deserves the respect and consideration afforded to other Cultures/Value Systems and should be seen as adding another dimension to the contemporary Afro-Asiatic Diaspora.

Already, within the last forty years, the NGE has made a considerable impact on urban youth worldwide and is well known through its influence on Hip-Hop Culture. The ideas and values projected by many NGE musicians (Rakim, Wu-Tang Clan, Poor Righteous Teachers) has influenced youth culture, serving as the impetus for tens of thousands of disaffected youth to learn about and research the history and culture of aboriginal people across the globe. Viewing the NGE outside the limited parameters of “Proto-Islam” will allow many to gain greater understanding and appreciation for the ideas and concepts found therein.

Show & Prove

Peace,

For those of you who don't know, we in the Nation of Gods & Earths have a yearly event entitled the Show & Prove, which commemorates the life of Allah the founder of the NGE. This event is a testament to the life and vision of Allah, as it relates to what he wanted for future Gods and Earths. The event began in 1971 and was centered around a science fair in which the young Gods and Earths could exhibit their awareness and competency in science and mathematics (the subjects in which Allah placed much of his focus for the Gods and Earths). The event also featured singing, dancing, drumming, and a fashion show.

The past weekend, I attended our 35th annual show and prove. Gods and Earths from all across the country attended to see the universal family. As I looked around and saw the thousands in attendance, I marveled at the power of an idea(Knowledge), and the majesty of proper application and implementation(Wisdom). When those two elements come together, a positive result often emerges(Understanding). Both elements must be present to insure success; An idea w/ improper application will be dead on arrival, and the best intentions can't mask a bulls(!T idea.

That premise leads me into the importance of the concept "Show and Prove". To show is to exhibit, demonstrate, or make visible. Prove means to verify or establish by means of fact or reason. The use of the term compels one to not only speak of something, b.u.t. to provide supporting details or proof as well. This is one of the steps that allows us to set a standard of excellence for all of the human families to follow. It also ensures that your exhibition is aligned with the means to verify your assertion. Just as we demonstrate and establish that the Blackman is God and the Blackwoman is the Earth, so should you show and prove whatever your premise is. By doing that we will be able to interact and build as civilized people and change the world that we live in today.

Stop Snitchin'

Peace,

Today's mathematics is Power. Power is the ability to affect and change your environment. There are many types of power (coercion, influence,domination), however when using power in the most supremely mathematical sense, it is the abilty to move something in a positive direction based on a righteous way of life. One's power should always create equality (balance, homeostasis) in the environment.

I wanna talk about snitching for a minute. I must say in advance that I have a perspective that won't go over well with some segments of the population that read my blog. What I'm finding is that if you have a perpesctive that is in line with the Black "intelligensia", you're probably out of touch with the "common folk". Okay civilized people, here we go: I am anti-snitching as it exists in a contemporary sense. Enter a hypothetical conversation/debate with a person who is pro-snitch:

I: I can see where the kids are coming from with this "stop snitching" thing

T: How can you say that? Drugs and violence are tearing apart our communities. How can you say that someone shouldn't tell on criminals?

I: When I say that, I mean that people who engage in criminal activity should not tell on others who engage in criminal activity to get a "get out of jail free" card. I'm perfectly fine with civilians reporting criminal behavior to the police; that's part of the game.

T: Still, how can you condone crime and intimidation? That's part of destroying our communities!

I: I don't condone intimidation, b.u.t. I also don't condone lack of accountability or responsibility. People know what they're getting into when they get into the game, and they don't have much remorse when they out there hustlin', so dont get holier-than-thou when you get caught. Besides, snitches are notoriously bad pipelines of info, and are replacing real police work in many cases.

T: Don't you agree that we should get drug dealers off of the streets?

I: What I think is that we need to look at the problem realistically. First of all, the drug game has become a industry in our communities, and it ain't because our youth are out to destroy us, either. As a people, we still haven't adjusted to post-industrial America, so our children are making due with anything that they can. Add in the institutional racism that permeates all fibers of our society, and you get generations who really believe that hobbies and crime are the way to go (See Basketball, Hustling,& Entertainment). So while I do think that we need to reduce the negative impact of open-air drug markets and the resulting violence, locking them all up and throwing away the key isn't the solution. The larger issue is that we need to start policing ourselves, b.u.t. that would be getting off topic a little.

T: All I know is that drugs is choking the life out of our community

I: To me, unprincipled drug selling, use, and the resulting behavior is chocking the life out of our community. All communities have drug sellers, users, and abusers, b.u.t. ours is out of hand due to the absence of any rules or morals when dealing with that cipher. In Washington Heights, they sell more powder than a little bit, b.u.t. every block isn't a drug market. This idea can be extended to other aspects of our community as well. We need to establish rights and wrongs and convey them to our children so that the youth don't continue to terrorize the elders and the larger community. If we want the youth to stop hustling we have to advocate for better education, create industries in our communities, and change the way that we look at a communities survival in the wilderness

T: On to the next topic...

Rap Game/Crack Game

Peace,

Today's Supreme Mathematics is Wisdom Power all b.b.t. God. Through my Wisdom you will see my Power, and through my Power, you will see my Wisdom. Being intelligent with your ability to affect & change your environment is what seperates the men from the boys. We see the children running these streets and using power in the wrong ways. It is up to the Blackman with knowledge of self to show his community and the world how to be wise and intelligent with the power that we have.

I wanna talk about hip-hop for a minute. There are a lot of reasons that hip hop is worth talking about, b.u.t the main reason that I want talk about it is the role it plays in our community. In 2006, hip hop is central to the identity of many of our people (specifically the youth). In addition, you can't minimize it's role as a medium for communication for/about our people (good or bad) In taking a look at everything, here's what's standing out:

- You know where hip-hop really went wrong? When hip-hop became a viable alternative for a career for our youth (alongside crack and basketball). When poverty is widespread, schools aint workin, and the family unit has beeen destroyed, you damn right people will sell negative images for money. It took a while for the major record labels to totally commodify it, b.u.t. when they did, they did it to death. Remember, broke people w/out knowledge of self will do almost anything.

- If we date hip hop back to the early-mid 70's, that would make it about 30 -35 years old. There are alot of confused 30-35 year olds out here, and you should look at hip-hop the same way. How many black people do you know who will talk about how the government is shafting them, and then go right ahead and give all their money back to them? That's Hip Hop.

- The regional chasm that we've created are reminiscent of the Malcolm/ Martin, Black Panthers/US, Dubois/Washington divisions. New York is'nt losing because of any grand con-spiracy; They're losing cause of the holier than thou attitude of many in new york. Note to all: just because you started it doesn't mean that you'll always be seen as the best. Just like Dumar Wa'de Allah says "There's no 401(k) plan for a five percenter", there's no 401(k) plan for creativity. There's a wealth to experiences to be heard within different regions; let's appreciate it all.

- Speaking of which, am I the only one who notices an elitist attitude in the conscious/progressive circles? There's nothing wrong with critical analysis; hell I think I'm pretty critical, b.u.t. I'm not coming off like Bill Cosby out this jawn either. Remember, Hip Hop does not exist in isolation of the rest of our issues. It actually is sitting right in the middle of them at the date of this writing. Hip Hop won't grow up until Black Men grow up.

- What's up w/ shooting rappers? Majestic says that rappers should stop talking to the people like they're somebody they're not. We always hear the analogy between music and movies, b.u.t. here's the difference: Nobody takes Tom Cruise seriously when he does MI3. If you're speaking to the hood, tell the truth about your character. Our youth see no distinction between fantasy and reality when their reality is depressing. If you don't want it to happen, stop selling the fantasy. Why don't we ever hear about Mos Def getting shot?

- Lastly, I want to say this: Jay Z (Cocaine) vs. 50 (Crack). More to be revealed

Tale Of Two Cities

Peace,

I like to travel. B.U.T. I don't necessarily like to go to the tourist spots or cities that have been identified as the best places to travel to. No ,I like to go to where the "Niggas" are; the spots where people don't like to go. The places where you can get a home-made lemonade or Iced Tea from the Chinese store; The places that have shirts with the neighborhood's name on the front. Neighborhoods like Northwest(Uptown) & Southeast D.C.; East Baltimore; East & West Oakland; The Eastside of Detroit; Scarborough (T.O.); Brownsville and East New York. I don't travel to these places to get some sort of visceral thrill from traveling through these "dangerous" places; I travel there because these are the places that I feel at home. When you step foot in these places, you often feel like your in another city, where everybody knows your name and their damn happy that you came. For many years, there were de facto borders that made this more reality than fantasy. The faces, names and accents change, b.u.t. the situations are the same. As far as the history of the aforementioned places, they tend to fall in two categories:

1. Neighborhoods that were once thriving Black communities until social (the MLK riots) and economic (Post-Industrial America) factors brought about their demise
2. Neighborhoods that were European enclaves until Black migration (and subsequent White Flight) changed the demographics of the 'hood

In either case, what's happening in a lot of the hoods all across the country is what I call "The Great Yuppie Land Grab". After these places being left to rot for over 30 years, they are being pegged as the new "hot spots". There are a myriad of reasons for this phenomenon, b.u.t. I'm going to focus on two:

• The dissatisfaction with sub and ex-urbia, in economic and social costs;
• The redevelopment and scarce space in American cities

As gas goes up and the housing bubble deflates, no one wants to live in the boonies. Additionally, many of these "bedroom communities" creates a fake facsimile of true neighborhood living. Also, as cities become inviting again, more people want to live in them. No major American city outside of the Sun Belt is getting any bigger, so guess who gets the heave ho? You got it homeboy: The renters, the project dwellers, and the otherwise unwanted. Instead of blatant racism, this one has a new twist: Market Forces. I put it in bold because we have to understand that this is the "new bogeyman", the force that will dictate change all across America while being shrouded in economic jargon and mystery. And since no one understands it, they won't blame it.

The Knowledge Degree in the Student Enrollment states that we are the makers and owners; it is past time that we actualize that concept. If nothing else illustrates my point, look at Exhibit F: New Orleans. The city of New Orleans will never be the same and we must accept some responsibility for that. To go from one hand to another, Harlem (Mecca) or Fort Greene(The Head of Medina) will never be the same, and we must also accept responsibility for that. Don't be content with moving to a first-ring suburb when you were sitting on a gold mind that you didn't properly develop. If we're not careful, the "hood" will be but a fairy tale, thanks to gas prices and the new bogeyman.

Between Iraq and a Hard Place

Peace,

Pardon for the delay in adding on. As you become more productive, you get busier. As you get busier, you have to become even more productive, and the cycle goes on. I've been doing alot, which will be manifested to you in the very near future. While I'm here with you on this day of Knowledge Knowledge all being born to Wisdom, let me share some things in the atmosphere:

• Universal peace and love to the Rajee Family regarding the new addition to the universe, Laya Wisdom Rajee Earth! Laya was born on the God day to Justice Rajee Allah and Equality Rajee Earth out there in Portland, OR. I tip my crown to the both of you!

• Last week, the US scored next to last of all developing countries regrading newborn deaths. In the richest country in the world, that shouldn't be a problem. Black families actually had three times the national average, so you draw it up (28, 1-40).

• As you've read on other NGE blogs this month, some of the Gods are raising the rod. Let it be known that Allah had the dream in May, b.u.t. it was made born to the Gods in July, and since it was too late to start that month, they did it in Allah You God (August). Due to that fact, many brothers observe in August.

• This week in Newsweek, there is a feature article on African-Americans and AIDS, as Black people are now disporportionately affected by the virus. How the hell did a virus that was known as the "gay disease" become a Black disease? There are numerous reasons, and if you're reading this blog, you already know. The bottom line is that Knowledge is the foundation. b.u.t. you must have Wisdom, Understanding, and Culture if it's going to be a lifestyle. You can tell people not to have unprotected sex all you want, b.u.t. if the environment doesn't reflect that, then it's not going to change. This concept can be applied to many ciphers, and is one of the main reasons that we are in the condition we are in. You can tell kids to go to school, b.u.t. if they dont see how to do it and the fruit of going to school, and a environment where it can work, then forget it homeboy/homegirl. Knowledge is not Power; Knowledge applied in an environment to affect change is.

• Get a hybrid vehicle; better yet, get a bike like my brother Born Shamir. Please remember, economics is based on scarcity. We are not living in the times of the Beverly Hillbillies; don't assume that there will be oil at this level of demand forever, and even if there is, you won't find it in America (More to come regardng that subject).

• This goes out to most New York rappers and their fans; stop complaining! Do you know why the south is winning?

1. They have sound business tactics. They actually run their own labels and know the ins and outs of how to market and promote themselves.

2. They are more creative. Besides the Harlem Shake (A dance modeled after a fiend), when's the last time New York came up with a dance? or a new sound? They can't even come up with there own gangs, and you want people to listen to you. Understand, New York is the Mecca (In more ways than one), b.u.t. for people to respect you you have to get your swagger back in a way besides arrogance. The south is a fountain of creativity and struggle. Put those two together, and you've got good music.

3. See answers 1 and 2.

• How about the Gods and Earths on podcast?
• How come there aren't Halal Chinese spots all across the country?

Movement or moving mentally?


Peace,

Today's supreme mathematics is Wisdom Equality all being born to Build or Destroy. When judging your ways and actions, one must always identify if your words, ways, and actions create balance or a limitation in self and others. You must always do your best to add on to which is good and destroy that which is bad.

Now, I watched Cam'ron's new movie Killa Season last night. It was my expectation that I would get a few laughs, be appalled at the treatment of women, talk about his acting and go along my way. Well, it just so happens that on my way to the parliament, I came to some other conclusions. Please see below:

1. The Dips are some of the funniest rappers on the planet, as some of you already know from listening to their music or watching any of the Street DVD's out now. They're not coonish funny, they're your cousin from the projects funny, or your uncle john-john funny. Even if they don't mean it, they got a lot of jokes.
2. They are very charismatic. "conscious" rappers, and community folks take note: One reason that negativity spreads faster than positivity in this day in time is that the "bad" folks are more fun to be around than the "good" folks. We can't be lame, and then expect the youth and the community to be magnetically attracted to us just because. For references, please see Fred Hampton, El Hajj Malik Shabazz, Brand Nubian, etc..
3. For all of the dumb s#!t that they say on record, If you have insight, you could see morals and values within the flick. For example, In the movie, stick-up kids killed Cam's 7 year old niece. When he had the opportunity to retaliate and kill the dude's young family member, he chose not to. While I don't advocate what he did (spit on her), the streets are out of hand right now regarding bringing the family into street beef (a violation of a rule handed down through the ages: Don't kill women & children!), and Hip Hop has a lot to do with that, as rappers say lines like "If I don't kill you, I'ma kill your kids" in songs. Remember: Kids pay attention to these guys. At another point Cam cleaned up a smoker (crackhead for the slang impaired) who was previously in college, and compassion is not an emotion you see in the average "murder, kill, homicide" street flick.
4. The # 1 problem with independent street films is that they eventually run out of money. Just when the plot takes an interesting turn...The screen goes black and the credits roll. To Cam and the dips: Yall dudes is sittin on a lot of change (As evidenced from your jewelry and cars), so go ahead and put another $200,000 in. Your fans will appreciate it.

A common theme in Hip Hop is "This is a movement", and some are turned off by that kind of statement. The criticism is true if you compare it to the Black Power Movement or the Civil Rights Movement, b.u.t. it is important to remember that in the absence of something good, people will settle for something bad. That's why you see the youth hanging on to whatever they see and calling it important, even if it's just cliches and a shell of it's former self. Hell, even the elders will do it given the right situation (See contemporary civil rights and black power).

Since we're speaking on morals and values, one last thing: How in the hell did we let R. Kelly come back and do the "I'm in love with a stripper" remix? From the lessons I learned on the soil, there were three things that were/ are inexcusable: Snitches, Child Abusers, and Rapists. Well, we see that the hood is hard on #1 and #3, so how the hell does R. Kelly get a pass. Regardless if we want to admit it or not, a lot of people saw that tape, and you know that it was him, so don't front. This guy had the audacity so say (and I'm paraphrasing) "I wanted to stick my head in her a@#". First, that's not civilized. Second, your record is scarred homeboy, and you need to stick to gospel. One thing that will change our community is the establishment of high standards. You'll be surprised to see how many people fall off when we expect more than they're used to giving.

Are You "Conscious"?


Let me begin by informing you that I picked up "La-La means I love you: The best of the Delfonics", and I'm going to strongly suggest that you do the same. Do not pass go, do not collect $200 dollars! (Full Disclosure: I'm from Philly and I think that Philly Soul was the best thing to ever happen to R&B since they invented the microphone). If you can't set the mood with that, then the mood ain't in you (or you don't have any magnetic).

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let me ask a question: Are you conscious?

I'll wage a dollar to a dime that most who read this blog will answer "yes" or "indeed so". When we think of the term, we usually associate it with knowing that Jesus wasn't white, being aware of the "African-American" presidents, or being able to wax eloquently about the Kemetian contribution to science, religion, and culture. Now, please allow me to raise the stakes: Let's say that you being "conscious" was predicated on you correctly answering the following three questions:

1. What is the Laffer Curve?
2. What is the Median home price in your area? Has it gone up or down in the last 3 years? By how much?
3. Who are the top 5 oil producing countries in the world? (For extra credit: what percentage of the world's oil supply does the United States consume)

After thinking about them, would you still be "conscious"? I will that 90% say "yes" or "indeed so". Unfortunately, from my personal experiences as well as reports on the financial and business literacy of Black & Brown communities in this country, the answer is mostly no. Individual and collective ignorance on these issues directly impacts the quality of life for our people all over the planet. You can talk about melanin all you want, b.u.t. if you're not aware and well informed about the state of the global economy, then you're not totally "conscious". Moreover, you are dooming those you know less than you to not be able to see the larger picture and how it affects them on a day to day level.

In order to make comprehensive change, consciousness has to be a wholistic framework, not one that includes what we want to know about, and excludes that which we perceive as "white" (As if original people didn't create economics and politics) or "devilish" (Which is scarier because it infers that we're afraid to confront the oppressor on any level that we see them). We have to be informed and have a perspective on every science that impacts our quality of life.

As a add-on, I suggest that you check out "The Undercover Economist" by Tin Hartford. It takes very complicated concepts and explains them in a simple way. For the babies, you can google "economics for children", and get access to info that can teach them about money.

Scientists & Builders

Peace,

Let's go back a couple of years: 1990. March 1990 to be exact. The School District of Philadelphia held it's annual High School Fair at the Philadelphia Civic Center. As a 13 year old, it was a sight to see. Kids from all over the city coming to check out what the high schools had to offer, boys and girls coming to check out what each other had to offer, and neighborhoods looking to revive old beefs. In the end all three were accomplished; prospective high school students saw various high schools, numbers were exchanged, and fights broke out all across the fair.

At that time in Philadelphia (Pre Charter School Era), Public high schools fell into the following categories:

The "Good" Schools - Central, Girls High, Masterman

The "Pretty Good" Schools - Engineering & Science (My Alma Mater), Bodine, GAMP

The specialty Schools - Saul, Creative & Performing Arts,Franklin Learning Center

The Vocational Schools - Bok,Dobbins

Everywhere Else

Among the "Everywhere Else" schools was West Philadelphia High, a school that was renowned for Basketball and not much else. The stratification had already begun, and West (as it is affectionately called) was becoming a school that you went to because:

1) Your grades weren't good enough to go anywhere else
2) You family didn't push enough buttons for you to go anywhere else

Now, in reality West had many good teachers and supportive staff members (And a large contingent of young Five Percenters, I may add), b.u.t. due to the state of the schools, it was looked at as a "neighborhood" school and not given much support by the district or anyone else. As I walked around the High School Fair, I wandered to the booth for West; A couple pamphlets and a car chassis. The pamphlets championed the "Automotive Technology Academy" at West. I took a pamphlet and kept moving. A couple of dudes from the hood I was from ended up going there and participating before getting into their own trials and tribulations in the streets.

Fast Forward 14 Years:

West Philadelphia High has the Best Automotive Academy in the area, and one of the best in the country. So Saith the Philadelphia Daily News:

One of the most impressive cars at this week's Philadelphia Auto Show doesn't come from Japan, Germany or Detroit.

It came from the auto shop at West Philadelphia High School.

The car - designed and built by students in the school's Academy for Automotive and Mechanical Engineering - delivers more horsepower than some Porsches and gets gas mileage comparable to a Toyota Prius. It runs on fuel made from soybeans. (2/15/06)

Last year, the team won the Tour De Sol, a competition for Eco-Friendly cars, amongst competition from high school and college teams. Helluva achievement right? One would think that the program would be one of the centerpieces of the Philadelphia School District, Correct?

Emphatically no.

Last year, the program had to fight for it's funding to continue based on school district money constraints. In fact, the program (100%Black & Asians) would have been closed if not for concerned community residents and area auto dealers, who see the importance in having a space where young people can learn the finer points of automotive engineering.

It seems like everyday, there is another person bemoaning young black men and their lack of marketable skills that will enable them to make it in the "new" economy. We all talk about the losses, and never mention the wins. Allah the Father urged his young five percenters to become skilled in science and math so that we could become pacesetters of the world. Since 9/11, there have been cries from the the tech world to prepare more American students for the changing economy; look no further than the customer survive and IT jobs that have been moved to India due to lower costs and a more educated workforce. When you look at those points in a international context, making sure that young people here are skilled in math & science becomes a no-brainer. I tip my crown to the team of scientists & builders from West Philly High; We should all be proud of you. Below is an article that speaks to the glories and the struggles that they will face in this years competition.

Clayton Kinsler, auto mechanics teacher at West Philadelphia High School, scanned Locust Street to make sure it was clear of pedestrians, then hammered the throttle, rocketing the mean little coupe down the 4800 block.
The car's rear-mounted engine unleashed a primal, metallic roar, temporarily drowning out the jet-like whistle of the car's turbocharger.
A video crew from Discovery Channel Canada was also on the street that Saturday in March, filming what is arguably the country's fastest, most efficient eco-friendly sports car - and the West Philadelphia High School team that created it.
The asphalt-hugging, gunmetal-gray roadster was going through its paces in preparation for the Olympics of environmental auto competitions - the May 10-14 Tour de Sol in upstate New York. And much was riding on this car. The students were pretty sure they had worked out the major bugs.
Last year, the car won the race, garnering national attention for the team of about a dozen mostly African American vocational education students.
In February, the hybrid - which boasts 50 miles a gallon on soybean-based biodiesel fuel - got more media attention at the Philadelphia auto show.
If it won a second Tour de Sol victory, there'd likely be scholarships and well-paying jobs in the auto industry for the students - and badly needed grants, sponsorships, or even lucrative partnerships with major automakers for the city school's automotive academy.
Maybe Hollywood would come knocking.
For the moment, though, on Locust Street, it was time to cut loose and show off for the film crew.
At each high-speed pass by Kinsler, 47, the car's student builders whooped and cheered.
Then, zooming down Locust, Kinsler suddenly felt a loss of power. When he pushed the pedal, the engine revved, but nothing at the wheels. He coasted to a stop at 48th Street.
And sat there.
The students looked at one another and began walking, then running toward the car, as the realization dawned that something had gone horribly wrong.
Even as the video rolled, they swarmed around the car with pit crew precision and removed the engine cover.

Simon Hauger, 36-year-old head of the school's Electric Vehicle Team and mastermind of the project, peered into the tangle of wires, pipes and hoses.
"The axle's done," he announced. As he had feared might happen, the car's unorthodox axle had sheared in two.
Over the last year, the team and their instructors - Kinsler, Hauger, and shop teacher Ron Preiss - had overcome all kinds of obstacles:
How to instill in these urban students the value of hard work, responsibility, and a passion for learning when their environment outside of school often encouraged the opposite.
How to get the money to support the endeavor, which was beyond the school district's ability to fully fund.
And how to use unconventional thinking not just to succeed, but to blow away the world's expectations of them.
The axle - a thick metal rod that transfers engine power to the wheels - had required a lot of unconventional thinking. This was the fourth time in less than a year that it had broken.
The team had custom built the car from a kit called the K-1 Attack, with parts coming from different car makes. The axle presented a peculiar engineering challenge - the car's Volkswagen engine needed a way to spin its Honda rear wheels.
And so, the two rear axles are an amalgam of Volkswagen, Honda and parts-bin bits welded together. The left one, shorter and less flexible, is constantly breaking. A section of cheap steel pipe held its VW and Honda ends together, but the pipe tore under the high torque forces of acceleration. The car goes from zero to 60 in four seconds.
A thicker, higher-quality sleeve might do the trick, Hauger surmised.
A half-dozen team members pushed the stricken vehicle backwards, uphill to the school's garage, and gingerly rolled it onto the cradling metal arms of a power car lift.

Devereaux Knight, the 2005 team captain who'd gone on to one of the area's best technical schools, Automotive Training Center in Warminster, and a job at Central City Toyota, had dropped in. He draped an arm around Kinsler and teased him about his penchant for breaking axles: "Two for you, one for Hauger."
The atmosphere in the garage was a mixture of adrenaline and disappointment, with team members half-jokingly asking that the mechanical failure be edited out of Discovery's video.
The only thing to do now was saw off new axle halves from whole VW and Honda units, send them out to be welded... and wait.
"We didn't expect it to break again," said a disappointed Joseph Pak, a lanky, earringed 10th grader with gel-spiked hair. Still, he said, he was relieved that it had happened well before the May competition.
For Pak and other team members who'd struggled with school, the car was an "in-your-face" affirmation of their talents and dreams.
Pak, the team's only Asian member, admits he used to skip more school than he attended. "I was just hanging out." Now he gets straight A's and wants to be an engineer.
"I've seen the extreme of not doing things when you should," Pak said. With the Attack, he said he's seen the extreme of what happens when you stay the course.
It was now midafternoon and the French Canadian director was setting up his final shot.
"What you want to do is -" he began.
"Cry," Knight interjected.
Hauger, though, was upbeat. "This is actually pretty good news," Hauger said. Their more complex engineering of the axle had held. This was a simple weld.
The ideas that come out of West Philly's auto shop aren't rocket science, Hauger says, but they do require imagination and some risk-taking - traits he thinks Detroit could use.
He envisions the high school program sharing the team's know-how of building hybrid cars on the cheap. No major automaker sells a performance car that gets such outrageously high mileage.
With oil prices high and demand for hybrids soaring, the timing could not be better.

Developing a car model costs automakers about $1 billion. Even adding back the discounts and freebies the school team received - such as carbon-fiber body panels and custom wheels - the Attack would still have clocked in well under $100,000.
Hauger estimated their two-seater, if mass-produced, could sell for about $50,000.
But before such lofty ambitions could be realized, the Attack's axle had to be repaired.
Sixteen days later, during fourth-period auto mechanics class, a handful of team members gathered in the school shop. On a metal worktable sat the newly welded axle assembly. Machinists at Drexel University had augmented the original design with a beefier, higher-grade steel sleeve.
Kinsler motioned to the damaged axle, lying on the same table and looking like a broken femur.
"If you can't shift into second gear without something breaking, it ain't right," he said.
A student got under the car to pop the axle in place, much like pushing a tight toilet paper holder into place. Kinsler yanked on the suspension to create clearance. But, after many tries, it hadn't connected.
Quietly, Calvin Cheeseboro, a tall, athletic-looking 11th grader with neatly twisted braids, took over. Cheeseboro, who'd twice installed axles in the Attack and can practically assemble its complicated shift linkage in his sleep, now wrestled with the greasy metal rod.
First, the wheel-facing side popped into place. Then, with Kinsler again pulling on the suspension, the inboard side mated to the transmission with a satisfying clunk.

Classmates Bruce Harmon, a quiet senior who becomes animated when the talk turns to cars, and Jeffrey Daniels, a stocky 11th grader with nimble hands, ducked under the car to tighten clamps and make sure the piece was securely in place.
Cheeseboro, who has struggled to maintain passing grades so he can work with the team, said it felt good to be the guy to put in the critical part. Still, he said, he'd sooner not face such drama, especially with the May race fast approaching. "I don't want to break another axle."
The team had hopefully resolved their thorniest problem.
They'd find out that afternoon, out on Locust Street, if their solution had worked.

Land Snatch

For those 25 +, do you remember the Damon Wayans Jail Character on In Living Color? You know, the one who talked like "The manifestation of the calibration jumped on the expose of my testicles"? Subtly, that had two effects:

1. It devalued the positive, life changing experience that many black men go through during their time in jail by reducing the idea of those brothers to a unintelligible sounding fool

2. It continued the devaluation of consciousness in general

Subsequently, you started to see images in other movies and television shows that showed the conscious brother as the lame outcast (Menace II Society) or as the chauvinist pig (A Different World). While this might seem slight, the fact that intelligence has been maligned among black men, plays a large role in how our children are easily led in the wrong direction, hard to lead in the right direction, and glorify ignorance and uncivilization (Pimps and Gangstas). It's important that we perpetuate the image of knowledge and awareness being beneficial and "cool", if you will. If a kid perceives you as lame, It's not likely that he'll take you as a role model. In my estimation, the Gods and Earths have done a good job of popularizing knowledge and consciousness, b.u.t. even that can get misconstrued when everyone and their brother calls themselves "God" with no thought of the responsibility inherent in that claim. Kids, take note: Being God is more work than fun (b.u.t. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world).


On another note, If you don't know anything about the immigration debate and the subsequent rallies, protests and marches over the past two weeks, then you probably fall in 1 of 2 categories:

1) A person who doesn't watch anything other than BET and VH1 Soul

2) A person who doesn't care about anything that doesn't have "Black" in it

Either way, you're in a bad space. This issue has become the hot-button issue in politics across the board. News articles across the country are speaking of the "Sleeping Giant" that has awaken due to this issue. Additionally, unlike most issues in this countries, this one can't be neatly divided and defined by race, gender or political persuasion. Republicans (Those courting the Hispanic vote vs. Those representing paranoid white conservative districts) are just as torn as Democrats (Those looking for a leg up in this fall's elections vs. Unions paranoid about the legalization of millions of non-unionized workers). As if that ain't enough, many so-called African Americans are up in arms, saying that the immigrants are "taking our jobs and not speaking English".

*Newsflash*

You weren't doing those jobs anyway! Ask a black man to work on a farm, and he'll accuse you of trying to put him back in slavery (As if we really got out). Thinking that we're in competition with each other obscures the larger point that we are both suffering under global capitalism and social oppression, and would do better to come together than to separate ourselves and our struggles from a larger goal. We have more things in common than different. When we start see ing ourselves as different (7th degree in the 1-14), then chaos and destruction will soon follow. This issue, as well as the recent Abramoff scandal involving Native nations ("Tribes" is a derogatory term) underscores a deeper concept that many of us are missing: This is their land. Let me write it again:

This is their land.

The 5th degree in the 1-14 states: Why did we take Jerusalem from the devil? How long ago? When I look at the recent mobilization of the Native Nations as well as the so-called Latin@, it's obvious to see that they are striving to reclaim what is rightfully theirs. About a year ago, I was listening to a NPR segment regarding a Mexican Charter School where the students were being taught their original languages and didn't speak English in the school. When they interviewed the principal, he basically said that they were preparing the future generations to take back Atzlan (The original name for most of the area that are now the west/southwest parts of the country). At that point, I didn't think too much of it, b.u.t. now with the benefit of seeing the rallies as well as the recent Black/Brown problems in the California prisons and school, I now see the bigger picture.

Two nights ago, on the Bev Smith Show, Chris Moore interviewed a representative of a large Latino group in Las Vegas and commented on reported fears from whites on the border areas and in cali that Mexicans are essentially attempting a political and economic Reconquista of all the areas that were lost in the Mexican-American War.

The representative said "Well, that's basically true".

You add that with the Natives who are constantly fighting for sovereignty and economic development here and in Canada, and you get a certified movement. Another thing that stands out in this whole thing is the involvement of the youth. Thousands of kids walked out of school and joined the protests waving Mexican flags. Having assisted in the coordination of a student walkout here in Power Born (Pittsburgh) years ago, I knowledge the potential power of youth becoming organized for a common cause. So-called African Americans need to see civil rights beyond Jesse Jackson, Voting for Ray Nagin, and Affirmative Action, and acknowledge that you either change or die. When we all come together with common goals in mind, it's much more likely that we'll be victorious. We are all original people and the fight is a collective fight.

Peace!