Beloved!
Let's get into this Audre Lorde tribute by Google before I say a word...
It is absolutely fantabulous! Also, I've been vibing to this playlist while I work- super productive vibes.
This week I watched Malcolm & Marie and Judas & the Black Messiah. Both are wonderful pieces of art, so please do watch both, but the story of Fred Hampton's assassination sits a bit closer to my heart.
For the record, Fred Hampton is arguably my third favorite Panther. (Angel Davis, Assata Olu and Huey P the Aquarius are top flight for me.) <3
I know what you are thinking- "well, L you never talk about The Panthers" and you don't seem very "revolutionary on your socials."
CONFESSION... in my 20's I was lowkey out here trying establish a new age revolution- obviously the weapon is LOVE but the principles of Ten Point Program would be key for ALL people - black, brown, immigrant, lgbtqai, woman and poor (regardless of race*). What was the 10 Point Program, you ask? I did do a few Black August shows, but I digress. (Shout out Lalit! Shout out Tamir)
What We Want Now!
We want freedom. We want power to determine the destiny of our Black Community.
We want full employment for our people.
We want an end to the robbery by the capitalists of our black and oppressed communities.
We want decent housing, fit for shelter of human beings.
We want education for our people that exposes the true nature of this decadent American society. We want education that teaches us our true history and our role in the present day society.
We want all Black men to be exempt from military service.
We want an immediate end to POLICE BRUTALITY and MURDER of Black people.
We want freedom for all Black men held in federal, state, county and city prisons and jails.
We want all Black people when brought to trial to be tried in court by a jury of their peer group or people from their Black Communities, as defined by the Constitution of the United States.
We want land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice and peace.
It has always been my belief that equality will only be achieved at the hands of economic balance and retribution. Everything that the panthers stood for demanded that acknowledgement. Fred Hampton was one of the few brothers that not only put that idea into actions but also was able to do so across the color line. The Rainbow Coalition was dangerous to the US government because of the same reasons why MLK's People's Campaign poses a threat to this day.
We glorify "I Have a Dream", but 4 years later we got "Three Evils of Society" in 1967- needless to say that next year, 1968, we lost MLK. Why is that? But this isn't a hypothetical journal- I really want each and every one of you to go watch this film by the Lucas Brothers- and I want to 'give dem boi dey flowers, yah?'.
Last but not least...THE MUSIC!
Anyway, let's have a chat after you watch and then next stop BILLIE!
*This is key and I promise to write a whole entire piece on MLK's Poor People's Campaign- but it's complicated and I must be careful.
Alot of folx transitioning, make sure they pay you your worth! Just talked to my former manager and I'm realizing that the way for the have nots to compete with the haves is to HAVE all the information. PEEP BEFORE YOU SIGN! (AND ADD)
If you haven't done so already, please do follow me on Spotify and save my artist page. Also, if I start a weekly TWITCH party, would you come truuu?
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