Peace Family!
If you had a chance to read “Surviving the Nation of Islam (N.O.I) ” parts 1,2,and 3, you are an excellent reader and must share an interest in exuming truth. Even if it’s looking at the uncomfortable truth! I appreciate you. Now let’s conclude this writing which is a series of blogs to sort thru my experiences and formulate memoirs for an upcoming book (possibly by the same title).
In this conclusion, I want to sort through and expose the last, big hoorah that the Nation of Islam, and Min.Farrakhan spelled on us with a defining (and deceptive) marketing campaign and ritual, The “Justice or Else March” of 10-10-2015!
By 2010-2014 social media was an important outlet of mine and many others platforms. Because of this, I had found myself a slave to my computer, always in my screen. However, this caused me to be on the cutting edge of provocative information and events important to the black (melanated) community. On the morning of August 9th, 2014, I was on my laptop and came across a video in my timeline which had a caption”14 year old shot by police” and a black teenager laying down on the ground, a pool of blood flowing from his body. My melanin reacted and I began scrolling and clicking to find more on the story. I found corresponding news stories that substantiated the shooting was real. This was the beginning of the horror and attack on black consciousness that was the Michael Brown shooting.
I used my facebook page as a informational resource. I could get 20-40 persons (profiles) to respond with “likes” to every post. We were all on edge. That night, protests and police antagonism ensued, all night. This was detestable to see small children and mothers with picket signs being teargassed, THAT SAME NIGHT!
WHAT I DIDNT SEE WAS A PRESENCE OF NATION OF ISLAM AND THE MILITANT MIGHT OF THE BELIEVERS! THERE WASN’T A SIGN OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN SOLIDARITY AND WILLINGNESS TO PROTECT. IT WAS VERY ODD. WHAT IS ALL OF THE TRAINING FOR? I THOUGHT.
ATTY MALIK ZULU SHABAZZ THEN SHOWED UP AT FOLLOWING PROTESTS TO FILE A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST FERGUESON POLICE. FIRES AND BOMBINGS WERE SUSPECTED TO HAD BEEN SET BY PEOPLE IN MILITARY GARB. SOCIAL MEDIA WAS ABLAZE WITH PART AND FULL-TIME ACTIVISM. ALL MAKING THE POPULACE AWARE OF WHAT WAS REALLY HAPPENING THERE. AS I CONTINUED TO SHARE ON THE INCIDENT, MY SOCIAL MEDIA SUFFERED SOME TYPE OF ALGORITHMIC BLOCK THAT LIMITED MY VISIBILITY. THIS IS PART OF THE TACTICS THAT FACEBOOK HAS BEEN FOUND TO APPLY TO ACCOUNTS. THIS IS THE CASE TO THIS DAY, ACTIVISM SUFFERED HITS ON THE PLATFORM. YET THE WORD WAS ALREADY OUT! SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE (OR SO THE PEOPLE FELT). IN COMES MIN.LOUIS FARRAKHAN AND HIS PROPOSAL, ANOTHER MILLION MAN MARCH THEMED “JUSTICE OR ELSE”! THIS WAS THE 20 YEAR ANNIVERSARY TO THE FIRST MILLION MAN MARCH.AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, OUR ENERGIES WERE HIGH FOR THE RIGHT KIND OF ACTIVE MOVEMENT. WE WERE POTENTIAL ENERGY READY TO BE USED!
IN THE SUMMER OF 2014, A SISTER FROM MOSQUE (LET’S CALL HER “AMY”)REACHED OUT TO ME TO ORGANIZE ARTISTS IN PHOENIX FOR THE MOBILIZATION FOR THE “JUSTICE OR ELSE” MARCH. This is because I had a good reputation for putting on events and bringing arists together. http://myclickurban.com/blog/to-the-beat-connie-muhammad-soul-in-the-desert/ and I was enthusiastic because PREVIOUSLY, MOSQUE #32 OFFICIALS WOULD NOT INVOLVE ME WITH OUTREACH TO THE COMMUNITY FOR ANY PURPOSE. BUT I WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO STAND POST AND GIVE CHARITY (SARCASM HERE). I DIGRESS. I THOUGHT THIS PUSH WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY SHOW WHAT MY PROPENSITY WAS FOR UNIFYING EFFORTS AND ARTISTIC CURATION AND AWARENESS. I HAD ALREADY MANAGED THAT BY HOSTING A HIP-HOP PANEL DISCUSSION WHICH WAS FEATURED IN FINAL CALL. ONCE AGAIN, THE AUTHOR DETRACTED FROM MY WORK. ME AND MY HUSBAND PUT THE EVENT ON, SINGLEHANDEDLY: http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/Entertainment_News_5/The_Subconscious_Seed_of_Hip-Hop_5196.shtml
AS THEY HAD TO ADMIT, I’m purely capable! So the Justice or Else march should/could have been a platform for unity and focus of such fiery energy seeking justice! Sometime in summer of 2014, We were invited to a conference call (by Sis.”Amy” and were introduced to others in the “Artist committee”). I BROUGHT SEVERAL LOCAL ARTISTS to the table. We listened on the call and gave ideas. I gave a personal pledge to organize a r&b/poetry event. Others (namly , the same “Amy”) and her husband said they would put on a hip-hop event.
They didn’t.
Yet I secured my venue (Tempe Center for the Arts) venue insurance AND the airfare for both my headliner , Rashaan Patterson, and his manager! I put the fliers out. And my budget started to suffer the closer I got to the event. I thought surely, people WHO ARE PRIMED TO BENEFIT can help me get the word out about the event. The MMM were to receive a part of the proceeds from it. Well, I was in a dream world because regardless of the WORK I had done, people involved felt that I shouldn’t gain anything. They just didnt want me to prosper. This is based on my own level of intution. This is that spirit of Set (envy) that I spoke about before. And this was the output I recieved, even though, the words weren’t said. The artist “committee” then seemed to get much less attention and members were asking me to help them put on events. This was very strange to me as I had my own 500+ people gathering to organize. After a month or so of organizing, I was asked to be on the Admin committee . This made even less sense. Why was I being distracted instead of supported? Ultimately, I believe, MOSQUE 32 played a significant part in the success (and lack therof) of my event. Thats because the “believers” ignored it. Up until the final 2 weeks before Showtime, only a few tickets had been sold(which were mostly only 20$). Once again, I DONT think it was happenstance. I had to cancel my event! And I lost money.
All the while, my “parents” were going to see Min.Farrakhan as special guest to his dinner table anytime he came to Phx every year before his Saviours Day address. They were always welcome. I, was starting to get less invites and was not in contact with the Minister at all. You see, I would get “messages” from my step-father “The Minister sends the greetings” or even better “The MINISTER asked about you!” It felt uplifting ,at the time, to hear. But for some reason, I have not had any contact with him (myself) since the early 2000’s (maybe). It’s been a while and had been by the time of The Justice or Else March. Despite me sending letter after letter , explaining the abuse and asking for some kind of council or for others qualified to, to be sent to our mosque. It never happened. I have sent about 4 letters total) I sent a companion letter with the second group form (4) signing, about 2012.
I still, plowed thru the “Nation Work” really wanting a breakthru of some kind.
Back to the facts about the local organizing for Justice or Else, none of it was engaging or successful to reach a mass! There were tiny events with mosque believers (mainly) at a neighborhood park in South Phoenix. A “lost/found” brother (J-Love) was very popular for maintaining a local truce and getting gangs and large events together, had a large bbq THE SAME DAY as a Justice or Else event! I knew this could have been avoided and a connection could have been made. Still, The community was NOT ORGANIZED AND MADE AWARE to support the march, nor the idea of the March! Once I saw this, my heart finally dropped out of the ” Nation of Islam” #32 in Phoenix. I KNEW I was NO LONGER part of this “ummah”. I KNEW it was a game and not rooted in truth!
But I thought it was a local PROBLEM, at the time.
With these budding personal revelations, and 8 months pregnant, I decided not to try to travel and didn’t make the march. However, I did go to the local webcast viewing. I found the speech to be lacking in frequency and an agenda. Therefore, I found it to be oftputting but well attended (the March). I FOUND THE LGBT AGENDA TO BE STRONG AND FOUND THAT DISTURBING THAT THEIR ISSUES OVERSHADOWED JUSTICE FOR DEATHS OF UNARMED BLACK CHILDREN. THE MARCH WAS OFFICIATED WITH A POURING OF LIBATIONS BY OPENLY GAY BISHOP, BISHOP RAINEY CHEEKS https://youtu.be/1bH7SBi98HI THE M.G.T STOOD ON STAGE WITH A RAINBOW ARRAY OF COLORED GARMENTS. ALL BEFORE A CROWD HUNGRY FOR DIRECTION AND A PLAN! HOW DO WE GET WHITE POLICE TO STOP KILLING OUR CHILDREN AND HUSBANDS? Maybe the plan was spoken in secret at Russell Simmons afterparty. Yes, THEY HAD AFTERPARTIES!
More elitism?
But either way, Farrakhan had actually did it again! The focus was to run to him. And WHAT DID WE RUN TO!?
His only focus was land. This still needs to be examined. With what I was learning about possible CIA involvement, the Jim Jones horror, and even a connection with the Nation of Islam previously in which, allegedly, Farrakhan had visited the Peoples Temple in 1978. With what I know, I am not comfortable with Farrakhan at the wheel and forefront for the black agenda. We simply haven’t seen enough of a actual plan for prosperity. WE HAVEN’T SEEN AN ALTRUISTIC SPIRIT NOR FUNCTIONALLY OF NATIONHOOD within the parameters of nation. He still asks his members to work for corporate interests other than their own. This is ultimately why I left. Just not enough of a showing that the “teachings” weren’t simply self-help and not a plan for nationalism. His push is still for membership. This is what anyone involved with the “Nation” has to realise. He has said since that he is asking the freemasons for assistance (innuendo is statehood). But what kind of system will he steward? How would women and children and those who don’t share the belief be treated? You have to innerstand what members can be facing as economic insecurity mounts. The term “New World Order” is written in the official history written in the N.O.I website https://www.noi.org/noi-history/ . I don’t think that this is a coincidence.
This is my conclusion.
Peace and Light!
N.A.✨
N.A.♀
