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Act now to get ACA3 on the November 2022 statewide ballot
by Baba Jahahara Amen-RA Alkebulan-Ma’at
6262 AAAK / July 2022 JC-PG
Africans Deserve Reparations! ‘Cause, Black Lives Matter!
Blessings of IMANI (FAITH) Beloved, Brilliant, Bold, Brave and Beautiful G-O-Ds, Elders, Sis-Stars, Bro-Stars and Youthful Revolutionaries!
May our Most High Divine Mother-Father Creator of and in All – and incredible Ancients and Ancestors from past millennia, yesteryears and, literally, yesterday – find you and (y)our extended Family thriving and in healing Spirit, Loving Every Life and seeking sacred MA’AT. WE are so proud to share this offering from the unceded, occupied sacred homelands of the OHLONE Indigenous nations (named san francisco california bay area) by the murderous European and united capitalist prison terrorist states of america (ucptsa) colonizers, land-grabbers, racist genocidists and gold-seeking settlers.
On this Fourth of July, my siblings and extended relatives are honoring the 99th Sacred Birthday of our God(dess) Mama ELIZABETH ELIZANN OAKS-ARMSTRONG who left this life six years ago. WE will also be sharing the incredible “What To the (En)Slave(d) Is Your Fourth of July?” speech by our great abolitionist and ancestor, FREDERICK DOUGLASS. Consider reading together and discussing this profound work with your beloveds here. Amen. Asé.
Honoring a few of our new Ancestors
WE pay tribute to recent Spiritual transformations, including: WALLACE “PANCAKE” POWELL, one of my closest friends since before kindergarten. Amen. Asé. massachusetts State Senator BILL OWENS, who for decades worked hard to support truth, justice and reparations for Afrikans in that state and around our diaspora. Gratitude to Dr. DWAYNE CROMPTON, who spent his life building powerful institutions and programs for youth mostly of Afrikan ancestry. Amen. Asé.
And, belatedly, for Queen Mother ANITRA PATTERSON, former partner of Baba Activist Attorney Walter Riley, as well as beloved Mama of brothers Raymond “Boots” Riley and Manuel Riley. After writing about my conversation with Brother Boots last month, i was informed by one of our readers that Doctor Anitra, as i called her, had passed away several years ago.
She and i had a number of conversations regarding her plans to help combat the epidemics of diabetes, obesity, heart disease and other ailments in the ucptsa and on the Afrikan continent; as WE were doing with our H.E.A.L. and HARRIET TUBMAN Health Conductors projects here in the Bay Area as well as our “LIFE Over ‘debt’ and DEATH” reparations campaign for Afrika and our diaspora. Through that effort WE were able to get nearly $350 billion of phony “debt” canceled by the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and other capitalist-imperialist-colonialist entities during the G.W. Bu$h administration, which could be used for desperately-needed agriculture, nutrition, clean water, housing, healthcare and infrastructure projects.
Finally, WE honor the stolen lives of so many victims of the capitalist-imperialist-military terrorists, gangsters, murderers and polluters – from washington and wall $treet to London, Brussels, Paris, apartheid state of isreal, Moscow, et al. – who continue their massive production of deadly weapons; denial of human rights; withholding of basic necessities like food, water and housing; as well as genocide and murderous-climate chaotic wars in Congo, Yemen, Palestine, Syria, Haiti, Sudan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, around Turtle Island (so-called “americas”), here in the ucptsa and so many other areas of our world. Please stay informed with our Black Alliance for Peace at blackallianceforpeace.com.
Long Live the Spirit, legacies and numerous contributions of these new and All our incredible Ancients and Ancestors. Asé. Asé. Asé-O!
(Y)Our advocacy and collective votes make a difference
WE didn’t win all our June 2022 electoral races here in the bay, around this state or around the ucptsa. Nor, can WE expect the white capitalist patriarchy represented by the majority of the “supreme cult” ruling in the favor of full democratic rights of the people. Most disturbing were the numerous lies, distortions and millions of dollars by the alliance of republikkklan and demokkkratic party neo-liberals to steal the justly-elected position of San Francisco DA won and represented well by Chesa Boudin.
However, WE can still claim some important victories in our continuing march for justice. Several local candidates who came from the people, with visions for truth and restorative justice, in addition to having proven track records of progressive kazi (work) won their contests. This includes Queen and Attorney Pamela Price, who received the most votes for Alameda County District Attorney.
She will now face an “insider” and protegé supported by the outgoing Nancy O’Malley, in November. WE also ousted the fascistic Sheriff Gregory Ahern, who was responsible for so many unnecessary illnesses and deaths in Alameda County’s Santa Rita Jail. In Contra Costa County, progressive District Attorney Diana Becton won re-election, with 56% of the vote.
Quite significantly, WE now have the opportunity to, at long last, officially abolish slavery and involuntary servitude in the State of California. ACA3 (Assembly Constitutional Amendment) – now called the End Slavery in California Act measure – is based on years of action by numerous abolitionists, those formerly incarcerated and their families, as well as a number of groups, including California Abolition Act Coalition, ASAP (Anti-violence, Safety and Accountability Program), All of Us Or None, CURYJ and others. It was introduced by Assemblymember Sydney Kamlager. At present, the California Constitution, Section 6, Article I says: “Involuntary servitude is prohibited except to punish crime.”
The proposal would remove that exception and replace it as follows: “a. Slavery in any form, is prohibited.” And, “b. For purposes of this section, slavery includes forced labor compelled by the use of threat of physical or legal coercion.” Taken from official California Legislative Information, 23 June 2022.
Therefore, WE need every truth-seeker and justice-loving person to make calls over the next few weeks to our state legislators to ensure this critical measure gets on the ballot for the election this fall. Once WE win this battle, then it’s on to changing the 13th Amendment of the ucptsa (usa) Constitution which allows “slavery for criminal convictions.” Amen. Asé.
Journeying towards Reparations
If you haven’t signed it already, please join our N’COBRA (National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America), partner organizations and many key allies by reviewing, signing and sharing our Petition to President Joe Biden to issue an immediate Executive Order to establish the “Commission to Receive and Develop Reparations Proposals for African Americans Act.” Go to hrw.org/ReparationsNow.
Asante Sana to all who attended N’COBRA’s 33rd Annual Convention in Hartford, Conn., or virtually, in June. WE will be providing a full report over the next period. Please stay informed and/or update your membership by visiting our national website or contacting us c/o ncobrawest@gmail.com.
Also in June, WE applaud the State of California Reparations Task Force – which recently voted 5 to 4 to limit reparations benefits only to those who can prove their Ancestors were enslaved in what has become the usa – for releasing its first report in June. Stay updated here.
Also, please consider our Petition to “Change the Name of the so-called ‘white’ House,” which was partly designed and built by our enslaved Afrikan ancestors.
Sisters and Brothers, continue to take (y)our righteous steps knowing our Divine will do the rest. And, always walk in the Power of IMANI (FAITH) on each and every day. Amen-RA Hotep! Asé.
#BlackLivesMatter #AfricansDeserveReparationsNow #FreeTheLand #BringOurEldersHomeNow #AbolishPrisonsandPolice #AbolishPatriarchy #LoveandDefendMotherEarth #BlackNewDeal
Jahahara Amen-RA Alkebulan-Ma’at is the fourth of seven Suns of Ancestors Baba CLEVELAND LEE ARMSTRONG, SR. and QM ELIZABETH ELIZANN OAKS ARMSTRONG; and, traces his roots to the Yoruba and Ewondo nations in Alkebulan-Afrika. He is the author of several books, including Many Paths to Kujichagulia (Self-Determination). Baba Jahahara is also a Life Member, former National Male Co-Chair and Acting West Region Rep of N’COBRA. Take a listen to a few songs from his musical catalog here. 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.
