On Dr. M's Movement to Recover from the Addiction to White Supremacy



On Friday, October 12, 7pm, Dr. M and his troops will gather at Oakland's Eastside Arts Center to initiate the first session of his Pan African Mental Health Peer Group to recover from the addiction to white supremacy, based on his book by the same name. He is known for putting on extravaganzas, such as the 12 hour Melvin Black Forum to stop the Oakland police from killing black men, 1979, the Black Men's Conference, 1980, the Kings and Queens of Black Consciousness, 2001, and the Black Radical Book Fair, 2004.

After appearing on a panel at Harlem 's Schomberg library in honor of Malcolm X's birthday, Dr. M was inspired by the audience response to his proposed book. "When a Harlem audience responds in the affirmative, you better know you are on the right track because Harlemites are the most critical people in Pan Africa. They were especially excited when I told them I was writing a book that included detoxing from white supremacy as well as recovery and discovery, the added 13th step in the traditional 12 step program of AA, NA and CA. Now this idea was suggested by my elder Dr. Nathan Hare (foreword), and my junior associate Ptah Allah El (afterword), who recommended including detox and discovery, so I am attempting to make it a reality, even though I myself did not use the 12 step approach to recover from my 12 years of addiction to Crack cocaine, or my 45 years of addiction to alcohol, but what didn't help me may help you, therefore I am transcending my ego for the greater good. And I am proceeding with this idea because I saw grass roots people using the 12 step model to process their recovery from addiction to drugs, and I was inspired by their determination and sincerity, so I am convinced the 12 Step Model can work to help us recover from the addiction to white supremacy, simply because we are drunk on the addiction to white supremacy as if it were alcohol, heroin, meth, crack, ecstasy and marijuana combined. And we are in grand denial, which prevents us from entering the detox which precedes recovery, to say nothing of reaching the final step of discovery wherein we realize our purpose and life mission, afterall it is not enough to recover from white supremacy but what is our personal and collective mission? For those who don't know: Pan African liberation and the realization of our spirituality or divine consciousness.

Dr. Nathan Hare, in his foreword to my book How to Recover from the Addiction to White Supremacy, suggests that there are two levels of addiction to white supremacy: level 1 is the oppressor’s addiction and level 2 is the addiction of the oppressed. Now level 1 has a high level of denial, probably the result of the Iago complex (block man) and the enjoyment of white privilege. White people enjoy exercising white power—wouldn’t you enjoy black power if you were in power and were able to dominate and exploit the planet earth. Be real, all men enjoy the fact that they are able to dominate women—even when there is no need to do so we will exercise such power because we are addicted to doing so, if for no other reason. The woman may be so good to us that there is no need to dominate, yet we will do so because we are addicted. Those who have been a part of the dope culture will know what I am talking about.
But know too that in the dope culture the one who dominates is the one who controls the dope—usually the male but sometimes the female, who then calls the shots and the male submits.

With respect to my book, few white people have purchased it or bothered to pick it up. Usually they stop at my table when I am at my outdoor classroom downtown Oakland and rush along, as if to say, “The nerve of this nigger, to suggest that black people need to recover from us! There’s nothing wrong with us oppressing people around the world. This is our duty as the saviors of civilization. We need to exploit you people to save you, now why in the world do you need to recover from us?”
And sadly, this is the attitude of right wing whites and left wing whites for they both enjoy white privilege and have no desire to give it up—and as per revolution and radical change, this is fine as long as whites lead the struggle and control the agenda, for non-white people must be led by the master race, even the master race radicals—and whatever you niggers do to recover from us, don’t mention Israel because we are undercover Zionists and you cannot say one word against the Zionist entity—haven’t you noticed that not one of our negroes/niggers say one word against Zionism, especially our niggers in the congress or in the church, so you other niggers better fall in line with our white supremacy agenda.”

Dr. M’s agenda will include music therapy in the healing process. Musicians will perform on Friday at Eastside Arts, including Elliott Bey, Phavia Khujichagulia, Jeremiah, and Angela Wellman.

Keyboard master Elliott Bey appears on Marvin X’s DVD Live in Philly at Warm Daddies, also fearturing Sun Ra’s master musicians Marshall Allen and Danny Thompson, along with the late bagpipe master
Rufus Harley. Phavia is a legendary poet, trumpet and coronet player. Dr. M’s loves her poetic line, “If you think I’m just a physical thing, wait til you see the spiritual power I bring.” Jeremiah is a vocalist with a tune about black men killing black men and Angela Wellman is a trombonist who is director of the Oakland Conservatory of Music.

The Eastside Arts Center is located at 2277 International Blvd , Oakland . Call 510-355-6339 for more information. Admission: must purchase book at door, $19.95. If you have the book, show it, but a donation is requested. The book is available from Black Bird Press, POB 1317 Paradise CA 95967 .
It can be obtained downtown Oakland at De Lauer’s News, 1310 Broadway at 14th. For booking Dr. M, call 510-355-6339.