gil scott-heron

*more videos @ www.rbgtube.com

we need the elders.

"because of the extended-family system and the universal hospitality, the aged were fortunately free of the problems of sustenance. they played self-fulfilling and socially satisfying roles within their communities. while old age was a liability in a new world plantation and throughout the capitalist world, in Africa advanced age brought honour, increased respect and authority. the gerontocratic bias of African society meant that a great deal of power and authority was based on seniority in age. an elder was learned and wise because he had had maximum exposure to life in that society, as well as to all of the formal education which was available. as a young man he had spent several months in the 'bush school,' where he had received instructions prior to initiation; later he had graduated from successive age-groups or through several levels of a fraternity, where secret knowledge was revealed at each stage; and finally an elder would himself be a teacher. in a state system, elders tutored the prospective ruler and advised the ruling king; while in 'stateless societies' they were the sole repositories of historical, spiritual and legal knowledge. in both sets of situations they had to be informed and alert because of their responsibilities."

*excerpted from "the groundings with my brothers" by walter rodney, pg.54

long live the justice movement!

"what good was the civil rights movement? if it had just given this country dr. king, a leader of conscience, for once in our lifetime, it would have been enough. if it had just taken Black eyes off white television stories, it would have been enough. if it had fed one starving child, it would have been enough.

if the civil rights movement is 'dead,' and if it gave us nothing else, it gave us each other forever. it gave some of us bread, some of us shelter, some of us knowledge and pride, all of us comfort. it gave us our children, our husbands, our brothers, our fathers, as men reborn and with a purpose for living. it broke the pattern of Black servitude in this country. it shattered the phony 'promise' of white soap operas that sucked away so many pitiful lives. it gave us history and men far greater than presidents. it gave us heroes, selfless men of courage and strength, for our little boys and girls to follow. it gave us hope for tomorrow. it called us to life.

because we live, it can never die.

*excerpted from "in search of our mothers' gardens" by alice walker, pgs.128-129

performers should do more than

"politically, his agenda is business as usual. he still promotes capitalism. he is still the Black face of a white power system. the 3.2 billion dollars they gave in the stimulus plan to the prison industry was definitely not for the people. he still represents uncle sam, in terms of the job he has to do. we got [nonwhite] police that still send us to the same jail. just cause we have a [nonwhite] politician don’t mean the white house still ain’t the white house (laughing). people think if you have anything critical to say about the administration then you attacking the Black man. i ain’t attacking a Black man. i’m a Black man. but when the [nonwhite] man's giving 3.2 billion to the prison industry, he aint giving the Black man a chance ‘cause we the ones in prison.

but we have to be able to respect him for the historic nature but be able to critically analyze the situation. it’s bigger than hip-hop and it’s bigger than skin tone. it’s about your agenda and what policies you’re putting in place for the people."

*an article with dead prez from "the urban daily"
http://theurbandaily.blackplanet.com/music/does-dead-prez-still-have-a-pulse/

dr. ben jochannan

*more videos @ www.rbgtube.com

my sister's keeper?

"did you ever wonder how we must have appeared to our mothers? i have wondered this. once, in the days following the birth of our child --for she would not speak of sex or childbirth before i had a child-- my mother broke a self-imposed taboo to speak to me of rape. or rather, of how she had avoided rape. i have a feeling now that she was the kind of woman who would have said a woman could not be raped: though her own light-colored face belied this, surely. people who are routinely violated over centuries make curious denials. but i would speak to her of rape, as i spoke to her of everything that mattered. and she told me the following story: that one day she and her sisters and brothers were walking down a deserted road, and white men began to make advances toward and then to chase the girls. her brothers ran away, leaving the girls to fight or run as best they could. she understood their behavior, of course, but there was sadness in her telling of it. if they had tried to protect their sisters they would have been murdered without a thought. luckily, she and her sisters were strong and fast; they simply outran their would-be rapists."

*excerpted from "the way forward is with a broken heart" by alice walker, pg.35

we do it because its right.

"live truth
be truth.

live justice
be justice."

--baba musomi