Ice Cube and the Misinformation on Black Nationalism – Patch.com

Hotep (An Ancient Afrikan / Kemetic EgyptIan word for Peace)!!!

Take notes!!!

Unfortunately, and clearly, there is much misinformation about Black nationalism. For example, some people are calling Hip Hop artist Ice Cube a sell out to Black nationalism because he sat down with one of the most overtly racist Presidents in US History-Donald Trump-to negotiated a policy for Black liberation. Now hold on folks, just because Ice Cube made some Black nationalist type songs in the past, such as ‘F&&$ck the Police’ and ‘Today Was A Good Day,’ does not make him a Black nationalist. But his mistaken identity as a Black nationalist leader is all by design. The power structures in America and in the world purposely fragmented the understanding of Black nationalism to create confusing in the Afrikan world community. White supremacy and the system of racism have even disseminated false information on Black nationalist using the vote. Yes, some Black nationalists don’t believe in the voting process. And that’s their right. But some Black nationalists view the vote as a tool to acquire resources to improve the conditions of Black people. However, true Black nationalists understand that the vote is not Black liberation. Black nationalists understand that true Black liberation is the ability to seize power to practice freedom and independence. But I digress. Let’s begin with the basic definition of Black nationalism. Many serious Black nationalist minded Afrikan people believe Black nationalism has many definitions. But the complete definition most Black nationalist minded Afrikan people agree upon is broken down Black nationalism as the unity of all Black people for an end to the oppression and exploitation in the Afrikan world, the acquisition of land, and the development of a revolutionary Afrikan cultural base for Black liberation. Black nationalism’s sister ideological partner is Pan-Afrikanism. The ideology of Pan-Afrikanism is the unity of all Black people throughout the world (diaspora) for the liberation of Afrika and Afrikan people. Unfortunately, not all Black nationalists are on the same page. Since the 1960s, and to the mid 1970s, under the former leadership of American’s FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, White supremacy and system of racism have derailed Black people’s movement towards embracing and understanding the principles of Black nationalism.

J Edgar Hoover instructed his FBI agents to neutralize Afrikan leaders in America exposing Black nationalism. There were five main goals he wanted to focus on in the Black community. Two of the most important objectives were the forth and fifth goals.

The forth goal was destroying the ideology of Black nationalism completely. The FBI memorandum reads like this from the office of J Edgar Hoover, “Prevent militant black nationalist groups and leaders from gaining RESPECTABILITY, by discrediting them to three separate segments of the community. The goal of discrediting black nationalists must be handled tactically in three ways. You must discredit those groups and individuals to, first, the responsible Negro community. Second, they must be discredited to the white community, both the responsible community and to “liberals” who have vestiges of sympathy for militant black nationalist [sic] simply because they are Negroes. Third, these groups must be discredited in the eyes of Negro radicals, the followers of the movement.

The fifth goal said, “A final goal should be to prevent the long-range GROWTH of militant black organizations, especially among youth. Specific tactics to prevent these groups from converting young people must be developed (https://herb.ashp.cuny.edu/ite… ).

Because of the power structure’s onslaught on Black nationalism as an idea, Black nationalism has been broken into various rivers before it could have struggled to unify without unity by any means necessary.

Consequently, there are many streams of Black nationalism in the Afrikan world community now.

There are some conservative Black nationalist streams. Some of this has eroded into Black conservatism. For example, stop blaming the White man or the system by pulling ourselves up by our own bootstraps to depend solely on ourselves.

There are some Black nationalists streams that embrace Black capitalism. For example, the promotion of Black businesses.

There are some reformist Black nationalist streams. For example, they mostly identify themselves as Black progressives. They believe in reforming the American republican system of government to help Black people by joining the system, voting, running Black candidates for elected office, running candidates to protect Black interests, supporting candidates that protect Black interests, and protests.

There are narrow Black nationalists streams. For example, they believe that wearing black combat boots, black fatigues, and calling the Whiteman a “cracker” or a “devil” is Black nationalism.

There are religious Black nationalism streams. They believe in a Black liberation theology. Teaching the masses of Black people that God is Black. An example of these groups are the African Methodist Episcopalian church, the Moorish Science Temple of America, the Nation of Islam, Prince Hall Masons, the Shrine of the Black Madonna, to name a few.

There are political Black nationalist streams. For example, they believe that Black liberation will only come through a committed revolutionary struggle to overthrow the system oppression and exploitation in the Afrikan world community. In the 1960s and 1970s, many Black political nationalists were members of the Original Black Panther Party, Revolutionary Action Movement, or the Republic of New Afrika.

There are cultural nationalist streams. For example, they believe that Black liberation will only come through a committed Afrikan centered cultural struggle that overthrows White and Arab hegemonies in the minds of Afrikan people in America and in the world. In the 1960s and 1970s, many Black cultural nationalists were members of organizations such as the US organization. The US organization created the Afrikan / Afrikan American cultural holiday called Kwanzaa. In addition to cultural nationalism, many Black nationalists of this steam have created Afrikana Studies, Afrikan centered think tanks, Afrikan centered scholarly associations, and Afrikan centered study groups such as First World, the Slave Theatre, the United African Movement, institute for the Black World, AHSA (the African Heritage Studies Association), and ASCAC (the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations).

Those of us Black folks that have decided to fight for the unity of Afrikan people are swimming up many of these streams of Black nationalism.

(For a complete understanding of the different steams of Black nationalism, please purchase and read Dr. Abdul Alkalimat’s legendary book called- Introduction to Afro-American Studies (1984), Urbana, Ill.: University of Illinois Press. When I was an undergraduate history student, my old Professor Dr. William Sales required me to read and study this book. Dr. Sales was the Chair of the African American Studies Department at Seton Hall University. I graduated from Seton Hall University in 1993.
Dr. Abdul Alkalimat is an American professor of African-American studies and library and information science at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. He is the author of several books, including Introduction to Afro-American Studies, The African American Experience in Cyberspace, and Malcolm X for Beginners.)

Unfortunately, we have not figured out how to take the best of all the streams of Black nationalism to create a sold alternative to civil rights assimilation to create a clear pathway to real Black liberation.

Personally, I am synthesizing the best of religious, conservative, reformist, political, and cultural Black nationalism. I think we must move past the petty arguments from the past between political and cultural Black nationalists of the 1960s and early 1970s to take the good from the many streams Black nationalism to rebuild the Black nationalist liberation movement in the millennium.

Dr. Khalid Abdul Muhammad worked on synthesizing the best of Black nationalist streams. After his tenure in the Nation of Islam, he joined the New Black Panther Party. He quickly rose up in the ranks to become the national Chairman. To make the NBPP relevant to millennials in the modern era of Black nationalist liberation struggle, he developed a unity without uniformity approach to Black nationalism. But the late Black nationalist leader passed away before he could see his work come into fruition.

But in many cities like Newark, they are very few good discussions and forums on Black nationalism taken place. Our people, and our youth, have not been able to continue onward on the path of our Black nationalists ancestors for Black power, freedom, and independence. Many of don’t understand the words of Black nationalist Amilcar Cabral’s words, “Culture is a weapon in the face of our enemies.” Amílcar Cabral was one of Afrika’s foremost anti-colonial leaders. Amílcar Lopes da Costa Cabral was a Bissau-Guinean and Cape Verdean agricultural engineer, intellectual, poet, theoretician, revolutionary, political organizer, Black nationalist, and diplomat. Cabral was born on September 12, 1924, but was killed on January 20, 1973 fighting against the Portuguese in Afrika.

This is why we had to reestablished an Black nationalist and Pan-Afrikanist intellectual Study Group Chapter called ASCAC (the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations) in the streets to begin the process with millennials to help our people, but in particularly Black youth, understand the necessity of rescuing, reclaiming, and restoring Afrikan history and culture, particularly Kemet (Egypt), for Black liberation (https://ascac.org/). Knowing a knowledge of our Afrikan selves plays a central role in our Black freedom movement. If we don’t who we are an Afrikan people, then will never be able to unite with ourselves for Black power, freedom, and independence.

We need more Black nationalist and Pan Afrikan nationalist organizations in cities across America, like ASCAC, to help our people, particularly our Afrikan youth develop a sound Black nationalist and Pan-Afrikanist historical and cultural analysis to Black oppression.

In cities like Newark, NJ, Black nationalism gained a strong foothold with Black people in the 1960s and 1970s. Newark was home to two Black Power conferences. Under the the leadership of Black nationalist leader Imamu Amiri Baraka, Black people challenge White supremacy in Newark to establish some degree Black nationalist political power in the city. Ken Gibson became Newark’s first Black Mayor in 1972 by Black nationalist struggles for Black political power. Yes, we have had Black Mayors in Newark (the current forth Mayor is brother Amiri’s son named Ras J. Baraka), and in many predominantly Black cities; but the struggle for Black nationalism and Pan-Afrikanism for real Black power and Black liberation must continue onward. With many Black mayors and elected officials occupying government buildings, we as Afrikans in America are still struggling with seizing Black power for Black liberation. Many of our Black political leaders beg, as oppose to, demand from White power in America a real Black agenda policy to dismantle centuries of racial inequalities and oppression plaguing Afrikan American community.

During weekend of October 15 -17 2020, I watched the AHSA (the African Heritage Studies Association) annual conference on Zoom. The AHSA conference has been taking place in America and in the world for 51 years (https://ahsa50.org/). AHSA and ASCAC (https://ascac.org/) were both started by the great Black nationalist and Pan-Afrikanist historian Dr. Nsamanlo John Henrick Clarke. There have been many healthy presentations, analysis, and discussions on Black nationalism and Pan Afrikanism. I realize from watching the AHSA conference, we have not had good political and cultural education classes on Black nationalism in the millennium. Unfortunately, there has been little or to no good intellectual analysis and discussions on the true principles of Black nationalism in decades.

Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, there was a resurgence of Afrikan centered consciousness called Afrocentricity. Study groups and forums were all over Black America to help us understand the Black nationalist principles and the continue need know Afrikan History and culture, particularly with Afrikan youth.

But by the 2000s, these study groups and forums have almost cease to exist. This left our people with many warped ideas on Black nationalism and Pan -Afrikanism. Therefore, let’s begin with our modern day father of Black nationalism brother Malcolm X (Omowale El Hajj Malik El Shabazz).

Although the White power structure has successfully watered down brother Malcolm to be just viewed as just a civil rights leader, he still has a body of Black nationalist and Pan Afrikanist work we can build on family. Brother Malcolm intellectually and clearly articulated to our people a Black nationalist alternative to civil rights assimilation. He said in his speech titled, ‘the Ballot or the Bullet’ in 1964 our social, political, and economic philosophy must be Black nationalism. During that same speech, Malcolm said “I am a Black nationalist freedom fighter.” He developed his ideas on Black nationalism during his many trips to Mecca, Saudi Arab, the Muslim world, and to Afrika. (Malcolm X visited the Muslim world and Afrika twice in his life. In 1959, he traveled with the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad to Mecca, Saudi Arabia as member of the Nation of Islam. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad was making his Hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca. But Malcolm X did not accompany the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad inside Mecca, Saudi Arabia, he stopped in Jaddah, Saudi Arabia. When the Honorable Elijah Muhammad returned from his Hajj, he met Malcolm in Jaddah. They then both finished their tour of the Muslim world and Afrika. The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad was the leader of the Nation of Islam at this time. However, in 1964 Malcolm left the Nation of Islam. That same year he went back to Mecca, Saudi Arabia and completed his Hajj.)

Brother Malcolm was born on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. He was assassinated on February 21, 1965 in Harlem, New York City fighting for Black liberation from White supremacy and the system of racism plaguing the Afrikan American community.

In conclusion, there is so much misinformation about Black nationalism. I don’t know if Ice Cube is a Black nationalist. I don’t know if he has ever been a Black nationalist. All I know is brother could rap. He was once a great Hip Hop artist that founded the legendary group N.W.A.(Niggas With Attitudes). However, I think his efforts to help Afrikan people in America are genuine. We must never adhere to one political party. We must always negotiate with everyone to fight for Black liberation. However, the problem with many Black leaders today is that they organize without the masses of Black people. As Original Black Panther Party leader Assata Olugbala Shakur taught us the best practices to organizing our people in the Black community. She said, “we must organize with the people, not above the people.”

Hotep!!!

Bashir Muhammad Akinyele is a history and Afrikana Studies teacher. He is also a member of ASCAC’s (the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilization) Study Group Chapter in Newark, NJ

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 1.