AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted

AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted:

The Return of the Intelligent Thug

                                 Min. Paul Scott

“Emancipate yourself from mental slavery/None but ourselves can free our minds”

  Redemption Song-Bob Marley

Back in the day, members of my generation proudly sported our “Warning Educated Black Man” T-shirts while pumpin’ Ice Cube’s “AmeriKKKa’ s Most Wanted”  in our rides.” During that period we were clear that this country’s biggest fear was an army of militant minded Brotha and Sista Souljah’s waging an all out war against the lies of Western Civilization that kept us bound in the chains of mental slavery. Unfortunately, that era ended abruptly following the LA Rebellion of 1992 and was purposely replaced by a corporate sponsored gangsta dynasty where ignorance was not only bliss but a Hip Hop cultural norm.  However, in  post Baltimore Rebellion America the days of the pro-black T-shirts might just be making a comeback.

Recently, Georgia college student Eric Sheppard was  arrested following a month long manhunt by the Feds. Last April, Sheppard made headlines by stepping on The Stars and Stripes during a college protest.  An arrest warrant was issued for the student because the police found a gun inside a book bag that allegedly belonged to him.  However, many African Americans feel that Sheppard’s  real crime , as a 21 year old black man, was  having more on his mind than the NBA Finals, rap music and strip clubs.  Especially, in a country having nightmares over the possibility of politically conscious street gangs uniting for a common cause .

Yeah, America’s biggest fear has been realized.  The “Intelligent Thugs” that they buried  two decades ago have suddenly  risen from their graves.

The fear of black intelligence stretches back centuries in this country. One must remember that until the late 19th century it was illegal to teach black folk to read. And while much attention is paid towards the brutality of the slave revolts headed by people such as the Reverend Nat Turner, many of the rebels were highly intelligent. As early as 1830, David Walker’s Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World caused so much fear among white slave owners that a $10,000 bounty was placed on Walker’s head.

Also, although many people focus on the “burn baby burn” slogans of the 60’s and early 70’s, it must be understood that the members of the Black Power Movement were bookworms.  Kwame Ture, the man credited for popularizing the term “Black Power” was a Howard University graduate.  Malcolm X  was able to debate some of the  best  scholars in the world courtesy of a jailhouse education.  And even though people like to focus on the guns that the Black Panther Party carried, it was the mind of  Huey P Newton that people feared the most as he was able to intellectually navigate between the streets and college campuses.

So, today tragic  events from the  Trayvon Martin murder to the murder of Freddie Gray have many young people embracing some of the teachings that my generation used to talk about in campus student unions and in the back of dusty little black bookstores. However,  where we  had to wait weeks for a new book by Del Jones or a Steve Cokely cassette tape to arrive at the Know Bookstore, these kids have total,  unrestricted,  immediate access via the Internet to all types of information. So, the same political education that took us weeks to study can be learned by a Baltimore gang member during a cross town bus ride via an iPhone and Beats by Dre headphones.

Although, some may think this is just another Hip Hop inspired fad (as many accused the “conscious Hip Hop /Fight the Power Era “ of being) , times have changed.

Unlike the LA Rebellions of 23 years ago, the most recent uprisings  did not have a Hip Hop soundtrack. There was no inflammatory song that the media could pinpoint for inspiring the riots. It can be further argued that the rapper commentators  who appeared on CNN  were not the “voices of the streets” as they were a decade ago, but now were only being used to calm the fears of white America.

Also, if you read the manifesto, that was allegedly written by Eric Sheppard, instead of rap lyrics you will see shout outs to African centered scholars such as Dr. Khallid Muhammad and Dr. Frances Cress Welsing, whose entire catalogs can be easily accessed on Youtube.

So, although talking headz like Sean Hannity  and Anderson Cooper may consider the Eric Sheppards of the world  fringe elements and the media may write his manifesto off as a “publicity stunt”  so their middle class white audiences can sleep at night, the reality is for every Freddie Gray that dies an Eric Sheppard is born.

Maybe the gangs coming together in B-More is a sign of changing  times. What if they put down the guns and decide to form a political coalition after watching an Amos Wilson video on Youtube? Or what if  instead of selling drugs they  decide to open legit businesses after listening to a Dr. Claude Anderson podcast ?

Perhaps the years of us telling these kids that “a mind is a terrible thing to waste” and “Knowledge is Power” were not wasted after all.

Maybe, all they really needed, to borrow from rapper, Young Jeezy was some intelligent “Thug Motivation.”

Min. Paul Scott represents the Messianic Afrikan Nation. He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired. Follow on Twitter @truthminista

Open Challenge to Professor Jerry Hough

Professor Hough,

   I read your comments regarding the fallout from your recent online comments concerning African Americans. As a Durham NC resident, I take exception to people, such as yourself, taking the liberty to speak with presumed authority on the topic of black culture.

In your comments to WTVD, you seem to be throwing down the gauntlet and issuing a challenge to debate the issue of race outside of the boundaries of politically correct "sensitivities."

As one of the ideological children of Malcolm X, who you referenced in your initial comments, I accept your challenge to a no holds barred debate on race in America.

Having the right to voice an opinion is part of a democracy. But to have ideas go unchallenged is Fascism.


                           Min. Paul Scott
                           Messianic Afrikan Nation
                           Durham NC
                           (919) 972-8305

Rupert Murdoch Ain't My Brother's Keeper

Rupert Murdoch Ain't My Brother's Keeper

                    Min. Paul Scott



Recently, many black folk cheered President Obama's creation of his new, nonprofit spin-off of My Brothers Keeper called My Brother's Keeper Alliance.

That's all good and gravy, as I like the idea of givin'  back to the hood as much as the next guy. And I kinda dug the President's speech about how so many "young men of color" just don't get the breaks of the more economically privileged...

But before I could break into my impromptu rendition of John Legend's nouveau  civil rights anthem from the movie Selma, "Glory," I had to change my tune.

I happened to notice that one of the proud sponsors of the initiative is News Corp, which is owned by the father of Fox News, himself, Rupert Murdoch.  

Whoa!!!

Now, I know that if you start marking off everything that Murdoch owns between his News Corp and 21st Century Fox companies, you might as well go back to writing on stone tablets but Fox News is an example of anti-black journalism, if I've ever seen one.


Fox News has been responsible for the most degrading images of black people since, well... BET's Hot Ghetto Mess. Every night, between Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity, the network puts out enough negative images of African Americans to make James Brown stop singin' "I'm Black and I'm Proud."  If you see any black person on Fox News (except for Dr. Ben Carson and a hand full of their other homies) , you can bet your last dollar that they are being treated like...dare I say it ...thugs.

Remember it was Mad Money Murdoch, who once tweeted "all the Egyptians I know are white" in response to the almost lily-white Noah movie cast. (I sure hope he doesn't fund the Brother's Keeper Black History Month program, next year.)

This is not the type of person that I want directing the lives of black boys. The last thing we need is a bunch of new black right wing extremists dressed like Will Smith's  buppy  cousin, "Carlton " from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, dancin' to the ol' school sounds of Ted Nugent.

Nope. We need more Malcolm X's and Marcus Garvey's, not Uncle Toms and Sambos.

My granddad used to say "all money ain't good money." And this is definitely the case with News Corp. Why can't the project be funded by black celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Floyd Mayweather or one of the major Hip Hop artists who spend 50 grand on a good night makin' it rain on naked women in a strip club.

President Obama, should return Murdoch's check with a nice "thanks but no thanks" written on it in graffiti.

That's one brother that My Brother's Keeper should tell to keep his money!

Min. Paul Scott is founder of the Messianic Afrikan Nation. He can be reached at (919) 972-8305 or info@nowarningshotsfired,com Follow on Twitter @truthminista

From N**** to Negus

From Nigga to Negus:

New Beginnings for an Old Word

                   Min. Paul Scott

“You hate me don’t cha/You hate my people

Your plan is to terminate my culture”

Blacker the Berry  - Kendrick Lamar

Most of the time when somebody asked K Killa to stop using the N- Word he had a prepared, snappy comeback. He would, on cue, go into a long drawn out monologue about how it was really a  term of endearment. But after hearing his favorite rapper, Kendrick Lamar , explain that  he was spelling it wrong and the word was really supposed to be “Negus” meaning “ king,”  he stopped using it.  It was one thing to be a “real nigga”  but to be a dumb, illiterate nigga was down right offensive…

The debate over the use of the N word is nothing new, most of the time the conversation stays within the politically correct realm that ends with “well, that’s really something that polite people don’t say” (at least in public.)  However, thanks to an interlude from the new Kendrick Lamar cd, “To Pimp a Butterfly,”  where  he breaks down the definition of Negus (Nagast in plural form) to mean "king" in ancient Ethiopic Ge'ez, , the topic has now been elevated to a more historical, etymological and , even, controversial level.  

I mean, for people with short attention spans, quoting Tupac’s acronym (Never Ignorant Getting Goals Accomplished) is relatively, simple  The average first grader can quote that in his sleep. However, to do a deep, historical and etymological breakdown that goes back centuries takes more than just the proverbial “street smarts.” It requires somebody to pick up a book, or at the very least, put his Google skills to the test.

So, has K Dot accomplished something that the culture police have been unable to do since NWA came straight outta Compton more than 25 years ago?

Now, the argument over a positive interpretation of the N Word did not start with Kendrick Lamar. In 1934, noted historian, JA Rogers made a similar attempt to defend the use of the word “negro” in his work “100 Amazing Facts About the Negro: With Complete Proof”  by saying that it had royal origins.

More recently, scholars such as Kaba Hiawatha Kamene ( Dr.  Booker T Coleman ) and Hip Hop artist Hakim Green (Channel Live)  have also attempted to give the word a noble  heritage using the works of Gerald Massey and writings such as the Kebra Nagast as evidence that a nigga has not always been the dude with a white t-shirt and jeans hangin’ down below his  knees. According to  the them,  the original Nagast wore crowns and royal garments.

The flip side of the argument, as advanced by lecturers, The Irritated Genie and community activists such as Kwabana Sakidi Jijaga Rasuli is that the ancient Ethiopic word ain’t got jack to do with the N-word that was yelled at our ancestors as they were being hanged from trees.

According to most dictionaries, the word “negro” comes, directly , from the 15th century Portuguese slave traders and was not a noun but an adjective meaning “the black,” as in a color. But when white southerners tried to say it with snuff in their mouths, it came out “nigger.” And because of the Stockholm Syndrome, we changed it to “nigga.”   So we are, clearly, dealing with two different words.

And even if it did have noble beginnings, the term is now being used to identify white supremacy’s greatest creation, “the Nigga” - a self- hating monster who is programed to kill other black people, whether it be man, woman or child. Or, in the eyes of trigga happy cops “ a natural born criminal who is worthy of instant execution.”

But, hypothetically speaking, suppose that the Honorable Marcus Garvey’s  use of the word “negro” could be traced back to the royal lineage of the throne of Ethiopia to, at least , the time of the Queen of Sheba (Makeda) while racists and white supremacists are using the word that came from the Portuguese slave traders.  If we are truly going to differentiate the terms and come up with a “positive term of endearment,” it would only make sense that we use the Sankofa principal and go back to the historical Ethiopian origins of the word.

That is why Kimathi Melaku El, minister of education of The Black Talmidim, says that the group is calling for the black community to permanently replace “nigga” with Negus. They are also asking that people use the hashtag #replacewithnegus on social media and substitute the word “nigga” in song lyrics and popular phrases  with “Negus.” (For instance, “Nigga With Attitude”  becomes “Negus  With Attitude,” etc.)

From N*** to Negus

				From N*** to Negus
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Some may argue that with the recent police killings, the black community has bigger things to worry about than a word. But , isn't it easier to feel that you can get away with killing a nigga than getting away with assassinating a king ?

Also, even the hardest brother on the block doesn't want to feel stupid or like someone jacked him for what was, rightfully, his. So, if we can convince the youth that they have been robbed of their history and bamboozled into accepting a false term, perhaps they will ,at least, consider changing their language.

Kwame Ture once said “every Negro is a potential Black man.”  So, just maybe every nigga is a potential Negus.

Min. Paul Scott is founder of the Messianic Afrikan Nation. He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com Follow on Twitter @truthminista

King of the 'hood

King of the ‘hood:

Exposing the Myth of Self Inflicted Self Destruction

            Min. Paul Scott

“Was it the bullets that took you/or was it the situation society put you ?”

            Blown Away Remix (Saigon and Sticman)

April 4, 2015. Minister Malcolm Mosiah King was in Memphis  to receive the annual Tupac Shakur Peace Prize. After years of hard work, he had finally negotiated a truce between the rival gangs in the city. Unfortunately, King never made it to the ceremony. As he was leaving his hotel, he was killed in a drive-by, allegedly, by a gang member who mistook his black power fist salute for a gang sign….

This week marks the anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. Although, he accomplished many great things from addressing economic inequality to opposing the Vietnam War, for most  Americans he is known ,simply ,for telling black people to love white people and ignore 400  plus years of slavery and oppression. In recent weeks this dream has been echoed by entertainers such as Common, who suggested that if the descendents of slaves  just extended the right hand of fellowship to the descendants of their former slave masters, all would be right with the world.

But what about asking the black kid on the block to forgive the dude who shot his homeboy last month. Or even  the kid that accidently stepped on his new white Jordans or the Brotha who merely gave him the wrong look at a stop light ?  In 2015, we need a “Dr. Martin Luther King of the Hood,”  to bring a message of peace and unity to these streets.

Though rarely discussed, the  downside to King’s message was that too much attention was paid to loving white folks and not enough to loving our black selves.

Without a doubt, the issue of Black on Black crime is one of the most pressing issues of  the last 20 years, as many conservatives  are quick to remind us when the world’s microscope is focused on some form of white racism , whether it be a radio talk show who disrespects black women, a college frat boy who does an impromptu N word laced freestyle or a trigger happy cop who shoots a black child down in the street.  The cries of “well, what are you doing to stop blacks from killing other blacks” drowns out any intelligent discourse regarding the matter at hand.

The issue of Black on Black violence is not that simple.

Unlike white racists, it’s not like the average black kid wakes up on a mission to go out and kill the first black person he sees.  So, mixing the idea of White on Black violence with  Black on Black violence is like comparing Jack Daniels to Kool Aid. Unfortunately, this weak comparison often leaves even the most  educated, culturally conscious black person without a snappy  comeback,  as the talking heads at Fox News and other right wing  spots have mastered the art of being right and wrong at the same time.

So, where do we start healing our own community.

First, we have to put the concept of black self hatred into the proper historical context. This is an area that very few have dared to tread except a few authors like the late Dr. Amos Wilson who gave us the outstanding work “Black on Black Violence: In the service of White Domination.”  Contrary to popular belief,  Black on Black violence was not imported from Africa. Despite the often parroted idea that “Africans enslaved other Africans’” the truth is that the “slavery “ that existed in the Motherland was more akin to the feudalism that was going on in Europe than chattel slavery . It must be clearly understood that the Black on Black violence happening on the streets of America today is a direct result of the legacy of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and the demonizing of the Black image.

Secondly, we have to clearly understand that Black Murder Inc , is the phattest cash cow in America. Our self destruction generates billions of dollars, annually,  and if Black on Black violence ceased to exist today, there would  be a lot of rich people on welfare tomorrow.  This is because of the cannibalistic nature of Capitalism. To borrow from the funk philosopher George Clinton  “America eats its young,”  and uses their left overs  to fuel the prison and social industrial complexes.

Finally, we have to come up with a new strategy that goes beyond just blaming the victim.

In Durham NC, some artists have gotten together to launch The Closed Eyes Project to force people to open their eyes to the root causes of Black on Black violence.  During the week prior to the  anniversary of the assassination of Dr. King, they are asking that artists, activists and scholars  across the country unite to form a new Stop the Violence Movement, similar to the Hip Hop movement of the late 80’s.  

"Closed Eyes"

				"Closed Eyes"
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After, all Dr. King didn’t die so we could kill each other, did he?

Min. Paul Scott is founder of the Messianic Afrikan Nation. He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com Follow on Twitter @truthminista

Killin' (in the name of ) Jesus

Killin’ (In the name of) Jesus:

The Conservative Crucifixion of AmeriKKKa

                                      Min. Paul Scott

A while  back,  many  accused rapper Kanye West  of sacrilege  for  proclaiming on his hit  “Jesus Walks” that Christ chills out  with the “hustlers, drug dealers and strippers.”   However, the idea that the “King of Kings”  hangs out with bigots, racists and white supremacists is widely accepted.

On Palm Sunday, National Geographic will premier Killing Jesus, a film based on the book by the same name by head Fox News commentator, Bill O’Reilly. The movie is a recreation of the life of Jesus Christ  (Yeshua) and chronicles his persecution by the  Roman  Empire as well as his fellow countrymen who were hatin’ on his ministry. What is ironic is that O’Reilly  also serves as the chief spokesman for a right wing agenda that is  responsible for the persecution of America’s poor and downtrodden.

Killing Jesus  is not a new revelation as Dr. Hugh Schonfield has written several works  on the political activities of the early believers such as “The Passover Plot” and “The Jesus Party.” Also, Dr.  James Cone has written extensively about  the Messiah  in the context of racial oppression in books such as “Black Theology/Black Power” and “God of the Oppressed.” But  the hypocrisy  of the major mouthpiece of the self righteous right  having his book made into a TV movie about the champion of the poor and oppressed is too much for a member of an oppressed class to ignore.

What is extremely interesting about  Killing Jesus is the striking similarities between the villains of the narrative and The Fox News Nation  and  between the heroic Jesus figure and the people who are  victims of the  Right Wing’s  wrath.

Follow me on this one.

Just like the Caesars, the Right Wingers demand that everybody bows down to their  collective will. Conservatives have a monolithic view of America and  only tolerate those who have similar backgrounds and values. When is the last time that you heard a Fox talking head say something nice  about someone Black or Latino  except  ,maybe,  Geraldo Rivera or one of the members of their regular Crucify Him Choir of black conservatives ?

Another similarity is that  conservative commentators  serve as televangelists  for the big business tycoons who gained their fortunes by exploiting the poor and paying them slave wages, thus creating  the social conditions that cause the pathological behaviors that Fox and Friends demonize daily .  It must be remembered that genocide is not only the act of carrying out the mass murder of a race, but according to the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide it is defined as “deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part ." So the right wing would have been best buds with the Thieves in the Temple.

Also,  Fox News is notorious for “bearing false witness “ against those who oppose them. Just like the Pharisees  and Sadducees started a smear campaign against Jesus, Fox News and others slander anyone who objects to their tyranny. When ratings need a quick boost , Fox always stages an Inquisition and goes after anyone whom they deem un-American. Many can remember the vicious attack that they waged against President Obama's former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright during the 2008 election season.  

In addition, although they claim to love “The Prince of Peace,” they champion policies that favor the biggest warmongers on the planet. Not to mention “get tough on crime” policies that created the prison industrial complex and have a disproportionate number of Black and Latino youth on a never- ending journey down  the school to prison pipeline.

Lastly,  they send their conservative legionnaires  to crucify those who speak the truth, as Rupert Murdoch has transformed an office building in the heart of New York City into a modern day Mt. Calvary.  For instance, during the last National Prayer Breakfast, President Obama incurred the wrath of the  Right  when he dared  to suggest that Christianity had just as much blood on its hands as Islam, using the Crusades,  slavery  and Jim Crow-ism as a backdrop . However, due  to the machinations of a conservative media, what could have been a much needed discussion of the nuances of race and religion in this country was reduced to some idiotic right  wing ramblings about knights in shining armor. The thousands of other examples of church sponsored genocide were ignored.

So, don’t believe everything you see on TV kids.

If  Jesus showed up in America today advocating for the rights of the poor , he would be hanging from the satellite antenna  at the top of the News Corp Building.

Minister Paul Scott is founder of the Messianic Afrikan Nation ministry based in Durham NC.  He has appeared on talk shows across the country discussing race, religion and rap including several appearances on the Fox News Channel. He is also a contributor to the anthology “Hip Hop and the Black Church.” He can be reached at (919) 972-8305 or info@nowarningshotsfired.com

 

Activists Offer Better Solution for Durham Crime than More Cops

Recently, at a Durham City Council meeting, Police Chief Jose Lopez expressed concerns about the recent shootings in Durham and suggested that the solution to the problem was to add more police officers. However, a group of local activists and musicians is suggesting a better solution. They are asking that community members raise  their voices against violence.

‘Closed Eyes Project’ invites people to ponder reasons for violence

Minister Paul Scott and  local musician Marcus Cox have recently launched the "Closed Eyes Project. They are asking artists in Durham to come together to stop the shootings that often occur in the city. Scott suggests that Hip Hop and other forms of music that are popular with the city's  youth will make them think twice before pulling a gun on someone.

The Closed Eyes Project has recently released a series of  anti-vioelnce songs  called "Closed Eyes"  which includes a Hip Hop version for the youth  and a R&B version for older listeners. They have even included a "Make Your Own Remix Version" on which  they are asking Durham residents to add their own verse to the song.

https://soundcloud.com/closed-eyes-project

Based on the controversy surrounding recent incidents involving Durham police as well as police departments in other parts of the country, Scott says that most  people in urban communities  have a distrust of the police and a grassroots effort to stop crime  will be a better solution than adding more officers.

For more information contact (919) 972-8305 or info@nowarningshotsfired.com