American culture is a bourgeois culture. By this, i mean the dominant culture is shaped and propagated by the bourgeois (upper and middle) classes.
To be born and raised in America is to be steeped in this culture. The culture in which you are socialized shapes your ambitions and desires. Even the working and poor classes aspire to achieve the cultural standard as established by the bourgeois classes.
Individualism, competition, and consumerism are but a few of the values deriving from bourgeois culture. For the poor and working classes, these values work against Our best interests. Yet, We seem to practice these without understanding how these values only serve to keep Us subjected to bourgeois domination in the form of colonialism/neo-colonialism.
An essential aspect of revolutionary nationalist struggle is to identify and reject bourgeois values that perpetuate our oppression, exploitation and degradation.
As a colonized people, even the middle class among New Afrikans practice bourgeois values against their best interests. As such, the New Afrikan middle-class often have greater privileges than lower level working and poor classes, and typically struggle to protect and expand such privileges. As such the New Afrikan middle class accepts (existing) privilege over (envisioned) power, and never challenges colonial domination. This is the basis of neo-colonial reformism as opposed to revolution.
Amilcar Cabral says the bourgeois class (and i would also include ALL other classes within the nation) — if it wish to serve the cause of national liberation — “has only one choice: to strengthen its revolutionary consciousness, to reject the temptations of becoming more bourgeois and the natural concerns of its class mentality, to identify itself with the working classes and not to oppose the normal development of the process of revolution. This means that in order to truly fulfill the role in the national liberation struggle, the revolutionary petty bourgeoisie MUST BE CAPABLE OF COMMITTING SUICIDE AS A CLASS IN ORDER TO BE REBORN AS REVOLUTIONARY WORKERS, completely identified with the deepest aspirations of the people to which they belong.” – Kwa Kwamu
Before The Slave Trade: African World History in Pictures by Robin Walker
About the Book
It is to be expected that for most readers early Black history is a new and unfamiliar subject. Our focus is NOT on the usual topics of discussion, i.e. Mary Seacole, Malcolm X, the man who invented the traffic lights, or the Slave Trade. Our focus is much larger. This book was written to tell a much bigger and far more important story.
We discuss the role of Black men and women in the development of high cultures in Africa before the coming of the Europeans. Chapter 1 presents a series of snapshots of Africa as it was when the kidnapping and mass enslavement of Africans began. The subsequent chapters introduce the role of Black men and women in the origin and evolution of high cultures that have shaped the world.
We discuss the role of Black people in the early history of Nubia, Ancient Egypt, Carthage and the Moorish Empire. In short, we refute the view that the African was peripheral to the development of civilisation. We further show the role of Black people in the ancient civilisations of the East. We highlight the critical role of Blacks in the early history of Palestine, Arabia, Iraq, Iran, India and Pakistan (i.e. Phoenicia, Arabia Felix, Sumer, Elam, and the Indus Valley). Finally, we show the role of Africans in the ancient and mediæval history of Central America.
Accompanying the text are a series of photographs, many of them rarely used, that are vital in driving home the main point of the book. That is, the history and achievements of the African is something to learn from and be inspired by. It is not a legacy to be ashamed of.
The book contains a Glossary of words used throughout the book, and also a Chronological Table. It is always a good idea to cross check facts and dates against the Table
BeforeThe Slave Tradeprovides novices to Black History and teachers of Egyptology or African Civilisations with key photographic images as visual proof of the greatness of the Black past. Such visual resources are always necessary and it is important that such resources are readily accessible, especially as teaching material.
The book bridges the immense gap between what scholars know about the early history and achievements of Black people and what the general public knows. This gulf has unfortunately remained constant for over a hundred years.
The book serves as both an introduction and a supplementary volume to our much larger work When We Ruled. There is almost no overlap between the two books but they complement each other well.
The book shows the role of Black men and women in the development of high cultures in Africa before the coming of the Europeans. It also shows the role of Black men and women in the origin and evolution of high cultures that have shaped the world, such as Ancient Nubia, Ancient Egypt, Carthage, and the Moorish Empire. Challenging the view that the African was peripheral to the development of world civilisation, it also shows the critical role of Black people in the ancient civilisations of the East (i.e. Phoenicia, Judah, Arabia Felix, Sumer, Elam, and the Indus Valley). Finally, the book discusses the role of Africans in the ancient and medieval history of Central America.
Before The Slave Trade is an essential resource for the teacher, researcher or student of Black History, African World Studies or Egyptology.
Book Details:
Paperback: 200 pages
Publisher: Black History Studies Publications (1 Sep 2008)
Robin Walker, or ‘The Black History Man,’ is a noted scholar of Medieval African History. Growing up in the 70’s, Walker believed that “the only thing black people contributed to world culture was to be slaves.” It was during the 90’s, after obtaining an economics degree from LSE Walker gained deeper understanding of Ancient African Civilisations having been inspired by Chancellor Williams’ book The Destruction of Black Civilization.
Since then Walker has worked tirelesslyto disseminate knowledge, lecturing in African World Studies, Egyptology and Black History at universities and conferences across the UK and authoring 16 books. In 1999 he wrote Classical Splendour: Roots of Black History and Sword, The Seal and Koran in 2000. But arguably, Walker is best known for his 2006 textbook When We Ruled, heralded as an update to the Chancellor Williams text that inspired him. An incredible text shattering the myth that high civilisation only existed in Egypt. In 2008 he authored Before the Slave Trade, a pictorial companion to When We Ruled. In 2011 and 2012, he wrote a series of e-book lecture-essays on a wide variety of topics ranging from The Black Musical Tradition to the Equinox. Walker’s latest piece Everyday Life in an Early West African Empire (with Siaf Millar and Saran Keita) is available on Amazon. Walker’s collection of writings are invaluable insights into Ancient civilisations for Africans worldwide.
When and why did you begin writing Before the Slave Trade?
In Summer 2006 a colleague invited me to help in teaching a course on Ancient Egypt entitled African Perspectives on Egypt. While planning the programme and reading material for the course, I realised what was missing. I realised that someone needed to write a book that contained the photographic evidence that proved that Ancient Egypt belonged to Africa – a book that contained the authentic portraits of the different pharaohs. Professors Cheikh Anta Diop and Ivan Van Sertima made much headway in their respective books, but they did not publish all the evidence in one place. I began Before the Slave Trade to fulfil this need.
NB Commentary: I have read several comments under the articles listed below and it amazes me how these folks are not seeing the humongous elephant in the room.
Can the American populace be that blind, deaf and dumb? Did they just crawl out from under a rock when they heard about Omar Mateen’s 911 call saying he was an ISIS sympathizer? Did they not want it to be heard that he said he wanted America to stop bombing his country of Afghanistan? Why was it redacted from the original release of the 911 calls and then released? Why has the story changed to him being a disgruntled closeted gay homophobe who saw two guys kissing and to detract from his own desire told his dad how disgusting it was? And where is his wife?
Have the American people been so shook up and down that their brains are rattling and they cannot connect the dots even if they tried? How do they not get it? Haven’t they heard that the ISIS attacks will come home to roost? Weren’t they warned that these so-called rebels turned terrorists will be crashing at a party near you? Weren’t they fear mongering and at the same time arming these so-call rebels on one hand and saying you better watch out on the other hand?
I find it amazing that they have no trouble whatsoever, blaming everything on ISIS when it happens in another country, but when it happens here, mums the word. Why is that?? And why can’t folks see it.
“Muslims most often are used as convenient US or other Western state-sponsored false flag attack patsies. Yet as James Petras explains, “(o)ver the past fifty plus years, over 125 mass shootings/massacres have occurred within the United States but not one perpetrator has been identified as a trained member of an international Islamist terrorist organization.”
Why won’t they just come out and call a spade a spade? Either it’s ISIS or it ain’t, either they are a part of the terrorist network or they ain’t. And if they are.. Then a lot of questions should ensue.
Shouldn’t they be bombing the US cells wherever they find them?
Shouldn’t they be sending drones to US wedding parties wherever they suspect a terrorist cell?
Shouldn’t they be rounding up these terrorists and sending them to Guantanamo?
Shouldn’t they be bombing their schools, hospitals and neighborhoods where they are held up in the US?
But instead we see them…
Shaking hands with them….
Arming them….
Looking the other way when they travel across borders and enter European countries…..
Investigating them and then releasing them…..
Allowing so called radicals, radicalize folks via the internet (Robertson in Mateen’s case)…..
Allowing their Mosques that openly teach propaganda against the US to exist, instead of shutting them down and weeding them out…..
No, it is much more fun to do that to other countries and their defenseless men, women and children.
It’s more fun to blame Obama and say he is closet Muslim who won’t expose the hateful Muslims for who they are.
It’s easier to omit the “War On Terror” that was launched before Obama came into office.
It is easier to ignore the death and destruction that the US and NATO has rained down on the defenseless as a result of this so-called and literally impossible war to win.
It’s easier to create chaos, division, corruption and massacres and blame it on those folks over there.
It’s even more fun to show the blood and gore and blood and more gore spewing out of those folks over there than to face it here in the USA.
So when Bush made the threat that he was going to seek them out wherever they are, he did not mean he would do much of that here in the US. In fact, he just kinda sorta didn’t mean the war on terror was gonna take place in the US at all. No war on terror on US soil, only in the middle East, cause for sure, they ain’t having that war in Paris, France, Brussels.
Then we have the openly complicit and criminal relationship with Erdogan and the Saudi’s who are also arming the so-called rebels. Not to mention, that Israel says the rebels are better than Assad. And the US supports Israel. So what’s wrong with that picture?
The false flag narrative has simply run its course. People are waking up and even if it’s just 10 out of every thousand that is still too many. What else is there to do besides go to full scale war with Russia, which is a fools dream. Go to war with Russia?? You’re kidding me right?
SO WHY DOES THE FBI WANT THE ORLANDO AGENCIES TO DENY PUBLIC RECORD REQUESTS?
Because the US is responsible for the deaths that happened in Orlando and probably every where else that has the ISIS tag on it, because the US congress agreed to ARM THE REBELS! And in doing so, they endangered the lives of everyone everywhere, and not just over there. Them chickens will find their way, right back home!!
My rants are just that, rants, but I back them up with the facts and news articles and/or videos that I find on the internet, which seems to be the bane of the existence of the The Powers That Shouldn’t Be.
Steven Lendman’s article brings it all into perspective, and I have quoted it below. He is a prolific writer and his use of critical analysis of the shenanigans that these folks in power get themselves into is par excellance. Genesis of Current Mass Shootings, Blasts and Suicide Bombings
by Stephen Lendman July 4, 2016
They’re coming in rapid fashion – in late June/early July alone:
Istanbul blasts inflicting mass casualties;
Dhaka, Bangladesh shootings and hostage takings;
slaughter in Baghdad, killing over 200 and wounding hundreds more – the latest of numerous violent incidents since GW Bush’s 2003 naked aggression; and
on America’s Independence Day, an apparent suicide bombing meters from its Jeddah, Saudi Arabia consulate, followed by multiple blasts rocking the area.
Whether these and similar attacks are terrorism, false flags, lone wolf incidents or something else requires understanding how they began in the first place.
In his memoirs, titled “From the Shadows,” former CIA director/defense secretary Robert Gates said US intelligence operatives began aiding Mujahadeen fighters in Afghanistan six months before Soviet Russia invaded.
Former Carter administration national security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski explained, saying Jimmy Carter, on Independence Day eve (July 3, 1979), “signed the the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Kabul.”
“And that very day, I wrote a note to the president in which I explained to him that in my opinion this aid was going to induce a Soviet military intervention.”
Mujahadeen support led to today’s Taliban, Al Qaeda, the Libya Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), ISIS, Jabhat al Nusra, Jaysh al-Islam, Ahrar ash-Sham, Boko Haram, and other jihadist groups – US created and sponsored or offshoots from them.
Bipartisan US imperial policy bears full responsibility for unleashing a scourge of state-sponsored terrorism in the Middle East, Central Asia, Africa, Europe and America.
Brzezinski was unapologetic, asking “(w)hat is more important to the history of the world? The Taliban or the collapse of the Soviet empire? Some stirred-up Muslims or the liberation of Central Europe and the end of the cold war?”
He failed to explain America needs enemies to advance his imperium. Communism was its bogeyman earlier, public enemy number one until Soviet Russia’s 1991 dissolution.
Now it’s radical Muslims, Islam vilified in the process – directly or by implication, America raping and destroying one Islamic country after another.
Muslims most often are used as convenient US or other Western state-sponsored false flag attack patsies.
Yet as James Petras explains, “(o)ver the past fifty plus years, over 125 mass shootings/massacres have occurred within the United States but not one perpetrator has been identified as a trained member of an international Islamist terrorist organization.”
In contrast, America “brutalized and, directly or indirectly, massacred millions of Muslim civilians, citizens of once-sovereign nations, throughout the Middle East, South Asia, and North Africa,” – unprecedented lawlessness continuing unabated, millions more lives at risk.
State-sponsored terror threatens world peace, America its lead perpetrator, waging war on humanity at home and abroad. Its rage for dominance created societies unfit to live in, imperiling life on earth.
Imperial madness threatens everyone, endless wars and headline-making violent incidents reminders of what’s at stake.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
G4S calls itself the “world’s leading security solutions group.”The London-based company contracts often with the U.S. government — it currently operates 32 taxpayer-funded juvenile prisons in the U.S. through G4S Youth Services, and has transported and housed immigrant detainees on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security. G4S has also coordinated security for more than 90 percent of nuclear sites in the U.S, as well as airports, hospitals, and seaports. http://fusion.net/story/313690/orlando-shooter-g4s-security-contractor/
Orlando terrorist connected to radical Muslim cleric who was released from prison last year after he converted 36 people in jail and ‘runs a website used to dispense his teachings’
Officials say Omar Mateen, 29, was tied to former US Marine turned radical Muslim cleric Marcus Dwayne Robertson
Robertson converted at least 36 people to his version of Islam while he was imprisoned for four years in jail before he was released
Robertson, who was a former US Marine and undercover FBI agent before turning into a radical Imam, was released from prison last year despite warning from officials and prosecutors that he would recruit people to carry out horrendous acts of violence.
“We must not question the motives of our elected leaders, who despite sitting on this information for years, still lie to us, flagrantly, even now, before the blood of 129 French citizens has even dried, pretending that they intend to ‘destroy’ a band of psychopathic murdering scum, armed and funded from within the heart of NATO,” Ahmed concludes.
US, ALLIES CREATED ISIL TO MAKE ‘PERPETUAL WAR’ IN MIDEAST: ANALYST
“This is a big part of the reason why ISIS exists, it’s about perpetual war; the military industrial complex has to have new markets, has to make money, so they have to keep things in the Middle East unstable,” Henderson told Press TV on Saturday. http://smoloko.com/?p=6294
Why Barack Obama and most of the U.S. Congress are Guilty of Treason
ISIS, apparently, sells merch. Not just T-shirts and baseball caps, but — gasp — toys for children! Here’s a CNN video from June 24. (I say “seems” because I came in late on this story and Google is a horrible research tool, so, readers, feel free to correct any of my misapprehensions.) Here’s the video:
NB Commentary: Let me preface my commentary with these words, yes, my commentary is biased, yes, it may have even been a little bit emotional, and yes, I may have been a little curt if not with a tinge of anger, but sometimes when someone gets on YouTube and provides “disinformation” as if they are an expert on a subject they are talking about… well it just rubs me. It is a particular rub for me in this case as this is a subject that I have explored, studied, understood it pros and cons across cultures, etc. So, jump into this opinion piece with that in mind. Nana is on a roll in this one.
To the narrator of this video, first of all, I do not know where you are getting your facts about the so-called down side of polygamy (polygyny = one man, many wives) and I feel that if you have statistics then you should present them.
Secondly, I am offended by your gross generalization of the so-called backwards African societies that practice polygamy. I am also offended that you think that women are so petty that they have no clue of what it means to build a nation, or that building a nation means having many children. These women are not that naive that they don’t realize that nation building will take a long time with just one wife. To these people polygamy is not a matter of how much sex a man can have but how many children a man can help to produce and quite frankly getting pregnant does not require a lot of sex. It is the Western world with its suppression of the naked body that brought down shame on the indigenous people who were quite comfortable with their style of dress. Sexual implications based on what someone had on was not as overt as it has become in western hypocritically puritanical cultures.
If you want to point out backwardness of polygamous societies, then what about Saudi Arabia, The United Arab republic, Qatar, Sudan, Iran, India and others. These are predominately Islamic societies where Polygamy is practiced and they have booming cultures, technology and educational systems. None of which are “backwards” as you would define it.
I find your statement about African societies where polygamy occurs, and defined by you as backwards, to be quite disingenuous and falling way short of any valid study, survey or actual living in these cultures that you call backwards. The fact that you omit the ancient history of African Cultures, the Songhai Empire, the Mali Empire, the Great Kings and Queens who came out of Africa during ancient times and from a culture where polygamy was the norm shows the limit of your knowledge on this topic.
You fail to mention the impact of the European hypocritical influence on indigenous African culture and the imposition of hypocritical Western ideologies upon the African experience. You even fail to mention the irony of these so called Christians whose early prophets were all polygamous.
Your protestations are ill-founded even to this day when you do not understand the mechanism of the customs and culture of the society where polygamy is intrinsic to it. The in-fighting that you speak of hardly had to do with who was married to whom, and particularly, since natural selection had more women than men being in the world, then it is most advantageous for the women to be absorbed into a household or family unit, rather than having them left out.
And what if the wife is barren through no fault of her own, should her husband go with out having a progeny because his only wife cannot bare him children?
In strong societies where polygamy is the norm, many customs support it and encourage the family unit to work as a whole. The women and children are seen as resources and they help to build the community, take care of the children, teach and pass on the customs. The women are as industrious as the men and have markets, stores, farms and trading that increases the wealth of the family unit and community.
When many of the wars and strife were started, believe me, it was not over woman and who had the best looking women or pick of the crop. It was over resources, land, politics and hegemony. It was the male desire to fight and conquer his competition which quite frankly, was not another woman but what her husband had. Wars are socio-economical-political ventures that take place between warring tribes all over the planet. And it is modern society with its monogamy that has had the absolute worse wars of aggression against each other while you, and many others, consider Western society civilized.
I find your entire video disingenuous, insulting, linear in its presentation, and absent of the true facts and/or understanding of indigenous cultures and the how and why they participate in polygamy.
If you believe it is not a viable option for Western men and women, I have to agree because the culture is not designed to support that type of marital relationship. Western cultures are selfish, self-centered, narcissistic and pathological. They have abandoned the extended family for the nuclear one and have isolated themselves through individualism and personal ownership, thus creating a cesspool of fear, insecurity, paranoia, co-dependency and toxic relationships which according to the latest statistics, leads to 50% of marriages end in divorce.
There are a vast array of issues, concepts, nuances of indigenous cultures that you have blatantly ignored, therefore your conclusions, based on YOUR FACTS, can only be skewed and distorted. Western cultures create laws and regulations to manage their societies thus forcing people into unnatural relationship roles that sour, end, and foster mental health issues for all involved.
You do have the right to your opinion, but I think that if you are going to take on a subject such as polygamy, you either need to do better research or refrain from stating that cultures who practice it are backwards because that is patently incorrect, Sir.
ADDENDUM: The most ironic thing of all is that those countries that prohibit multiple spouses will punish the participants with jail time, a fine or both. That is to say, that it is criminal to have more than one spouse in some countries. How is that even a criminal offense? Who are you hurting when all parties agree? Civilization at its finest.
In most of the following examples, polygamy only refers to polygyny. Except when polyandry is explicitly stated, either all kinds of polygamy are forbidden, or the only allowed form of polygamy is polygyny.
Mayotte: Considered to be de facto illegal since a referendum sponsored by France in March 2009, forcing the island to comply with the French laws.[19][20]However, pre-existing Muslim marriages are currently still valid.
Benin: Benin recognized polygamous marriages until 2004 when they were constitutionally outlawed. However, pre-existing marriages are currently still valid in Benin.[21]
Burkina Faso: Both Muslims and non-Muslims can join in polygamous unions under Burkina Faso law.
Côte d’Ivoire: Akin to the situation in Benin, polygamy and such marriages were outlawed, though previous marriages are still recognized.[22]
Gabon: Both men and women can join in polygamous unions with the other gender under Gabonese law, although in practice only men do.
Ghana: Illegal under civil law, but recognized under customary law and Sharia law.
Nigeria: Recognized in all northern sharia states, federal law recognizes polygamous unions under customary law.
NB Commentary: Let’s Talk About the Difference Between Who is Considered a Patriot and Who is Considered a Terrorist.
While the MOVE Organization was not officially declared a Terrorist Organization they were indeed treated like they were Enemies of the State. I am from the area and was there when it happened.
The group was/is called MOVE. they were/are a back to nature group of Africans who leader’s name was John Africa. They felt that the government was vile and used vile language to express their contempt for it.
On the other hand, they were mostly self sufficient, planted their own food and were vegetarians and wore dread locks.
A group of them moved onto Osage Ave., in West Philadelphia and built a fortress within the house because they had been threatened jailed and tortured by the police for their way of life. They claimed freedom of speech and continued to express their discontent with the government, local, national and global.
In 1978 they previously lived in an area of West Philly called Powelton Village
where a blockade was place upon them, no food or water was allowed to get to them and no one could interact with them or be arrested. This stand off ended with them firehousing the house till its collapse and the members were forced to leave. Delbert Africa was brutally beaten.
In 1985, the Philadelphia Police Department dropped a bomb on the house located on a city block of Osage Ave. There was a bunker on top of the house and the fortress was so well constructed that the police after firing multiple rounds could not penetrate the walls of their home. The next option was to drop a bomb, this bomb ignited a fire that cause the MOVE members to escape while others, women and children, died in the blaze. Because it was allowed to burn, the entire block succumbed to the fire and was destroyed, and the mostly homeowners, displaced and/or homeless.
The city did a make-shift job rebuilding their homes but never could they return to those people the valuables and memories and momentums. Some of these people had lived on this block their whole lives and had grand children who visited them there. It was devastating to the neighborhood, who simply believed that by asking the city government to intervene that they would simply remove the occupants of the MOVE home and all would go back to normal. This blazing inferno could be seen for at least a mile radius. It turn a beautifully sculptured community neighborhood into a war zone.
The war against civilians is not a recent occurrence. However, it is demonstrated in a certain and accurate strategy of terror, control and manipulation and in many cases is racist at best and xenophobic at worse.
One thing that is certain, if they can drop a bomb on a residential area in the middle of a large city, no place is safe from the aggression of the militarized police.
“I took a cab to the 6200 block of Osage Avenue this week, to the block where
the City of Philadelphia dropped a bomb on a rowhouse in 1985. I had been at work that day, in my office which is also in West Philadelphia and I wanted to see for myself what the location looks like now. While the driver waited, I walked up and down the sidewalks with my cellphone camera and my small Cannon PowerShoot A2500. The street was narrower than I had imagined. I was shocked by the townhouses that had been built to replace the homes destroyed in the bombing and fire. At most they were a step off the ground. No stairs to sit on, no porches. Small areas for a chair or two are enclosed with black wrought iron fencing. Many houses are boarded up. Others appear occupied but look unfinished. There are flowers and other signs of life where people are living. I tried to be discrete as I took snapshots. I failed. A man came up from the western end of the block … grumbling. He pointed out 6221, the location of the MOVE house; maybe he assumed that was what I was looking for. I introduced myself to a woman sitting in front of her property. She expressed mild dissatisfaction with visitors/voyeurs like me. She said that all she wants is for the city to fix up the vacant properties and allow the neighbors to live in peace. Thirty years and the MOVE fiasco is not over yet for either of us.” Source: https://www.law.upenn.edu/live/news/5657-collective-trauma-transitional-justice-and-two
Check out this information: 25 Years Ago: Philadelphia Police Bombs MOVE Headquarters Killing 11, Destroying 65 Homes
In this May 1985 photo, scores of row houses burn in a fire in the west Philadelphia neighborhood. Police dropped a bomb on the militant group MOVE’s home on May 13, 1985 in an attempt to arrest members, leading to the burning of scores of homes in the neighborhood.
On May 13, 1985 at 5:20 p.m., a blue and white Pennsylvania State Police helicopter took off from the command post’s flight pad at 63rd and Walnut, flew a few times over 6221 Osage Avenue, and then hovered 60 feet above the two-story house in the black, middle-class West Philadelphia neighborhood. Lt. Frank Powell, chief of Philadelphia’s bomb disposal unit, was holding a canvas bag containing a bomb consisting of two sticks of Tovex TR2 with C-4. After radioing firefighters on the ground and lighting the bomb’s 45-second fuse — and with the official approval of Mayor W. Wilson Goode and at the insistence of Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor — Powell tossed the bomb, at precisely 5:28 p.m., onto a bunker on the roof.
This was followed shortly thereafter by a loud explosion and then a large, bright orange ball of fire that reached 7,200 degrees Fahrenheit. That day, Powell, the mayor, the police commissioner, Fire Commissioner William Richmond, city Managing Director Leo Brooks, and numerous police officers committed, in the words of Philadelphia Special Investigation Commission (better known as the MOVE Commission) member Charles Bowser, a “criminally evil” act that led to the death of 11 human beings, including five completely innocent and defenseless children, the destruction of 61 homes, and the incineration of thousands of family photos, high school and college sweetheart love letters, heirloom jewelry, inscribed Bibles and Korans, and many other totally irreplaceable mementos.
Mr. Bowser, my mentor and the author of the powerful tell-all expose entitled Let the Bunker Burn, told me that five of the city’s most influential black political leaders met at the mayor’s home before dawn on May 13, 1985, in response to the mayor’s invitation and warning that “I’m going to make a move on the MOVE house … (this) morning.” This was in connection to what Goode described as complaints by Osage Avenue neighbors and outstanding arrest warrants. By the way, it should be noted that those same neighbors attempted to stop the police department’s siege of their community as soon as they realized what was developing. In fact, as the five influential black leaders watched the television broadcast of the military-like assault unfolding with shots and tear gas, two of them repeatedly urged the Mayor to call it off. In particular, City Council President Joseph Coleman, sitting at the Mayor’s kitchen table, told him the 500-strong police action was “excessive” and State Senator Hardy Williams, standing near the kitchen entrance, said “Why don’t they just back up and relax? Nobody’s going anywhere.”
MOVE: An Assault That Never Would Have Happened in the Northeast
More than 500 cops fired more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition in less than 90 minutes — in a middle-class, black neighborhood. WTF? No, let me say it: What the Fuck?! This was blatantly outrageous brutal racism. It never would have happened in the Northeast or in South Philly, even if the Hell’s Angels had kidnapped then-President Ronald Reagan. And everybody knows it.
The cops would have simply sent in a hostage negotiator. And if that didn’t work, they would have cut off access to electricity, water and food, and then waited the criminals out. And if that didn’t work, they would have sent in a professionally trained SWAT unit to storm that specific house with surgical precision. Goddamnit, even Osama’s house and neighborhood in Abbottabad weren’t firebombed. The mayor, police commissioner, fire commissioner, managing Director, and the cops — and especially the public — would not have approved, allowed or tolerated the burning down of a white neighborhood and the destruction of 61 white homes.
And don’t tell me some shit about the incineration of Osage not being racist simply because the mayor and the managing director were black. It’s the victims that make it racist! They were black. And they lived in a black neighborhood. Furthermore, Powell, the bomb-dropping cop, was white. Moreover, William Klein, the cop who made the bomb, was also white. As eloquently stated by Bowser, “Goode and Brooks did not shoot 10,000 bullets into that house. They did not put military explosives into the bomb. They did not decide to let the bunker burn. And they did not shoot at children trying to escape the fire. I know none of that would have happened in a white neighborhood and so do you.” That’s exactly why the MOVE Commission pointed out, in one of its final official comments, that none of this would have ever happened “had the MOVE house and its occupants been situated in a comparable white neighborhood.”
MOVE: The Making of the Bomb
Tovex TR2 was a commercial explosive invented in the 1960s as an option to dynamite, and its purpose was to dig trenches through rock in order to lay pipes. The “TR” is the abbreviation for trench, and the “2” refers to the second DuPont Company item in its trenching products. The company’s explosive products division was located a little more than a half hour from Philadelphia in Delaware. But not one fire or police department official ever cared enough to contact DuPont and ask what could happen if TR2 were used in a residential neighborhood. And that’s because they didn’t give a shit about black people. If they had asked, DuPont would have told them that it had been designed exclusively for, and had been used exclusively for, underground purposes. And the last time I checked, every black man, woman and child in the Osage community lived above-ground.
It gets worse. As horrifically explosive as TR2 was, Klein fired things up even more. Exercising his independent judgment, he decided that TR2 wouldn’t be strong enough to breach the bunker. So what did he do? He unilaterally placed a one-and-one-quarter-pound block of C-4 on top of the two sticks of Tovex — despite the fact that the U.S. Army in 1979 had ended distribution of C-4 to all local police departments throughout the country. But, as documented in an October 22, 1985, letter from a special agent who headed the FBI’s Philadelphia office, approximately 30 blocks of C-4 had been delivered to the city by an FBI agent without the city requesting it and as a proposed solution during discussions regarding an anticipated confrontation with MOVE. Wow! And the rest, as they say, is history — or better said, it’s Philly’s 9/11, but as our own city, state and federal governments’ inside job.
MOVE: The Scene of the Crime
If that’s worse, and it certainly is, here’s worst: The children, and some of the adults, were shot at or shot and killed by police as they were fleeing the flames and surrendering. Wow, again! The police covering the alley leading from the rear of the MOVE house had automatic weapons and shotguns. No one ever claimed that MOVE had automatic weapons or shotguns at the scene, and no automatic weapons or shotguns were found among the ashes. Police officer William Stewart, a 28-year veteran of the department and a firearms instructor at the academy, was asked by investigators, “Did you hear gunfire at this time,” meaning when people were fleeing the MOVE house from the alley in the rear. With his lawyer present, he responded “Oh yes, automatic fire.” And when asked about who was firing the weapons, he replied, “Police officers. All the stakeout officers were running into the alley. They all had Uzi machine guns.” Strangely, though, 16 days later, he told the MOVE Commission that he never heard any police gunfire in the alley.
Fire Department Lt. John Vaccarelli and fireman Joseph Murray, who were veterans of the Vietnam War and who were in the vicinity of that very same alley, said they did, in fact, hear automatic fire when the MOVE members were running away from the flames. In fact, Vaccarelli pointed out that he saw at least three MOVE members in the yard next to the alley. This was corroborated by police officer James D’Ulisse. So since these people were outside the property lines of the interior of the house itself, how is it that their bodies were later found inside those property lines among the charred rubble? Only the police (and no reporters or other civilians) had access to the sealed-off crime scene during and after the inferno. Hmmm …
And why does the official report of the city’s own medical examiner provide proof from the autopsies of six of the 11 dead — namely, 7-year-old Tomasa, 9-year-old Delicia, 10-year-old Phil, 11-year-old Netta, 13-year-old Tree, and 25-year-old Rhonda — that they did not die inside from flame-fire but died outside from gun-fire? If, as the police later testified under oath, these victims died from the flames that exceeded 2,000 hellish degrees inside the house, why were Tomasa’s long locks still long? Why was Phil’s body not burned? Why was Netta still wearing her white blouse with red trim? Why were Tree’s pubic hair and blue jeans still intact? And why did Delicia’s body and Rhonda’s body have in them metal fragments consistent with shotgun pellets as noted by an FBI ballistician? You think maybe they were fatally hit when they all were being shot at while trying to run from the flames and surrender?
Even MOVE Commission Chairman William Brown, stated, “I firmly believe that more people got out than Birdie and Ramona and that’s something that still nags at me. I believe that someone, someday will deliver a deathbed confession …” And the Commission itself noted in Finding Number 28 of its official report that “police gunfire in the rear alley prevented the escape from the fire of some occupants of the MOVE house.”
Also, consider this: Detective William Stevenson, who was assigned to take contemporaneous notes during the entire confrontation, wrote that Sgt. Donald Griffiths, a commander on the scene, “from stake-out is in the rear of Osage Avenue, 6221, and is pointing to an area that he states, ‘I dropped an adult male from the MOVE property who fired at me when the female and child escaped.’” And Battalion Chief John Skarbeck said he had overheard a police sergeant say, “something to the effect that ‘I got one back there’ or ‘I shot one back there.’” But Sgt. Griffiths testified that he had been misquoted, that what he really had said was people had “dropped out of sight” at that particular time and place. Yeah. He actually said that. With a straight face, too.
The overkill police presence, the military-style assault, the malicious bombing, the callous burning, and the evil shooting at fleeing victims were not just “grossly negligent” and “unconscionable” as the MOVE Commission properly and officially noted in Findings Number 15 and 18. They were also murderous. And justice demands the prosecution of each perpetrator because there’s no statute of limitations for murder. If it were your family, your neighborhood, your home, your property, and your memories — even if it weren’t — wouldn’t you agree?
If you do agree, join Dr. Cornel West, Angela Davis, Chuck D of Public Enemy, Fred Hampton Jr., me, and hundreds of others by attending the daylong “Memorial and Empowerment” event beginning at 11 a.m. on May 13th at 62d and Osage — 30 years to the day after the bombing. For more info, call 215-307-3960.
Michael Coard’s radio show, “The Radio Courtroom,” airs at noon on Sundays and Wednesdays. It can be heard locally on WURD 900 AM and on the Internet at 900amwurd.com. Follow @MichaelCoard on Twitter.
“It’s the week of the 29th anniversary of the MOVE bombings, and for those who were in the middle of it and are still with us, the memories of those tragic events still linger all these years later. As the haunting story unfolds in Jason Osder‘s Let the Fire Burn, which premieres tonight on Independent Lens on PBS (check local listings), you may be curious as to what became of some of the people involved.”
NB Commentary: But they do know how it came about. they know who created it and why. It was bio-warfare, created in the laboratory. It has killed many in its wake and has filled the coffers of the pharmaceutical companies.
It was first experimented on white gay males who had Hepatitis and was believed to cure them of that disease. It did not and instead spread. Once they saw the impact of it spreading they decided to take it to Africa and blame it on the “Green Monkey”. It moved out of the realm of being a disease that only gay males would come down with as straight females, prostitutes, drug users, wives of preachers, political figures and entertainers became infected and died.
It became a death sentence for anyone who could not afford the expensive drugs to cure it. Thus many people in impoverished areas of Africa, China, India became infected and lost their lives.
HIV is the actual problem. So when folks decided to explore cures for it, and came up with viable immune strengthening programs, they were ostracized, called stupid, and black balled, pardon the pun. I personally know a woman who was curing folks in a hospice with green foods, juicing, fasting, etc. and she even wrote a pamphlet and she was pushed out of her job.
There was a Dr. Boyd Graves who went to the UN with his documentation on this infection and he received a horrendous response from the Powers that be who did not want his research to become public.
There have been African doctors from the continent who have been silence when they discovered cures. And there has been huge amounts of money made off the suppression of the true information and viable cures of this infection.
HIV-AIDS was a geopolitical economic ploy of subjugation, manipulation and assassination.
I want to watch this video, but after hearing that statement two minutes in, I had to stop it and write my comment. I will continue and I hope that it will redeem itself with more pertinent and factual information.
In 1977, a secret federal virus program produced 15,000 gallons of AIDS. The record reveals the United States was represented by Dr. Robert Gallo and the USSR was represented by Dr. Novakhatsky of the diabolical Ivanosky Institute. On August 21, 1999, the world first saw the flowchart of the plot to thin the Black Population.
The 1971 AIDS flowchart coordinates over 20,000 scientific papers and fifteen years of progress reports of a secret federal virus development program. The epidemiology of AIDS is an identical match to the “research logic” identified in the five section foldout. The flowchart is page 61 of Progress Report #8 (1971) of the Special Virus program of the United States of America. We today, challenge world scientists to discussion of this document find.
We believe there is a daily, growing number of world experts who are all coming to the same conclusion regarding the significance of the flowchart. Dr. Garth Nicolson has examined the flowchart as well as other top experts from around the world. It is time for Dr. Michael Morrissey of Germany to examine the flowchart and report to the world. In addition, we have now examined the 1978 report. It is heresy to continue to further argue the program ended in 1977. Read more:http://www.boydgraves.com/flowchart/
Dr. Boyd Ed Graves International AIDS activist lawyer dies age 57
(San Diego, CA) – Human Rights activist and HIV/AIDS advocate American lawyer Dr. Boyd Ed Graves died Thursday at the University of California San Diego Medical Center. Dr. Graves was 57.
Dr. Graves’ two decades of human rights’ work, judicial activism and research on behalf of people living with HIV/AIDS, catapulted him into the world spotlight earning him both international acclaim for his bravery and dedication as well as criticisms for his controversial conclusions about the man-made origins and purpose of the HIV/AIDS virus.
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Known by “Ed” to his friends and family, Dr. Graves was a dynamic and patriotic individual who dedicated his professional and personal life to the disabled, disenfranchised and the fair daily existence of men and women worldwide. Read More here:http://boydgraves.blogspot.com/
Proof The Unites State Created The HIV/AIDS Virus
EXPOSED !
In 1969 the US government developed a biological agent [ AIDS ] that would have a devastating effect on the human immune system and for which there would be no effective treatment at the time.
Military biological warfare research became officially connected to VCP research on October 18, 1971, when President Richard Nixon permanently joined the Army’s biowarfare research laboratory at Fort Detrick, Maryland, with the National Cancer Institute. The army lab was renamed the Frederick Cancer Re-search Center.
Scientists in the VCP wanted to learn how to use animal viruses to make cancer – and how to force “normal” human cells to become cancerous by subjecting them to various animal viruses one of which would be HIV/AIDS. A primary task was the large scale production of cancer-causing viruses and suspected cancer viruses to meet research VCP needs on a continuing basis. Special attention was given to primate viruses (the alleged African source of HIV and the KS virus). Another goal was the production of “human candidate viruses.” Candidate viruses were defined as animal or human viruses that might cause AIDS and KS cancer in humans.
Biowarfare scientists had a keen interest in animal herpes “helper viruses” / AIDS (1978 VCP Re-port;p 54). Chimps (who purportedly carry the ancestor virus of HIV) were extensively used by the VCP because there would be no official testing of cancer viruses on humans.
A 1972 VCP Report (p. 262) emphatically states: “Since man will not be used as an experimental recipient, it is necessary to gain proof of oncogenicity by other means.” How that “proof” would be obtained was never made clear.
With its close ties to military biowarfare research it is conceivable that the VCP undertook covert human testing of suspected cancer-causing viruses.
The U.S. military has a long history of secret human experimentation on unsuspecting citizens. (Google: secret human experimentation + military). It’s a proven fact that Gay men were used as guinea pigs to test the effects of these viruses? Read More here:http://www.silentcures.com/USA-Created-AIDS.html
Colloidal silver destroys all types of virus including the AIDS virus
Newspaper Article written by Marvin Robey
The Herald of Provo Utah, February 2, 1992, ran an article on page 1, D1, in which a member of the administrative staff of Brigham Young University by the name of Daryl Tichy has been successfully experimenting with colloidal silver in the treatment of AIDS, along with warts and parvo virus in a dog. “Tichy said he had the material [colloidal silver] tested at two different labs; results showed the solution killed a variety of pathogens, including the HIV virus.” Tichy then states, “I don’t have a doubt in my mind.” He says he has not been able to obtain funds to continue his research.
This should not be a surprise, considering what other researchers have been telling us. There is much more evidence to support Tichy’s conclusion. Extensive evidence points to the fact that colloidal silver destroys all types of virus including the AIDS virus and greatly enhances the immune system in general. Colloidal Silver supports the T-cells in their fight against foreign organisms in the blood. It virtually forms a second immune system, actually protecting and defending the T-cells, as well as doing their work for them. It is strongly suggested by research scientists such as Dr. Gary Smith and others that silver ions are essential to the immune system.
In “Use of Colloids in Health and Disease”, author Dr. Henry Crooks says colloidal silver is highly anti-viral. In laboratory tests he found that “all fungus, virus, bacterium, streptococcus, staphylococcus, and other pathogenic organisms are killed in three or four minutes. In fact, there is no microbe known that is not killed by colloidal silver in six minutes or less in a dilution as little as five parts per million.” Dr. Crooks tells us there are no serious side effects whatsoever from high concentrations. Research scientist Dr. Gary Smith reports that he has noticed a correlation between low silver levels, sickness and immune deficiency. He found people who have low silver levels tend to be frequently sick and to have innumerable colds, flu’s, fevers, and other illnesses. The research of Dr. Gary Smith would seem to support the belief that colloidal silver is an entirely natural healing agent. Read More Here:http://www.silentcures.com/USA-Created-AIDS.html
“World War AIDS: The Third World War,” is Dr. Graves’ second book on the issue of the true origins of HIV/AIDS and the patented cure, Tetrasil. The book begins with a compelling review of the 2002 U.S. General Accounting Office review into the formerly secret U.S. Special Virus Cancer Program (1962-1978), follows Dr. Graves’ experience with the U.S. Patented Cure for AIDS, Tetrasil; documents his 2007 journeys of hope in to AIDS ravaged African countries, and ends with Dr. Graves’ 2008 lawsuit appeal for “full AIDS disclosure’ now his second appearance before the United States Supreme Court. “World War AIDS” is a must read for any victim or survivor of the U.S. Special Virus Program, and all medical and policy professional working to treat the same. Dr. Graves says, “At long last, we have within our reach a world once again without HIV/AIDS!” Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFkoRlZYTRA
14 African Countries Forced by France to Pay Colonial Tax For the Benefits of Slavery and Colonization
By: Mawuna Remarque KOUTONIN
Tuesday, January 28th, 2014 at 3:41 pm.
Africa-France-relationship. Did you know many African countries continue to pay colonial tax to France since their independence till today!
When Sékou Touré of Guinea decided in 1958 to get out of French colonial empire, and opted for the country independence, the French colonial elite in Paris got so furious, and in a historic act of fury the French administration in Guinea destroyed everything in the country which represented what they called the benefits from French colonization.
Three thousand French left the country, taking all their property and destroying anything that which could not be moved: schools, nurseries, public administration buildings were crumbled; cars, books, medicine, research institute instruments, tractors were crushed and sabotaged; horses, cows in the farms were killed, and food in warehouses were burned or poisoned.
The purpose of this outrageous act was to send a clear message to all other colonies that the consequences for rejecting France would be very high.
Slowly fear spread trough the African elite, and none after the Guinea events ever found the courage to follow the example of Sékou Touré, whose slogan was “We prefer freedom in poverty to opulence in slavery.”
Sylvanus Olympio, the first president of the Republic of Togo, a tiny country in west Africa, found a middle ground solution with the French.
He didn’t want his country to continue to be a French dominion, therefore he refused to sign the colonisation continuation pact De Gaule proposed, but agree to pay an annual debt to France for the so called benefits Togo got from French colonization.
It was the only conditions for the French not to destroy the country before leaving. However, the amount estimated by France was so big that the reimbursement of the so called “colonial debt” was close to 40% of the country budget in 1963.
The financial situation of the newly independent Togo was very unstable, so in order to get out the situation, Olympio decided to get out the French colonial money FCFA (the franc for French African colonies), and issue the country own currency.
On January 13, 1963, three days after he started printing his country own currency, a squad of illiterate soldiers backed by France killed the first elected president of newly independent Africa. Olympio was killed by an ex French Foreign Legionnaire army sergeant called Etienne Gnassingbe who supposedly received a bounty of $612 from the local French embassy for the hit man job.
Olympio’s dream was to build an independent and self-sufficient and self-reliant country. But the French didn’t like the idea.
On June 30, 1962, Modiba Keita , the first president of the Republic of Mali, decided to withdraw from the French colonial currency FCFA which was imposed on 12 newly independent African countries. For the Malian president, who was leaning more to a socialist economy, it was clear that colonisation continuation pact with France was a trap, a burden for the country development.
On November 19, 1968, like, Olympio, Keita will be the victim of a coup carried out by another ex French Foreign legionnaire, the Lieutenant Moussa Traoré.
In fact during that turbulent period of African fighting to liberate themselves from European colonization, France would repeatedly use many ex Foreign legionnaires to carry out coups against elected presidents:
– On January 1st, 1966, Jean-Bédel Bokassa, an ex french foreign legionnaire, carried a coup against David Dacko, the first President of the Central African Republic.
– On January 3, 1966, Maurice Yaméogo, the first President of the Republic of Upper Volta, now called Burkina Faso, was victim of a coup carried by Aboubacar Sangoulé Lamizana, an ex French legionnaire who fought with french troops in Indonesia and Algeria against these countries independence.
– on 26 October 1972, Mathieu Kérékou who was a security guard to President Hubert Maga, the first President of the Republic of Benin, carried a coup against the president, after he attended French military schools from 1968 to 1970.
In fact, during the last 50 years, a total of 67 coups happened in 26 countries in Africa, 16 of those countries are french ex-colonies, which means 61% of the coups happened in Francophone Africa.
Number of Coups in Africa by country
Ex French colonies Other African countries
Country Number of coup Country number of coup
Togo 1 Egypte 1
Tunisia 1 Libye 1
Cote d’Ivoire 1 Equatorial Guinea 1
Madagascar 1 Guinea Bissau 2
Rwanda 1 Liberia 2
Algeria 2 Nigeria 3
Congo – RDC 2 Ethiopia 3
Mali 2 Ouganda 4
Guinea Conakry 2 Soudan 5
SUB-TOTAL 1 13
Congo 3
Tchad 3
Burundi 4
Central Africa 4
Niger 4
Mauritania 4
Burkina Faso 5
Comores 5
SUB-TOTAL 2 32
TOTAL (1 + 2) 45 TOTAL 22
As these numbers demonstrate, France is quite desperate but active to keep a strong hold on his colonies what ever the cost, no matter what.
In March 2008, former French President Jacques Chirac said:
“Without Africa, France will slide down into the rank of a third [world] power”
Chirac’s predecessor François Mitterand already prophesied in 1957 that:
“Without Africa, France will have no history in the 21st century”
At this very moment I’m writing this article, 14 African countries are obliged by France, trough a colonial pact, to put 85% of their foreign reserve into France central bank under French minister of Finance control. Until now, 2014, Togo and about 13 other African countries still have to pay colonial debt to France. African leaders who refuse are killed or victim of coup. Those who obey are supported and rewarded by France with lavish lifestyle while their people endure extreme poverty, and desperation.
It’s such an evil system even denounced by the European Union, but France is not ready to move from that colonial system which puts about 500 billions dollars from Africa to its treasury year in year out.
We often accuse African leaders of corruption and serving western nations interests instead, but there is a clear explanation for that behavior. They behave so because they are afraid the be killed or victim of a coup. They want a powerful nation to back them in case of aggression or trouble. But, contrary to a friendly nation protection, the western protection is often offered in exchange of these leaders renouncing to serve their own people or nations’ interests.
African leaders would work in the interest of their people if they were not constantly stalked and bullied by colonial countries.
In 1958, scared about the consequence of choosing independence from France, Leopold Sédar Senghor declared: “The choice of the Senegalese people is independence; they want it to take place only in friendship with France, not in dispute.”
From then on France accepted only an “independence on paper” for his colonies, but signed binding “Cooperation Accords”, detailing the nature of their relations with France, in particular ties to France colonial currency (the Franc), France educational system, military and commercial preferences.
Below are the 11 main components of the Colonisation continuation pact since 1950s:
#1. Colonial Debt for the benefits of France colonization
The newly “independent” countries should pay for the infrastructure built by France in the country during colonization.
I still have to find out the complete details about the amounts, the evaluation of the colonial benefits and the terms of payment imposed on the African countries, but we are working on that (help us with info).
#2. Automatic confiscation of national reserves
The African countries should deposit their national monetary reserves into France Central bank.
France has been holding the national reserves of fourteen african countries since 1961: Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
“The monetary policy governing such a diverse aggregation of countries is uncomplicated because it is, in fact, operated by the French Treasury, without reference to the central fiscal authorities of any of the WAEMU or the CEMAC. Under the terms of the agreement which set up these banks and the CFA the Central Bank of each African country is obliged to keep at least 65% of its foreign exchange reserves in an “operations account” held at the French Treasury, as well as another 20% to cover financial liabilities.
The CFA central banks also impose a cap on credit extended to each member country equivalent to 20% of that country’s public revenue in the preceding year. Even though the BEAC and the BCEAO have an overdraft facility with the French Treasury, the drawdowns on those overdraft facilities are subject to the consent of the French Treasury. The final say is that of the French Treasury which has invested the foreign reserves of the African countries in its own name on the Paris Bourse.
In short, more than 80% of the foreign reserves of these African countries are deposited in the “operations accounts” controlled by the French Treasury. The two CFA banks are African in name, but have no monetary policies of their own. The countries themselves do not know, nor are they told, how much of the pool of foreign reserves held by the French Treasury belongs to them as a group or individually.
The earnings of the investment of these funds in the French Treasury pool are supposed to be added to the pool but no accounting is given to either the banks or the countries of the details of any such changes. The limited group of high officials in the French Treasury who have knowledge of the amounts in the “operations accounts”, where these funds are invested; whether there is a profit on these investments; are prohibited from disclosing any of this information to the CFA banks or the central banks of the African states .” Wrote Dr. Gary K. Busch
It’s now estimated that France is holding close to 500 billions African countries money in its treasury, and would do anything to fight anyone who want to shed a light on this dark side of the old empire.
The African countries don’t have access to that money.
France allows them to access only 15% of the money in any given year. If they need more than that, they have to borrow the extra money from their own 65% from the French Treasury at commercial rates.
To make things more tragic, France impose a cap on the amount of money the countries could borrow from the reserve. The cap is fixed at 20% of their public revenue in the preceding year. If the countries need to borrow more than 20% of their own money, France has a veto.
Former French President Jacques Chirac recently spoke about the African nations money in France banks. Here is a video of him speaking about the French exploitation scheme. He is speaking in French, but here is a short excerpt transcript: “We have to be honest, and acknowledge that a big part of the money in our banks come precisely from the exploitation of the African continent.”
#3. Right of first refusal on any raw or natural resource discovered in the country
France has the first right to buy any natural resources found in the land of its ex-colonies. It’s only after France would say, “I’m not interested”, that the African countries are allowed to seek other partners…….Continued click the link below.
AFRICANGLOBE – The West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) is an organization of eight West African states. It was established to promote economic integration among countries that share the Communauté Financière d’Afrique (CFA) franc as a common currency. The currency is issued by the Banque Centrale des États de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (BCEAO), located in Dakar, Senegal, for the members of the UEMOA. The union administers the West African CFA franc, now a Euro-pegged currency that is used in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo. Read More…
Sylvanus Epiphanio Olympio (6 September 1902 – 13 January 1963) was a Togolese politician who served as Prime Minister, and then President, of Togo from 1958 until his assassination in 1963. . He was assassinated during the 1963 Togolese coup d’état.
A great illustration on how corporations take control of countries, and how capitalism drives the expansion of the Military Industrial Complex. Made by Studio Joho who have allowed me to upload their video.
“Without Africa, France will slide down into the rank of a third [world] power” and that Chirac’s predecessor François Mitterand already prophesied in 1957 that: “Without Africa, France will have no history in the 21st century”.
The CFA franc, used by 14 African countries, was created in 1945 by a decree signed by Charles de Gaulle [EPA]
A hoard of cash sits in the Bank of France: $20 billion in African money held in trust by the French government and earning just 0.75 percent interest. Now economists and politicians from 14 Central and West African countries say they want their funds returned and an arrangement dating back to the days of France’s colonial empire ended.
France holds the money to guarantee that the CFA franc, the currency used in the 14 nations, stays convertible into euros at a fixed exchange rate of 655.957. The compulsory deposits started more than half a century ago, when the then-colonies had to place all their financial reserves in the French Treasury. The deposit requirement has dropped over the decades: Today the African members entrust 50 percent of their reserves to Paris. Source..
Three weeks ago, a rumour emerged that the CFA franc – two closely-related currencies used by 14 countries in western and central Africa – would be devalued by 35 per cent on January 1, 2012.
As a result, anxiety is taking hold of the 140 million citizens of francophone Africa. The devaluation could create a liquidity crisis and cause inflation rates to soar. Although the two governors of the central banks of Western and Central Africa have dismissed the rumour, the fact that French authorities and African heads of state failed to comment fuels peoples’ fears and could result in a massive financial outflow.
The eurozone crisis and France’s struggle to maintain its credit rating deepened fears that devaluing the CFA franc could be indirectly used as. Source
François Mitterrand
French Complicity in the Crisis in Central African Republic
By the end of 2013, “the White man’s burden” was proving too heavy to bear for France. Feeling militarily and materially outstretched, Paris cried for help from other European powers to help it shoulder “its responsibility” to quell violence, restore peace, order and political legitimacy in its backyards of Mali and Central African Republic, both in turmoil: the Islamists terrorists linked to Al-Qaïda in Maghreb (Aqmi), Boko Haram in Northern Nigeria and so on, are wreaking havoc in northern Mali and Christians and Muslims are hacking each other to death in Central African Republic (CAR). Both Belgium and the United States responded positively by providing logistics and transport for the French and African troops.
“Without Africa, France will slide down into the rank of a third [world] power.”
By the end of 2013, “the White man’s burden” was proving too heavy to bear for France. Feeling militarily and materially outstretched, Paris cried for help from other European powers to help it shoulder “its responsibility” to quell violence, restore peace, order and political legitimacy in its backyards of Mali and Central African Republic, both in turmoil: the Islamists terrorists linked to Al-Qaïda in Maghreb (Aqmi), Boko Haram in Northern Nigeria and so on, are wreaking havoc in northern Mali and Christians and Muslims are hacking each other to death in Central African Republic (CAR). Both Belgium and the United States responded positively by providing logistics and transport for the French and African troops.
“
Chirac’s predecessor François Mitterand already prophesied in 1957 that ‘Without Africa, France will have no history in the 21st century’ (François Mitterrand, Présence française et abandon, 1957, Paris: Plon).”
The Truth About Black Religion and Spirituality and The Lies of Christianity, Islam
Dr. Umar Johnson, Revolutionary Psychologist
Dr. Umar Johnson, made some really good points particularly when it relates to spirituality. Having gone thru Christianity to Islam to African traditional spiritual belief systems. Clearly, they do entail a great deal of the culture from which they are derived or shall I say controlled by. I have a few points to add.
1. The yin/yang principle is within every one of us, having been born from both a male and female conjugal relationship. Each person has a male principal and female principle within them. Therefore, we are a manifestation of the “whole” in and of ourselves. Gender is a construct but not applicable in the spirit realm, that is, a person may be born with the physicality of a male, but have a strong principal within of a female and the same can apply to a female. Here is where my departure comes as it relates to his statement about homosexuality. All too often, the spiritual nature of same sex relationships is packaged in disdain, hatred, and much confusion as to its purpose and nature. If he reads, studies or observes Malidoma Some’s work he will find that there is a deeper, often hidden purpose for this than is commonly acknowledge. Dr. Some is from Dagara people of Upper Volta in West Africa. In Dr. Some’s culture the homosexual is held in high esteem and are called Gatekeepers.
2. Expanding on my above comment I would also include that in traditional African spirituality, particularly among those who have not been influenced by Western taboos, you will find the notion of re-incarnation. It is believed that we re-incarnate as male or female. With that being said, we may present more closely to our most previous gender in our present life time as we navigate through the sexes. The idea is to experience “spirit” through the physical. In order to do so, we come as male or female through our lifetimes and that in and of itself may have us gravitate to a person of the same sex whom we knew and loved in a past life. There is no so-called gender construct in the spirit realm only as it manifests in 3rd dimensional reality. African spirituality is keenly aware of this, that is, how, a person who is part of the Yoruba/Ifa spiritual system can have an opposite or same sex Orisha as their patron. The male may find himself very intrigued by the female principal of a particular Female Orisha and appear to be “effeminate” but the reality is that the female energy is very strong within him. The opposite is true with women.
3. One point of departure for the Ancients particularly in reference to the Khemetian Spiritual Science; like many other religions that we are familiar with today, it was kept from the masses and only the “Royals”, the Priests and Priestesses were initiated into it. They were set apart from the masses and often revered as God incarnated and here we see the objectification of the God source to something outside of the individual. The separation between the haves and the have-nots was profound and the magic, spiritual practices, etc. were delegated to the royal blood lines, and priests. This carried over into the more modern religions of our time. But even if you look at Ancient China, Mesopotamia, India, and other ancient cultures the same is true. Some how the idea of controlling and manipulating the masses became prevalent for political, social and economic reasons and this system was primarily responsible for the civilizations to thrive. That is not to say they wouldn’t have done so without this separation, but in doing so, the element of controlling the masses for gains of the few was much more manageable. So, when we speak of Empire we must be fair in our delineation of exactly what that meant then and what it means now.
4. Finally, I would like to mention that modern constructs of traditional African spirituality has become more institutionalized and thus there is a chasm between the Knowledge of “God” and the actual imbibing with the God within. Because it has become another tool of control through rituals and sacrifice, those in these “systems” become imprisoned as do the others in institutionalized religious practices. that is, African traditional spirituality becomes the same bastion of mind control and manipulation as the other more popular “religions”. It has become an institution and like he mentioned, it has become a business. People have their finances scarfed from them under the guise of pleasing the Gods/Ancestors and are seldom lead to believe that they can achieve this without all the trappings, i.e., shrines, altars, sacrifices, etc.
We are all here to learn, evolve and develop and for the most part Dr. Umar is clearly on point, and even with admitting his own evolution and development, it is very refreshing to hear him mention that, if just for the sake of perspective.
Personally, I applaud Dr. Umar and his work. He is very intelligent and creative in his manner of educating us about the issues we face in this world as African descendant peoples.
Continue in your work, Dr. Umar, you are a blessing for those who have ears to hear. Like he mentioned, there is no ONE AND ONLY WAY to connecting with the Divine within. In fact, the path may have many twists and turns, but if we remain vigilant we will succeed and the awakening will be all pervasive.
We Are The Change We Are Looking For! Ase’, Namaste
“A striking example of how Christianity destroys a proud culture, by introducing “doubt”. The Christian body is imperfect, we are “sinners”. These beautiful people learn for the first time, that their behavior is a “sin”. A bigger psychological disastrous impact is the fictitious idea of the Christian afterlife, their current world is a place of sin, they are sinners, the “real life” will start in the afterlife. Makes me think what proud people we could be, if we could remove the Christian doctrine of imperfectness of the body.” ₁
Disclaimer: This was written for the purpose of discussion my own thoughts and conclusions. It is in no way an offense to anyone who may read it. In fact, I Thank you for reading this.
There have been so many questions in my mind over the years particularly as it relates to Spirituality and Religion. Before I go on, I have to admit that I too believed that “my religion” was the best religion. This belief started to wane gradually as I traveled through many religions, and in fact believed the propaganda. The propaganda was so intense that it made me feel even less righteous if I didn’t “spread the word.”
My journey started with Catholicism, then on to Protestantism, Islam, Buddhism culminating in African Centered Spirituality. There was a common theme that flowed through them all, politics, economics and oppression. Arriving at African Centered Spirituality, I looked back in wonderment how they could possibly embrace Christianity as brought to them by outsiders from the West. After contemplation, observation, conversation and some serious study on my part, I think I have come to understand why African People, from the blackest to the lightest would embrace, preach and even die for Christianity. They literally abandon their original African Gods for the Image of the European as God. It is a bit mind boggling and what I want to do with this piece is explain from my perspective the reason why it happens and with such a fervor and fierceness sometimes to the amazement of the very people who brought it to them.
African people are deeply religious or shall I say spiritual. So no outsider could bring to the African anything as it pertains to being deeply connected to the Divine Source, they perceived in their minds, through the ages as the most powerful being that governs the whole world, in fact, it governs the whole Universe. No one could pull from their hearts, minds and bodies what was not already deeply rooted in the psyche of the African. So what did the missionaries have that the Africans thought they did not?? This is partially what I wish to discuss here with a few additional points of reference for this topic.
Author’s Note: I am focusing on Africans and descendant Africans because I am most familiar with these people and how they process their reality. This article is not meant to offend but to just bring some clarity to the question, how can Africans become Christians (of the Western persuasion that is.)
The Politics
When you couple Religion with Politics it almost seems likes an oxymoron. But from the beginnings, religion has always been political. Ancient human history shows us that the original rulers were people who were designated as Highly Spiritual first. It was believed that a highly spiritual person was closest to God and thus would be the most fitted to rule righteously and justly.
But as time wore on things became more and more corrupted. People began to fight amongst themselves as to who should really be in power. Scandals would be exposed and the person in power at that time would be ostracized or castigated in some way, bringing shame upon he/she and their entire family. There was an unspoken law that says, “No Chief or Queen mother should break the laws of the Village.” They are held in high esteem thus the tradition of carrying them on a litter above the heads of everyone else. Ancient Africans strongly believed that their leaders were able to speak directly to God and in some instance, were perceived as Gods themselves. ₂
So, as with any political system of rulers and ruled, there were rivalries and outright wars over who would prevail in the position of honor such as the “Godhead” of a nation, particularly when the one in power was perceived as inept, corrupt or morally lacking. The usurpation of one “Godhead” Chief or King for another regulated in such a way that it would not be arbitrary. Systems were set up to determine the right rules of engagement when selecting the next Leader. Politically, this bares a strong resemblance to the mentality of most of the worlds institutionalized political leaders. In traditional African society however, rather than it being put to a vote, it would be suggested by the counsel of elders, who for the most part, were deemed the law givers who maintain the order of society and settled disputes. Again, this is reminiscent of what happens in other societies around the world to this day. They may not be considered the counsel of elders but they are considered judges and magistrates, lawmakers and local politicians and law enforcement. It seems that somewhere along the way, the human being was taught that he needed to be regulated by an external entity because he could not regulate himself. Could it be that the very fact of being born an infant that has to be taught has something with this being a common feature across cultures?
NPCA Board Member Installed as a Chief
Thus, the African was not given anything they did not already have. The structure, order and operation of the Western system was strikingly different but the fundamentals were comparable, and comparable enough for the African mind to find it to be something that he could apply to his life or even discard his present experience and completely immerse himself in the “foreign” political structure. ₃, ₄
Nigerian Lawyers
The exchange is made, from the local authorities to the Invader’s authority figure who was then given all the rights and privileges of the original authority figures in their culture. Hence the dismantling of “Leaders” who looked like they did to leaders who bared no resemblance.
Let me speak briefly about the African mindset as it relates to Albinos, or albinism. While Africans are certainly aware of the various complexions they can produce from their loins, a completely pale, colorless offspring was cause for some to consult the elders and medicine men, as they felt they were cursed! Imagine the frightfulness they must have felt when these pale men came upon African shores. Imagine the gamut of emotions from those who feared them and those who loved them. Imagine the confusion. And then imagine what happened in their minds when they were told that these people were gods, leaders and bearers of good tidings.₅
Albinism is a rare, non-contagious, genetically inherited condition occurring in both genders regardless of ethnicity, in all countries of the world. BOTH the father and mother must carry the gene for it to be passed on even if they do not have albinism themselves.
The Economics
As historians have shown, African people were quite industrious before the advent of Western man. They had an economy that supported the land and the society. They were builders, artisans, farmers, teachers, homemakers, iron workers, textile engineers and gold and ebony harvesters and craftsmen. The adorned themselves with their products as well as paid homage to the gods, elders, chiefs, priests/medicine men and village leaders. It was not uncommon to know who these individuals were just by looking at their housing, clothing, property, wives, children and livestock. Most of these items were given in support of their leadership and often to free them from toiling the land so they could spend most of their time taking care of their communities.
The African mindset of seeing their leaders as closer to the gods than themselves was enough motivation for them to honor them and in many cases gain favor from them, by giving them material things and physical service. Of course, human nature being what it is, in some cases, the hearts and minds of the populace were exploited by unscrupulous leaders. This could be seen in the extremes of the haves and the have-nots who just to gain favor would “sacrifice” their worldly possessions to gain favor from the gods. The exploitation of people of this mindset was easy in some instances and in others, caused the breakdown of the cohesion of the community as it became known that they were not being favored by the Gods and that they in fact, were being taken advantage of. ₆
Therefore, even in this instance, the advent of Western Style Christianity brought nothing to the African that he/she did not already have except in one sense. That is, he/she no longer had to pay a host of gods to gain favor, he/she only had to accept “Jesus” as their personal savior and that would seal the deal. No more running from one person to another seeking recourse for troubles, giving offerings and making sacrifices to the multitude of “gods” they initially served. They exchanged the many “gods” for one. However, the concept of tithing did not cease, and thus they were encouraged to build the church and volunteer at the church, and farm the land the church owned and do whatever other services the church required for the Glory of the Lord.
Here is where the exploitation became maximized as can be seen around the world, not just in Africa. Huge buildings are erected to hold the masses. These buildings become assembly rooms for the multitude to bring their money and wealth to a central location where they would be divided among the Church Officials, the newly acclaimed High Priests of the Western Christian Order. But the question remains, how do we keep them from running back to their old spiritual and political leaders? This leads us to our next topic.
Oppression/Violence/Intimidation/Abuse/Education
African people have a strong sense of family and an even stronger sense of shame and fear of what is commonly called “bad medicine or witchcraft. Most people who encounter Africans do not understand this very deep cultural aspect of the African mindset. Family means so much to them, that they are filled with dread when they are not able to uphold their family obligations. If these people are convinced that their family obligations are no longer to their physical family but to the members of the Church than they can rest at ease that they are fulfilling their duties in the eyes of the new “one God” who will bless them enormously if they forsaken their families for the Church as Christ had to do in order to gain the Kingdom of Heaven. They may have to be away from them for long periods of time in order to serve the Lord in his Holy place. Mind you, before this, there were shrines, temples and holy places peppered throughout the African community. This was not a new concept. The strangeness was demonstrated when they had to forsake their families, or leave them behind, in the bush as they did the “Devil’s” work with the primitive bushmen.
Let me move to the concept of shame and how that played a significant part in persuading the African that he would be sullied indeterminately or maybe forever in the eyes of this new “God”. Shame to the African can lead them to suicide, that is how deep and soulstirring the very thought of it is. Shame place upon any man/woman/child in the village could lead to banishment, lack of support, no family connections or marriages, etc. A shamed individual would find it hard to live peacefully in his community because he has become a subject of social opprobrium and as a result he would rather travel some great distance where he would not feel the brunt of this shame. Shame can be placed upon an African due to any inordinate behavior that does not adhere to the laws of the community.
He/she may be able to make sacrifice for retribution, but it will still carry for some time that this person did something to bring shame upon himself and HIS/HER WHOLE FAMILY. Of course this strictness would lead these human beings to the point of secrecy, particularly in the case of the unwed mother, the thief, murderer or insane person. They become practically marked for life. Imagine the relief they felt when told that “Jesus” died for your sins and though you are a sinner to begin with, you can be saved by the “blood” of Christ and all would be cleared and you would be welcomed into the Church family, no questions asked. The African full of shame would be more than willing to glorify in the name of the Lord, profess his sins and come to be saved by the power of the Holy Spirit, which he knows about spirits anyway.. So why not have one that can do all that? That is the message I was told when I ask a Liberian friend of mine, why did he become a Christian. His response was, “Jesus is the final sacrifice. There is no more need to shed the blood of an animal when Jesus has shed his blood to save us all.”
I had an Eureka moment in that instance, as by this time, I was deeply involved in just that aspect of African Spiritual tradition of making sacrifices to the “gods.”
How does violence/intimidation and abuse play into this scenario? The added measure is that of the Devil and evil. Now the African is being taught that the Devil is real and that he is evil and that anyone who worships the Devil will die and go to hell for eternity. That’s intimidation. If you shirk Jesus than you must be of the Devil as you cannot serve two masters. If your family shirks Jesus then they too are of the Devil and must be punished.
Initially, this concept makes the African quite uncomfortable and uneasy, and so she/he becomes comfortable with just saving their own souls, but sermon after sermon they are told how important it is to save their families and friends, etc., that they become so guilty and shame-filled that they are not doing their Christian duty of bringing more people into the fold. Eventually, they become strong enough and armed enough through this propaganda that they are willing to approach their families and friends and here is where the violence and abuse comes into the picture.
Now the African is armed with the knowledge that he is better than his family and friends because he has been saved, therefore, if they do not abide by his command to join the Church he has the right to smite them. In essence he is not seeing himself as smiting them, he is smiting the Devil within them.
Africans are susceptible to this type of mentality as they believe in spirits, negative, that would do harm to them or their family and loved ones. These spirits, often displayed by so-called witch doctors, medicine men or priests; were considered evil or bad medicine, but the idea of the arch deceiver being a Devil was a new concept. But again, it was workable because it could align itself with the belief they already had.
Through the teachings of Christianity, which seldom was complete except in part for those who entered the pastoral college, seminary or the like, the masses are given allegory, proverbs, myth and smatterings of historical leanings. This too is in alignment with the African mindset in that many traditions where handed down generation to generation. You did not question the origins or ethicacy of these teachings, you accepted them as “Gospel.” How easy then, the transplanting of this style of teaching into a mind of a people who were not encouraged to question what they were being taught by the Elders. To question the Elders was consider blasphemy and very disrespectful. Therefore, the African Christian would be hard pressed to know that much of the Bible is made up from various tales, legends and myths from ancient cultures and in some instances from their very own culture. How easy is it for them to find relationship and reference to what they had been taught over the ages, presenting itself through the teachings of the Bible and Christianity.
While this commentary does not specifically identify the militaristic aspect of conversion, I would like to stress that I am well aware of the Blood, Guns and Steel that was also brought to the continent. The continent was heavily divided upon the arrival of the Western European version of Christianity. This division made the African even more vulnerable to the manipulation of this New Religion. It also provide plenty of free labor and various other support to maintain the existence of these Missionaries and their Churches.₇, ₈
Woman Beaten to death accused of being a witch
The Mind Control/Hypnotic Trance
I believe that the most powerful tool for conversion of the African is mind control. This comes through a series of Gospel passages repeated over and over again. Songs and dances and musical instruments are all used to illicit the overall submission of the congregation.
Initially, this may start off rather small, and then grow to a huge congregation with a very large church. Because Africans have been using song, dance and words spoken repetitively in rituals to honor the gods, here again we have a very neat alignment with the African mind when it comes to spirituality. This mind control is very exquisite in its ability to untrain and retrain the African into believing that Jesus Christ is there for them and that they no longer need their “Old Primitive Gods” anymore. In fact, they don’t even need to venerate the Ancestors! This cuts to the core value of the African mind that the Ancestors are guardians and sit close to God in the Spirit realm. They can be called upon to assist in their affairs. Their names are remembered and offerings are given to them to encourage them to help the community. To tell an African that his Ancestors can no longer hear them because when they die, they are dead and there is no more need to communicate with the dead until you die and meet them in heaven. So to be told to pray “for” them as you do not need them “to” pray for you, must cause cognitive dissonance in each one who hears this.
I always say that Jesus is the baddest Ancestor around considering the fact that he died and that was 2000+ years ago according to the story, but he is being venerated as if he is alive today. To the contrary, anyone else who dies can not be heard, cannot help you and if you do hear from them, you can be sure they are demonic spirits and “not” the voice of your Ancestors. So, quite capably, they toss the traditional acknowledgement of the Ancestors, the lineage of the African and give him another Ancestor, a European looking God. Again, since he is definitely an Ancestor, the African can accept him as he once accepted his own ancestors. In fact, due to the fact that the New Eurocentric Ancestor came down and shed his blood to save them, it tugs even more so at the African conscience. How many of their Ancestors have done such a feat? There are probably stories of such things happening but due to the indoctrination by the new God, that was all of the Devil, for only Jesus Christ was appointed as the Son of God to come and save the masses from original sin and utter death and damnation.
While in school, I asked my teacher, “What happened to Jesus when he ascended? Where did he go? Did he disappear into the sky, high above the mountains where no one could see him? Or did he keep going further out into space? As the story goes, he returned flesh and blood, showing everyone that he was not a “Ghost” so if he did go somewhere, where was that?” I never got an answer and I went to Catholic school and nobody studies the bible stories like they did when I was in Catholic school. But I digress.
The European brand of Christianity in my estimation is just another form of what Africans had known for thousands if not millions of years. This is specifically true with regards to the Catholic missionaries who not only brought them a Single God made of three parts; a Holy Spirit and a plethora of saints who took on many of the attributes of their former Gods but, the rituals that included burnt offerings and blood sacrifice and various types of “vestments.” In essence, the African could relate and from what I have read, felt that Christianity was so comparable it was welcomed with open arms. However, there was just one thing they did not realize. Traditional religion and Christianity could not co-exist. They also did not realize that the Christian missionaries had no intention of allowing them to keep their traditions while attending their schools or be a part of their congregations. In fact, the Christian missionaries insisted that the traditional practices were immodest(nudity), barbaric (blood sacrifice of animals) and immoral (shameful) and actually caused the disdain of this New God and should be abolished at all costs. This propaganda went into a feverish pitch during the sermons, particularly by those who wanted to be close to this New God and therefore, holier and better than the others. Unfortunately, even this was in alignment with African Spirituality. It had been and still is believed that those who serve the Gods are closer to the Gods than those who do not. Those who serve the Gods are revered as keepers of the culture, the staff, the umbrella, the shrine, the temple, the grove and even the Gods. They are sanctified and much more able to communicate directly to the Divine than the uninitiated.
The Churches became the new coven, the new shrine house, the new temple and the keepers of these edifices became the new gods to the Africans. They simply traded in their old pair of shoes for a new one. But they are still dealing in shoes. ₉
Today, in modern Africa, the radical and fast spreading Pentecostal Christianity is leading a spiritual crusade against the old gods of West Africa. The Pentecostal pastors are taking up the millennia-old battle with heathendom, trying once and for all to break the ancient alliance between the Ghanaians and their ancestral spirits. In the process, the women of Ghana are given a radically different role in the moralist worldview of modern Pentecostalism.
With intensely raw and naturally dramatic footage, Ghana Possessed gives us a rare and penetrating insight into a contemporary living religion where gods and spirits enter directly into people’s lives.
Let me refer here to an article by Mansa Musa, called, “Moving From the Plantation tothe Chur-chation” reading this article put so many things into perspective as to how the African can be hoodwinked into believing that Christianity is a better brand than their “old time religion.”
Another good read, particularly for those who are deeply rooted in either, is “War In Heaven” by Kyle Griffith. In his book he speaks about religious mind control and how it permeates “all” mass gatherings. It is basically the major component of crowd control, creating a mania that is contagious for most all of the participants. This is done through repetition and highly energetic displays of emotion. See chapter 12: Excerpt:
“Religious Mind Control Q. Exactly how does religious mind control work? A. It involves what modern psychologists call “operant conditioning”: altering behavior and mental programming by positive and negative reinforcement on the physical and sensory level. The Theocrats strengthen this conditioning on the physical level by transmitting ideas and emotions directly into people’s subconscious minds by telepathy. Religious mind-control techniques are easier to understand if you realize that the Theocrats use people’s own psychic powers to control other members of the congregation.”
Unfortunately, down through the ages, Africans have been controlled by their own version of spirituality. A version that encourages the person to seek outside of themselves redemption from their various life challenges and problems. They ARE NOT taught that the answer lies within and that they need only go there to find what they are looking for. In some instances, they actually voluntarily give up control over their lives to an outside source, giving it power over their lives, and allowing it to be the answer for whatever situation they come upon. Thus we see the pantheon of gods and deities that are supplicated in a variety of ways through rituals and trance to accomplish this. The predominance of this type of mind control is mostly seen in the so-called more evolved societies where much of the Spiritual traditions have been institutionalized. The representation of these institutions being shrine houses, temples or sacred places.
As far as the spiritual African traditions would tell you, this was a workable solution to the healing and maintenance of a sane and compliant society. People are taught the rules, protocols and rituals that they must follow in order to reach a certain level of spirituality, to ward off evil spirits, to gain happiness, riches, strong families and children. The African in good faith would make these supplications and if they fell short of the desired goal it was deemed a trick by some nefarious unseen spirit and therefore, more work had to be done to get rid of it. The African was blamed for entertaining this nefarious unseen spirit and given admonishment and more rituals.
Another aspect of this mind control was the insistence that sex was sinful and that anyone who participated in it was unholy unless they were married. In fact, those who took the vow of chastity and abandoned sex altogether were considered even more holy than others. This too was in alignment with many of the traditional African spirituality practices in that abstinence for periods of time were encouraged for the initiated. In the eyes of the African, the nuns, priests, pastors, etc., were initiates, therefore it was their duty to abide by the various protocols set up.
Ironically, today, you will find more “Spiritism Churches” or “Pentecostal Churches” being attended by most Africans who become Christians. Why? Because it is most in alignment with their traditional beliefs to begin with. In these churches people speak in tongues, do the laying on of hands and get caught up in the Holy Spirit. Demons are cast out, a joyful noise is made with songs, drumming, instrumentation and even dancing. There is something about this combination that is an elixir for the African Spirit. Spirit for the Spirits, they say, as they pour libations with some form of liquor of fermented liquid. Ultimately, the religious trance that permeates traditional African Spirituality can be clearly seen in any church where Africans gather to worship the Lord and receive the Holy Spirit. No matter how much the pastor, evangelist or minister may defy the existence of these Ancestral spirits and the Gods who nurture them, they tend to appear on every occasion where all of the above components are present.
The African is truly a spiritual as well as religious being, therefore it is of no importance who is lying on the cross or hanging on the wall in their homes and Churches. It is what he represents and since they are keen in the knowledge that it is not the thing (rock, groves, stone, water, air, fire) but the power behind it, then, naturally if that power is emanating from a being that is European, well so be it.
I once entered my God-sister’s shrine room and noticed several carved dolls that were white. They did not necessarily have African features yet they were dressed as representations of some of the “higher ancestors.” I found this curious so I asked, “Auntie, why are those dolls white?” Her response was that they were not painted yet.
Here I will conclude on one more aspect of this dynamic; the whitening of the skin during rituals. In some instances it is done with powder in other instances it is done with clay. This change of the person’s persona by whitening can be seen all over Africa during their sacred rituals. Not all participants or priests are whitened but many are and here is where I began to understand even more why a white god is in alignment with African core beliefs on spirituality. There is a difference however minimal, but the idea that whitening of the skin makes you more spiritually in tuned than not, is a curious endeavor for the African. Now we see this not only in traditional rituals but in every day life, the whitening or lightening of the African’s skin tone. Along with the straightening of the hair and abandonment of traditional garments. When looked at with a global lens it makes perfectly good sense that Africans would become Christians. They are hardwired to become Christians.
The Invisible Band Behind the Curtain
Here I wish to give an explanation from my point of view of what is happening for the African and how the Invisible Band Behind the Curtain is actually the orchestrator and manipulator of all of this. Somewhere in the African Historical record this propensity toward religious adoration was fine tuned and orchestrated. But by whom?
We hear this question quite often. Who built the pyramids and why are there these structures around the world, some older than even those at Giza. What happened on Planet Earth to make it the stomping ground for giant megalithic structures going back thousands upon thousands of years?
It is my opinion, that even these structures are a form of mind control. With that being the case, it makes sense that they would be all over the planet to control the masses. When looking at a designer garment or pair of shoes we can tell which designer did them as they contain a certain style. If you attempt to attribute it to another designer, the one who is aware of this will quickly correct you. Obviously, in my estimation at least, there had to be one designer or the other designers were trained by the elder designer. Thus structures around the world “resemble” one another while not exactly alike, they bare the same constitution. Is it possible that a group of people traveled the entire planet, took their slaves with them, hired new slaves when they got there and set out to build these megalith at these strategic places on the planet, heralding the equinoxes, the solstices, the planetary bodies, etc., etc., etc.?
Even if we speculate that the planet was one land mass, again, imagine the logistics of hauling folks and 2-3 ton rocks around the entire planet on “horseback”? “Oxen”? Archaeologists insist that these structures took hundreds of years to build with very primitive tools, yet these structures are all over the Planet and many of them are comparable in age. Does that not speak of some type of intelligence that was guiding the construction of these buildings? Who is the Invisible Band Behind the Curtain?
And while they were constructing these edifices, they were also constructing religious rituals and protocols and dignitaries to maintain them. “Who Is the Invisible Band Behind the Curtain?”
Many of these “different” cultures share a common thread, that is, offerings to the “Gods” in various forms particularly blood offerings. Why? Was there a genetic manipulation going on? Did the Invisible Band Behind the Curtain need blood, and if so, why? And to this day, they are still receiving blood offerings in the bush and in the Church. There has to be something said about this as it relates to the human psyche and its fascination with blood offerings and offerings of energy to some outside force for that matter.
In Ancient times, the people saw their leaders as Gods or descendants of Gods. This holds true for all of humanity. While there may not be a perfusion of blood being offered, the energy that the blood represents, the life force that flows on and in the blood is still being offered up to our Leaders, Politicians, Presidents, and Superstars. Why is that such a common thread in all of humanity on this Planet? And how did that come about?
Who is the “Invisible Band Behind the Curtain”?
I strongly encourage anyone who got this far in reading this to read “Alien Interview” edited by Lawrence Spencer and “War In Heaven” by Kyle Griffith PDF format (starting with chapter 10). These two books may bring to light and some answers to this very interesting Phenomenon.
Disclaimer: This was written for the purpose of discussion my own thoughts and conclusions. It is in no way an offense to anyone who may read it. In fact, I Thank you for reading this.
I laughed at the trailer. I can also relate. I can relate to the father. I went to catholic school grade school and high school, and off to an all girls’ college who was seeking to reach a quota for federal funding and PR. My mother was strong about being black in America, but she did not do it to the point of identifying with her culture from Africa, or not even identifying with African American culture. She did it because it had become a popular thing to do. We are talking about the 60’s.
Angela Davis
My mom was one of the first people I knew to have an Afro hairstyle. But again, not for the cultural aspect of it, but because it was popular. She had fried our hair up until that point. In fact, she fried the hair of other friends in the community we lived in. I can still remember that smell of frying hair.
She didn’t talk about black power, or to be young gifted and black, nor did she wear a dashiki, or any other African garb. She wasn’t a nationalist, socialist, communist or a fan of Angela Davis. She was always changing her hairstyle so I guess, it was just a change of hairstyle that she was after. And let me not forget, my mother was a rebel, in her own right, and since wearing an Afro meant you were rebelling against the system, well she did it, just to be rebellious.
Left, me with my Afro @graduation, 1969
At the time, I did not see it as rebellion. I thought she was expressing her strong sentiment about her African heritage. Quite frankly, I took that literally and want one myself, just like mom so I could identify with her and possibly make her happy one day????? Like I said, I can relate to this story line.
We grew up in North Philadelphia, a part of Philadelphia, where we were constantly being reminded of how it used to be all white years ago and how after the “blacks” moved in the property value and neighborhood went down, down, down. There was an elder gentleman who had a shoe shine stand on the corner of 29th & Dauphin Streets… He would hire young boys in the area to help him shine shoes. That would be his story, whenever you walked by you would hear him talk about all the white folks that use to live in the area, and now look at it. Well, the area had become all black. Black business, black stores, black churches, black dentist, black doctor, black shoe repair man, black milk man, black post man. In fact, the entire area was “black” except for the insurance man who visited homes on Saturday morning, the landlords, and the man who owned the fish store. Well, I must admit that the school, though full of black people, only had white priests, and nuns… In fact, though I wanted to grow up and be the only black nun I knew, I doubted that I would NOT be the only Black nun in the entire world!! Ha, I found another in college years later.
Somehow, I managed to truly identify with my African culture. I was inclined towards African dance, and
Me @ African Dance Performance, 1968
African fabrics, and while I didn’t have access to African fabrics during those days, I managed to create something from some fabrics that looked African, at least to me. I doubt that my emphasis on African culture would have happened had it not been for my perception that my mother was into it.
When I went to college, there were 7 African Americans on campus of 1500 students. My mother told me to go to that college. She knew about racism. I knew she knew, though it was not spoken aloud, except the little innuendos that were said when we shopped in a store that was not black owned. I would watch my mother transform and speak “proper” English so that she could impress the cashier. She would do that on the phone too, when she was making important business calls. It was funny to watch her transformation, but we knew deep inside, she wanted to appear educated and talking like we did in the house among ourselves, friends and family, did not make us appear educated. So again, I can relate.
My mother’s agenda for encouraging me to go to an all white, catholic girls college was simple. “You are a fly in a bowl of milk. They will not, not teach their own, simply because you are there.” We knew what that meant on so many levels. I would definitely get a good education because they give their own a good education. I may miss my “black” friends, but that’s no problem, I can always come home on school breaks to be with them, and… after college, I will still be “black in America”. Yeah, I can relate. Plus, I really wouldhn’t have too much trouble getting along there, my high school was 75% white. It wasn’t too popular for African Americans to be Catholic during those days. Those of us who went to Catholic School were often teased and called “stuck-up” mainly because Catholic school was not free, like public school, and if your family could afford Catholic school, you must have had some money. At least enough to put you in a class slightly upper than the rest of the neighborhood folks. This perception was hard to comprehend, since we lived in the same neighborhood as everyone else, but Catholic education was considered elite during those days. It was brutal, but that’s a topic for another blog.
In 1969, I went to Marywood College, in Scranton, PA. I have to admit it was a culture shock. Grass, trees,
Marywood University
mountains and open spaces????? Full meals cooked 3X’s a day??? Food I had never seen eaten before. White people doing the laundry, cutting the grass, picking up the trash and serving us meals in the Dining Hall?? Yeah that was a culture shock for certain. I had to get used to that. In fact, when they hired ONE African american Service Staff person, they called me in to ask, “How should we treat her?” I was baffled by the question. We never wondered how we should treat white people, what was the problem? My response may have been a bit abrupt but I said, “Treat her like a human being, like you treat everyone else around here.” Not quite the answer she expected, but I was not going to give her a crash course on race relations because they decided to hire ONE Black person as personnel. I wondered who she asked when she got the 7 black students to come to her college.
I am not sure if it was the times, the protests or my desire to affirm my identity, but after a while I had to do something. I started to lose myself, the way I spoke changed. I began to speak “proper, just like my mom. I did not like that one bit, and I made a concerted effort to reclaim my identity by speaking Ebonics (Black English). Of course I did not use it in my research, term papers and tests, but out of the class, I had to, it was all I had to hold on to. My roommate made innocent fun of me, she would mimic my saying “Maf” and Baf” “You’re going to Maf class and you gonna take a baf.” She was wonderful and very very cool, we would laugh together, and her mother made excellent brownies, but I digress. After a while I found myself speaking Ebonics on purpose, I was getting lost in the sauce.
One day, Arthur Hall Afro-American Dance Ensemble came to Scranton! What a shot in the arm that was for me. I seemed to remember that I was African, Black and that I could hold on to my identity and still attend an all white college. I totally embraced this concept and started a black power movement on campus. I started a Black Student Union. BOSS, Black Organization of Students in the Struggle, by now there were 9 of us. We represented the Macrocosm, as every single type of “us” was there.
Arthur Hall Afro-American Dance Ensemble
I read “Black Muslims in America”, “The Souls of Black Folks”, “Black Cargoes” “The Outsider”, “Black Rage” Nikki Giovanni and several other books about Black Americans that I found, interestingly in the College Library. Imagine that!
I started wearing the “Black Power” pins and pendants, red, black and green hat and belts, a khaki jacket and walked around campus like I was a genuine black panther. My English Professor, called me a Pink Panther…. I didn’t take it to mean she was racist or demeaning. Besides, when I found out what the Black Panthers were really about I knew what she meant.
Nevertheless, I became a spokesperson for everything black. Being the most outspoken and outgoing of all the other Black Students on campus, it fell upon me to explain it all to them. There I was in the middle of conversations about being black in America. I would discuss what growing up was like for me in my neighborhood, where we never used the term impoverished, deprived or ghetto. We were resourceful and creative, making a way of no way, making a dollar out of 15cents.
I was in the middle of discussion attempting to explain to folks that Flip Wilson, WAS NOT YOUR AVERAGE BLACK MAN IN AMERICA, when that is all they knew. I was in the middle of discussion with folks who had never seen an Black person up close and were extremely curious as to why my hair grew up and out instead of down. I became the First African American Freshman Class President! Why?? Because I stood out, imagine that, and they didn’t know each other or who to vote for, so why not our token black girl.
I was in the middle of my own desperation along with a Black Classmate, who could tolerate being in that all white environment anymore!!! So one night, we made flyers and put them under the doors of the Nuns who lived in the dorms with us, along with other adult staff who lived in the dorms with us. What did our signs say?
BLACK IS BEAUTIFULPOWER TO THE PEOPLE BLACK POWER
We did that, it was a desperate attempt to retain, reclaim, reaffirm and identify with our heritage, a heritage we knew so little about, but one we felt the need to hold onto at all costs. So yes, I can relate.
Baba Tunde Olatunji-Drums of Passion
We knew we were black in a bowl of milk, and that racism was alive and well, no matter how much those around us pretended it wasn’t. We were in the middle of the Civil Rights movement, they had just raided the Black Panthers in Philadelphia, strip them naked, and posted that on the front of Newsweek. They were fire bombing, lynching and terrorizing black folks in the south. They had just opened the restaurants for black folks to come to along with white patrons. They had just killed Dr. Martin Luther King! Yeah, we were certainly aware of the racism but we knew little about our African Culture. And for certain, the administration of the school knew little as well, so when they asked me to do an African Dance for their World Cultures Course, they never knew I was making those steps up and dancing to Baba Tunde Olatunji Drums of Passion. I may have been a fly in a bowl of milk, but I never lost my wings, or my desire to fly.
I remember my trips home, and how different I felt being among African Americans in my familiar environment than I did on campus. Every trip home required a major adjustment.
Me. 1969 Freshman in College
I mentioned the Microcosm of the Macrocosm… truly we were. Each one of us represent a different experience being in the African Diaspora. During my stay there I manage to find out where each of these young ladies’ head were. Again, the Microcosm of the Macrocosm. We are as varient in our expression in the African diaspora as we are in our skin color. Our identities span the gamut of Black Nationalism to Integration. How did we each experience our own bowl of milk?? 1. Me (Freshman) – I have already explained my role. 2. KG (Freshman) – from South Philadelphia and sincerely not interested in being in this bowl of milk. She looked forward to leaving next semester and made no bones about wanting to get out!! She didn’t hate white people she just did not want to live anywhere near them. 3. BJ (Freshman) – she came from Northfolk, VA… there was no question in her mind about her identity or racism, she had experienced it first hand, and did not trust a single white person. She was a deep thinker, so deep she spent much of her time being depressed. She also wanted to leave. 4. CF (Sophomore) – who had completely assimilated into her environment, she came there with several white friends and had no problem continuing to talk their talk and relate with them as her best of friends. She did have an Afro though which showed on some levels that she hadn’t completely assimilated, but was basically taking the path of least resistance. If you can’t beat em, you might as well join em. 5. DS (Sophomore) – in a dark room, it would be hard to tell where she came from, or whether she was white or black. There was no indication in her voice that she was anything but a white girl who happened to have black (darkest out of all of us) skin. She was not interested in joining anything that was about Black, for Black, by Black or with Black. She was a person, a human being and she did not relate to the skin she was in at all. 6. VS (Sophomore) She was from the Virgin Islands and due to the color of her skin, she was considered white. Her family was elite and well off. That she would come to the US for an education had her as upper class. She was completely intolerant and disdainful of all that Black stuff, and told me clearly, she considered herself white, as she was considered white where she lived. 7. Novice (Senior) She was so intriguing to me, a black nun. What made her pursue it and stick to it to the point that after Senior year she would complete her training and be a real Nun. I later learned that the IHM order of nuns, had more African Americans in it than any other. And since I was taught by the Sisters of St. Joseph, I had no idea. She was sweet and cordial and very much into being a nun. Her main focus was on continuing her training and completing her journey. She was definitely not going to join BOSS! Next Semester, lost two students and gained 4 black students, one female and one male in the School of Social Work and one Freshman and one Sophomore. 8. DC (Freshman) came from Philadelphia, and she also attended Catholic High School, which at that time were majority White students there. She did not seem to have any trouble getting along with the other students but she was extremely homesick. She cried every night for the first semester it seemed, I could hear her in the hallway as I passed her room. She identified with me to the point of at least being able to have someone familiar to cling to. Her position was not political or religious, she just wanted to get through it all. 9. BS (Sophomore) came from a family that had already assimilated. Nice car, nice, house, 2.5 children, two car garage, father a professional and recognized by the White Professional World, mother an educator who had taken time from her career to raise her children. They were very color struck in my estimation as I remember it being said that she was not allowed to bring anyone home darker than her. In fact, I could hardly tell if she was black or white due to the paleness of her skin and the way she blended. And of course she would not join BOSS. She did wear a curly Afro which she flattened on the weekends when she returned home. No way on God’s green earth would her parents allow her to wear an Afro!!! And since at that time, the Afro was our clarion call to arms, anyone without one was certainly not part of the struggle. 10. JR (School of Social Work).. was from Philadelphia as well. She was older and more refined. She was more accepting of each of us being so different from one another and would often function as a mediator when we couldn’t come to terms with our differences. Primarily, I had become emboldened as I had never really learned about the Transatlantic Slave trade, or much else about African history predating Slavery. . It seemed there was none, well especially not in an inner city Catholic School. And here I am on an all white college campus, learning about these things and so much more. My mom used to remark how they learned about what Black people did in her school. She lived in Virginia and the educational system was actually better than in the Northern City. She was quite surprised that we were not taught Black history as she was. 11. RH (School of Social Work) was a male student from Harrisburg. It quickly became clear that he was going to be the most sought after Black “man” on campus. The numbers themselves showed the imbalance. He was the only male student on campus as the School of Social Work had opened to male students while the undergraduate school was not. Coming from Harrisburg he had some experience interacting with White folks, being the only black man on campus, he also became the star of every show, that is, those white women who were not adverse to interracial relationships sought him out and so did I. When I think about it, I really didn’t have any competition with the Black women on campus, because none of them were really interested in him. It was more of “he is the only one and that’s all you got”??? But for some reason, I was interested in him and attempted to get him to join our organization to no avail, he was content, just being the only male student on campus. I think he shared mutual interest but I got the impression that he preferred white girls. Thus coming up from the rear is another aspect of the African diaspora, a black man who prefers dating white women.
By my junior year, two other black female students had come to Marywood. I won’t describe how they presented except to say that one was totally blind, and the other was also from Philadelphia, and the same high school I attended.
My identity crisis came to a head during my junior year. I became a Black Muslim. It was a radical change that made me feel completely uncomfortable on campus. I made the decision to quit college and return to Philadelphia and get married. Another long story.
I would like to note that today, Marywood College is now Marywood University and is coed and has Black folks in numbers. Something that I would have never imagined. I returned there a few years ago with my group, the “Voices Of Africa” Choral & Percussion Ensemble, and to my surprise there were Africans there from the continent!!! Along with the Nun who asked me to do an African dance for her World Cultures Course! Now I don’t know if I opened the door for that or if it is just a sign of the times or maybe a bit of both, but I was floored to find them there, along with African Americans functioning as administrative staff. The black population during my time there was a little over 300 and now they have staff members of color.
From Negro, to Black, to Afro-American, to African-American to African descendant… we have continuously been trying to identify ourselves in a world that is foreign to us, and no matter how much we assimilate, in a world (not just a nation) that has taken up the discourse about the superiority of a race based on skin color… it is quite evident that there will be several attributions made by each of us. These attributes will be affected by the way we are raised, along with how we process our reality.
So yes, I may watch this show from time to time, I don’t have a TV so I will see if it comes on the internet. But again, my own experience, helps me to relate and gives me some insight to the various challenges we face, trying to find our identity in a society that has stripped us of it, and caused us to look upon our heritage with disdain.
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