Lift Ev’ry Voice … and Act for Reparations Now!

by Baba Jahahara Amen-RA Alkebulan-Ma’at

6259 AAAK (Approximate Ancient Alkebulan/Afrikan Kalendar)

May 2019 JC-PG (Julius Caesar/Pope Gregory Calendar)

Afrikans Deserve Reparations! Cause, Black lives truly matter! Asé.

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 yesteryears and yesterdays – find you and (y)our extended Family in sacred Spirit, healing and thriving. WE are hoping to be in the magnificent presence of those of you around the Bay Area soon … possibly, at upcoming events like International Workers’ Day on 1 May (at the Port of Oakland); the 19^th Annual MALCOLM X Jazz & Art Fest on 18 May (at San Antonio Park, Oakland); African Liberation Day on 25 May (in Oakland); and other venues. Asé.

WE honor the life, contributions and recent Spiritual Transformations of Baba LEONARD MCNEIL, long-time activist for justice and peace, war resister, professor of OURstory and former Mayor of the City of San Pablo California; ERMIAS ASGHEDOM, aka “NIPSEY HU$$LE,” a dynamic grassroots commUNITY organizer, healer, business owner, musician and more; Elder CLEMON C. “CLEM” DANIELS, our successful seeker of justice, businessman and former AFL-NFL running back (primarily for the raiding franchise that is preparing to leave Oakland for the second time, and is now ripping off the residents and visitors of Las Vegas and the state of Nevada).

And, our beloved Dr. OLIVIA J. HOOKER, an accomplished psychologist, at an amazing 106 years young. Dr. Hooker was also one of the last known survivors of the 6161/1921 terrorist, racist, murderous and destructive attack on the then-thriving African community and business district in Tulsa, Oklahoma’s GAP (Greenwood, Archer and Pine) by the white establishment and ignorant and violent population. She was only six years old at the time.

In addition, as one of his murderers was recently executed, WE remember Ancestor JAMES BYRD of Jasper Texas – a cousin of our Bay View publisher Dr. Willie Ratcliff – who was the victim of a horrific and racist lynching-by-truck-dragging in Texas, in 6238/1998.

Also, WE are extremely saddened by the thousands of Africans killed by imperialist and corporate-induced climate chaos in southern part of our Mother continent (particularly, in Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Azania/South Africa, Tanzania, etc.). Unfortunately, WE are all threatened by the increasingly devastating environmental crises that will grow worse … until WE exercise our collective Power over the profits-first-motivated developers, industrialists and financiers.

Long Live the magnificent Spirits – and the incredible and unique Gifts – of these new and All our Beloved Ancestors! Asé. Asé. Asé-O!!!

SACRED AND BLESSED B’EARTHday WISHES … to our incredible leader, editor and do-it-all-for-our-Bay View, Mama Mary Ratcliff; and Mumia Abu-Jamal, our wrongfully-incarcerated Baba, Sun, husband, political leader, truth-teller, writer, author and more. As well as, for Ancestors PAUL ROBESON (10 April); EL HAJJ MALIK EL SHABAZZ, fka Malcolm X, YURI KOCHIYAMA, HO CHI MINH and the aforementioned LEONARD MCNEIL (all on 19 May). Asé.

HELP US MAKE MORE REPARATIONS VICTORIES A REALITY!!! In our February 2019 column, WE recognized Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee of Houston, Texas for re-introducing H.R. 40, “The Commission to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals for African Americans Act,” into the 116th Congressional Session. This legislation was initially developed decades ago by advocates for Reparations with former Rep. John Conyers of Detroit, and first submitted in 6229/1989.

Well, based on the work of so many, especially members of our N’COBRA (National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America), WE now have, for the first time, a similar bill in the usa Senate. Sponsored by Cory Booker of New Jersey, the companion bill is S.1083. As i have often commented, passage and implementation of this legislation is certainly not a “cure-all.” However, it does give us additional opportunities to broaden our discussions, expand our research, uncover more truth and build victorious actions and possibilities for Africans and our allies … to the past and continuing enslavement maafa and holocaust, government terrorism, crimes against humanity and robberies against our people during this commemoration period of james-town 1619-2019.

Please Lift Your Voice and contact your congressperson, senators and candidates ASAP!!! – including those running for president – to make sure they are a current endorser of our Reparations legislation. If they are, thank them and demand they call for hearings and votes in the House and Senate immediately. If they have not endorsed the bills, please insist that they immediately do so. Let them know how critical debate and passage of these bills are to African people outside and inside the prison walls; and, in the usa as well as around our African Diaspora.

To paraphrase our Ancestor FREDERICK DOUGLASS, “The abusers of Power will concede nothing to us … without our strong Demands and righteous Actions.” Asé.

And, again, please accept this invitation to join with, support and help expand one or more of our organizations working for self-determination, independence, reparations and our liberation on many fronts – including internal healing, international, cooperative economic development, in the legal arena, on local and federal legislation, and many other means – such as our N’COBRA, Jericho Amnesty Movement to Free All Political Prisoners, Provisional Government – Republic of New Afrika, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, New Afrikan People’s Organization, All African People’s Revolutionary Party, All of Us or None, Institute for the Black World, etc., etc.

Asante Sana to Our Readers! i/WE sincerely appreciate our readers and their correspondence, on the outside and from inside the prison walls. WE are working to respond in some way to everyone; and/or refer some of your requests to our ally organizations and friends in your particular regions. WE offer our most significant RESPECT, APPRECIATION and SUPPORT to our long-suffering political leaders, like Baba Jalil Muntaqim, Mumia Abu-Jamal and so many others. Though experiencing decades of torture, they graciously check-up on our well-being and life challenges. Please help us build our righteous Jericho Amnesty Movement to Bring Them All Home Now!!! Here’s the link to connect: https://www.thejerichomovement.com/.

A couple of months ago, WE gave a shout-out to our young Brothers, scholar-athletes and coaches at both McClymonds and Oakland high school, for winning California state football championships. At this time, WE Shout-UP to our young Sisters, scholar-athletes, parents, coaches, teachers and staff at Oakland High and Oakland Technical High schools for successfully becoming California state basketball champions. “Keep on studying, my Sisters! And, achieving at the highest levels! WE are so proud of and support you!” Asé.

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 usa (including to numerous prisons where WE are not currently “banned”).

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 Hotep! Ase’-O!

#BlackLivesMatter #AfricansDeserve&DemandReparations #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

Source: https://sfbayview.com/2019/05/lift-evry-voice-and-act-for-reparations-now/