black cats who became muslim

Some time ago, a Sunni African-American Muslim blogger had asserted that African-American Sunnis weren't doing as much in Black communities as Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam. And to be honest, the fact that he said so kind of annoyed me.... not just because I thought he was wrong, but because of the nagging suspicion that he might be right. So I felt compelled to try to disprove him by trying to point to Black Sunni activists and doing entries on them at Planet Grenada.

In the process, what I found is that there are alot of Sunni individuals and organizations quietly doing alot of positive work in the Black community. But because they don't seek out controversy, they don't get the same kind of media attention which Farrakhan or the Nation do.

In particular, I found a group of African-American Muslims who were all former Black Panthers and it made me really curious to see how many African-American Muslims came to Islam along that particular trajectory. It would be good if someone could do more research on the phenomena. Perhaps some Panthers are left unsatisfied by Marxist materialism and so they feel a need for more spirituality and become Muslim. That would be my guess, but to be honest I really don't know.

I've been mulling this subject over for a while, but it came up again for me recently because I've reading about, and working on a blog entry for, Malik Rahim who has been in the news lately. He is a (you guessed it) former Black Panther but is still very much involved in community activism. He lives in New Orleans and is running as the Green Party candidate for mayor. I'm tentatively assuming that he's probably Muslim but I'm trying to find out more information about him online.

remember imam jamil al-amin
nuh washington
dhoruba bin wahad
interview with safiya bukhari
jalil abdul muntaqim
mustafa ibn talib

prison islam
another piece on prison islam

young lords
a really nice black panther page

(i may need to fix some links)

paris diary

From NewAmericaMedia.org:
Salvadorian-American journalist Josue Rojas compares and contrasts his own hyphenated existence with that of the African/Arab/Muslims in France.

mustafa ibn talib

Another brief profile of a brother on death row at San Quentin.
CCADP: Writings by Mustafa Ibn Talib
Al-Fath al-Mubin: More writings
CCADP: Biography of Mustafa Ibn Talib/ Andrew Lancaster

jalil abdul muntaqim

Jalil A. Muntaqim was born October 18, 1951, in Oakland, California, the first of four children in his family. His early years were spent in San Francisco. In his junior high school years he obtained a summer scholarship to attend an advanced high school math and science program; and while in high school he obtained a summer scholarship to attend an advanced college summer math and engineering program. During the civil rights movement, he participated in NAACP youth organizing and was one of many who engaged in street riots against racism and police brutality in San Francisco.

In high school, he became a leading member of the Black Student Union and later became involved with Ron Karenga's "House of Umoja". After the assassination of Rev. King, Jalil began to believe a more militant response to national oppression and racism was necessary and began to look towards the Black Panthers for Self-Defense for leadership. He became affiliated with the BPP when he was 18 years old. Having moved back to San Francisco from San Jose, Jalil was recruited into the Black underground by elementary school friends who had since become Panthers.

Less than two months from his twentieth birthday, on August 28, 1971, Jalil was captured along with Albert Nuh Washington (deceased) in a midnight shoot-out with San Francisco police. (It has been alleged that Jalil and Nuh attempted to assassinate a S.F. police sergeant in retaliation for the August 21, 1971 assassination of George Jackson.) Subsequently, Jalil was charged with a host of revolutionary underground activities, including the assassination of NYC police officers for which he is currently serving a life sentence.

When he was arrested in 1971, he was a high school graduate and employed as a social worker for the California State Employment Office. Having been imprisoned since 1971, Jalil is one of the ten longest held Black political prisoners in the world. He states, "I came to prison an expectant father and will leave prison a grandfather."

PARC: Jalil Abdul Muntaqim
Kersplebedeb: Jalil Abdul Muntaqim
IIPI: Jalil Abdul Muntaqim

Prison Activist Resource Center
Innocent in Prison International
Can't Jail the Spirit

straight thuggin'

Black students at the University of Chicago are calling for campus wide discussions on racial sensitivity following a controversial party held at a campus dorm last month. Under the theme “Straight Thuggin,” partygoers – all of whom were white, according to Chicago’s local ABC news affiliate – followed instructions to dress, act and speak as if they were part of the hip-hop culture while listening to rap music throughout the event. The students said they were also offended with pictures from the party showing participants dressed in baggy clothes, wearing sideways baseball caps, exposed underwear, bandanas and other accessories.

"I don't think that it was meant in a racist way, but I think it was just sort of ignorant in not knowing it would offend people," said Brittany Hamelers, UIC student.

Yes Brittany.

And what is really weird is that this sort of thing isn't an isolated event. From time to time, I've read about similar events on college campuses (often in the context of the Greek system). And for years, white youths in Brooklyn have been attending similar regular "kill whitey" parties. What is going on? At first I was thinking that there needed to be some kind of healthy cautious revival of real white pride. But now I don't really know. Where is this all coming from?

Black News: Straight Thuggin’ at The University of Chicago
Chicago Maroon: “Ghetto”—themed dorm party offends students
Black Entertainment: Themed night by white U of Chicago students deemed racially insensitive
Planet Grenada: "kill whitey"

what i would do with the rest of my life?

Of course, the timing makes this piece more than a bit sad. But for me it helps raise all sorts of questions about the Tookie Williams case. Is he sincere about being redeemed? How important is it that he still proclaimed his innocence in spite of the weight of evidence against him? Is it possible to do enough good deeds to make up for taking a life. What is the purpose of capital punishment and the criminal justice system in general? Is it to balance some kind of moral calculus (punish the guilty)? Deterrence? Rehabilitation? Protecting society from dangerous people? Something else entirely different? Redemption?

My name is Stanley "Tookie" Williams. I've been residing on San Quentin's condemned row for over 24 years. As a death row prisoner, my testament to redemption has been met at times with condemnation and misinformation. Fortunately, it is God who anoints with the oil of redemption. The forgiving God to whom I pray has sublimated me, humbled me and vicariously works through me.

In the beginning, redemption was an alien concept to me. However, while in solitary confinement, during 1988 to 1994, I embarked upon a transitional path toward redemption. I underwent disciplined years of education, soul-searching, edification, spiritual cultivation and battling my internal demons. Though I was loathed for being the co-founder of the Crips, my redemption caused me to repudiate my gang leadership role, to repudiate any affiliation with the Crips or other gangs.

Redemption has resurrected me from a mental and spiritual death. It symbolizes the end of a bad beginning, as well as a new start. Being redeemed has enabled me to reunite with God, reclaim my humanity, find inner peace and discover my raison d'tre, my reason to exist.

Recently, I was asked if I am prepared to die. I responded, "I'm prepared to live." Though execution looms like poisonous toxins, God's gift of redemption [revives] my life. I inhale redemption and exhale joie de vivre. That's why I do not fear death. Socrates stated while defending his life before court judges, "A man who is good for anything should not calculate the chance of living or dying. He should only consider whether in doing anything, he is doing right or wrong, and acting the part of a good man or of bad." I opted for good to assist the hopeless.

Consequently, my spirit deeds are exhibited in my nine children's books; my memoir "Blue Rage, Black Redemption"; my educational website www.tookie.com; my Internet Project for Street Peace; and my Peace Protocol. All of my work is predicated on persuading youths and adults to not follow in my footsteps. Still, my desire is to do more.

Recently, I met with Bruce Gordon, president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). From that extraordinary meeting came an historic partnership. Each NAACP chapter will be working with me to create and implement a violence prevention curriculum for at-risk youths throughout America. The partnership with this nation's oldest civil rights organization will provide me with the structure and support to carry out my vision of a gang-free America.

I know that to whom much is given, much is expected. If Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger grants me clemency, I will accept it as an obligation to society to spend the rest of my life working to reverse the cycle of youth violence. It is my desire to help save society from producing more victims.

Here and now, I bear witness that God's bequest of redemption has replenished me with a mission and revealed that the impossible is possible.

Final Call

better out than in

It’s Easier to Fuel A Movement from the Streets Than from A Jail Cell by Tonyaa Weathersbee. On the Oakland vandalism cases.

stanley tookie williams (1953-2005)

From: "Democracy Now! interview"

Well, my interpretation of redemption, it differs from the theological or the academical rendition. I believe that my redemption symbolizes the end of a bad beginning and a new start. It goes beyond, in a sense of being liberated from one's sins or atonement in itself. I feel that my redemption mostly or primarily encompasses the ability to reach out to others.

-Stanley Tookie Williams

Stanley Williams gained world-wide attention and praise for his work in prison, including the publication of children's books advocating non-violence and alternatives to gangs, an autobiography, and Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story a Hollywood movie honoring him, starring Jamie Foxx. In 1997, Williams wrote an apology, posted on his website, for his role in creating the Crips. In 2004, he helped broker a peace agreement (called the Tookie Protocol For Peace) for what had been one of the deadliest and infamous gang wars in the country, between the Bloods and the Crips, in both the state of California and the city of Newark, New Jersey. Williams received a letter from President George W. Bush commending him for his social activism.

Williams was reportedly nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize every year from 2001 to 2005; nominations came from Mario Fehr, a member of the Swiss Parliament; four times by Notre Dame de Namur University Philosophy and Religion Professor Phil Gasper; William Keach, a Brown University Professor of English Literature, nominated Williams for the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Wikipedia: Stanley Tookie Williams

richard pryor (1940-2005)

Richard Pryor describing his trip to Africa in 1982: Excerpt from Live on Sunset Strip

"I was sitting in the hotel lobby, right? And a voice says, 'What do you see? Look around.' And I looked around, and I saw people of all colors and shapes. And the voice said, 'Do you see any niggers?' I said no. 'You know why? Cause there aren't any. Cause I'd been there three weeks, and I hadn't said it. And it started making me cry, man. That's a devastating fucking word. That has nothing to do with us. We are from a place where they first started people."

Wikipedia: Richard Pryor
IMDB: Richard Pryor

the african presence in caribbean poetry

The African Presence in the Caribbean: An analysis of African-Antillean poetry by Elsa M. Calderón is meant to be a guide for Spanish teachers, but still serves as a useful outline and resource for anyone interested in Afro-latin poetry.

word association

Here is the famous Saturday Night Live routine between Richard Pryor and Chevy Chase. Pryor plays the role of Mr. Wilson and Chevy Chase is the interviewer.

Interviewer: Alright, Mr. Wilson, you've done just fine on the Rorshact.. your papers are in good order.. your file's fine.. no difficulties with your motor skills.. And I think you're probably ready for this job. We've got one more psychological test we always do here. It's just a Word Association. I'll throw you out a few words - anything that comes to your mind, just throw back at me, okay? It's kind of an arbitrary thing. Like, if I say "dog", you'd say..?

Mr. Wilson: "Tree".

Interviewer: "Tree". [ nods head, prepares the test papers ] "Dog".

Mr. Wilson: "Tree".

Interviewer: "Fast".

Mr. Wilson: "Slow".

Interviewer: "Rain".

Mr. Wilson: "Snow".

Interviewer: "White".

Mr. Wilson: "Black".

Interviewer: "Bean".

Mr. Wilson: "Pod".

Interviewer: [ casually ] "Negro".

Mr. Wilson: "Whitey".

Interviewer: "Tarbaby".

Mr. Wilson: [ silent, sure he didn't hear what he thinks he heard ] What'd you say?

Interviewer: [ repeating ] "Tarbaby".

Mr. Wilson: "Ofay".

Interviewer: "Colored".

Mr. Wilson: "Redneck".

Interviewer: "Junglebunny".

Mr. Wilson: [ starting to get angry ] "Peckerwood!"

Interviewer: "Burrhead".

Mr. Wilson: [ defensive ] "Cracker!"

Interviewer: [ aggressive ] "Spearchucker".

Mr. Wilson: "White trash!"

Interviewer: "Jungle Bunny!"

Mr. Wilson: [ upset ] "Honky!"

Interviewer: "Spade!

Mr. Wilson: [ really upset ] "Honky Honky!"

Interviewer: [ relentless ] "Nigger!"

Mr. Wilson: [ immediate ] "Dead honky!" [ face starts to flinch ]

Interviewer: [ quickly wraps the interview up ] Okay, Mr. Wilson, I think you're qualified for this job. How about a starting salary of $5,000?

Mr. Wilson: Your momma!

Interviewer: [ fumbling ] Uh.. $7,500 a year?

Mr. Wilson: Your grandmomma!

Interviewer: [ desperate ] $15,000, Mr. Wilson. You'll be the highest paid janitor in America. Just, don't.. don't hurt me, please..

Mr. Wilson: Okay.

Interviewer: [ relieved ] Okay.

Mr. Wilson: You want me to start now?

Interviewer: Oh, no, no.. that's alright. I'll clean all this up. Take a couple of weeks off, you look tired.

transcript

torture in the homeland

In These Times: Torture in the Homeland by Salim Muwakkil. It's not just "over there" but "over here" in our own communities.

amexem

Amexem Times and Seasons is an ecclectic collection of articles, mainly on proto-Islamic and early Islamic activities in the United States.

religion in science fiction

Arab and Islamic themes in Dune
my Dune-related comments
Can The World of Star Trek Help Americans Understand Muslims and their Culture of Terror? (from a parody site)
Religion in Star Trek

klingon language

The most extreme example I know of a fictional cultural element taking on a life of its own is the Klingon language. It was made up for a movie so that the aliens could have a more realistic feel to their lines and now people actually speak it in their daily life. You can take classes in it. Shakespeare and Gilgamesh have been translated into it. (I've heard some folks are working on the Bible).

islam and science fiction

Yes, I'm a big geek. Here is a page I recently found on the connection between Islam and Science Fiction called: von Aurum's Islam in Sci-fi

And some obligatory past entries:
star wars: an islamic perspective
a coincidence you think this is?
so i finally saw it
only human

arab and african culture

From IPOAA: Arab Culture and African Culture: ambiguous relations by Prof. Helmi Sharawy

(This paper is extracted from the book 'The Dialogue between the Arab culture and other cultures', published in Tunis in 1999 by the Arab League, Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation)

is racial prejudice on the rise in egypt?

From IPOAA: A Question of Colour: Is Racial Prejudice on the Rise in Egypt, or are Egyptians Merely Obsessed with Skin Colour? by Gamal Nkrumah

ipoaa: precolumbian muslims

Since I started Grenada, I've probably post a couple of slightly different pieces on this subject. This one is from the IPOAA (Indigenous People of Africa and America) Magazine: Precolumbian Muslims in the Americas by Dr. Youssef Mroueh

whiteness and other lies

From The Black Commentator: "Whiteness" and Other Lies: An interview with David Roediger deconstructs the concept of whiteness and points out how it is not as "natural" as some people assume.