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by Baba Jahahara Amen-RA Alkebulan-Ma’at
6262 AAAK / February 2022 JC-PG
Africans Deserve Reparations! ‘Cause, Black Lives Matter!
Blessed New Beginnings, Beloved, brilliant, brave and beautiful G-o-ds, Elders, Sis-Stars, Bro-Stars and youthful revolutionaries!
WE pray our Most High Divine Mother-Father Creator of and in All – and incredible Ancients and Ancestors from past millennia, yesteryears and yesterday – finds you and (y)our extended Family thriving and in healing Spirit.
Our dear Sun, Chioke Bakari, and i are extremely grateful to all who offered sacred arrival day wishes to us in January, and through us, Blessed BIRTHday Appreciations to our dear Queen Mamas who sacrificed so much to conceive, deliver and nurture us.
A number of you asked if i needed anything. Actually, i do. It would warm my heart if you joined our N’COBRA at ncobraonline.org and/or made a much-needed contribution to our San Francisco Bay View by going to sfbayview.com and hitting the blue DONATE button. Or, sending a check or money order in any amount to us at 4917 Third St., San Francisco, CA 94124. Or, by calling our office at 415-671-0789. Asante Sana – many thanks! LOVE LIFE! Amen. Asé.
Honoring a few of our new Ancestors
WE honor the recent Spiritual transformations of our life-long friend and ev’rybody’s main man, DONALD “BROTHER DUCK” PARKS. Amen. Asé. My dear Brotha-from-another-Queen-Mother, HARRY GUMBY. Amen. Asé. And, great friend and class-mate JAMES “JIMI” ROUTT. Amen. Asé.
Also making their Sacred transitions were our beloved Queen Mother GAIL BERKLEY-ARMSTRONG. Gail was a former editor of the Oakland Post newspaper, which was founded by her dear Father, THOMAS L. BERKLEY; and later for the Sun-Reporter, founded by the great Dr. CARLTON B. GOODLETT – whose name has adorned the street in front of San Francisco City Hall after our successful campaign in the late 1990s.
She was also president to the African Sister City Cultural Center, Inc., and instrumental in helping guide the Sister Cities relationship between Oakland and Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana. Over the past year, and before she was hospitalized recently, Gail expressed her gratitude and was assisting my vision for a special recognition of her dear Father by adding his name to our 19th Street Oakland BART station; as well as with a youth art project.
Please review, sign and share our petition here. Finally, since i was formerly known by the European enslavement name of Armstrong, her husband (Sugar) Ray Armstrong, and i will be investigating our possible common ancestral roots. Amen. Asé.
Political Warrior Supreme RUSSELL MAROON SHOATZ SR. left this life just a few weeks after this terrorist government finally released him from decades of torturous confinement. WE STILL CHARGE GENOCIDE! Amen. Asé.
WE recognize peace-seekers Archbishop DESMOND “ARCH” TUTU of South Africa and THICH NHAT HANH who served humanity during their nine-plus decades. Asé. Amen. And, WE remember the inspirational actor and human rights supporter, SIDNEY POITIER. Amen. Asé.
Almost two years-to-the-day after his Baba (Father) – the renowned jazz composer, musician, saxophonist and teacher JIMMY HEATH – became an Ancestor, the great JAMES MTUME, fka Jimmy Heath Jr., made his Spiritual Transformation. He was a life-long activist, a part of our Pan Africanist movement, joining Dr. Maulana Karenga’s Organization Us in the late 1960s; and a teacher, composer and political host on New York radio, who helped us popularize a number of movements and campaigns, like for Reparations.
Mtume’s Grammy-winning compositions are legendary, including “The Closer I Get to You,” “Never Knew Love Like This Before,” “You, He and Me” and “Juicy Fruit,” which became even more popular after CHRISTOPHER WALLACE, aka rapper Biggie Smalls, or Notorious B.I.G., sampled it, while also scoring several popular tv shows and movies. Amen. Asé.
Finally, WE offer sacred condolences to the millions who are perishing or seeking safety from naturally-occurring disasters; and, especially due to the capitalist-imperialists’ ongoing terrorist wars against the people, our health, our environment and the Truth – for higher profits. Amen. Asé.
Long Live the Spirit, legacies and numerous contributions of these new and All our incredible Ancients and Ancestors. Asé. Asé. Asé-O!
Go tella OurStories and futures
First, let’s set the record straight. Once again! No one “gave us the shortest” month to commemorate our survival and achievements as Alkebulan/Afrikan people in these united capitalist prison terrorist states of america. Let’s get rid of that ignorance that is so often mis-spoken.
In a powerful act of Kujichagulia, or Self-Determination, it was our great scholar, Ancestor Dr. CARTER B. WOODSON – founder of the then Journal of Negro History as well as the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History – who initiated “Negro History Week” in 1926. He and others saw this as a way to promote truth, learning and positivity among our people and others – in sharp contrast to the European and American’s white terrorist lies, mis-education and negativity.
Remember, the white terrorists made it “illegal” for enslaved people of Afrikan ancestry to read, write, assemble for worship or even beat a drum. Dr. Woodson chose February because it was the birth month of the great abolitionist FREDERICK DOUGLASS as well the issuer of the “Emancipation Proclamation,” President ABRAHAMN LINCOLN.
powerful stories of our lives, our families and our villages
In the decades that followed, and as our knowledge and experience elevated, our people expanded the one-week observation to Black History Month. And, now it has evolved even further by many to 365 days. All year long. And, quite creatively by our mostly younger generations, to a New Afrikan/Black Futures Month. All of these developments represent how our people are advancing our OVERstanding and independent consciousness and movement building.
So, this month and going forward, my hope is that WE will always acknowledge the struggles and achievements by our Ancestors and elder generations. Those incredible souls and organizations that accomplished so much under circumstances more difficult than our own.
So, it is my charge that each of us not only remember and reflect. Our task is to “Go tella OurStories and future Plans and visions,” to encourage each of us to begin or increase documenting the powerful stories of our lives, our families and our villages. Of the not-so-well-known Heroes and Sheroes putting in work on the daily. In our and their own words and other means of expression.
In addition, regardless of our current age, that WE put our life – and next life – affairs in order now, with documented wills, powers of attorneys, living trusts, even our own obituaries and other necessary assignments as our process of transformation to Spirit unfolds from this day forward. But, in a possibly more significant way, that everyone join, re-commit or initiate an organization or institution to more effectively utilize our unified Spiritual, intellectual, cultural, economic and political power to further re-imagine, re-claim and re-organize our collective purposes for more truth, justice and liberation. Amen. Asé.
Destination Reparations
Apologies to all who contacted us regarding N’COBRA Bay Area’s CASH THE CHECK events on the sacred birthday of Ancestor Rev. Dr. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. that WE announced in this column last month. Due to the rising omicron infections, WE decided not to bring folks together, even if WE were outdoors, physically-distanced and masked up.
WE can still connect through zoom or conference calls. At this moment, our current plan is to participate in the “Black Joy Parade” on Sunday, 27 Feb. 2022, 12:00 p.m., in downtown Oakland, again if health and safety conditions permit.
Please continue to correspond with us at ncobrawest@gmail.com or by going to our website at www.ncobraonline.orgAlso, check-out this very special one-minute clip of Dr. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. here.
SUPPORT REPARATIONS FOR BLACK STUDENTS IN OAKLAND! Our CommUNITY of parents, students, teachers and selected Board members and residents are fighting hard to win justice for our long-neglected Black children.
WE are also so proud of our young students and the Oakland Education Association, the teacher’s union, for refusing to show-up during rising and dangerous covid conditions and forcing the district to produce a full health and safety plan that includes regular testing and free masks. And, for all who are standing up to prevent a potential hostile takeover of Oakland Schools by the Alameda County L. Karen Monroe and the state of California. Go to reparationsforblackstudents.org.
FREE THEM ALL! Amen. Asé. Please visit the website of our Jericho Amnesty Movement to learn more about the situations of our many other long-suffering and brave warriors for justice as well as how you can best support their righteous release and restitution, at https://thejerichomovement.com/.
WE encourage you to review, consider signing and sharing our Petition to “Change the Name of the ‘white’ House.”
Continue to take (y)our righteous steps, knowing our Divine will do the rest. And, walk in the Power of IMANI (FAITH) on each and every day. Amen-RA Hotep! Asé.
#BlackLivesMatter #AfricansDeserveReparationsNow #FreeTheLand #BringOurEldersHomeNow #AbolishPrisonsandPolice #LoveandDefendMotherEarth #BlackNewDeal
Jahahara Amen-RA Alkebulan-Ma’at is the fourth of seven suns of Ancestors Queen Mama ELIZABETH OAKS ARMSTRONG and Baba CLEVELAND LEE “The Deacon” ARMSTRONG SR. He traces his ancestral roots to the Yoruba and Ewondo nations in Alkebulan-Afrika. He is also the author of several books, including Many Paths to Kujichagulia, Self-Determination. Baba Jahahara is also Life Member, former National Male Co-Chair and Acting West Region Republic of N’COBRA. Take a listen to a few songs from his musical catalog at https://soundcloud.com/search?q=baba%20jahahara Invite Baba Jahahara to present at your group, school, spiritual gathering or event c/o support@africansdeservereparations.com or FONAMI, P.O. Box 10963, Oakland, CA 94610.
