Volume 6 Issue 13…Dedicated to the Dialogue on Race…April 5, 2003

Excerpt E Pluribus Unum

By The Last Poets

Selfish desires are burning like fires

among those who hoard the gold

As they continue to keep the people asleep

and the truth from being told

Racism and greed keep the people in need

from getting what's rightfully theirs

Cheating, stealing and double dealing

as they exploit the people's fears

Now, Dow Jones owns the people's homes

and all the surrounding land

Buying and selling their humble dwelling

in the name of the Master Plan

Cos paper money is like a bee without honey

with no stinger to back him up

and those who stole the people's gold

are definitely corrupt

Credit cards, master charge, legacies of wills

real-estate, stocks and bonds on coupon paper bills

Now the US mints on paper, millions every day

and use the eagle as their symbol cos it's a bird of prey

The laurels of peace and the arrows of wars

are clutched very tightly in the eagles claws

filled with greed and lust,

and on the back of the dollar bill,

is the words IN GOD WE TRUST

But the dollar bill is their only God

and they don't even trust each other

for a few dollars more they'd start a war

to exploit some brother's mother

Then there's the pyramid, that stands by itself

created by Black people's knowledge and wealth

and over the pyramid hangs the devil's eye

that stole from the truth and created the lie

The four words apart form the last parts of

the secrets of the seal

and tells how they fooled the people

into thinking paper money was real!

Now the red was the color of the Indian man

White was the devil's who stole the land

Blue was the eyes that hypnotized

with the tricks and traps they sprung

and even to this very same day

they all speak with forked tongue!

And so the power is in the hand of the ruling classes

playing god with the fate of all the masses

so the people don't get any in the land of the plenty

because E Pluribus Unum means One Out Of Many.

About Me: From the group's album Chastisement (1972), the complete text of E Pluribus Unum is available at www.thedish.ws under Venue for an Artist.

East/West Anti-War Rallies

The US is making gangster moves on Iraq and people of color worldwide. We are told the war is for democracy; it is really about oil and profits. Mainly Blacks and Latino youth will die! While our schools crumble and there are no jobs, the US is about to spend $75 billion to wage war. A coalition of Blacks Against War will assemble at Garvey Park at 124th St & 5th Ave. in Harlem, Saturday, April 5, 2003. The march starts at noon. For more info, call 212-316-2240.

Also on Saturday, the Oakland, Calif. March for Peace and Justice will include a call for Healthcare NOT Warfare. AIDS' activists calling for Money for AIDS, NOT war will join them. For more, see www.pnvrc.net. News You Use Homepage

The Last Poets

"When the moment hatches in time's womb there will be no art talk. The only poem you will hear will be the spearpoint pivoted in the punctured marrow of the villain....Therefore we are the last poets of the world." South African poet Keorapetse Willie Kgositsile

Civil rights era rappers, The Last Poets were formed shortly after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the anniversary of Malcolm X's birthday May 19, 1968 in Marcus Garvey Park. According to legend, the group's name came from the above excerpt from a poem by Keorapetse Willie Kgositsile. The South African poet, who escaped the apartheid regime and joined the Harlem, New York black writer's workshop in 1968, suggested the need to put aside poetry in the face of looming revolution. The young black men in the poetry workshop took his words to heart and agreed to be, figuratively speaking, the last poets. Kgositsile returned to Africa, leaving the young men the task of figuring out what being the "last poets" meant. Since black Americans have historically been relegated to "last" in nearly every favorable socioeconomic and political category, the task of speaking to black oppression proved not too difficult.

The original group of three poets and a drummer expanded to seven black and Hispanic artists: David Nelson, Gylan Kain, Abiodun Oyewole, Felipe Luciano, Umar Bin Hassan, Jalal Nurridin and Sulieman El-Hadi. Combining music and words, these modern-day griots provided insight into what America does to black men, what they do to themselves and why!

Before Marvin Gaye's What's Going On (1971), The Last Poets composed lyrics to express the feelings of an oppressed people. Attacking everything from a racist government to the bourgeoisie, they were embraced by the people, selling a million records without the benefit of advertising and promotion. Their first two albums were The Last Poets (1970) and This Is Madness (1971).

Foreshadowing hip-hop, during the late 60s and early 70s, they connected with the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), and the Black Panther Party. They went through confrontations with the FBI and police. Some served time in prisons and experienced the other maladies common in a sick society.

Over the course of the group's more than thirty-year history, these seven original members collaborated in various combinations to produce more than a dozen albums and several books. They briefly performed in the movie "Poetic Justice (1993)," which starred Janet Jackson and Tupac Shukur, toured with Lollapalooza (1994) and performed in venues across the country. For more about the first rappers that are still going strong, log on to the World Wide Web, key world "Last Poets." History Homepage

Hood Notes

Every Child Every Bomb

The US and UK, which invaded Iraq ostensibly to strip that country of its weapons of mass destruction, now stand accused of using some of the worst WMDs to overcome the fierce resistance of an army weakened by 12 years of UN sanctions. Reports claim the US has used depleted uranium shells.

It is time to stop the war. According to an email from Terry D. Kester, when 2000 lb. bombs explode, everyone within a 1000-meter radius bleed from the ears, if they are not blown to bits. The explosion causes a painful imbalance in intra-cranial pressure in the fluid surrounding the brain. Babies cry. Out of fear and pain and because they cannot comfort their babies, mothers cry. They cannot feed their babies, because the trauma causes the mothers' breasts to stop producing milk, so their teats are dry. Fathers cry too from the pain and because they are powerless to protect their families.

This is "shock and awe." This is the "liberation" Bush promised. Who is the axis of evil? Who is creating evil? Who are the terrorists? The USA has weapons of mass destruction, and it is using them. Does anyone, anywhere honestly believe this will bring peace and democracy to Iraq, the Middle East or the world?

We must stop this evil. 1) Tell everyone you know what every bomb does to every child. 2) Target your protest! Call NBC, CBS, FOX and CNN and ask them to report the REAL results and stop telling us just the military POV (point of view). Call the White House (202-456-1414) and Congress to tell them to stop this war. 3) Enlist every peace group in a massive boycott, a strike on Easter weekend. Starting with Good Friday, April 18^th, ALL of us will BUY ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. No movie tickets, no restaurant dinners, no gasoline, no soft drinks - NOTHING! 4) Get every peace organization to agree on a day and join forces for the largest demonstration in Washington in the history of the world, when millions of people surround this city. Hood Notes Homepage

A Great Day

By John Burl Smith

A celebrated and historic picture taken by Art Kane for the January 1959 Esquire Magazine made the souvenir issue a treasure for jazz lovers around the world. The famous photograph of 57 jazz luminaries assembled one August morning on a Harlem stoop in 1958 became the focus of a documentary called A Great Day in Harlem directed by Jean Bach.

The film begins with Kane struggling to organize this boisterous group, some of whom had not seen each other in years. Icons, like 71 year-old New York pianist Luckey Roberts, Coleman Hawkins, Thelonious Monk, Lester Young, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Eldridge and 27 year-old tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins added so much emotion to Art's task.

A Great Day In Harlem is a brilliant mix of stills shot by Kane, pianist Mike Lipskin and bassist Milt Hinton. Using 8mm footage recorded by Hinton's wife of interviews by Kane and archival performance films, Jean Bach tells the story behind three generations of extraordinary people and the affection and respect they felt for each other. Viewers experience mini-portraits of a day unlike any other, while learning about some of the best jazz musicians from ragtime to bebop. Capturing life on that delirious day in Harlem, Art froze time, and through the film, hip hoppers today can try to recreate the collective spirit embodied in that project.

Six months ago, photographic archivist John Crooms decided to recreate Kane's concept for the ATL. A great thought but not easily recapitulated. After three attempts, on Sunday (3-30-03), nearly 100 conscious hip- hop artists gathered on the Clark Atlanta University library steps for A Great Day In Atlanta 2003.

This photo shoot documents the growth of hip hop/spoken word and identifies many sisters and brothers who have paid the price of building Atlanta's underground music scene. This shoot brought together veteran producers like Funk Jazz's Jason Orr, promoter Dres tha Beatnik, vocalist Dion Ferris, DJs Cha-Cha and Drama, Robert Pullman of Earwax Records, visual artist Francine Stowe and spoken word artists Kemi, Wanda Jean and Yohannes to name a few. They pledged to mount a show for John's A Great Day In Atlanta 2003 and to work on a documentary to chronicle the development of the Atlanta Vibe. If you are interested in being a part of this project, email Jlove@gdex.net, thedish@surfglobal.net or telephone 404-762-1032. Atlanta Vibe Homepage Other Essays by John Burl Smith

Petro-Euro

Since the Bush regime came to power, the US has implemented tariffs on steel, passed a huge farm subsidy bill and done a number of other things to sour relations with the EU and its other trading partners. Consequently, international relations suffered serious setbacks, even before the US went to war against Iraq sans a UN resolution authorizing the use of force.

The US economy is sick. Consumer confidence is low. As the dollar falls against currencies, such as the pound and euro, the US trade and budget deficits grow. Currently, the dollar is $.92, while the euro is more than $1.50. A weak dollar relative to the euro does not bode well for the world's sole superpower. According to some analysts, the war is about the dollar's role as the world's foremost currency rather than Saddam Hussein and liberating the Iraqi people from a brutal dictator.

US officials claim the war is not about oil, even though the military strategy has focused on securing Iraq's oil fields. They contend that had the US wanted Iraqi oil, it could have helped to end UN sanctions and purchased all the Iraqi oil it wanted when it came to market. This sounds reasonable, only there is the little problem of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its move to switch from dollars to euros as the standard currency for purchasing oil.

With the world's second largest known oil reserves, Iraq switched its food for oil reserves from dollars to euros and announced plans to hold all its reserve currency in euros. Iran plans to do the same. The vast majority of the world's reserve currency is in dollars. Since only the US makes dollars, it is the prevalent superpower. The world must have its dollars to purchase oil. If OPEC switches to euros, it would devastate the dollar as a currency. If the US controls Iraq's oil, it can break up OPEC. THINC about it! Politics Y2K3 Homepage

Disgruntled wants to know: Historically, the poor and people of color do most of the dying in wars, while certain businesses and individuals get rich. George W. Bush will play a role in deciding who will die and thrive. Before the US achieves victory, contracts to rebuild Iraq, fight oil fires, manage ports, etc., have been awarded to insiders. Have the Spanish and British agreed to play second fiddle as sub-contractors?

Disgruntled says: In affirmative action arguments before the US Supreme Court, the legal pugilists said a great deal about diversity, a state that does not exist on the Supreme Court or Senate staffs. Nothing was said about legacy. If points for race are unconstitutional, then points for legacy, which was acquired when blacks were not allowed into colleges and universities because of race, are unconstitutional. So, white students with low C averages, such as George W. Bush, will not be admitted into Yale because their daddies are alumni.

Disgruntled feels: Powerless! At the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Conference, Colin Powell paid homage to Jewish money. He assured AIPAC that Israel would continue to receive US support, including billions in loan guarantees and direct aid. Powell told them they could convince the best Congress money can buy to pass the supplemental appropriation bill to prosecute the war and get more aid for Israel with a few telephone calls and visits. There were embarrassed titters, but like mainstream media embed with the military, the Jewish lobby is embedded with Congress. This situation leaves poor US citizens like me powerless! More Disgruntled Moments

By John Burl Smith

None are so dumb as those who refuse to learn. A week after invading Iraq, the US' latest imperialistic adventure reflects ominous foreboding. Once viewed as a walk in the park, the road to Baghdad is now fraught with questions. Burned out hulks and death are like signposts along the way. These realities beg the question, can a force of 500 thousand subdue and control a country of 25 million, if the people continue to resist?

Vietnam should have taught the US the folly of trying to impose its will through conquest and occupation. Comparing and contrasting Iraq and Vietnam present clear similarities between these political and tactical quagmires. Without regard for international law, the US was confident its superior military power would rollover a country of backward ill-equipped rice farmers. Moving into Vietnam behind nebulous claims of liberation and democracy, the US tried to pacify its people, defoliated its forest, and Vietnamized the war. Finally, without a definitive win, the US just left.

Although ill-equipped, the Vietnamese fought audaciously for their homes. Led by one of the greatest field generals of modern times, Ho Chi Mien, the strategy was simple. They would out last their occupiers because they had no place to go. Defeating the French at Dien Bien Phu taught Ho to avoid large decisive battles in the open field. He calculated, if one US soldier died each day mounting casualties would force the US to withdraw. Attacking outposts and harassing supply lines with small groups, Ho forced the US to deploy more and more troops to protect and re-supply its many camps. More troops meant more casualties.

George Bush's blitzkrieg on Baghdad and his merciless "shock and awe" bombing have failed to produce the quick and easy victory promised. Iraqis are fighting with tenacious resolve for their country. They too have no place to go. Coalition troops want to get out of the sand back to Piccadilly and Time Squares, while Iraqis are fighting and dying to keep every grain of sand they can. Iraqis are making a statement, and if they adopt Ho's strategy of killing one coalition soldier a day, what will give America the resolve to stay? Ho advised, "You do not have to win, you only need to survive!" How many Iraqis will have to die to remind the USA of it previous follies? Did we learn anything? Other Essays by John Burl Smith

Mailbox: E-Mails, Faxes & Phone Calls

Email rrrpppow@aol.com For black Americans who feel like they are part of the team, I can only laugh. We have been part of the team in every war the US has fought, and more than 400 years later, we are still fighting for our right to be part of the America dream. White America is playing God and black folks with their slave mentality are cheering them on. Get real!

Email http://www.sunspot.net/ The Baltimore family of Staff Sgt. Kendall D. Waters-Bey, killed in a helicopter crash in Iraq, took some heat from talk radio for suggesting that the 29-year-old Marine died in an unjust and pointless war, not in a noble cause to make the Middle East safer or to free an oppressed people. Apparently it's unpatriotic - if not tacky - for the presumably grieving father and sisters of Waters-Bey to say such things, to veer away from the measured, predictable comments we're used to getting in sound bites and to take their kin's death into some thorny political place most Americans would rather not go. Certainly this is something we'd rather not think about, the relatives of a Marine blaming the president for his death and claiming a Marine died for "oil and money." More Mailbox

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