When Our Ancestors Speak … LISTEN!

Jahahara-sits-beside-Harriet-Tubman-sculpture-at-Underground-Railroad-National-Historic-Park-Maryland-0819-by-Jahahara, When Our Ancestors Speak … LISTEN!, Culture Currents
Baba Jahahara consults with the Spirit of our Beloved Ancestor HARRIET TUBMAN at the Underground Railroad National Historic Park named for her, in maryland. – Photo: Jahahara Alkebulan-Ma’at

by Baba Jahahara Amen-RA Alkebulan-Ma’at

6259 AAC (September 2019 JC-PG)

Africans Deserve Reparations! Cause Black Lives Truly Matter!

Greetings of IMANI (FAITH) Esteemed G-o-ds and Sister-Brother Leaders,

‘Enslaved-People-Who-Died-at-Montcello’-marker-lying-unmarked-between-parking-lots-at-Monticello-0819-by-Jahahara, When Our Ancestors Speak … LISTEN!, Culture Currents
The Europeans humiliate Afrikans in life and in death! Plain marker for a few of the “known” 600+ Afrikans enslaved at monticello, virginia, on lands stolen from Indigenous people, enriched by exploiting our people’s labor, and occupied by Thomas Jefferson and his family. It is, very disrespectfully, unmarked and unkempt, sits between several parking lots. WE STILL CHARGE GENOCIDE! – Photo: Jahahara Alkebulan-Ma’at

May our Divine Mother-Father Creator of and in All – and Beloved Ancestors from yesteryears and yesterday – find you and (y)our Family thriving and healing. My siblings and i are remembering our dear Baba CLEVELAND LEE ARMSTRONG SR., who transformed from this life into Spirit, in 6242/2002. “It was the Third of September. That day i’ll always remember (yes i will). Cause, that was the day, that our Baba GRADUATED (to Ancestorhood) … Our Pops is the Family Stone! The Mighty Rock that taught us right from wrong. And, throughout our lives … HE NEVER LEFT US ALONE!” Asé.

As WE, unfortunately, predicted more than a dozen years ago, the capitalist-induced climate chaos is accelerating dramatically: causing our seas to rise, forests and cities to burn, and storms to intensify at unprecedented levels. This is, of course, leading to more unnecessary death and destruction. Especially, for the people and cultures who’ve had the least to do with creating the crises.

Latest to be hit hard are our Indigenous and Afrikan relatives in the Caribbean nations of Bahamas; “Virgin” islands again; the coast and sea isles off what is now florida, georgia, the carolinas and northward; and also, once again, already devastated and still trying to recover, nation of Puerto Rico. Amazingly, i recently drove up the usa’s southeast coast, including special visits and presentations to savannah and the Gullah-Geechee islands around charleston, just one week prior to participating in the “Afrikan Landing Day” events, in virginia. And, even without “official” storm warnings, i witnessed some of the most torrential downpours and flooding, that forced me off outer-banks and low-land roads for hours.

Also, not to be neglected is the senseless, for-profit burning of our precious Amazon River Valley, particularly in Brazil. That critical world treasure is on fire and being unnecessarily and rapidly destroyed by corporate interests, like the oil, beef and agri-business industries.

Sculptures-of-‘four-little-girls’-murdered-in-16th-St-Baptist-Church-bombing-in-Bombingham-Ala.-by-Jahahara, When Our Ancestors Speak … LISTEN!, Culture Currents
Precious Ancestors and childhood friends of Angela and Fania Davis – CYNTHIA WESLEY, CAROLE ROBERTSON, DENISE MCNAIR and ADDIE MAE COLLINS – murdered by terrorist racist white at the 16th Street Baptist Church, in what our elders called “Bombing-ham (birmingham) alabama.” – Photo: Jahahara Alkebulan-Ma’at

So, i hope you will join me in supporting our youth-led “Global Climate Strike” in locations around the planet, from 20-27 September. And, also challenging every candidate for elected office to produce serious climate reparations proposals and practices. (Check-out my 6249/2009 song “Love and Defend PachaMama (Great-Grand-Mother Earth Big Mama)” on Soundcloud.com.)

When Our Ancestors Speak… Listen!

Our Ancestors had called on me. Many, many times. “Come on over here, Sun,” they would shout. But, i’ve always resisted. For years. Even decades. Basically, all my conscious life. i tried to ignore this aspect of our struggle. You know, journeying to these sites of so much oppression. Scenes of legalized murders. Lynching. Rape. It was too disturbing. Extremely painful. And, i was much too “sensitive.”

Might start cryin. Or, be driven to correct in more than verbal ways some ignorant, racist body who resembled our horrific European oppressors for being just that. Right then. Right there. Almost happened twice. On Goree Isle’s so-called “Door of No Return” off Senegal, West Africa’s coast back in the 6220s/1980s. And, in Soweto, South Africa where our brave children and super-exploited miners had been gunned down by the racist apartheid regime.

Chief-Walter-D.-‘Red-Hawk’-Brown-III-of-the-Cheroenhaka-Nottoway-Tribal-Nation-Jahahara-on-African-Landing-Day-082419-400-yrs-ago-near-Hampton-Va-by-Jahahara, When Our Ancestors Speak … LISTEN!, Culture Currents
Chief Walter D. ‘Red Hawk’ Brown III of the Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Tribal Nation with Baba Jahahara after sharing sacred prayers to audience on “African Landing Day” in the hampton, virginia, area. – Photo: Jahahara Alkebulan-Ma’at

So, i stayed away. But, the Ancestors kept on acallin. You now, sometimes they are so righteously persistent. Asked me to visit them. Hear their stories. Or, at least, a part of their lives. Wanted me to learn directly from them. Not by just reading some book. So, i could help speak for them. Especially, since they can no longer raise their own voices to this sick world that so devalues Afrikan people. Even to just touch and scoop up some of the soil they were forced to drench and stain with their sweat, blood, bones and visions … FOR US!

So, i prayed. Meditated. “Marinated” on it, as the young folks say. Then, back-tracked again, saying to myself “Now, why would i pay money to the oppressors in traveling to and visiting these plantations and cemeteries? Or, wouldn’t i be a damn fool to buy tickets to a crime scene? What would i look like further enriching the off-spring of the enslavers?

Dr.-Muhjah-Shakir-provides-sacred-oceanic-cleansings-for-participants-on-African-Landing-Day-082419-by-Jahahara, When Our Ancestors Speak … LISTEN!, Culture Currents
Beloved Queen Mother Dr. Muhjah Shakir – formerly of Oakland and now building healing projects like the 25-acre Nature’s Garden for Victory and Peace in Tuskeegee, Alabama – helps provide sacred oceanic cleansings for participants on “African Landing Day.” – Photo: Jahahara Alkebulan-Ma’at

So, as i often do when confronted with vexing situations, i closed my eyes and let our Divine deliver the solution. Which turned out to be first visiting with our great G-o-d, Queen Mother, Freedom Fighter, General and healing Doctor born ARAMINTA ROSS as an enslaved Afrikan on the eastern shore of maryland. Later, she would name herself HARRIET, and take on the married last name of her first husband JOHN TUBMAN, a then “free” Afrikan.

When he refused to join the growing slavery abolition movement that was her calling, she escaped and marched on without him. Her brave efforts and expert planning would make her the foremost leader of numerous escapes from brutal chattel enslavement with no rights as a human being, to a freer future with the possibilities to live and prosper despite the numerous challenges. i’m sure you’ve heard the popular refrain that “HARRIET TUBMAN was the greatest conductor on the underground railroad, freeing hundreds and inspiring thousands towards freedom and justice. And, it is said that as conductor, she never lost a passenger.” Asé.

So, alongside this powerful leader, i received the courage to visit some of the places previously avoided. And, i was uplifted by the Ancestors. They told me it was OK to be appalled by the tragic stories; outraged at the wealth stolen from their labor; or the humiliation they endured. i was informed ever more on how they brilliantly fought back; organized strikes for better treatment including more of the quality food that they were raising and not having the chance to eat. Or, how some had enough, and thus bludgeoned vicious plantation bosses who carried out heinous acts at the direction of some of the enslaving “founding fathers.”

Foremost, they reminded me that our movements for Reparations started long before us, and that they won numerous victories (including some pensions from the Union Army). And, some precious land. And, that WE must organize greater numbers to free our unjustly-held and exiled political leaders. Initiate more independent schools to educate our population the righteous way. And, abolish the profitable prison industry that started centuries ago.

Sacred-healing-bell-rang-on-African-Landing-Day-at-Hampton-Va-082419-by-Jahahara, When Our Ancestors Speak … LISTEN!, Culture Currents
Healing Bell(s) rang out on “African Landing Day” at the ft. monroe in hampton, virginia, area and around the Afrikan Diaspora. – Photo: Jahahara Alkebulan-Ma’at

They asked me to encourage everyone i come into contact with to follow their example by uncovering and exposing the past and ongoing ugly truths against our humanity and tell the world that AFRIKANS STILL CHARGE GENOCIDE! And, that it is the duty of our generations to continue to build, win and implement our mass movements for REPARATIONS RIGHT NOW!

So, when our Ancestors speak, please listen. Then, consider and, most importantly, act, accordingly. Asé.

Attached are a few photos from our torturous journey during our sacred Black August.

Continue to Support Our Bay View

Again, WE are so appreciative to those of you who have made a much-needed contribution to our San Francisco Bay View newspaper, placed an ad, or taken a subscription for yourself or an incarcerated family member. However, WE are still struggling to keep this liberation newspaper in print and distributed FOR FREE throughout the Bay Area and around the usa (including to numerous prisons where WE are not currently banned due to our radical political stances and giving a voice to the voiceless). Please, please make a tax-deductible donation ASAP by calling us at 415-671-0789; or go to our website at www.sfbayview.com. You can also send contributions the old-fashioned way by mailing to 4917 Third St., San Francisco, CA 94124. Asé.

#BlackLivesMatter #AfricansDeserveReparations #BringOurEldersHomeNow #AbolishPrisons #LoveandDefendMotherEarth

Jahahara Amen-RA Alkebulan-Ma’at 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 “500 YEARS OF AFRIKAN RESISTANCE!!!” at https://soundcloud.com/search?q=jahahara. Invite Jahahara to present at your group, school, church or event c/o support@africansdeservereparations.com or FONAMI, P.O. Box 10963, Oakland, CA 94610.