The Bloods, Muslims, and the knowledge of our Black Selves

Hotep!!! (Peace)!!!

Take notes!!!!!!!!!

After leaving a powerful political organizational rally for respected human rights activist Larry Hamm this past Sunday in Newark, NJ, I felt very inspired. I said to myself, the Creator and the Afrikan Ancestors answered our call for a real principled leader that will fight for the common man’s and woman’s interests in the US Congress. Our dear brother Larry is running for US Senate in New Jersey. But on Sunday, a respected Muslim brother and friend, sent me some disturbing news about the Bloods and Sunni Muslims fighting one another around Masjid (Arabic for Mosque) At Taqwa in Brooklyn, NYC. Although this news bothered my spirit, I was not shocked by it family. (The whole thing might be an internet hoax). Whatever the case may be family, my Afrikan centered consciousness is forcing me to analyze our whole situation on a world Afrikan community perspective. Unfortunately, internal disorder will to continue occur frequently within the Black community; because the Sunni Muslim Ummah, the Bloods, the Crips, the street organizations, and the many institutions around the Black people, do not have a program in 2019 teaching the knowledge of our Black selves. When there is no program awakening Black people to their Afrikan history, their Afrikan culture, and their Afrikan spirituality; we will turn self-destructive, hate ourselves, and look at one another as enemies as opposed to brothers and sisters. This is all by design by White supremacy and the system of racism. Therefore, this message is for my Black family (Muslim, non-Muslim, Christian, Jew, etc) in America, Afrika, and in the world Afrikan community. No diss to my non-Black family, but this message for Black folks . Afrikan centricity (Afrocentricity), Afrikan centered Black consciousness, and Black nationalism (Black unity) must be the overall foundation of Black liberation. However, the springboard for Black liberation must be the knowledge of our Black selves.

Brother Malcolm X taught us in his famous 1964 speech titled, The Ballot or the Bullet, Black nationalism is the basis for political, economic, and social foundation for Black Power!!! But for many of us Black folk to understand how right brother Malcolm position is for us, we must have a thorough knowledge of our Black selves.

In 2019, and as we go into 2020, many of us Black folks are dead to the knowledge of our Black selves. The institutions (i.e. public schools, charter schools, religious communities, universities, colleges, radio stations, pod casts, city hall, the state house, rap music, R&B Music, etc) located in the Black community are not teaching us the knowledge of our Black selves intentionally. Therefore, this is why we don’t know the true meaning of the ancient Afrikan word Hotep, we don’t know our Afrikan history, we don’t know our Afrikan culture, and don’t know Afrikan spiritual systems.

Folks don’t get it twisted, White supremacy is still the foundation of the world. It’s vehicle to force Black people down to the lowest realms of society in America, and in the world, is racism. This is why Blackness is being attacked and discredited in the world. This all happened during the enslavement of Black people. It was illegal in America, and illegal in the European dominated parts of the world, for us to know our Afrikan history, know our Afrikan culture, know our Afrikan languages, bear our Afrikan names, know Arabic, and know our Afrikan spiritual systems during hundreds of years of slavery. This would all change in the twentieth century.

During the massive uprising for Black liberation by Black people in 1950s, 60s, and early 70s; the United States Government’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I) created a secret plan to destroy Black power. It was called cointelpro (Counter intelligence program). The F.B.I said it’s goal was to, “Prevent militant black nationalist groups and leaders from gaining RESPECTABILITY, by discrediting them to three separate segments of the community. The goal of discrediting black nationalists must be handled tactically in three ways. You must discredit those groups and individuals to, first, the responsible Negro community. Second, they must be discredited to the white community, both the responsible community and to “liberals” who have vestiges of sympathy for militant black nationalist [sic] simply because they are Negroes. Third, these groups must be discredited in the eyes of Negro radicals, the followers of the movement. This last area requires entirely different tactics from the first two. Publicity about violent tendencies and radical statements merely enhances black nationalists to the last group; it adds “respectability” in a different way. A final goal should be to prevent the long-range GROWTH of militant black organizations, especially among youth. Specific tactics to prevent these groups from converting young people must be developed.”

This is why White supremacy and the system of racism are equating the Afrikan word of Hotep, Afrikan centricity, Afrikan centered Black consciousness, and Black nationalism to everything anti-white, sexism, and homophobia. However, the goals of White domination are still the same today, prevent Black people from knowing and liberating ourselves. And because we don’t have a strong movement for the knowledge of our Black selves in the Black community, many our people fall victim to this nonsense.

White supremacy and the system of racism, uses rap music, Hollywood, R&B music, rock and roll music, country music, pop culture, social media, Black intellectuals, and Black political pundits to discredit Blackness.

We must now take a strong stance against this nonsense for the sake of our salvation as Black people.
Therefore, we must liberate ourselves from the domination of mental, political, economic, religious, philosophical, and cultural racist oppression. To some of us, this seems impossible. Those of us who are conscious (woke for millennials), Black liberation is a protracted (long) struggle. Freedom does not happen over night.

But there is some good news. There are a few independent Black owned institutions, Black organizations, and Black leaders committed to teaching the knowledge of our Black selves, or what some of us called Afrikan centricity and Afrikan centered Black conscious, in the Afrikan world community. Here is a short list of these Black leaders, Black Institutions, and Black organizations fighting to give Black people the knowledge of self.

The New Black Panther Party

One of the few independent Black organizations and voices left in the Black community standing against White domination is the New Black Panther Party (NBPP). Despite the attacks from the power structure, the New Black Panther Party (NBPP) is still in existence carrying on the struggle for Black power through Black nationalism and revolutionary Pan-Afrikanism. With chapters in cities across America, the NBPP organizes the masses of Black people to stand against White supremacy and the system of racism. But the NBPP also teaches the importance of knowing Afrikan History, Afrikan culture, and Afrikan spirituality in the fight for Black liberation. The NBPP understands the basis of any social movement for justice in the Black community begins with Black people acquiring a knowledge of their Black selves. The current leader of NBPP is Chairwoman Krystal Muhammad. For more information about the NBPP, they can be reached at (www.nbpp.org).

CEMOTAP

In New York City, there is CEMOTAP-the Committee to Eliminate Media Offensive to African People. This Afrikan centered organization is directed by Dr. James McIntosh. CEMOTAP is an organization that fights against media racism and negative perceptions of Afrikan people. “Our basic goal is to try to bring media justice to our people, because the media, if you were to represent it in terms of our people, it’s really our minds,” said McIntosh. “It’s the middle between one mind and to another, if we don’t get control over our own informational world, then we are off doing all types of crazy and destructive things.” In the 30-year fight to end media bias against Afrikan people, CEMOTAP has at times created its own media and programs. To get involved with CEMOTAP, call 718-322-8454. The address is 13505 Rockaway Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11420.

The Nation of Islam

Within western religious communities, there are Black people codifying Judaism, Christianity, and Al-Islam to make them safe for Afrikan centered Black liberation theology. One of these great places for Afrikan centered Black liberation theology is the Nation of Islam under the leadership of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.

Master Fard Muhammad and the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad are the co-founders of the Nation of Islam. This religious movement was established on July 4, 1930. The Nation of Islam combined orthodox Sunni Islamic teachings with Black liberation theology. The Nation of Islam became the largest Black Islamic organization in the world. Their Afrikan centered teachings made Black people embrace Afrikan centered Black consciousness, Black pride, and the knowledge of our Black selves. The Nation of Islam helped Black people in the world stop calling themselves negroes to calling ourselves Black. Armed with actual facts from Master Fard Muhammad and the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, the Nation of Islam teaches Black people that we are first people on the planet earth and that we gave birth to the world’s first civilizations and religions.

At the death of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad in 1975, his seventh son, Warith Deen Mohammad (once named Wallace Muhammad) took over the leadership of the mighty Nation of Islam. In three years, the Nation of Islam, the largest Afrikan centric Black Islamic organization in America was dismantled. There was no more Nation of Islam. It was replaced by Sunni Al-Islam. All of the Nation of Islam's mosques were closed for public meetings that were at one time used as a platform for organizing Muslims and Black people for liberation struggles. They were turned into Masaajid (mosques) now just used for salaat (prayer). The Fruit of Islam (F.O.I) and Muslim Girls Training-General Civilization Class (MGT-GCC), the weekly military training of Muslims, Blackmen and Blackwomen, were abolished. Its' Black liberation theology tafsir (Arabic for interpretation) on Al-Islam was replaced by a more conservative American and Arabic centered tasfir. After three years, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan who join the Nation of Islam under the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X, could not take the destruction of Nation of Islam moving forward. He left Imam Warth Deen Mohammad's leadership in 1978. He saw how the fall of the Nation of Islam, help set the Black community back deeper under the yoke of oppression in America. Therefore, he went on to rebuild the teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, and the Nation of Islam, to fight against White domination and Black oppression. He reestablished the F.O.I (Fruit of Islam) and MGT-GCC (Muslim Girls Training- General Civilization Class) for the training of Muslims, Blackmen, and Blackwomen to help empower Muslims, Blackmen, and Blackwomen. Although successful at rebuilding the work of the Nation of Islam, businesses, Nation of Islam schools, community centers, and the work of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad; it has been a long struggle to win back the attention and respect of Muslims, and Black people, as a legitimate Islamic organization from the late 1970s to the present. White supremacy and the system of racism are still on the prowl to destroy the Nation of Islam. Muslims in the Nation of Islam are constantly under attack for their Afrikan centered Black liberation theology in Al-Islam by White supremacy and the system of racism. Fortunately, the Nation of Islam has survived for over 80 years. The Nation of Islam has mosques in every major city in America and mosques throughout the world. Every February, the Nation of Islam holds their annual Saviors’ Day convention. The event draws tens of thousands of people. The Nation of Islam calls it the crowning event of Black History Month. February is the month Black History is celebrated throughout the world. Saviors’s Day celebrates the birthday of Master Fard Muhammad-the founder of the Nation of Islam. On February 26, 1877, Master Fard Muhammad was born in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The national headquarters of the Nation of Islam is in Chicago, Illinois at Muhammad Mosques #2, or called affectionately by the Muslims Mosque Maryam (Arabic for Mary). Mosque Maryam is on 7351 South Stony Island Avenue. For more information on the Nation of Islam under the leadership of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, their website is at (https://www.noi.org/).

Muhammad Mosque #7 in NYC

In New York City, the Nation of Islam’s historic Muhammad Mosque #7 stands as a beacon of hope in the Black community. This mosque produced some of the strongest leaders in the Black community, such as Minister Malcolm X (Omawele El Hajj Malik El Shabazz), Minister Dr. Khalid Abdul Muhammad, and Minister Conrad Muhammad (who now goes by the name Rev. Conrad Tillard). The current Minister is East Coast Regional Student Minister Abdul Hafeez Muhammad. This Muslim organization has two locations for their mosques, which are open every Sunday from 11:00am to 2:00pm. The mosque in Harlem is the main location. It’s address is 106-08 W 127th St, New York, NY 10027. Their Brooklyn Muhammad Mosque address
is 202 Pennsylvania Ave, New York, 11201. For information on the Nation of Islam’s Muhammad Mosque #7, their website is
(http://noinewyork.org/).

REFAL

Across the Hudson River in Newark, NJ is REFAL/ Waset Kommuniversity located at 271 South 9th Street. This Black owned and independent Afrikan centered community center plays host to various Afrikan religious communities and pro-Black and progressive programs in the city. REFAL / Waset Kommuniversity is led by brother Khysekkemwy. Inspired by the powerful civilization of Kemet (Egypt), and the Nile valley civilizations, REFAL / Kommuniversity brings guest speakers and lectures on Afrikan history, Afrikan culture, on the Afrikan word Hotep, and Afrikan spirituality. For more information, call brother Khysekkemwy at (862) 231-1940.

Another Afrikan centered Black conscious place in Newark, NJ is the Source of Knowledge Book Store located on Broad Street in the city’s downtown area. In this book store, there are volumes of books for sell on Afrikan history, Afrikan culture, and Afrikan spirituality. The Source of Knowledge also plays hosts to pro-Black and progressive events in the city.

ECC's Afrikana Institute

Newark, NJ, the home to two Black Power conferences in the 1960s, has a junior college called Essex Community College (ECC). It houses a powerful Black studies department called the Afrikana Institute. This department promotes Afrikan centric Black consciousness and the knowledge of our Black selves. The Africana Institute is ECC’s center for the exploration and critical examination of the Afrikan global experience. The Institute always invites students to join in the development and participation of a wide variety of academic, cultural and social programs, which will range from the diverse experiences of people of Afrikan descent from Afrika, the Americas, the Caribbean Islands and beyond. The Institute provides research opportunities and resources for students and the community. World renowned Afrikan and Afrikan diaspora scholars, performers, activists and others consistently visit ECC for lectures, workshops, exhibits, and performances. The Afrikana Institute is directed by Dr. Akil Kokayi Khalfani. Their address is the Zachary Yamba Building; Room 2100, 303 University Ave, Newark, NJ 07102.
For more information, ECC’s Afrikana Institute website is ( http://www.essex.edu/cgee/africana-institute/).

Muhammad Mosque #25 in Newark, NJ

But one of the most important places to learn the knowledge of our Black selves is the Nation of Islam’s Muhammad Mosque #25 located at 170 Littleton Ave in Newark, NJ. This historic Mosque was completely destroyed in 1975. Fortunately, by the 1980s, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan rebuilt the Nation of Islam, and Muhammad Mosque #25, to retrain Black people on the knowledge of our Black selves. The Nation of Islam is the only Muslim organization in the city that teaches the importance of knowing Afrikan history and Afrikan culture, while embracing the teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad (the co-founder of the Nation of Islam) and following the Holy Qu’ran and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ibn Abdullah (Peace be Upon Him). The current leader of Muhammad Mosaque #25 is Student Minister Abdul Haqq Muhammad.

ASCAC

Nationally, there are many Afrikan centered Black conscious organizations teaching the knowledge of our Black selves in America and in the world. One of them is called ASCAC-the Association for the Study of Classical Afrikan Civilizations.

This organization has consistently provided knowledge that continuously contributes to the rescue, reconstruction, and restoration of Afrikan history and culture. ASCAC has promoted the study of Afrikan civilizations for the development of an Afrikan world view. They have built Afrikan centered study groups and strengthen existing institutions all over the Afrikan world community. ASCAC uses their accumulated knowledge for the liberation of Afrikan people wherever they may be in the world. Every year they play host to a massive ASCAC conference that attracts masses of Afrikan people to their program. This year’s ASCAC national conference will be in Los, Angles, California. For more information on ASCA, their website is (https://ascac.org/).

N'COBRA

Another respected national Afrikan centered Black conscious organization teaching the knowledge of our Black selves is N’COBRA. This organization fights for reparations from a Pan-Afrikan Black liberation level. N’COBRA, the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America, was established on September 26, 1987. N’COBRA is the premiere mass-based coalition of organizations and individuals organized for the sole purpose of obtaining reparations for African descendants in the United States. N’COBRA has chapters, members, affiliates, and supporters throughout the U. S. and in Africa, Europe, Central and South America and the Caribbean. N’COBRA holds an annual national membership meeting and conference, usually held the fourth weekend in June, to conduct the business of the Coalition as well as to evaluate and introduce new campaigns and strategies. For more information on N’COBRA, their website is (https://www.ncobraonline.org/).

Man, know thyself Trips to Kemet (Egypt)

In the Afrikan American community, there are courageous organizations coming forward to educate Black people on their history and culture on the continent of Afrika. One important international Afrikan centric Black conscious organization teaching the knowledge of our Black selves is Professor Ashra Kwesi’s annual Man, Know Thyself educational trips to ancient Kemet (Egypt). Every year, Kwesi takes Black people from all over the world to Kemet, and to the Nile Valley, in Afrika to host tours and workshops on Afrika’s contributions to the world’s civilizations, cultures, and religions. He, Kwesi, was a 14-year student of the late and great African Egyptologist Dr. Yosef ben-Jochannan. Dr. Ben, as he was affectionately called by the masses of people in the world, died on March 19, 2019. He was 97 years old. Although Dr. Ben-Jochannan has passed, he authored many widely read books before his death, such as Africa: The Mother of Western Civilizations, Africa: The Mother of Western Religions, and The Blackman and His Family of the Nile. Inspired by the scholarly works of Dr. Ben, Professor Ashra Kwesi has spent 39 years taking people from all around the world to teach and tour the histories and cultures of Kemet, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Kenya. For more information, his website is (https://www.kemetnu.com/egypt_tour.htm).

The Molefe Kete Asante Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania the great Temple University Professor Molefe Kete Asante is taking the knowledge of our Black selves to the streets. He, and his wife Ana Yenenga Asante, created The Molefe Kete Asante Institute in 2011. This independent Afrikan think tank brings Afrocentric research fellows from across the United States, and the world, to join with the Molefi Kete Asante Institute to form an intellectual panoply dedicated to understanding the facts and promoting lively conversations, workshops, seminars, and conferences advancing Afrikan American, Afrikan Caribbean, Afrikan Brazilian, Afrikan Latino, and continental Afrikan realities. With a strong public lecture series every week at 5535 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19144, the MKAI has carried forth a public education about Afrikan American and Afrikan history, politics, economics, contemporary culture, linguistics, psychology, and religion. Dr. Asante is the author of many books and scholarly articles. He is famously known for his book called Afrocentricity. Dr. Asante annually takes people to Kemet (Egypt) in Afrikan to show Black people’s contributions to the world’s civilizations and religions. For more information, their website is (https://www.themkainstitute.com/).

Dr. Maulana Karenga and the Institute for Pan Afrikan Studies

In Los Angeles, California, after 50 years of service to Black people, the great Dr. Maulana Karenga is still teaching Afrikan centered Black consciousness. In the 1960s, he established a Black power cultural nationalist organization called US. Out of this movement came Kwanzaa-an Afrikan centric Afrikan American cultural holiday celebrated every December 26 to January 1. Dr. Karenga lectures all over America, and all over the world, on the importance of the knowledge of our Black selves. Dr. Karenga chairs the Africana Studies Department at California State University, Long Beach. He is the director of the Kawaida (Kiswahili word for normal) Institute for Pan Afrikan Studies and the author of several books, including his Introduction to Black Studies, a comprehensive Black/African Studies textbook now in its fourth edition (2010), originally published in 1982. He is also known for having co-hosted, in 1984, a conference that gave rise to the Association for the Study of Classical Afrikan Civilizations, and in 1995, he sat on the organizing committee and authored the mission statement of the Million Man March. Dr. Karenga was awarded his first PhD in 1976 from United States International University (now known as Alliant International University) for a 170-page dissertation entitled "Afro-American Nationalism: Social Strategy and Struggle for Community". Later in his career, in 1994, he was awarded a second Ph.D., in social ethics, from the University of Southern California (USC), for an 803-page dissertation entitled "Maat, the moral ideal in ancient Egypt: A study in classical African ethics. For more information, his website is (http://www.us-organization.org/).

Dr. Ron Daniels and the Institute for the Black World

I would be remiss, if I did not mention the Institute for the Black World 21st Century. Although this group is more about Black advocacy, this organization is rooted in Afrikan centered Black consciousness. Founded by the legendary community activist Dr. Ron Daniels, the Institute of the Black World is committed to enhancing the capacity of Black communities in the U.S., and globally, to achieve cultural, social, economic and political equality.
Every program and workshop the Institute for the Black World organizes promotes the importance of the knowledge of our Black selves. For more information, their website is (https://ibw21.org/about/).

In closing, to all my non-Black family members, you too can help Black people by being supportive. The moral principles of humanity requires you do the right thing. But as Black people, we must continue on with, or with your support, in the struggle to rebuild ourselves and our lives in America and in the world. It is absolutely necessary for us to acquire a knowledge of Black selves. I am thankful that we still have courageous Afrikan centered Black conscious Black people still fighting for us to know our Black selves. But know this family, the enemies of our people are still working against us night and day. Unfortunately, White supremacy and the system of racism are absolutely committed to preventing us from knowing our Afrikan History, Afrikan culture, and Afrikan spirituality. But we must walk in the spirit of our rebellious and revolutionary Afrikan ancestors to continue teaching the knowledge of our selves despite the opposition. Knowing who we are as Black people will help us continue to create a pathway for Black power, true freedom from mental slavery, Black unity, and self-determination in the millennium. Most importantly, I hope this commentary will inspire you to seek out the knowledge of our Black selves and establish programs amongst Black people on the knowledge of self.

Hotep!!!

-Bashir Muhammad Akinyele is a History Teacher, Black Studies Teacher, Community Actvist, Chairperson of Weequahic High School's Black History Month Committee in Newark, NJ, commentary writer, and Co-Producer and Co-Host of the All Politics Are Local, the number #1 political Hip Hip radio show in America.

Note: Spelling Afrika with a k is not a typo. Using the k in Afrika is the Kiswahili way of writing Africa. Kiswahili is a Pan -Afrikan language. It is spoken in many countries in Afrika. Kiswahili is the language used in Kwanzaa. The holiday of Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26 to January
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#Hotep
#afrocentricity
#nationofislam
#kemet
#blackthelogy
#kwanzaa
#blackstudies