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(written 2004)

Throughout the year we plead with YTs government to help us with aid, jobs, medical care, and reparationz [which they will never pay]. Hence, “freedom” has been “granted” to Afrikanz-in-America for several hundred yearz yet we continue to show up at the meeting table, first, entering from the backdoor, then sitting at the table with our handz out offering nothing but our physical bodies in exchange for service. In fact, the only thing we do bring to the table is the strategically heired drama as we beg the same person — who created our condition — to throw us a few bread crumbz of which we aggressively devour with one hand while leaving the other out gesturing for more.

But this piece isn't to meant to separate us, beefin' about differences only keep us apart. On the contrary, this piece is to give us an internal reflection of where we are and why we ain't where we should be yet. With that said, with all socio-political-spirital- and economic-dilemmas we face, I must point out amidst all this, we still remain festive 'cause we love to party!

Not that I'm against celebration, there's nothin' wrong with havin' a good time, but havin' it consistently during an era where conditionz continue to get worse, it's a confirmation of Ancestor Dr. Bobby E. Wright's term, 'Mentacide' (mental suicide). It remindz me of how were were forced to dance on the slave plantationz not for joy, but for exercise where the overseerz would whip us to make us dance. The only thing missing today are the whips — which in many cases have been replaced with alcohol.

Today, we simply have too many parades, carnivalz, fairz, and festivalz to mention where even thinking of mentioning the word ‘liberation' or 'building wealth’ would be considered oxymoronic!

Take Brooklyn, New York's Annual West Indian Labor Day Parade where several hundred thousand Diasporic Afrikanz get together to biggup which colonized island is better than the rest. Not only are we still a long wayz from realizing we are not just Jamaican, Haitain, or Trinidadian but Afrikan; with many who were brought to these islandz via the Maangamizi — for those who say their bloodline is not related and/or never experienced some degree of colonization might as well be taking the same bleaching cream as Vybz Kartel!

Despite this subliminally major obstacle of unification we face, the concept of building collective wealth is a scarce if not non-existence topic, although it is a very reachable concept.

Just think if each year the organizerz of this one parade had collection baskets at multiple points on Eastern Parkway that collected donationz throughout the parade (even during Juvee for that matter). If everyone gave a minimum of $1, they'd collect at least $250,000! That amount each year could be used to finance, build, and employ our own! Think, with a compiled list of all hoodz in the America's, islandz in the West Indies, and villages in Afrika, would annually receive these fundz which would be used to build/rebuild/maintain the needz of the Diaspora (buildingz, roadz, schoolz, agriculture, trade export/import, etc).

If we continue to wait for YTs government and so-called charities that deal with disaster assistance (ie, Red Cross, United Way, FEMA) we will remain last on the list. Why not become self-determined?! Imagine not the next Black WallStreet but the rebirth and even better, international Federation of the Nile Valley (resurrected KMT)!

Think Afrikanz!! We are our own wealth and we carelessly give it away to non-Afrikanz for products and services we can do ourselves! Why are we still 99% consumer and less than 1% producer?!!?

Ancestor Dr. John Henrik Clarke once said Afrikan people could employ ourselves the world-over by just taking care of ourselves! We need to do more than support Black businesses, we need to create more of them!

Not takin’ advantage of our people comin’ together and collecting fundz to finance our liberation is simply not Kuji, yo (meanin’, not Kujichagulia which meanz “Self-Determination)! Not only should partyin' bring us together, doin' it in the name of building collective wealth should be the anthem, for this is certainly something worth celebrating! Imagine a party where we're self-reliant!

C'mon y'all, tell me there's more about us than settling to to be the epitome of B.I.G.s track, "Party... and Bullshit, (Party.) and Party... and Bullshit, (Bullshit.) and Party... and Bullshit, (Party.) and Party... and Bullshit, (Bullshit.)"

Bless...

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