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<font size=4><b>Black History Event at FCI Otisville (Submitted by PP
Sundiata Acoli via Nattyreb)<br><br>
</b></font><font size=3> After having the approved date for the
first Black History Event at FCI Otisville in 12 years moved from Feb.
10, 2011, to Feb. 17, to Feb. 21 and finally to Feb. 24th, the frustrated
5 potential outside guests regrettably but understandably ran into
scheduling conflicts which forced them to cancel their appearances. As a
result the Black History Event was done with prisoners only.<br><br>
Akbar Pray opening remarks energized the audience. Raheem acted as
moderator and introduced the following events: A skit by Boo, Al-Tariq,
Shane, Jaws, T.I. and Tim in which the youngsters learned the importance
of Black History from the O.T.'s (Old Timers,) T.I. then recited a
inspiring poem:"God, Why Did You Make Me Black?," Shane and
Jaws Jason did a sizzling conscious rap song and would reappear several
times during the later program to do other raps, Sebastian Abu Williams
did a great Call and Response poem: "Because You Already Know,"
Melvin did an impromptu introductory speech, Rauf did 3 of his classic
poems, the main one being "Uncle Sam's Dope Habit," Joe Gerald
held the audience spellbound with his story: "My Life: Why I Became
Interested in History," Supreme Magnetic enlightened all on the
"History of Clarence 13X of the 5% Nation," Sundiata spoke on
"Why Black and Afrikan History "(printed below,) Black Warrior
spoke on the "Life of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad" and
Righteous Born Everton closed the program out with and very conscious and
rousing oration on "The History of the Elders Passing Knowledge Down
to the Youth!"<br>
<br><br>
</font><font size=4><b>Why Black and Afrikan History?<br>
</b></font><font size=3>by Sundiata Acoli<br><br>
There's an Old Proverb that asks: "What happened
to the people of Sumer, for ancient records show that these people were
Black." And the answer was: " They lost their history, so they
died."<br><br>
Is that just talk or can a people really die from losing
their history?- and how do they lose it? Well it usually happens when a
people have been invaded, conquered and subjugated in war...and we all
know that TRUTH is the first casualty in war ...and that
history is always written by the victors who usually portray
themselves as noble, courageous and wise while slandering the defeated as
cowardly and stupid savages -- or they simply write them out of World
History altogether. Those missing pages are a defeated peoples' lost
history until they regain knowledge of it. Marcus Garvey said: "A
people without knowledge of their history, origin or culture is like a
tree without roots."...and a tree without roots dies!<br><br>
So the question is: Have we, Blacks in the u.s., lost our
history?...and could we die as a result? Afrika was invaded and
overthrown 2500 years ago from which it/we have yet to recover. Our
libraries at Alexandra, Egypt, in Afrika, were looted, books taken
back to the western world and Library burned to the ground. Our history
was rewritten to make our conquerors look noble and us look like ignorant
savages - and our real history was left out of World History altogether.
Thus we have lost our history ....so the other question is:" Can we
die from it?"<br><br>
We're told we're free and equal yet we continue to be
discriminated against . Also we continue to be hit with every lethal
affliction in the book: AIDS, crack, abortions (now the #1 killer of
Blacks, i'm told,) gang warfare, police, prisons, death penalty,
obesity-diseases, Katrina, you name it.... and both you and i know it's
only a matter of time before there is an outbreak of some new affliction
more deadly than the ones before... and that it will "just happen
to" kill more Blacks than anyone else. That's just too many
coincidences; they look more like "campaigns" to me than
"coincidences". And frankly there's no guarantee that we can
keep surviving these deadly attacks, the next affliction may wipe us out
completely. So yes, it's possible that Blacks in the u.s. could die just
as the people of Sumer did...unless we do something.<br><br>
SANKOFA, and Old Afrikan Proverb, says" Go forward by
going back to fetch it." Fetch what? Our lost Afrikan history!: our
collective memory, our mind! We use Our History, and History period, as a
starting point to go forward, to go where we still must go, to get free
and be whatever we choose to be.<br><br>
Malcolm X said: "Of all our studies, history is best
qualified to reward our research." It's also best qualified to
provide solutions to our problems. Again Malcolm: "And when you see
you've got problems, all you have to do is examine the historic method
used all over the world by others who have problems similar to yours.
Once you see how they got theirs straight then you know how you can get
yours straight." <br><br>
History is where a people go to learn, research or regain
past knowledge about themselves and the world, to find solutions to
problems in their lives, and go forward. That's why we need
History, why we study History and how we use History.<br><br>
If you would like to write Sundiata please send your letters to:<br><br>
Sundiata Acoli (#39794-066)<br>
(Squire)<br>
P.O. Box 1000<br>
FCI Otisville<br>
Otisville, NY 10963-1000<br>
<br><br>
Funds supporting his legal defense are always appreciated and can be sent
to:<br><br>
SAFC<br>
PO Box 766 Harlem Station<br>
New York, New York 10027<br><br>
Checks and money orders should be made out to The Sundiata Acoli Freedom
Campaign<br><br>
<a href="http://sundiataacoli.org">http://sundiataacoli.org<br><br>
<br>
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