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by Baba Jahahara Amen-RA Alkebulan-Ma’at
6259 AAC (February 2019 JC-PG)
Greetings of IMANI (FAITH) Esteemed G-o-ds, Co-conSPIRITors and Sister & Brother Leaders,
May our Divine Mother-Father Creator of and in All – and Beloved Ancients and Ancestors from yesteryear and yesterdays – find you and (y)our extended Family in sacred Spirit, healing and thriving. WE hope that this special period of remembrance and celebration of Alkebulan/African OURstory, history and heritage, Black Love, Joy, Resistance and Visioning for our Future is enlightening, reflective, productive, fun and transformative for you and yours. Asé.
Our movement for independence, self-determination and reparations is honoring the life, contributions and recent Spiritual Transformation of NEHANDA ISOKE ABIODUN (European enslavement name CHERI LAVERNE DALTON). She is a leader in our Republic of New Afrika – Provisional Government, New Afrikan People’s Organization and Malcolm X Grassroots Movement. Mama Nehanda has been a political exile for over three decades in the African Diaspora nation of Cuba, where she worked among the youth, an artist to unite Afrikan people worldwide. Asé.
Join us in celebrating the living of Baba OLIVER “TUKU” MTUKUDZI, a major musical contributor in our continental African nation of Zimbabwe. Asé.
Here in in OHLONE/Oakland, WE are saddened by the recent unnecessary death of our fellow resident ANTHONY RIPPEE. Brother Anthony was tragically killed when a tree fell on his outdoor tent during a recent storm. He is yet another victim of this horrific system of genocidal capitalist for-profit gentry-fication, and removal of Black and Brown people, that has engulfed Oakland and cities around the Bay Area as well as the united capitalist prison terrorist states of america.
May WE continue to build our righteous movements centered around the principle that safe and affordable housing is a human right for everyone – as well as quality health care, nutrition, education, prosperous opportunities, safety, peace etc. – and not just a “privilege” for those who are unjustly-enriched. Asé.
Long Live the magnificent Spirits – and the incredible and unique Gifts – of these new and all our Beloved Ancestors! Asé. Asé. Asé-O!!!
Africans deserve reparations now!
First, the Annual BLACK SOLIDARITY WEEK, organized by the Community Ready Corps for Self-Determination, is jumping off in Oakland, 17-24 February 2019. For more specific information on events and actions, go to http://www.crc4sd.org/blacksolidarityweekevents/.
Second, Oakland’s Second Annual BLACK JOY Parade will take place on Sunday, 24 February 2019, 12 Noon in downtown Oakland.
Third, Asante Sana (Many Thanks) to Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee of Houston, Texas, for re-introducing H.R. 40, “The Commission to Study Reparations Proposals for African Americans Act,” into the 116th Congressional Session. The legislation was developed decades ago by WE advocates for Reparations and former Rep. John Conyers of Detroit, and first submitted in 1989.
Passage and even implementation of this bill is certainly not a “cure-all.” However, it does give us additional opportunities to broaden our discussions, research, uncover more truth and expand victorious possibilities for Africans and our allies … to the continuing enslavement maafa and holocaust, government terrorism, crimes against humanity and robberies against our people during this commemoration period of james-town 1619-2019.
Respectfully, please make sure your representative is on the current list of co-endorsers. If not, please contact them immediately and demand that they co-sponsor and call for immediate hearings in the House of Reps’ “Judiciary Committee,” now chaired by Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York. Visit https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/40/all-info. With Gratitude! Asé.
Please accept this invitation to join, support and help expand one or more of our organizations working on Reparations on many fronts – including internal healing, international, cooperative economic development, in the legal arena, on local and federal legislation, and other means – such as our National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (N’COBRA), Jericho Amnesty Movement to Free All Political Prisoners, Provisional Government Republic of New Afrika, All of Us or None, Institute for the Black World, etc., etc.
Much love to our dedicated public sector workers
From coast to coast, public school teachers and their unions are successfully building strong commUNITY partnerships to help save and improve our public education!!! From Chicago to West Virginia to Oklahoma to Los Angeles, major victories have been achieved in winning some salary increases and upgrades in working conditions. These victories are major steps in turning back the miserable governmental “leave our Black, Brown and impoverished children behind” and corporate (“charter”) privatization-for-profits efforts promoted by the Bush, Obama and Trump regimes over the past two decades. Next Up, Oakland and Denver. Asé.
In addition, like many of you, i am thrilled the federal employees are back on the job after Trump’s disastrous “shut-down.” However, labor needs to stop having its members depend on hand-outs and relying on the Democrats … and start using their Collective Power through organizing massive General Strikes. This will ensure they always Get Paid for Their Work!
As a rank-and-file leader and later a full-time labor union organizer for more than 25 years, and a former leader of both sanctioned and “wild-cat” (“unauthorized”) strikes, especially as a steelworker for eight years, i have seen the might and success of workers united. Asé.
NO BLOOD FOR OIL! Keep the imperialist corporations’ hands off Venezuela’s wealth!
WE condemn the current attempted coup d’etat against President Nicolas Maduro and the Bolivarian government, in our African Diaspora nation of Venezuela. The imperialist Trump-Pence regime, supported by many in the oil-drenched Republican and Democratic parties, as well as Canada, the European Union and the fascists in Brazil, Columbia, Argentina and other states, are now threatening to intervene to aid the self-declared “interim president” Juan Guaido.
This would be akin to backing, say, John Boehner or Paul Ryan, former Speakers of the U.S. House of Representatives, backed by Russia, claiming they were replacing former President Barack Obama without the benefit of an election. WE applaud the mobilizations and protests being organized by our friends at International ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), Black Alliance for Peace and allied groups, including here in the Bay Area.
President Maduro was first appointed to complete the second term of our beloved socialist and reparationist Ancestor HUGO RAPHAEL CHAVEZ FRIAS (who was also a survivor of several coup attempts by the united capitalist prison terrorist states of america). Maduro was then elected to the presidency TWICE by the people of Venezuela. Late this January, President Maduro publicly thanked WE supporters around the ucptsa and world for supporting sovereignty and true democracy in Venezuela. For updates, go to https://answercoalition.nationbuilder.com/tags/venezuela or https://blackallianceforpeace.com.
Asante sana to our readers
i/WE sincerely appreciate our readers and their correspondence, on the outside and inside the prison walls. WE are working to respond to everyone and/or refer some of your requests to our ally organizations and friends in your particular regions.
Also, a clarification regarding “football.” Last month, i gave a special CONGRATS (!) to our champion Warriors and Eagles at Oakland’s McClymonds High School and Laney College, respectively. My support for the scholar-athletes does not mean that i promote the dangerous game of tackle football as a sport; or as a great method to pursue success in life. As a former player myself many years ago, i still have injuries that bother me.
However, i believe in everyone’s Right to Kujichagulia (Self-Determination). This means that our parents and students have the choice to pursue their endeavors … after being informed and OVERstanding all the risks. Some scholar-athletes will, indeed, suffer injuries. Some, very serious and possibly life-threatening!
Not all players will receive scholarships at the for-profit university level. Even fewer will make it as employees of the often devastating super-profitable National Football League.
While i did not allow my Sun to play tackle football, he did become an accomplished martial artist. Of course, there are risks and rewards in that sport, as well. i did attempt to end that previous discourse with a, hopefully positive message of “Keep on studying, my young Brothers! And, achieving at the highest levels! WE are so proud of and support each of you!” Asé.
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As always, i hope you and your organization/institution will consider making a much-needed contribution of any amount, place an ad, or subscribe now for yourself or an incarcerated family member. This will help keep our San Francisco Bay View in print and distributed throughout the Bay Area and around the ucptsa (including to numerous prisons where WE are not banned).
Your donations are already allowing us to update our website at www.sfbayview.com. To make a donation, call us at (415) 671-0789; go to our website at www.sfbayview.com or send contributions to 4917 Third Street, San Francisco, CA 94124. Asé.
Asante Sana (Many Thanks)! Amen-RA Hotepu! Asé-O!
#BlackLivesMatter #AfricansDeserveReparations #FreeOurPeople #LoveandDefendMotherEarth
Jahahara Amen-RA Alkebulan-Ma’at, fka European enslavement name “James ‘Harry’ Armstrong,” is a Baba (Father), a “FREE-tired” community-labor-environmental and justice organizer, writer, musician and author of several books, including “Many Paths to Kujichagulia (Self-Determination).” Take a listen to a few songs from his musical catalog, including the new “500 YEARS OF AFRIKAN RESISTANCE!!!” at https://soundcloud.com/search?q=jahahara. Invite Jahahara to present at your group, school or event c/o support@africansdeservereparations.com or FONAMI, P.O. Box 10963, Oakland, CA 94610 usa.
