A Call to Action: Voting for US Senatorial Candidate Larry Hamm – Patch.com
Hotep (An Ancient Afrikan word for Peace)!!!
Take notes!!!!The
Organize!!! Organize!!! Organize!!!
-Kwame Ture’ (Stokely Carmichael)
On Sunday, June 7, 2020, the MSNBC media conglomerate aired their daily show called Politics Nation hosted by civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton. The show centered on 12,000 people showing up to a massive demonstration to build support George Floyd-an unarmed Blackman killed while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota-without any rioting. The show’s producers invited Newark, NJ’s Mayor Ras Baraka as a guest to explain why the people rallied for George Floyd without violence in the city. Missing from the program was the nationally known human rights leader, who called and organized the march, Larry Hamm. Brother Ras had to open his remarks reminding a national audience that he did not call for the rally. He gave the credit to Larry Hamm for a successful demonstration without any violence. And of course, our brother Ras did an awesome job making sure that common people had every right to exercise their first amendment rights. He was elected to office in 2014 after a long struggle to improve changes in the city by him, his community-based Black empowerment organization called Black Nia F.O.R.C.E., and by young progressive and Black nationalist activists in the early 1990s to the present. In the two terms of Mayorship, brother Ras has been successful at increasing employment replacing water old lead pipe lines, he has reduced crime and violence dramatically for the first time since the 1960s, and made it possible for the Newark Board of education to be under local control by Newark residents. But Larry Hamm, the respected senior veteran of social justice and Black liberation struggles for over fifty years, is still a threat to White hegemony in the state and in America. Brother Hamm’s independent progressive stances on issues in America may prevent him from sitting at the table with selected Black leadership, but the masses of people in New Jersey trust, support, endorse, and respect his principled progressive leadership.
But before we get into the people’s community leader, we must first discuss the people’s Mayor-Ras J. Baraka.
Brother Ras first ran for Mayor in 1994 fresh out of college during the time Afrocentricity, and a resurgence of Afrikan centered Black consciousness, which was inspired by the Black Liberation Movements of the 1960s and early 1970s, was sweeping across Newark, America, and Black America. Unfortunately, he was crushed by the old guard of civil rights and Black power elected officials and community leaders from 1960s. At this this time, the generational gap between elderly activists and youth activists were widening leaving vault lines of resentment in the Black community by both elderly Black activists and younger Black activists. Black Youth saw elderly Black activists as irrelevant and out dated for the 1990s progressive and Black liberation struggles. Therefore, the old guard of Black leaders, who saw the new guard Black leaders as threats to their leadership, blocked their drive for political power.
However, brother Ras was not dismayed. He continued to struggle with Black and Brown people, and with the people of Newark, to seize power to make progressive and revolutionary changes in the city. Long story short, brother Ras was elected into office in 2014. Big props to the most progressive Mayor in the state of New Jersey.
But Mayor Baraka represents a long struggle for Black nationalists and progressives for political power and progressive changes in predominantly Black nas Brown cities like Newark. His father, the late Imamu Amiri Baraka, came into leadership in Newark and in America decades earlier.
When Baba Amiri Baraka was alive, his leadership inspired millions of people around America, particularly Black and Brown America, to fight for Black liberation in Afrikan culture and politics. (The word Baba is an Afrikan term of endearment for respected elders in the Black community.) His leadership also inspired Black youth past and present. Baba Amiri always guided and embraced Black youth. He even inspired his second son Ras Baraka to become the next great leader in Newark and in America. Amiri Baraka is the father of Ras Baraka.
But Amiri Baraka inspired another Newark native named Lawrence (Larry) Adhemu Chunga Hamm.
For years, Black people and Brown people were under the weight of racist and class oppression in Newark, NJ. Fortunately, after years of overt and covert racial discrimination in Newark, Black people had enough. The people rose up to fight back in the form of a city-wide rebellion that the White establishment called the Newark riots of 1967. But oppressed Black people called it a rebellion. After the rebellion, the people of Newark, the activists, the progressives, and the Black nationalists worked for decades to make revolutionary and progressive changes to Newark. They even inspired cities next door to Newark to rise up for Black Power, such cities as East Orange, Irvington, and Orange, NJ. Most of the revolutionary and progressive changes in post rebellion Newark was led by Imamu Amiri Baraka and his wife Amina Baraka. Again, they are the parents of Ras Baraka. In fact, Amiri Baraka led masses of Black people across the country with the purpose of organizing us to seize Black political power in the US. He helped to co-convene the historic Black Political Convention of 1972 in Gary, Indiana.
Inspired by Malcolm X’s Omawele El Hajj Malik El Shabazz’s) philosophy of Black nationalism and Kawiada. (A Black nationalist political and cultural philosophy created by Dr. Maulana Karenga. He is an Afrikana Studies professor, community activist, and founder of the cultural nationalist community-based Us organization, and the creator of Kwanzaa. Kawaida. The word Kawiada is a Kiswahili word meaning “tradition” or “reason,” pronounced ka-wa-EE-da). Dr. Karenga defines Kawiada as, “a communitarian African (Afrikan) philosophy created in the context of the African (Afrikan) American liberation struggle and developed as an ongoing synthesis of the best of African (Afrikan) thought and practice in constant exchange with the world.” However, Amiri Baraka contributed to spreading of its message and its growth in Black America. Kwanzaa came from Kawiada. Kwanzaa is an Afrikan American holiday celebrated from December 26 to January 1 every year.) The great Amiri Baraka, the founder of the Black Arts Movement, and some say the father of the movement for Black political power, inspired Black people and Black nationalists, to go back into cites dominated by people of color to capture Black Power in government in the in the 1970s.
With all that activism, America saw major increases of Black elected officials since the days of US reconstruction in the 1800s. But most importantly, Amiri Baraka inspired his own children to be become activists and commit themselves to the progress of the Newark and Newark’s Black and Latino communities. That seed germinated and grew aggressively in Amiri’s son Mayor Ras Baraka.
Since then, we have had four Black Mayors. But the most recent Mayor, our brother Ras Baraka, has been the most progressive out of all the Black mayors Newark in America and in Newark’s history.
But Baba Amiri’s movement for Black political power made it possible for increasing Black people employment, social status, and power in Newark and in the Essex County area. A significant amount of Black people became Black fire fighters, Black city directors, Black city council members, Black board of education members, Black Newark Broad of Education administrators, Black school principals, Black teachers, and Black police officers in the early 1970s. With all this Black power movement taking place in Newark, and around the area of Essex County of New Jersey, brother Larry Hamm, a teenager at that time, was inspired to became a community actIvist by the example, the philosophy, and leadership of Amiri Baraka.
While a student in school, the Newark rebellion broke right out in his neighborhood. Larry Hamm began organizing his classmates at his high school called Arts High School in Newark for Black Power. After graduating high school, he went on to Princeton University. But while at Princeton, Mayor Ken Gibson, the first elected Black Mayor of Newark under, recognizing his youthful exceptional leadership, made him the youngest Newark Board of Education member in America in the 1970s. Amiri Baraka Black nationalist leadership made it possible for Ken Gibson to be elected the first Black Mayor.
Since then, Larry went on committing himself to human rights activism, anti-racIsts movements, anti-police violence rallies, and Black liberation struggles. He founded the state-wide human rights organization called the Peoples Organization for Progress in the 1980s.
Larry distinguished himself during the anti-apartheid movements by organizing student protests and calling attention to Princeton’s financial investment in apartheid South Africa. These protests, and the rising tide of public indignation, resulted in Princeton University’s divestment in the apartheid South African economy. Larry Hamm’s impact as a student activist at Princeton is chronicled in the documentary film called “Blacks at Princeton.”
After graduating from Princeton, Hamm retuned to the Newark. He became active in local politics in Newark. He served as district leader and president of the 24th District Assembly. Larry was the founder and director of the People’s Energy Cooperative, a community fuel oil cooperative. He served as the Director of the Community Organization Program for the United Church of Christ Commission For Racial Justice. During 1986, Larry traveled with the Reverend and former political prisoner Ben Chavis throughout the deep south to retrace the route of the 1960’s Freedom Rides. Chavis, Hamm, and busloads of activists conducted voter registration drives in Alabama. Larry helped organize the People’s Organization For Progress (POP), an independent, grass roots, political organization that is currently active in the Newark and all over New Jersey. As chairman, Larry has consistently worked toward building unity among community organizations. He consistently struggles for quality education, employment opportunities, access to health care and against racial profiling, and police brutality continues through the efforts of its Chairman, Larry Hamm, and the activism of the organization’s members. Larry has received many awards, among them are “One Of The Most Influential Blacks in New Jersey Award” (City News) and “The Hope Shapiro Bread and Roses Peace Award” (New Jersey Peace Action).
Hamm’s track record is impeccable. For over 50 years, he has been fighting on behalf of Black people, Latino people, marginalized people, Gay and Lesbian people, working class people, poor White people, Union workers, Jewish people, immigrants, Muslims, the environment, and all oppressed people.
Throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, his reputations for progressive activism was consistently called upon to bring attention to racial and police violence in communities around the country, particularly the state of New Jersey.
One of the most famous cases of police brutality in the Black community was the Earl Faison case. The family of Earl Faison and the community believed Earl Faison was a victim of police brutality. They turned to Larry to take on, in New Jersey, the Earl Faison case. Earl Faison was an unarmed Blackman unjustifiable killed in police custody in Orange, NJ. His murder became a cover up by the Orange Police Department while they frantically searched for the person that Killed Orange police officer Joyce Carnegie. Officer Joyce Carnegie was murdered on Freeway Drive and Day Street intersection in Orange, NJ at a traffic stop in 1999. The Earl Faison murder inspired masses of people to rally and protest against police misconduct and police violence in the Black communities in New Jersey. All of this was led by Larry Hamm.
From the start to finished, Larry Hamm joined in solidarity with the Earl Faison family until they received Justice. The Earl Faison family won millions dollar in a major law suit against the Orange Police Department and the city of Orange, NJ. But most importantly, they sent the officers that covered up the killing of Earl Faison to prison.
Brother Larry reputation grew immensely as the go to person in the state to organize for human rights and social justice.
In 2020, as if brother Larry was tuning into the wisdom of Imamu Amiri Baraka, who gave Larry the Afrikan name Adhimu Chunga in the 1970s, decided to run for US Senate as the United States government moved extremely to the right of politics. The people became excited about Larry’s decision to run as a candidate for US Senate to challenge an American government openly embracing White supremacy under the leadership of President Donald Trump. The American government that has overtly embraced racism as its rallying political philosophy in the new millennium.
Brother Larry’s candidacy represents the possibility of a real progressive change in 2020. However, going back to brother Ras. Mayor Baraka, a activist himself, has always respected Larry’s peaceful activist leadership in the streets for Human rights, social justice, and Black liberation. This is why he joined in Newark’s march. He wanted to be in solidarity with brother Larry Hamm and Larry Hamm’s organization called the Peoples Organization for Progress (POP) for the unified call for justice for George Floyd, because brother Baraka himself is also an activist for human rights. But as an elected official, Mayor Baraka wanted to also make sure that the people in Newark, NJ, and visitors to the city, will have every right to exercised their democratic constitutional right of free speech and free assembly. These two giants of community activism are products of Amiri Baraka. Baba Amiri always taught unity without uniformity. Although brothers Ras and Larry may have differences, but on the day of the George Floyd anti-racist police demonstration, they put them aside for a greater cause for people’s struggles against racial and police injustices. It was natural that both brothers Ras and Larry work together for the people’s call for justice in the streets of Newark. And that is exactly what happen several Saturdays ago in the city. Unity without uniformity was displayed in front of tens of thousands people.
The grassroots rally for justice for George Floyd, and all victims of racial and police violence, took place several Saturdays ago on May 30, 2020. This march and rally took happened five days after the death of unarmed Blackman named George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis, Minnesota police. Over 12,000 people showed up. That day every color, religion, and sexual orientation came in peace without any violence display our outrage over the killing of anther unarmed Blackman.
The mass media, particularly liberal left-wing leaning MSNBC, gave praised to Mayor Baraka and the city of Newark for insuring activists were allowed to protests without violent clashes with the police, the destroying of property, and initiating a riot. And rightly so. Newark is still healing from the rebellion of 1967.
However, in the tradition Larry Hamm’s community activism and leadership, he called for a peaceful massive march and rally in Newark to put pressure on Minneapolis, Minnesota authorities to bring the police officers responsible for George Floyd’s death to justice.
You would think that in and of itself brother Larry finally earned a seat at the table of media pundits, public intellectuals, and mainstream progressives to discuss George Floyd case and to discuss the problems and solutions to racial and police violence in America. But unfortunately, it didn’t happen in the media to Larry Hamm. The long time community activist, that called one of Newark’s and America’s largest mass rallies against racial and police violence, was nixed from the national conversation. In other words, brother Larry Hamm got dissed by MSNBC on their show hosted by civil rights activist the Reverend Al Sharpton.
Why did this happen several weeks ago on MSNBC. Well it’s simple. Brother Larry is a real Black progressive leader. And because brother Larry, a progressive Democrat himself, will not kiss the rings of White hegemony in America, the Democratic establishment, the Democratic Party leaders in America, the Democratic establishment in New Jersey, the Democratic leaders, and their minions in New Jersey, they all work to exclude Brother Larry from the platforms of national stature.
Rev Al Sharpton should have bucked the system at MSNBC to invite brother Larry Hamm with Mayor Ras Baraka on their show on MSNBC to display a real Black progressive leader in America. But that did not happen. Now, for the record, the producers on MSNBC always invite progressive activists, public intellectuals, elected officials, and civil rights leaders on their shows to give the people in America an analysis of racism and police violence in Black communities in America and racism in the US, especially now in light of the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers. But our brother Larry was not, and has not been invited, on these programs. In fact, whenever there is a high level of social upheaval demonstrations in reactions to an racist and police injustices in Black and Brown communities in America; brother Larry, the long time respected veteran activism of social justice and Black liberation, is often excluded from left wing media conglomerates like MSNBC. Again, this is because Larry was not created by White domination unlike the many Black leaders White hegemony produces and passes off as our leaders in Black communities in America.
Unfortunately, MSNBC is a strong supportive of Cory Booker. They know that Larry Hamm is running in a campaign against the incumbent establishment US Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey to unseat him as US Sentor.
Unfortunately, many people do not know that US Senator Cory Booker is a type of Black leader concocted by White hegemony for Black people and oppressed to believe he is for us. In reality, he is an opportunist. He will only protect our interest if only pushed to protest our interests. But if he is not pushed to serve the people, Booker will ignore the people to serve the interests of White hegemony.
Booker did not come to leadership in the Black community from Black oppression! His ascension to Mayor of Newark was organized and calculated by White domination. He became the Mayor of Newark in 2006, although he was not born and raised in the city. He came from Haddon Park, NJ of Bergen County. Booker was created and pushed by the backing of White domination in America to reclaim New Jersey’s largest city from the visages of Black Power. Under his leadership as Mayor, the progressive growth under former Mayors Ken Gibson and Sharpe James eroded. Newark began to witness the destruction of the public schools, the lawlessness crime and violence exploded, police misconduct climbed, and Black people living in depression level unemployment dramatically increased. This is the untold history of Cory Booker.
And this is the untold history of continued Black oppression by White hegemony. The power structure purposely and intentionally excludes Black leaders like brother Larry, and real grassroots leaders in the Black community, from all their media shows by White gate-keepers. They are clear that if you give Larry Hamm a platform, they know the masses will be exposed to a real progressives and Black liberation leader. White hegemony understands that the masses of people may gravitate to for our direction. Those of us, who are social justice and Black liberation activists, know and understand this game they play in America. However, the hurtful thing about this whole thing is when our own people allow this nonsense to take place right before our progressive and Black liberation eyes everyday all day. At MSNBC, there are Black journalists and producers that know the record and history of Larry Hamm. But our own people choose to deny our brother Larry the media spot light. Therefore, as the streets say, “some of our own people will do us dirty. ” Or like Dhoruba bin Wahad, the Original Black Panther Party member and former US political prisoner, always reminds his audiences before speaking and teaching on unlawful imprisonment, police brutality, social justice, and Black liberation, often says, “unfortunately, we have Black enemies of Black people. Dhoruba bin Wahad, who was framed and unjustly was sent to prison by the FBI’s racist cointelpro (Counter Intelligence Program) for 19 years for being a member of original Black Panther Party and a Black freedom fighter in Afrikan American community in the late 1970s.
All of this happened several Sundays ago in corporate media. Brother Larry Hamm, a true progressive, was done dirty by the establishment of White hegemony at MSNBC and by some our own people. But that’s the struggle for liberation. I get it. I don’t agree with this form of narrow minded power politics. That’s not democracy. I don’t like what White domination does to independent Black leaders, but I get it.
But Brother Larry Hamm called and organized the March for justice several Saturdays ago. 12,000 people responded to his call because of brother Hamm’s long track record of human rights activism, progressivism, and his support of Black liberation struggles. And now he is turning his energy to the US Senate to fight against White racist nationalism, for better progressive policy changes in America, for better policing in the state of New Jersey, for reparations, and much needed resources in poor and working class communities and in broken Black communities and communities of color. In fact, his campaign slogan is “Not Me Us.” His website says, “I am running on a progressive political platform that includes defeating Donald Trump in November, fighting for racial equality and justice, Medicare For All, $15 minimum wage, free college tuition and an end to student debt, a Green New Deal, reparations for slavery, ending the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Yemen, and making millionaires, billionaires, banks, and corporations pay their fair share of taxes.”
(WWW.HAMMFORSENATE.ORG)
Unlike US Sentor Booker, Larry Hamm is an authentic progressive. He did not mysteriously come out of a vacuum somewhere in America, like Cory Booker. He was produced out of the oppression and the exploitation in the Black community by White domination in America. This is why the nationally known Harvard Divinity school professor and human rights activist, Dr. Cornel West, has recently endorsed
Larry Hamm for US Senate over incumbent Cory Booker. He said, “Brother Hamm will take the people onto the floor of the Senate and demand this country live up to the very premise of democracy and justice for all.”
Now folks, particularly my White brothers and sisters, my Jewish brothers and sisters, my Christen brothers and sisters, my Muslims brothers and sisters, my Afrikan spiritual brothers and sisters, my Black nationalists brothers and sisters, my union brothers and sisters, my working and middle class brothers and sisters, my Latino brothers and sisters, my LBGTQ brothers and sisters, and my Black brothers and sisters; we must out work White hegemony and counter act the reactionary political madness going on with the Democrats, with some progressives in America, and with some Black nationalists in New Jersey to elect Larry Hamm to the US Senate. His victory would be a major blow to the White Power structure in America and in New Jersey, especially in New Jersey. The last state in union to abolish the enslavement of Black people.
The death, and some of us say, the murder of George Floyd, has moved some of you to get active in the struggles for social justice and Black liberation. This is great!!! We welcome you with open arms!! However, if you have not joined an organization or created one yet brothers and sisters as Kwame Ture’ (Stokely Carmichael) taught us, that’s fighting for social justice and Black liberation; then one of the things you can do is send a real progressive message to the racist US Senate by electing Larry Hamm as a candidate to the US Congress.
On July 7, 2020, we go to the polls in New Jersey to vote the candidates for US Senate for November. It will be all paper ballots. The incumbent US Senator Cory is banking on paper ballots as opposed to the machines. Booker, and his minions, believe that in the confusion of the Corvid 19 virus, the people of New Jersey will go with just line B and continue on supporting his bid to be re-elected. We hope this will not be the case in July.
Folks, again Larry Hamm is running against the incumbent democratic establishment candidate Cory Booker for the US New Jersey Senate seat. We need to vote for Larry Hamm now!!!!! Unfortunately, yes we are up against big money, White domination, and the Democratic establishment; but we can strike a new powerful blow against oppression to ensure the that Black lives will matter by electing Larry Hamm as US Sentor.
White domination, the Democratic Party bosses, the media, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, many local progressives, and some Black nationalists are behind Cory Booker. We can not allow this to happen any more family. We cannot allow ourselves to be victimized, fooled and tricked by the system any more moving forward if we really want to force America to give us justice. Those days must be over now! Let’s go to the polls to vote for the most authentic progressive candidate running for US Senate-Larry Hamm-on July 7, 2020 line A!
Broad base sections of people of various races, sexual orientations, cultures, classes, and people of different faiths have come to the aid of Larry Ham in his effort to reach the US Senate.
Baba Zayid Muhammad, a veteran Black liberation community activist in the tri-state area, was impressed with the intergenerational racial and religious support Hamm is receiving since his announcement for US Senate. He said, “all these groups are needed to help get the vote out for brother Larry.” He also added this about Hamm, “I have known brother Larry Hamm for over 40 years. He has been a principled leader and organizer in the protracted struggle for social justice and Black power in America. If anyone will genuinely represent the people in the US Congress, it will be brother Larry.”
Because of Larry Hamm’s track record for justice, I am casting my progressive and Black nationalists vote for brother Larry Hamm for US Senate. I believe you will too.
Hotep!!!
Asante sana (Kiswahili for thank you very much) for reading my commentary.
O Dabo (Yoruba for go with God until we meet again)!!!
-Bashir Muhammad Akinyele is a History Teacher, Black Studies Teacher, Community Activist, Chairperson of Weequahic High School’s Black History Month Committee in Newark, NJ, commentary writer, and Co-Producer and Co-Host of the All Politics Are Local, the number #1 political Hip Hip radio show in America.
Note: Spelling Afrika with a k is not a typo. Using the k in Afrika is the Kiswahili way of writing Africa. Kiswahili is a Pan -Afrikan language. It is spoken in many countries in Afrika. Kiswahili is the language used in Kwanzaa. The holiday of Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26 to January
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#Hotep
#afrocentricity
#nationofislam
#kemet
#blacktheology
#kwanzaa
#blackstudies