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(written 2008)

When we commit our lives to the research that will give our people knowledge, we can’t go at this arduous task without an economic base to operate from.” — Amos Wilson

I was on the internet last night and I cried. I honestly cried like a baby as I saw a figure responsible for all the pieces you may have read of mine about the Boule’ (aka Sigma Pi Phi) and Black Fraternities and Sororities... yep, you guessed it, Steve Cokely.

If you are familiar with his work, you know he’s an impeccable researcher, has the memory of 100+ elephants as he recites his research in his lectures, and an Afrikan pioneer in the field of Futurology and breakin’ down the real deal behind the political spectrum that creates and manifests the hell our people been catchin’ for centuries.

I was on youtube, searching to see if there were any video lectures from our heroes online, so I did a search, typing in ‘Steve Cokely’. Although we have not spoken for some yearz, (read why from this piece I wrote, Letter 2 Steve Cokely & the Elderz) I have since realized our relationship was meant to be for a season and what’s more important is his work. But that wasn’t what brought tearz to my eyes.

I watched several of the pieces hedz put up of his lectures. I watched the clip where he lyrically slayed the late Zionist, Irv Rubin, on CNN with precision, lookin’ in awe as I saw how articulate he was amidst his opponent’s reluctance to deal with the topic-at-hand, settling, as a last resort, to calling him an animal. Actually, if you know how sharp Cokely is, he is a beast!

I scrolled down the playlist and saw an Elder draped with charcoal-grey locks. The caption said “Steve Cokely - $5 Gas Prices are Coming”. I said to myself, “naw, this ain’t Steve!” My last encounter with him was just over 5 yearz ago. Did he change that much?

I clicked the link and lo’ and behold, it was Cokely doin’ a lecture in Detroit, October 2007! I chose to listen to him before anything else and as alwayz, the info was deeply profound! Then came my subconscious, wanting me to watch it again, but this time, just watching him. This is when my eye’s welled-up. Cokely was physically a fraction of himself and although I do not know his exact age, he seemed to appear to look much older than he really is. It was clear his physical condition is deteriorating.

I took me back to one of the last tymz I saw him speak when he briefly mentioned his decaying health, his lack of medical benefits, and his financial situation. The countless miles this Heru (Hero) has journeyed, sacrificing his life for our liberation, was apparent. As with any aging Lion, Brotha Cokely’s once impenetrable armor has weakened, and it’s so clear, I could not help but get emotional.

Not entirely for Cokely individually, but a sadness for hedz like Cokely, in general (my aspiring self included). I remember he said once, at a lecture I attended in DC he paraphrased, “the life of a person who researches and disseminates information for the advancement and liberation of Afrikan people is a job seldom answered in the Want Adz, yet it is still a much needed job.” He added, “there’s plenty overtime and no pay, no benefits, no vacation, and no holidayz off...” So when I decided one of my contributionz would be DGT, unbeknownst to me, did I see an optional path many of our greatest mindz have fallen victim to.

My thoughts on this beckoned me to feel there’s a metaphysical and physical perspective that needed to written about.

THE PHYSICAL
Cokely is but one example of hundredz, probably thousandz of Sheru and Heru’s who were not supported by the very people they offered their lives to. Think of the last impoverished dayz of Garvey; how financially-strapped Master Scholarz like Brooklyn’s Professor William Mackey, Jr.—who once told me, “While it’s great to be remembered, it’s better to be supported while you’re alive. It’s a shame that some of our great scholarz never got the attention and the respect they were due during their lifetymz." Mackey's apartment was unfurnished but had books stacked from the floor-to-ceiling in each room. His apartment was like a maze, yo! Not to knock because furniture does not a home make for I see the wealth is in all his books!!

This made me ponder about the ensuing generation; my generation, and the eventual absence of the current heavyweight's like Cokely, Anthony Browder, Wayne Chandler, Ashra & MeriRa Kwesi, Runoko Rashidi, and a fading Dr. Ben after their earth-time is up. Who’s gonna pick up the torch once they're gone, for the passing of the torch—through Jegna-ship—is at the point of extinction.

We have very few if any examples of historianz/lecturerz who lives/lived a comfortable life doin’ what they do best (no, Elijah and Farrakhan don’t count!). This is one of the key reasonz why hedz ain’t applyin’ for this job (refering to Cokely’s paraphrase).

HEALTH, WEALTH, KNOWLEDGE OF SELF
Afrikanz are truly a unique people for although we know how attractive we’ve been to otherz in the world, I’ve been deduced to believe we are professionalz at enduring struggle and strife, while remaining amateurz in the field of AA—no, not alcoholic’s anonymous... Active Activizm!

If you look at our counterpart, YT treats their scholarz very well! Not only do they have an advantage with their educational institutionz, where they can continue to perpetuate the lies of their-story, teachin’ it to their youth, who then growz up believing and continues the preservation of the lie bypassin’ to their children. In addition to this, there are hundredz, probably thousandz of foundationz that financially support these false practitionerz of knowledge.

*Where we fail is the money game, and with our having the nationz largest spending power, it makes clear sense this stat bearz a profound reason as to why there are so many in Brotha Cokely’s situation. When you are 99% consumer and lest than 1% producer of goodz and services, some 95-99% of our dollarz are given to otherz that don’t have an ounce of vested interest in the liberation of Afrikan people. To everyone else, we are more of use to the world as buyerz, not producerz! With the number of Afrikanz graduating from college rising each year; the number of PhD, MBA, and other Master degreez recipients every season, Afrikanz have yet to break in the market of business—yes, Oprah just launched a tv-station and there are those who are entering other markets, but the numberz are still too small to have an ethnic effect and the talk of it is at a mere whisper.

*We’ve inherited the idea that we are workerz and not CEOs. This mindset is so deep because as a worker, you’re too busy trying to get what you can to survive. But with a CEO mindset, you’ve more than taken care of your basic necessities to survive, you are now able to explore whatever attracts your interest. Think, how many of us had a “dream” that included havin’ enough money to never have to worry about food, clothing, and shelter? How many of us have accomplished this dream? How many of us, instead, are workin’ a job(z) that have nothing to do with our dream?

When you are in a position where these basics are taken care of, you can busy yourself with other thingz. There simply aren’t enough of us who’ve done it, but it can happen, and among the several wayz I’ve been exposed to, the one that seemz most promising to build collective wealth is what’s called a Susu. I urge you to look into this, seriously.

If you question where are our leaderz, you have to realize you are appealing for a void to be filled. Why not fill the void yourself? Do we not realize by now that everyone, I mean, EVERYONE, is doin’ for their people except us? Even, on a smaller scale, the impoverished Mexicanz who cross the border, do so to send money to their families. But we Afrikanz in the united states live in an increasingly impoverished state. This is nothin’ new, however, the difference is now our cultural griot’s are transforming to the non-physical, takin’ with them the stories of our legacy. The number of initiates have dwindled to almost singular digits.

How can I expect the youth to wanna take the works and deedz of our Master scholarz and raise it to a higher level when they know ain’t no monetary wealth in it, plus your mental and physical health could be put in jeopardy?

This is the reason for my writing this piece. Puttin’ it bluntly, Afrikanz, if the current generation does not create a financial system that will support our upcoming scholarz, in 20 yearz, there may be no Black History Month, the lecture circuit will be dried up, the majority of attendant’s at Brooklyn's Ancestral Middle Passage on Coney Island and the International Afrikan Arts Festival will be white, and RBG will be a slogan of the past, in fact, it will mean ‘Real Blackpeople are Gone’! Why? Cause Afrikanz-in-america will lose interest because ignorance, due to the lack of living historianz to make them aware of our legacy! Look, they already ‘bout to abolish the Civil Rights Bill!! In 30 yearz, if anyone will be studying Afrikan history, it will be NON-Afrikanz! In 40, Pan-Afrikan Knowledge of Self will be but a faded memory, like the era of Conscious Hiphop (R.I.P. 1993).

THE METAPHYSICAL
I’ve been workin’ on seein’ the duality of a thought and this view hit me the following day. I was sorta projecting myself in the future in my elder yearz (if I’m still here). The thought of the life of a star interrupted my thought like a newz flash bulletin... then it all made sense. Simply apply the Djhuitic (not Hermetic) Principle, Correspondence (as above, so below; as below, so above) and you will see how this situation applies macrocozmically.

Everything has its time. This ancient philosophy applies to everything. As well, the axiom, “once a man, twice a child” is also a relevant point. When a star is born, its radiant and energetic, full of fire emitting an abundance of power. As it matures, so do its stamina, vybrancy, and zest. This is me right now in my 30s (metaphysically or microcozmically) and Cokely, as he was when hedz started payin’ attention to his work in the late 1980s.

In its latter, or elder yearz, its mojo starts to decline eventually becoming a fallen star, excreting decreased energy until it transformz (in this case, a star explodes or implodes, forming a new nucleus or if large enough, possibly vortex blackhole) as the cycle continues. On a microcozmic, or human level, there is the hope that with each passing Elder, a new nucleus—or new movement of scholarz—will be born into physical manifest. But in this case, it is not guaranteed the cycle continues. Are we the last forebearerz of our legacy? Are we livin’ in the period of the fallen star? Over my dead live body!

It is my life’s goal to find wayz to develop a system that can both assist in ushering pupilz, who will grow to be vanguardz of our legacy, as well as have the financial capability to enable them to focus on their works without havin’ to wear the mask workin’ a 9-6. I salute Baba Cokely and all other known and unknown starz who’ve given their lives to the liberation and perservation of Ma'at. If not anyone else, your spirit has been resurrected through me!

I was on the internet last night and I cried. But tomorrowz another day. And as long as my star is burning, there’s a cultural war that needz me... LIK SHOT!

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