NEW! Sundiata Answer #5

[nattyreb]

Sundiata: First, pardon my delay in responding Sis. Tanya Baby but i got tied up in some other matters/deadlines that i had to get out of the way first.

Second, you asked a very important question; one that's on the mind of most conscious Black people and many other people.

Third, i know you know that all our youths are not engaging in counter-productive behavior so i assume you're more concerned about our many "lost sheep/prodigal sons" which is as you should be.

And next, all i really know is that:
"A race is like a [person,] until it uses its own talents, takes pride in its own history and loves its own memories,
it can never fulfill itself completely." -John W. Vandercook, Tom-Tom, 1926

i also know that to reach our wayward youth you must first be willing to go among them, engage them and began some sort of dialogue with them. i say this because so many of our people are afraid of our youths, particularly youths of the street organizations or gangs, and frankly some have a right to be afraid but i don't think progress will be made without first a willingness to engage Black youths face to face.

That's what Fred Hampton of the Chicago Panthers did in the '60s with the Black P Stone Nation and he made good headway with them before he was assassinated. It's what Geronimo and the L.A. Panthers did to recruit Bunchy Carter of the Slausons and other street gang members. Then this government used its counter-intelligence program, COINTELPRO, to assassinate Bunchy Carter, frame Geronimo (27 years for a crime he did not commit) and did the same to other Panthers to destabilize the BPP which loosened its influence on the L.A. gangs. They then began to prey on each other , mainly Crips and Bloods, through gang wars that spiraled out of control.

POLITICS AND CHANGING MIND SETS

So what was the difference between the Panthers and the gangs? Politics! The Panthers were political, the gangs weren't/aren't. They say there were only 5000 to 8000 Panthers during their peak in the '60/70s. There are about 500,000 gang members today. Can you imagine where we would be if those 5000 Panthers had been able (or allowed) to survive until today or to grow to 500,000 members? If so, we would be FREE today! And Obama would be a revolutionary president in the mold of Malcolm X or Patrice Lumumba instead of mostly a conventional Democratic Party politician.
But instead of half a million revolutionaries or Panthers we have 500,000 gang members who are more dangerous to themselves and the Black community than they are to our enemies. The main reason is because of their mindset and their lack of politics. SO ONE GUIDELINE FOR YOU, SIS. TANYA BABY, IS: FOCUS ON FINDING WAYS TO CHANGE OUR WAYWARD YOUTHS MINDSET FROM ANTI-BLACK TO PRO-BLACK AND FROM APOLITICAL TO POLITICAL.

Any success you achieve in changing youths mindset in that regards will go a long way in changing their counter-productive behavior for the better. Changing mindset means teaching Black youths to "Know Themselves:" to know their true history, place and future in the world and how to love and respect Black people instead of hating them, and to do the same to all people who do likewise to them. Changing mind sets from apolitical to political means helping to politically educate our youth in the revolutionary thoughts of Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey, Kwame Nkrumah, Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, Mao Tse-tung, Lenin, Marx and other progressive thinkers and in the revolutionary aspects of Pan Afrikanism, Socialism, Anarchism and other progressive philosophies, so that our youths know their real friends from real enemies and how to get real power for our people and all oppressed people to control our own lives. That is what real politics and real freedom is all about.

SUBBING ONE FOR THE OTHER

Now, no one is naive enough to think an introduction to Afrikan/Black history & culture and politics alone will sway most youths to change their counter-productive behavior. That would almost be like copying the local church's method which is not working.

Many youths gravitate to street gangs because of the comradery, substitute-family, peer pressure, protection, sex, fast money and other material benefits, excitement and action that they find there.Youths love action and are going to do something one way or the other, either positive or negative, because it's their nature to act. And they will act even tho their present behavior is mostly harmful to the Black community. Still, most youths want to do the right thing but many simply don't have/ haven't had proper direction in how to do so. Also it' a well known principle that if you want to effectively stop an action, say a counter-productive behavior, then you had best have some alternative, say a productive behavior, to take it's place.

SO SIS. TANYA BABY, THE OTHER GUIDELINE IS: FOCUS ON FINDING WAYS TO HELP COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE YOUTHS SWITCH TO PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITY.

Drug selling is the most difficult to switch/replace because the profits are greater/quicker than most other enterprises despite its harsh penalties of almost certain imprisonment or death. Still, instead of their selling drugs you might help show them ways to use their strength to open legit businesses that provide self-employment and jobs for them and their crews. The hip hop/internet industry seems to have opened the door to such opportunities for Blacks altho there are many other professions: light construction, real estate, lawn care, building/office cleaning, health care providers, soul food restaurants, cd/video shops, etc., that lend themselves to Blacks carving out a stronghold in the industry the same way Italians have done with the docks, longshoremen, unions, etc., the Irish have done with the police department, pubs, and as politicians, Asians have done with science/technology, Viet-Namese Gulf coast fishing and Asian restaurants, etc., Jews have done in medicine, science, media, law, banking,etc, and Mexicans are doing with common labor, farm labor, Mexican restaurants etc.
Instead of drug abuse you might help youths pursue a college education, technical training and a professional career.

Instead of Black-on-Black violence you might help show them the benefit of setting up Community Self-Defense Units to deter vigilantes, Black Water mercenaries and other racist elements from driving thru the N.O. Black community shooting and killing Blacks again as they did during Katrina.
And since the government's standard response to ANY/ALL disasters occuring in the Black community has been to immediately send in the National Guard and nationwide police forces then for our youth's own protection you might help show them the need to be well schooled in Community Survival Tactics under Martial Law. And the same holds true for N.O.'s need in particular for Community Flood Evacuation and Rescue Teams for anyone left behind during future floods. Many feel that government attitudes toward Blacks have somewhat changed for the better recently, and hopefully that's so, but until proven true it's better to hope for the best and stay prepared for the worst. Besides, for any oppressed people, Collective Self-Reliance is almost always the best policy.

i know there are organizations already engaged in some of these endeavors and have been doing so since Katrina hit. They deserve our highest appreciation, respect and support because they can't do it alone. And it goes without saying that it would also be a tremendous benefit to them and to our progress as a people if street organizations would assist in such efforts instead of engaging in mostly Black-on-Black violence.

Sis. Tanya Baby that's basically the gist of my ideas/thoughts on what you can do to reach/help our youth. It basically boils down to doing what you can to help politically and culturally educate our youth and to get them engaged in our people's struggle for control of our own community and ultimately for complete control of our own lives: which is true freedom!

i hope something i've said is useful to you and i thank you for posing the question.

Love, and Struggle, Sundiata

[Sourakhata]

A thorough & elaborate answer...

[Majadi]

Please thank Elder Acoli for me as this was right on time, I am newly being asked to assist in a process in the sorts of a "liberation school" here in Charlotte, NC. As we venture into this I must create a curriculum for the youth. A major portion of this must involve direct action so that the youth are engaged through all of their senses. The Community Self-Defense Units Dr. Acoli mentions are part of what we have in mind! We are also involving them in Research Methodology in African Cultural Studies to engage their brains. Economic educational concepts are serious to, the control of resources is of dire neccesity and teaching our young this teaches them to be conquerors and not the conquered!

[nattyreb]

Can i get a few more (please)? i know it's been a while and so the enthusiasm for this project may have waned, but let's keep it moving with a few words for me to send to the Bro., if ya please.

[nattyreb]

Alright y'all, i'll send him these two responses tomorrow :-(

[Elisa Keisha]

Originally Posted by nattyreb

Can i get a few more (please)? i know it's been a while and so the enthusiasm for this project may have waned, but let's keep it moving with a few words for me to send to the Bro., if ya please.

aaaaw, im sorry! I didnt get to read the whole response and so i didnt want to respond until i did properly. This is the more complex response he has given. i think i even need to print it!
Maybe you can send them these responses now, and more later.
But trust we feel as pleased and excited to have this honor as always.

Thank you Sister Queen!

[Sourakhata]

Can't you bear with us 'til the end of this week-end Sistrin?

Originally Posted by nattyreb

Alright y'all, i'll send him these two responses tomorrow :-(

[nattyreb]

Thank y'all so much for responding, of course i can wait another whole week if it means more folks will respond, and i can also send him portions, as Sis. Elisa suggests. i just wanted to make sure at least somebody was checking for this thread, especially since he wrote so much, he is anxious to know how it was received (just as any of us would).

Also to folks who may not know, this is open to EVERYONE!!! Our Bro. is not any one person's special friend, he is everyone's comrade who is sincerely down for the struggle: he is Ours and We are his. i'm saying that to say that i know he would especially appreciate hearing from any one of you, or 5 or 10 or 15 who has never responded b4, too!

He also said Happy Black Love Day!

Originally Posted by Sourakhata

Can't you bear with us 'til the end of this week-end Sistrin?

[Majadi]

This may be a stretch but I would love to organize an interview with him on Assata Radio or even if we could have a discussion back and forth between Assata Radio and He as an interview, I would send him questions and we could report it. I know a personal phone interview is next to improbable but he means so much to us all, it would be awesome!

[nattyreb]

i don't think it's a stretch at all, you may have to accept a call from him on your own and record the call to play on the show if you have that capability? i'm pretty sure he couldn't call at a set time, but i certainly don't mind asking, thanks so much for thinking of it!

Originally Posted by Majadi

This may be a stretch but I would love to organize an interview with him on Assata Radio or even if we could have a discussion back and forth between Assata Radio and He as an interview, I would send him questions and we could report it. I know a personal phone interview is next to improbable but he means so much to us all, it would be awesome!

[Majadi]

Originally Posted by nattyreb

i don't think it's a stretch at all, you may have to accept a call from him on your own and record the call to play on the show if you have that capability? i'm pretty sure he couldn't call at a set time, but i certainly don't mind asking, thanks so much for thinking of it!

Hold off please until I can figure the recording process! I also need my interview questions, I will gladly take a call from him. I will inform you when I am ready for this awesome oppurtunity!

[Elisa Keisha]

My response to Elder Sundiata

Thank you so much for such elaborate answer. I know its always good to constructive critisize but i must confess i 100% agree with you on this. The matter is complex and so its the solution. Educating youth needs an elaborate intensive work, experience, tools and lots of love and will. But its so posible.
As you said, most of our kids do want to do the right thing and no money can be conmpared with the satisfaction they feel after realizing and proving how able they are of doing so, watching the results and recieving the positive consequences.
We could say some of our youth really dont care if they live or not, they show suicidal behavior.The youth needs to believe in life again, in their possibilities. Thru Black political education you gain self love and thus of love for your brothers and sisters, which means you are more willing to unite with them insted of fighting against them (and against one-self) and move on to fight for a common good. And through political education you also gain the tools, the theory, the stratergies etc, to make it possible.
As you said, most of the kids join gangs to substitute the family and protection they lack. They want to be part of something, feel secure, be loved and be positive reinforced. For replacing violent, negative activity with politival positive activity its important to also replace these "positive" things gangs provide them, the support, the feeling of community, the emotional rewards.

Also, the good thing in our favor is that the spirit of the Panthers or Malcolm X is still honored amongst most of the "ghetto" youth. We can work from there. We can re-educate from there. Teach them what was really all about. Stressing the community work you, the Panthers, did, the love you arised from the community.

In my case i work with children here in Spain, who are not in such a bad situation as some are in the states. At least "guns" are not of common use, and crack is not everywhere, so the gang activity doesnt have such violent results. But we have similar emotional problems and i have seen how effective it can be to work from the emotional link, support and reinforcement.

[nattyreb]

From Sundiata: "WOW! Sis Marpessa, i really like her response, not because she agrees w/ me but because she really understands/feels deeply what needs 2 b done to save our "lost" youths."

Originally Posted by Elisa Keisha

My response to Elder Sundiata

Thank you so much for such elaborate answer. I know its always good to constructive critisize but i must confess i 100% agree with you on this. The matter is complex and so its the solution. Educating youth needs an elaborate intensive work, experience, tools and lots of love and will. But its so posible.
As you said, most of our kids do want to do the right thing and no money can be conmpared with the satisfaction they feel after realizing and proving how able they are of doing so, watching the results and recieving the positive consequences.
We could say some of our youth really dont care if they live or not, they show suicidal behavior.The youth needs to believe in life again, in their possibilities. Thru Black political education you gain self love and thus of love for your brothers and sisters, which means you are more willing to unite with them insted of fighting against them (and against one-self) and move on to fight for a common good. And through political education you also gain the tools, the theory, the stratergies etc, to make it possible.
As you said, most of the kids join gangs to substitute the family and protection they lack. They want to be part of something, feel secure, be loved and be positive reinforced. For replacing violent, negative activity with politival positive activity its important to also replace these "positive" things gangs provide them, the support, the feeling of community, the emotional rewards.

Also, the good thing in our favor is that the spirit of the Panthers or Malcolm X is still honored amongst most of the "ghetto" youth. We can work from there. We can re-educate from there. Teach them what was really all about. Stressing the community work you, the Panthers, did, the love you arised from the community.

In my case i work with children here in Spain, who are not in such a bad situation as some are in the states. At least "guns" are not of common use, and crack is not everywhere, so the gang activity doesnt have such violent results. But we have similar emotional problems and i have seen how effective it can be to work from the emotional link, support and reinforcement.

[Elisa Keisha]

Originally Posted by nattyreb

From Sundiata: "WOW! Sis Marpessa, i really like her response, not because she agrees w/ me but because she really understands/feels deeply what needs 2 b done to save our "lost" youths."

are u joking?? aaaah!! thats too nice! again, its such an honor to be able to communicate with such a People's hero.

Asante Marpessa!

[Langalibalele]

Elder Bro Sundiata, yours is the best reply to these types of questions I have seen. I come across these queries frequently, and try to pose them to the best of my ability. I often ask people if they are participating in the Black Liberation Movement because they might themselves obtain a better grasp of the situation.

Long ago I learned the answer to this lies in what is known as the Counterinsurgency, the US government war against the African community. It is important for folks to comprehend that many of the old scores from the 60s have never been settled. By this, I mean the antagonisms imposed upon the historical Black Power Movement by various factions within our community. These antagonisms had a class character which pitched different sectors of the black petty bourgeoisie against the basically African working class character of such figures and organizations like Malcolm X to the transformed SNCC forces to the Black Panthers and others. The petty bourgeoisie included black nationalists, poverty pimps, preachers, sociologists and other professionals, and government bureaucrats. We all can think of more than a few personal examples, I am sure.

These unsettled scores continue today. They appear in forums across the blogosphere where a revolutionary class analysis gets attacked by persons advocating cotton-patch nationalism. More importantly, the war is being waged against remaining stalwarts who have carried over from the 60s. In places like Atlanta, Jamil Al Amin has been railroaded and imprisoned. Mukasa Dada (Ricks) continues to be violently assaulted by the pigs on orders from the administration for walking up on Morehouse College. MOREHOUSE! Atlanta is a negro-run city which has considered jailing the youth for wearing sags, as if black men have not been criminalized enuf.

The importance of the scientific class analysis is that it exposes the role of these petty bourgeois forces as enemies of the Liberation Struggle. They stand in the way of fighting our primary enemy, Imperialism. So we must remain clear that these are old scores which have come full circle. Our job, my brother, as I see it, includes helping people make the break with the middle class, to sever their view of that class as their leadership, and to aspire to become the genuine leadership of our community by heading a revolutionary struggle based upon scientific analysis and work.

Peace, Bro Sundiata, we are fighting for your liberation from the physical limitations imposed on you! It is an honor to correspond with you. Keep up the good fight.