Earl Davis, trumpet player and longtime associate of Marvin X when he played at the Black Arts West/Theatre (circa 1966, along with Dewey Redman, Oliver Johnson, Rafeal Garrett, Monte Waters, BJ, et al) will serve as music director for the Amiri Baraka celebration at the Jazz Heritage Center. Earl also played with Sun Ra, one of the cofounders of the Black Arts Theatre in Harlem. Sun Ra also worked with Marvin X on the west coast at his Black Educational Theatre on O'farrel between Fillmore and Webster.
Earl will coordinate the musicians for the musical/dance interlude. He will perform during the reception at Lush Life Gallery. Please give him respect as an elder and legend in his own right.
Linda Johnson will serve as dance director for the processional. She will work with Rayetta Rayzetta, Rashidah Mwongozi, drummers Kele Nitoto and Val Serrant and additional dancers
Ayodele Nzingha will be stage manager and co-facilitator of the words of praise segment, co-facilitator is Arthur Sheridan.
Geoffrey Grier will assist Ayo on the stage.
Hunia and Marvin X will serve as MCs.
Ptah Allah El will coordinate the video production team that consists of Adam Turner, Ken Johnson, Khalid Waajib, and photographers Kamau Amen-Ra and Gene Hazzard.
Black Dialogue Brothers will head security (Abdul Sabry, Aubry Labrie, Duke Williams, Arthur Sheridan, Saadat Ahmed, Marvin X)
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Fort Hood: When the Doctor Goes Crazy
Fort Hood: When the Doctor Goes Crazy
Maj. Malik Hasan was a mental health worker who refused to return to the battle field. What did he know and when did he know it that caused him to unleash such terror upon his comrades? The irony is that it makes us wonder if the doctor was this sick, what might be the condition of his patients? Imagine, if they are sicker than he then we have a problem of an extreme degree. We know the post traumatic stress syndrome of soldiers returning from war--had Dr. Hasan seen too much stress in his patients, to the degree he would rather kill them than see them return to the battlefield, himself included?
These are questions we must ask ourselves, since these are our sons and daughters going off to war. We know America has no business in Muslim lands--nothing can come of their presence no matter how long they remain. The war in Iraq appears to be winding down but in my mind the war has not started because the ultimate war shall be between the Sunnis and Shia who have a date with destiny and America can only delay the day of judgment between two sects that have been at war since the death of Prophet Muhammad.
To delay the rise of Shia Islam and its expansion to the Mediterranean at the urging of the corrupt, oppressive Sunni regimes in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the Gulf States and Israel, the Americans will prolong their departure until they have diluted Shia majority rule in Iraq, and in the process check Iran, a brother Shia nation.
With its presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan, America sinks deeper into the lands of people who clearly have no fear of death and worship it like a thirsty man craves water. So we should expect more suicides and homicides among the American military as they continue encountering Muslim death angels. The Christian soldiers will eventually depart the Muslim lands as they did during the Crusades, even if it takes one hundred years. For sure, the Muslims will never stop fighting until they depart. Meanwhile, we shall continue seeing the mental deterioration of US troops who have no mission other than to escape poverty and ignorance by becoming mercenaries for the capitalist war machine who profits greatly from supplying the tools of war made by corporations headed by retired military men and women.
--Marvin X
Marvin X (El Muhajir) is the father of Muslim American literature and a cofounder of the Black Arts Movement. Some of his notable books include Fly to Allah (a seminal work in Muslim American literature), Woman-Man's Best Friend, Love and War, Wish I Could Tell You The Truth, In the Crazy House Called America, Land of My Daughters, Beyond Religion, toward Spirituality, How to Recover from the Addiction to White Supremacy, Eldridge Cleaver: My Friend the Devil, the Mythology of Pussy, the Wisdom of Plato Negro: A Hustler's Guide to the Game Called Life.
www.marvinxwrites.blogspot.com
Maj. Malik Hasan was a mental health worker who refused to return to the battle field. What did he know and when did he know it that caused him to unleash such terror upon his comrades? The irony is that it makes us wonder if the doctor was this sick, what might be the condition of his patients? Imagine, if they are sicker than he then we have a problem of an extreme degree. We know the post traumatic stress syndrome of soldiers returning from war--had Dr. Hasan seen too much stress in his patients, to the degree he would rather kill them than see them return to the battlefield, himself included?
These are questions we must ask ourselves, since these are our sons and daughters going off to war. We know America has no business in Muslim lands--nothing can come of their presence no matter how long they remain. The war in Iraq appears to be winding down but in my mind the war has not started because the ultimate war shall be between the Sunnis and Shia who have a date with destiny and America can only delay the day of judgment between two sects that have been at war since the death of Prophet Muhammad.
To delay the rise of Shia Islam and its expansion to the Mediterranean at the urging of the corrupt, oppressive Sunni regimes in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the Gulf States and Israel, the Americans will prolong their departure until they have diluted Shia majority rule in Iraq, and in the process check Iran, a brother Shia nation.
With its presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan, America sinks deeper into the lands of people who clearly have no fear of death and worship it like a thirsty man craves water. So we should expect more suicides and homicides among the American military as they continue encountering Muslim death angels. The Christian soldiers will eventually depart the Muslim lands as they did during the Crusades, even if it takes one hundred years. For sure, the Muslims will never stop fighting until they depart. Meanwhile, we shall continue seeing the mental deterioration of US troops who have no mission other than to escape poverty and ignorance by becoming mercenaries for the capitalist war machine who profits greatly from supplying the tools of war made by corporations headed by retired military men and women.
--Marvin X
Marvin X (El Muhajir) is the father of Muslim American literature and a cofounder of the Black Arts Movement. Some of his notable books include Fly to Allah (a seminal work in Muslim American literature), Woman-Man's Best Friend, Love and War, Wish I Could Tell You The Truth, In the Crazy House Called America, Land of My Daughters, Beyond Religion, toward Spirituality, How to Recover from the Addiction to White Supremacy, Eldridge Cleaver: My Friend the Devil, the Mythology of Pussy, the Wisdom of Plato Negro: A Hustler's Guide to the Game Called Life.
www.marvinxwrites.blogspot.com
Black Arts West Celebrates Amiri Baraka
Program for Amiri Baraka Celebration at the Jazz Heritage Center
November 9, 2009, 3-7PM
Jazz Heritage Media Center (1330 Fillmore), San Francisco
Musical/Dance Interlude
Augusta Collins, Rashidah Mwongozi, Phavia Khujichagulia,Tarika Lewis,
Linda Johnson Dancers, Raynetta Rayzetta, Earl Davis, Val Serrant, Kele Nitoto
Welcome Charlie Walker
Invocation Suzzette Celeste
Libations Mutima Imani
Words of Praise (2 min. max) Bay Area Writers
Facilitators: Art Sheridan, Ayodele Nzingha
Confirmed Particpants for Amiri Baraka Celebration
devorah major
Jahahara
Wade "Speedy" Woods
Jerri Lange
Michael Lange
Dr. Oba'Tshaka
Dr. Dorothy Tsuruta
Norman Brown
Aubrey Labrie
Abdul Sabry
Tarika Lewis
Augusta Collins
Linda Johnson
Raynetta Rayzetta
Val Serrant
Rashidah Mwongozi
Kele Nitoto
James Sweeney
Mutima Imani
Suzzette Celeste
Earl Davis
Charlie Walker
Adam Turner
Ken Johnson
Gene Hazzard
Arthur Sheridan
Duke Williams
Walter Riley
Rev. George Murray
Cecil Brown
Dr. James Garrett
Terry Collins
Christine Harris
Kamau Amen-Ra
Phavia Kujichagulia
Paradise
Ptah Allah El
Elliott Bey
Paul Cobb
Leon Teasley
Thomas Simpson
Avotcja
HuNia
Saadat Ahmed
Timothy Reed
Pat Brown
Shukuru
Billy X Jennings
Emory Douglas
Wanda Sabir
Introduction of Amiri Baraka by James Sweeney
Amiri Baraka
“Black Studies Went to College and Never Came Home!”—Ptah Allah El
Panel Discussion on Black Studies and Community
Amiri Baraka, Abdul Sabry, Mary Lewis, Rev. George Murray, Ptah Allah El,
Cecil Brown, Dorothy Tsuruta, Jimmy Garrett
Moderator: Marvin X
Q and A
Reception at Lush Life Gallery (1320 Fillmore)
Organizers, Supporters, Sponsors:
Post Newspaper Group (Paul Cobb, Jack Naidu, Conway Jones, Gene Hazzard, Adam Turner, Maxine Ussery), Jazz Heritage Center/Lush Life Gallery (Peter Fitzgerald), Black Dialogue Brothers (Aubrey Labrie, Abdul Sabry, Duke Williams, Saadat Ahmed, Al Young, Marvin X), Black Bird Press, San Francisco Recovery Theatre (Geoffrey Grier), Lower Bottom Playaz (Ayodele Nzingha), Dr. J. Vern Cromartie, James W. Sweeney, KPOO radio (Terry Collins, JJ), Afro-Solo (Thomas Simpson), Charlie Walker, August Collins, Khalid Waajib, Kamau Amenra, Kenneth Johnson, Paradise, Phavia, Raynetta Rayzetta,Ptah Allah el, Elliott Bey, Tony, Eugene Allen, Hunia, Rehema Ba, Walter Riley, Leon Teasley.
A Marvin X Production
November 9, 2009, 3-7PM
Jazz Heritage Media Center (1330 Fillmore), San Francisco
Musical/Dance Interlude
Augusta Collins, Rashidah Mwongozi, Phavia Khujichagulia,Tarika Lewis,
Linda Johnson Dancers, Raynetta Rayzetta, Earl Davis, Val Serrant, Kele Nitoto
Welcome Charlie Walker
Invocation Suzzette Celeste
Libations Mutima Imani
Words of Praise (2 min. max) Bay Area Writers
Facilitators: Art Sheridan, Ayodele Nzingha
Confirmed Particpants for Amiri Baraka Celebration
devorah major
Jahahara
Wade "Speedy" Woods
Jerri Lange
Michael Lange
Dr. Oba'Tshaka
Dr. Dorothy Tsuruta
Norman Brown
Aubrey Labrie
Abdul Sabry
Tarika Lewis
Augusta Collins
Linda Johnson
Raynetta Rayzetta
Val Serrant
Rashidah Mwongozi
Kele Nitoto
James Sweeney
Mutima Imani
Suzzette Celeste
Earl Davis
Charlie Walker
Adam Turner
Ken Johnson
Gene Hazzard
Arthur Sheridan
Duke Williams
Walter Riley
Rev. George Murray
Cecil Brown
Dr. James Garrett
Terry Collins
Christine Harris
Kamau Amen-Ra
Phavia Kujichagulia
Paradise
Ptah Allah El
Elliott Bey
Paul Cobb
Leon Teasley
Thomas Simpson
Avotcja
HuNia
Saadat Ahmed
Timothy Reed
Pat Brown
Shukuru
Billy X Jennings
Emory Douglas
Wanda Sabir
Introduction of Amiri Baraka by James Sweeney
Amiri Baraka
“Black Studies Went to College and Never Came Home!”—Ptah Allah El
Panel Discussion on Black Studies and Community
Amiri Baraka, Abdul Sabry, Mary Lewis, Rev. George Murray, Ptah Allah El,
Cecil Brown, Dorothy Tsuruta, Jimmy Garrett
Moderator: Marvin X
Q and A
Reception at Lush Life Gallery (1320 Fillmore)
Organizers, Supporters, Sponsors:
Post Newspaper Group (Paul Cobb, Jack Naidu, Conway Jones, Gene Hazzard, Adam Turner, Maxine Ussery), Jazz Heritage Center/Lush Life Gallery (Peter Fitzgerald), Black Dialogue Brothers (Aubrey Labrie, Abdul Sabry, Duke Williams, Saadat Ahmed, Al Young, Marvin X), Black Bird Press, San Francisco Recovery Theatre (Geoffrey Grier), Lower Bottom Playaz (Ayodele Nzingha), Dr. J. Vern Cromartie, James W. Sweeney, KPOO radio (Terry Collins, JJ), Afro-Solo (Thomas Simpson), Charlie Walker, August Collins, Khalid Waajib, Kamau Amenra, Kenneth Johnson, Paradise, Phavia, Raynetta Rayzetta,Ptah Allah el, Elliott Bey, Tony, Eugene Allen, Hunia, Rehema Ba, Walter Riley, Leon Teasley.
A Marvin X Production
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Reasons
Reasons
by
Ayodele Nzingha
I got reasons
Reasons for war
Reasons for inner peace
Reasons
for my reasoning
it ain't random
you can put it on the margin
call it fringe
it’s a matter of the matter
ya condition is in
or the paradigm ya
lens is in
if its crazy to be sane
then
you know
how a double
consciousness go
walking and wounded
wounded still walking
behind the veil
seeing
I got my reasons
reasons
why I flaunt my nappy hair
still think in Ebonics
fluent in my overstanding of
the lens in ya literacy
and i still be me
got my reasons
why I don't care bout
ya reasons
season after season
it looks the same
it ain't geography that's
easy to see
its beyond the lie of race
it’s not nuanced in class
(I pray ya the last of a dying
breed) cuz I
can't explain the greed
what kind of fear
prompts that kind of need
but I see it
and I reason
I don't matter
so I stay brave
enough to smell rain coming
get my news from the dead
eat well
sleep on clean sheets
and wear oils of lavender and frankincense
while I can
I reason time belongs to God
and you are
not
God
you got ya reasons
I guess to be confused
manipulating thangs
the way you do
what's a lie told
over and over
its the truth
broadcast it and
make it divine
but season
after season
I resist the
change necessary
to see through your
eyes
I got my reasons
with this target
on my back
I lack the motivation
to see how you reason
your rationales
decide ya bottom lines
devise ya acceptable collateral
damage tolerance
i got little tolerance
for ignorance
and reasons
not to trust you
done studied you thru Tuskegee
and the subways
don't trust you on the airways
seen you thru the haze
covering the hi ways
as you follow the oil pipe ways
seen you
my eyes were open
(heard you plotting death
and everyone's destruction)
my ears were open
(God don't forgive em
they don't care what
dem do)
feel you wining
when i am quiet
so I got reasons
to scream
i got reasons
to sleep eyes open
I got reasons
not to forget you
jailer keys jangling from the
belt below your fat belly
I remember them dumb
(its true you eat your young)
big ass eco foot prints
yes and ships
planes
bombs
weapons of mass destruction
and doctrine
manifesting ya reasons
to suit ya actions
I got reasons to
fear your secret thoughts
and your out loud lies
got reasons
to hit ya with the stank eye
while keeping my good eye on you
got reasons
to say ju ju when you pass
spit in the road and burn herbs
where are the souls that
should show though the eyes
I fear the reality
behind your disguise
I got reasons
to pray to old Gods
got reasons to
read more than the gospel
(yeah though I live in
in Babylon where idiots do
get they babble on)
got reasons to
teach my young to
beware merry go rounds
and lies about shiny things
that you pay for with ya soul
teaching em to remember
no matter how it hurts
to know the truth
instructing them to
ward off evil
by working
hex the devil
by dreaming
saying to them
write poems
don't kill one another
even lyrically
love the old
protect the young
sharpen intellects
to sword points
to make my point
got reasons
to keep reasoning
with the tone deaf choir
(more fire aya)
until its
too late
for reason
reasoning or
reasons.
by
Ayodele Nzingha
I got reasons
Reasons for war
Reasons for inner peace
Reasons
for my reasoning
it ain't random
you can put it on the margin
call it fringe
it’s a matter of the matter
ya condition is in
or the paradigm ya
lens is in
if its crazy to be sane
then
you know
how a double
consciousness go
walking and wounded
wounded still walking
behind the veil
seeing
I got my reasons
reasons
why I flaunt my nappy hair
still think in Ebonics
fluent in my overstanding of
the lens in ya literacy
and i still be me
got my reasons
why I don't care bout
ya reasons
season after season
it looks the same
it ain't geography that's
easy to see
its beyond the lie of race
it’s not nuanced in class
(I pray ya the last of a dying
breed) cuz I
can't explain the greed
what kind of fear
prompts that kind of need
but I see it
and I reason
I don't matter
so I stay brave
enough to smell rain coming
get my news from the dead
eat well
sleep on clean sheets
and wear oils of lavender and frankincense
while I can
I reason time belongs to God
and you are
not
God
you got ya reasons
I guess to be confused
manipulating thangs
the way you do
what's a lie told
over and over
its the truth
broadcast it and
make it divine
but season
after season
I resist the
change necessary
to see through your
eyes
I got my reasons
with this target
on my back
I lack the motivation
to see how you reason
your rationales
decide ya bottom lines
devise ya acceptable collateral
damage tolerance
i got little tolerance
for ignorance
and reasons
not to trust you
done studied you thru Tuskegee
and the subways
don't trust you on the airways
seen you thru the haze
covering the hi ways
as you follow the oil pipe ways
seen you
my eyes were open
(heard you plotting death
and everyone's destruction)
my ears were open
(God don't forgive em
they don't care what
dem do)
feel you wining
when i am quiet
so I got reasons
to scream
i got reasons
to sleep eyes open
I got reasons
not to forget you
jailer keys jangling from the
belt below your fat belly
I remember them dumb
(its true you eat your young)
big ass eco foot prints
yes and ships
planes
bombs
weapons of mass destruction
and doctrine
manifesting ya reasons
to suit ya actions
I got reasons to
fear your secret thoughts
and your out loud lies
got reasons
to hit ya with the stank eye
while keeping my good eye on you
got reasons
to say ju ju when you pass
spit in the road and burn herbs
where are the souls that
should show though the eyes
I fear the reality
behind your disguise
I got reasons
to pray to old Gods
got reasons to
read more than the gospel
(yeah though I live in
in Babylon where idiots do
get they babble on)
got reasons to
teach my young to
beware merry go rounds
and lies about shiny things
that you pay for with ya soul
teaching em to remember
no matter how it hurts
to know the truth
instructing them to
ward off evil
by working
hex the devil
by dreaming
saying to them
write poems
don't kill one another
even lyrically
love the old
protect the young
sharpen intellects
to sword points
to make my point
got reasons
to keep reasoning
with the tone deaf choir
(more fire aya)
until its
too late
for reason
reasoning or
reasons.
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