~PART 1~Ancestral Winds Blow & Reveal: Lies-Coverups-Opportunism-Faux White Allies

This week has been hellish for a number of reasons… Mostly so, because we lost a Freedom Warrior from Ferguson… He was assassinated. This in and of itself, is tremendously heartbreaking. Unfolding the who, the why, the when, the where…That is going to be a tedious journey, that has already been compromised by the police, and their purposeful & malicious neglect of the crime scene… Evidence left behind, nothing taped off… They disrespected King Darren Seals in life, and now in the handling of his murder as welI… But are we really surprised? Their hands aren’t clean, and I hope that all of the reasons why, are soon revealed. I truly pray that ALL is revealed… Not just those who physically murdered DSeals, but also those who planned it, who knew about it, who called for it and who approved it… Everyone on every level… May Universal Justice be carried out swiftly! 

Though we cannot depend on the injustice system in Amerikkka, I pray that the CREATOR and the Ancestors blow winds perpetually, until everything hidden, is revealed… I pray strength, love, resilience, and healing to the Ferguson Fam who are not only devastated by this vicious act; many wonder who can be trusted, and rightly so.

When Mike Brown was executed, the people of Ferguson, starting with his family and neighbors; they took to the streets in protest… Igniting a freedom flame that started fires all over the country and the world.  A lot has happened since then, and many are fighting injustices in their communities across the nation, solely because folks in Ferguson rose up as powerfully as they did; inspiring them to action for the 1st time, or inspiring them to increase their action in the work they had already been doing. 

Many have come and gone into Ferguson… I myself have been in & out of the community to strictly support folks there… I have never done an interview on their behalf, raised a gofundme for myself or anyone else, or anything else of that nature… I have built very special relationships with some of the people I came to know in Ferguson, and I have always fought for those voices to be heard. Unfortunately, I didn’t/don’t have the platform to really help get attention focused on them as I wanted…Folks who live and breathe in Ferguson, but aren’t necessarily highly visible on Twitter… A platform that has helped us spread info & communicate, but has also created a world that does not synch with the real one. 

I have watched those I came to know & love suffer so much as they have struggled to keep things going, whilst dealing with all the stress that comes with fighting this evil system. I have always wished I could do more, and many on Twitter were not getting to know many of the folks I was blessed to encounter, and the work they were/are getting done in the Ferguson Community.

There has been many factors at work, not just in Ferguson, but where I live and many other places folks have been rising up against the system—This Human Nature of ours… I mean, nothing is new… History repeats itself, and there is a pattern that I am afraid we have not been able to undo… We as a people are still falling for the same COINTELPRO type tactics that befell or elders & Ancestors… We have not applied the knowledge of those amongst them who have warned us; we haven’t equipped ourselves with the understanding of how the powers that be, and the greed amongst our own… How it totally ruins liberation efforts for BLACK People! I understand that the lack of cultural education, and the lack of preparedness for these gushes of revolutionary winds; this aids the pervasiveness of this pattern. Nonetheless, I am devastated that we are… Here.

I saw an article this week that had a breaking news banner attached to it. The article spoke on how Jesse Jackson set-up Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This isn’t breaking news for many of us… We have heard this before, but there is a document that proves it more precisely; it has surfaced/re-surfaced recently. What I do know is that our own people, BLACK People, who sell us out; this is the main thoroughfare for the water that extinguishes freedom fires to travel down. It has been happening again… GOV informants, greed, selfishness, wanting to be famous… It has caused so many balls of confusion in the midst of us trying to free ourselves from oppression, during this reignited gust of wind, in the continual cyclone that blows about us… Energy waning & strengthening over the years… Various shifts & intensity levels from F1-F5… Propelling us forward, and sometimes backward… But always again, we press on! 

Look at the Black Panther Party, for instance… The GOV sent in people who looked just like them (BLACK) to help take down the party… And also consider the white liberals that Dr. King & Malcolm X tried to warn us about… These types seem to really be down for the cause, but really they are just around to end efforts that are too powerful and revolutionary… And some are thwarters/ saboteurs without having GOV ties, this is also a thing… Some people are just so personally invested in the Amerikkkan System, that they don’t want things disrupted… Even if they are BLACK and oppressed themselves.

Freedom Train Conductor Harriet Tubman said that she could have freed more BLACK People, if they had realized that they were slaves. So many of our people still enslaved in their thinking to this very day…. Oh, and don’t worry, we’re really going to thoroughly discuss these white “allies”—Bare with me a few more minutes as I get everything off my chest, and onto this screen…

So, ever since DSeals assassination, there has been a light shined on organizations all over the country, especially Black Lives Matter… It gets confusing for folks to understand that we all have used the words “Black Lives Matter” as a unified rallying cry, but we were/are not all affiliated with the organization itself. The org which already existed, became popular because we began to use the name of their org as our rallying cry, in the wake of the people of Ferguson startling us all to heightened ACTION!

As the Ferguson fam began to fight back, and others around the country and world began to move toward doing the same; many wanted to join something and be unified in spirit to affect change… Black Lives Matter  the org (I think they may call themselves a network now) was a space that many who had never fought for our people before, could go and join up with others… Something that had a basic structure to it already. Other orgs were formed, and existing ones came under a more visible lens, with many new recruits… New is great, but new often has no historical perspective of revolutionary action… Therefore, learning and doing have to be done simultaneously, and some do this incredibly well… And many others lack the maturity or love frequency to do so without hurting themselves and others. 

Also keep in mind, many of us who have done freedom work for years, are not attached to any org… We get involved using grassroots methods, and support in any way a community needs… We are often leaders, who do not have a need to lead, and are cool not being the face of anything. Being in an org is not the only way to join up with others, and do valuable work for our people.

I personally had never heard of Black Lives Matter(BLM), before we started using those words as a rallying cry… It was only then that I realized there was an org with this designation… Who at the time said on Twitter that they didn’t mind/wanted the “movement” to use this as a rallying cry… In the beginning, everything seemed so beautifully organic and selfless, but as I have written about in my autobiography: Soul Cry of an Invisible Freedom Fighter… A narrative that covers and has accompanying prose about my freedom fighting experience since childhood, up until the first 10 months of the current uprisings in Ferguson, CLE, Baltimore, and everywhere in-between—That people were posturing for fame and position from the beginning… Some of it was obvious to me immediately, and some of it wasn’t.

As time went on, I began to see many things that made me go from support of BLM (the org), to me personally taking issue with the org for not truly caring about all BLACK Lives from what I was seeing and experiencing… I will literally have to do an entire separate blog about that, at another time.

A recent incident (like 2 days ago) really got under my skin concerning a BLM chapter in Kentucky… I watched ( on Twitter) members berate a BLACK Woman who is a police brutality survivor, simply because she dared to say that they have only used her name for publicity… She was asked about the chapter’s involvement in her case, and she truthfully told the person who asked, that they haven’t been helpful. People who followed her begin to question them (BLM) directly as to why they were not supporting her, and folks from the chapter started to attack the survivor with some of the most non-sensical answers I have ever seen in my life… Cold and cruel and playground-ish.

This BLACK Woman says she hasn’t been helped by them in the past 2 years, and she feels they only fight for those who didn’t survive their attack by cop demons. So instead of trying to see how they can help now, or even respectfully proving/recounting what they had done for her, if they had done anything… They instead chose to disrespect her & deflect to excuses like how “They don’t get paid” & “How dare she question them.”— They actually told her she was acting “entitled “ to expect help from them, and they also addressed her disrespectfully in other ways… Then they begin to sarcastically ask, “Well, what does she want us to do?” Why would she want your help now, when you treat her like this? SMDH… This, all of it, really made me cringe…

And not just because I am a police brutality survivor, but also because that’s low human behavior… I’ve been doing work for our people in various capacities since childhood… I have always seen it as volunteer work that is for my benefit as well… If I pledge to do something, I don’t get to act recklessly when a person simply states their truth… I have a right to disagree, prove what I have done, apologize if I haven’t been able to help, etc… But this work requires compassion and understanding— I know we can’t do everything, but when we mess up, we just gotta see how we can make things right, and own it… If we have a true heart for our people. 

This BLACK Woman has been online sharing her story, and I have witnessed her always thanking every single person who retweets her, which I have never seen anyone, including myself do… So… Hell nah! I don’t think this woman is “entitled” like they are trying to say. The problem is, there is a pervasive culture within social justice circles, that replicates all the things and attitudes that folks say they are fighting against… It’s also very reminiscent of when someone dares to question a lot of these pastors… People will tell us we can’t question the person of G-D…How dare we mere mortals do such a thing! This is the sort of vibe I got from this exchange btw the org and the survivor… The Libra that I am didn’t like it one bit— If this  BLACK Woman was being helped by this chapter of BLM, I know she would be thankful to them, because I witness her literally thank everyone who retweets or mentions her story online, every single day. So, please visit her website http://justiceforantwynette.com and offer her the support she needs… Most of her support comes from folks not near her, so if you are in the Louisville, KY area, especially be sure to reach out to her on her site, and offer her whatever support you expertise in….Everything you need to know about her case, and what she needs right now is on the site.

So let’s talk about white folks for a minute… I have had to “go in” this week on them! I have known for a while that most of the white folks who say they are fighting beside us, are really not for us like they say… They are willing to say “Black Lives Matter” and come to protests, but  most do not really want us to liberate ourselves in any ways that make them uncomfortable. Too many white people have such an arrogant way of dealing and talking to some of us… Especially if they think we are nice enough to not read them for filth. I have had several who follow me online, that I thought were good supporters… They have turned out to be snakes in the tall grass…  But guess what? I cut that shit this week! 

I have come to find out through some reliable information, and through observation of their reptilian ways, that these faux allies have had many side-bars, talking about those of us who uphold the radical BLACK tradition… See, these white folks talk about how we just don’t “get it’— Our very own oppression, they think they know better… Many have the aspiration or have been cajoled to try to convince us into their positions; wanting us to embrace a more mainstream ideal of Amerikkkan Liberalism… They are emboldened by respectable knee-grows who want us to shut up, and conform just as much as they do… Respectable knee-grows and die-hard BLACK reformist-only theologians of sorts.

They both, but especially the faux white allies, think they are so smart as not to get caught, or that we are too unintelligent to see what they are doing… The joke is on them, because they are so messy, and leave their marks of shittery all over the place. They talk in the open about some of their ideals, and then will go side-bar… I know because some folks feel bad about what they have participated in, and give a heads up*smile*… And really, they are only confirming what I and others already suspected… Also, when they want to come for us, they will send other people we’ve never interacted with before, but then be unintelligent enough to like the tweets of the obtuse individual badgering us… Implicating themselves. Or sometimes they will never say anything to us or interact with us regularly, unless it’s someone trying to push neoliberal bullshit on us… Then all of a sudden they are in our mentions liking the tweets of the disrespectful & obtuse person… I’ve let it go on too long, but my wrath has been kindled, and I will not tolerate this manipulation in my spaces anymore… Yes you are seen… I haven’t got around to blocking all of you, but I will… I will never stop being a truth teller, so your mission is a huge FAIL!

I was not a close friend of King Darren Seals… I simply didn’t get a chance to know him on a deeper level. I’ve only been in his presence a few times… I saw him just last month, August 8th at the Healing Event Lost Voices was hosting. He had come for a few minutes, with a group of youth in tow, but he had to leave early. He and I both greeted each other, and I wish I had gotten the chance to talk with him more that day. I never had a problem with this brother, and though I may not agree with all of his ideals, I know how much he did for the people in Ferguson, and that was dope to me! He was loved and respected  in his community, and the people who knew him are really suffering a great loss.

Also, let’s all be careful about how we speak to one another… And let’s especially be careful not to wish harm on anyone in anger, or loosely speak death because that is the lingo of our times… ’Cause if something bad  happens to that person, even when you didn’t mean it; no one ever forgets what you said… It can be a haunting thing. BLACK People, speak life to one another… Speak life into yourself; your soul…Forgive one another, but don’t be no fool either… Learn to teach one another where we fall short and are ignorant… Doing so in such a way, that even if it angers the person needing the lesson, they cool down and then are properly warmed by the love they felt, from your authentic interaction and vibe and truth… May it prevail!

So, back to the faux allies & respectable knee-grows discussion—Truth tellers who uphold the Radical BLACK Tradition like myself, who are pro-dismantling and revolutionary love in EVERY expression; they ( faux allies & respectable knee-grows) both want us to shut up, playing the divide and conquer game; favoring them over us. This is part of how some of your fave celeb activists have become as popularized as they have, not to mention other even bigger and darker under-workings… Those with a less potent message of BLACK Liberation are supported by faux allies, and this shifts the balance… Adding to the separation that is already between BLACK People… This is a longstanding trend and tactic of whiteness for centuries… Divide & conquer.

So these folks talk amongst themselves, and they target people who speak a bold truth, and do not conform to their preference of the type of BLACKNESS that is less threatening, because it is less self-determined. They come for someone like me who shows kindness, because they think I ain’t got a savage spark, but I fixed that this week… I let everyone know, you not gonna run these games with me. I will just cut the convo and your ways of reaching me, and go about my business. I’m not a toy, don’t even try to play with me!

But seriously, IF you are that type of white person that I have just described…Fuck off! I know many have been used by those shady BLACK activists among us, to spy and keep tabs on what we’re saying and doing(plants & moles)… See when you do a bunch of shitty stuff, you are always wondering who knows what, and if they know, will they reveal what they know? I have been blocked on Twitter by folks I have never followed or interacted with… Whose very names are like speaking up a bad omen to me. Also, I do know I have some BLACK People who follow me just to spy as well… I’m still sorting out who is who when it comes to BLACK folks. 

The only reason I know I have been blocked by these certain ones, is because when people retweet them on my timeline, their tweets are invisible. This is another reason some of the faux white allies started following some of us, not just me… Your radical azz too😆. Honestly, I don’t want them to unblock me though… I wasn’t following them for a reason. I’m pro-blocking those you feel you need to… Even if its someone who doesn’t follow you, you are entitled to that!👀😬

There is so much going on, on so many levels all over the country in social justice circles… This week I have started following the instinct and move of SPIRIT, and started to just block some of these people I know are just talking shit about me, and many others… These type of white folks empowered by respectable knee-grows and BLACK opportunism; pretending to be allies are the very ones Malcolm X and Dr. King spoke about. For the longest, I didn't think their shadiness was a big deal, because most people are shady… But then I started to see how they were operating and ganging up…I then realized I had been ignoring the unction to shut them down…Now that I am being obedient to this unction; I feel much better… More peace online too, coincidence? Nah!  I haven’t weeded everyone out yet, as I’ve stated before, but my eyes are wide open, and I will also allow my discernment to guide me more… It really does take spiritual fortitude to decipher through a lot of this mess.

So… There is so much to say, and I have already made this blog too long… I may come with a part two next week, but let me leave you with this: Everything is going to be revealed! Every thing that has been hidden will have light shone upon it now… From Ferguson to everywhere else in this country that folks gather to move against this racist system… Where some have done dirt, so many other hearts truly want change, and are unaware of the underworking’s around them… All of it will be dealt with! I feel so much Ancestral Energy lately… I know they are not pleased… I know the CREATOR has a plan and will move. To separate justice from Divinity, is to deny these winds that now blow… And ABBA,IMA, GREAT ONE… May they blow & may we be able to build once we see clearly! R.I.Power King Darren Seals, MarShawn McCarrel, Matthew Williams, and every other freedom fighter that has lost their life, or battles to live during this current wave of our struggle… I love you ALL! Ashe’!

^{In Unashamed Négritude & Revolutionary Love,}

^ORIT

COPYRIGHT ©  ORIT 2016

All Rights Reserved

www.oritvibes.com

#LiftEveryVoiceChallenge & Womanish Breaths

#LiftEveryVoiceChallenge &  ^{Womanish Breaths}

Hey everyone! This week I am not going to go too deep with my writing and analysis, but I will instead use this blogosphere space to enlighten everyone about two very important projects.

I want to first draw everyone’s attention to a challenge that I started on twitter… I wanted to start the #LiftEveryVoiceChallenge to get people to do their renditions of the BLACK National Anthem… To get this very important song circulating in popularity amongst our people again. Folks make challenges for all sorts of things nowadays, why not this? 

In the wake of Colin Kapepernick taking a right and bold stance to not stand for the Amerikkkan Anthem (star spangled banner)—An anthem that mocks BLACK People’s enslavement, and upholds the tyranny that started and continues to keep Amerikkka going… This anthem of this country in which we live; a place where BLACK People are not treated as human, the indigenous are displaced and perpetually robbed, and the other NBPOC(Non-BLACK People of Color) have their struggles as well… BLACK People who built this country, and whose blood still flows through the streets; we are highly oppressed… We’re at the very bottom of the privilege hierarchy…No NBPOC would ever trade us fates/places… Many even in their struggles, try to distance themselves as far away from BLACKNESS as possible…The State sanctioned Police terror on our communities, environmental racism, micro-aggressions… Fight Fight Fight… BLACK People have never had to not fight for freedom, since our Ancestors were savagely brought here, and made into slaves… 

But guess what? We have an anthem…Yes, BLACK PEOPLE have an anthem! It isn’t a new concept that self-determination is something very important in keeping our spirits alive, when facing such oppression and perpetual bitterness. Singing doesn’t solve the issues we face, but it is a healing balm that we as a people have always deferred to…It has given us strength, infused us with love, and inspired us to action many times throughout our history in the Amerikkka’s and in Africa, our homeland. “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” is a song written in poem form by:

“James Weldon Johnson (1871–1938) in 1899 and set to music by his brother John Rosamond Johnson (1873–1954) in 1900. It is one of the authorized hymns in the Episcopal hymnal.^” 

^{What I would like us to accomplish with this challenge is:}

• ^{Introduce the BLACK National Anthem to all those (especially younger BLACK People) who don’t know this anthem belongs to us, and speaks of who we are and hope to be as a people.}
• ^{To instill pride, self-determination, revolutionary love in BLACK People}
• ^{To give our people (BLACK People) an alternative to the star spangled banner, a song that mocks our struggle and doesn't represent us because we are not treated human.}
• ^{To educate & send out a collective BLACK Liberation Vibe—A unification through song—Let the universe know we remember who we are, and will strive to better that knowing.}
• ^{To stand in solidarity with Kaeprnick & every other NFL player that will join their boycott, hoping it will encourage them to utilize more of the power they have as players in a big money & highly influential Amerikkkan sport}

^{This video will explain more and also contains  my contribution to the challenge (Yes, I sing in it!)}

***CLICK HERE***

^{The second important project I want to inform you all about, is my 3rd literary work (micropoetry) that was just released  on 8/25 :} 

^{Womanish Breaths.This micropoetry offering has 200 breaths( micropoems) that explores womanism from my experience… Every aspect of life is covered… A very powerful wind of truth that I am pleased to be able to exhale and share with you all… Ever wonder what womanism is? Well in my first blog Unapologetically Womanish , I explore the ins & outs of womanism… This book is just the poetic version of that ideal; written to render you knowing, and to also allow the womanist spirit to be tangibly and  indelibly inscribed on your being.}

^{I hope that you will consider sharing both the #LiftEveryVoiceChallenge & also my newest poetic offering… Womanish Breaths}

^{As always you can respond directly to this blog or tweet me: Empress_Orit}

^{In Unashamed Négritude & Revolutionary Love,}

^ORIT

COPYRIGHT ©  ORIT 2016

All Rights Reserved

www.oritvibes.com

There Will Be No BLACK Liberation Without Healing…

(Warning: If you don’t read this entire blog entry, you’ll miss where I am going with this…)

Come in close… Come on, don’t be afraid… Closer… Closer… Closer… And yes, I do bite, but it’s very rare, and only to protect others or myself from harm… LOL! But seriously, I am actually very mild… I do have a very direct way of communicating that only seems harsh, to those who are use to everything around them being sugar coated. To be around me, you feel at ease & you  feel love… Even if you are insecure about something I possess… And sometimes people can just be jealous of my vibe & aura, which is baffling to me… But anywhoo… Who I am isn’t the subject of this blog, per se, but surely, as always, I will be authentic and transparent as we continue… The subject we must delve into today is one that comes up, and gets shot down so much… Why is that you ask? It gets shot down & attacked as an attack, because it requires intra-communal accountability, and a change in mindset… A mindset mostly, but not solely had by our beautiful BLACK Brotha’s… Whom I love…

It’s Misogynoir and all of its offspring: rape culture & cohorts, Bro Codes, silence when BLACK Women & Girls face violence, and avoidance of responsibility by evoking “don’t keep a brotha down” at the most inappropriate times, and so much more…  Yes, we need to talk about this, and all of the in’s & out’s thereof… Because as we fight this racist & oppressive system together, we can’t continue to have this sort of intra-communal oppression going on… Yes, it’s time to delve in unabashedly… We have to get this together or there will be no, and I repeat NO, BLACK Liberation…

Let me just say, I LOVE BLACK MEN… It’s a love that transcends space & time… An innate love because we share the same surge of frequency( though each individual vibes on differing aspects of that surge) therefore we are closely related, more so than with any other humans… And that is not to say that one can’t connect with other people on the planet in a close and meaningful way… What I am saying is, BLACKNESS gives off a certain frequency… Heard in the timbre of our voices, no matter the accent or style of speaking… Seen in the way our feet hit the earth, no matter how we train or alter our cadence… There is a spiritual aspect to our BLACKNESS… The ORIGINAL in us speaks through us, and to all creation in many ways simultaneously…. Everyone the MOST HIGH created in this human form; they came about first because the direct reflection of SOURCE that we are… IS.

Because of the BLACK Woman’s close proximity to the BLACK man, not just in our skin color or our connection through our nuanced cultures… Our Spiritual connection is also pronounced whether we realize it, believe it, or hate it… This is why we must heal… We set the examples for our young ones to continue or discontinue, the same patterns( whether good or bad) that we currently embrace. All negative patterns that are active in our community must cease… We MUST be the generation of people living on the earth to say: “ Enough is a fucking nuff… Let’s heal so we can attain more freedom for our Ancestors( we are one with them), for ourselves, For our progeny!” The circle, never ending.

There is so much to discuss, but in light of the Nate Parker Rape case resurfacing, and the smorgasbord of reactions… It’s important we delve into misogynoir, rape culture, and how that affects the freedom of BLACK People here and abroad. I get that his case is resurfacing at a time that’s odd, and seemingly thwarts an amazing movie about revolutionary Nat Turner… However, that does not negate the fact that what Nate & his roommate did to this girl (she committed suicide a few years after) 17 years ago, has a psychological affect on those in our community that know what it’s like to be raped… Or can at least empathize on the most basic level, and are just now learning about this case. To those like us, the fact that two men who admitted to sexing an unconscious girl ( Nat got off on technicality and had athlete privilege & the roommate convicted)— They both  wrote and directed this film…Together. This seems to mock the very essence of Nat Turner, a righteous revolutionary who didn’t play any games with anybody… I get it’s hard for many to understand, because of how it intersects the reality of white supremacy, and surely white supremacy does not want Nat’s story told… Me getting why so many don’t get why Nate and his roommates actions in the past matter, is not me agreeing with this stance! And perhaps our Ancestor Nat blew this wind up himself…When invoking very powerful Ancestors, as what is being done with this film, do not be surprised if they have their say! 

Not everything is always the oppressor’s doing…Maybe he ( Nat) wants us to start dealing with the nonchalant attitudes in our community, when it comes to misogyny, rape culture, and every other oppression associated. Remember the type of man Nat is (I believe that our Ancestors still are alive, still evolving & growing, just not in human form)— While in human form on the earth, Nat stood for what is right, which is why he did all he did, tapped in spiritually, and led a revolt against the evils of slavery… Don’t sleep on the Ancestor’s!

It is no secret that in Amerikkka, and all around the world, no matter the culture and variance of degree… Rape Culture is a thing. It is so deeply ingrained in the psyche of most cultures on this planet. I need us to focus, however, on how we as oppressed BLACK People of the Amerikkkan & world community by-proxy; how we must have more of a sense of urgency in eliminating the replication of ALL oppressive behaviors in our communities… We have many things we have to stamp out, most are the by-product of oppression & losing a sense of who we are… And in some  cases, I realize that some folks ( all sexes) are just shitty people as a tenant of their existence, for no damn reason. Our communities needs to have safe guards against such people… No matter who they are, or what they have achieved… 

Which brings us to the chief cornerstone problem, as to why we have such a complex & vicious intra-commmunal issue with rape culture & misogynoir… BLACK achievement, especially from BLACK Men, in a world where it is extra hard to achieve, because of the hatred & oppression of BLACKNESS… BLACK Male achievement is held as sacred. Even though BLACK Women achieve sooooo very much in this world, BLACK Women’s accomplishments are not as protected by the community when she does wrong… She is not offered the same protection within the community as a BLACK Man ( e.g Marion Jones treatment from the BLACK Community vs Mike Tyson’s)…As a matter of fact, this same attitude applies to atrocities done against us by killer cops as well… 

The way Korryn Gaines was treated by so many BLACK men in our community, when the facts were still trailing in slowly about her; many decided to bash her… Whereas BLACK Women as a reflex, always default to defending BLACK Men right away, and are the first to protest & stand against injustices they face… Even if they were doing wrong, we know their life mattered, and that they didn’t deserve to die unjustly by cops for petty misdemeanors. We know cops first defense when they kill any BLACK Person is to lie, so we never accept their lies… The many ridiculous tall tales they tell like: “He had a gun” “ He pointed a gun at me”… The never ending  bullshit of  them “fearing for their life” and so many other disrespectful fabrications they come up with… Nah, we defend and fight for you!

In the case of Korryn, and many other BLACK Women in differing circumstances; too many of our beloved men bash BLACK Women to nothingness prematurely… Why is it like this? Well it seems that legitimate hurts BLACK Men have suffered from BLACK Women, or learned toxic versions of masculinity on “ how men are to be” are the main culprits of such vitriol… It’s the only way I can explain it, because it is so quick & acute… Black Men, let me know… You can respond to this blog and tell me why this happens from your perspective (but first read the entire blog)… I can only speculate as a BLACK Woman, as to why so many of our men behave this way toward us…

And furthermore, these attitudes are not just had by BLACK Men, some BLACK Women in our community have been programmed to this mindset as well… Often helping the brotha’s who are doing these “take downs” or dismissing them for their disrespect when it should really be confronted… A higher treason in my personal opinion when it is helped along by another BLACK Woman. When these sorts of attitudes toward BLACK Women is accepted in our community… Every person is affected, and our children normalize it and perform it, as they grow into adulthood… A cycle that must be broken.

And yes, it is our shared struggle as BLACK Women & Men, and we bring forth BLACK children who must struggle beside us… It’s the struggle of trying to break free of white supremacy, that fuels many in our community to want to gloss over detrimental behavior amongst us… This seems especially heightened when it comes to crimes that primarily affect BLACK Women and Girls, in which BLACK men are the primary perpetrators. How many rapists & child molesters have been exonerated by so many in our community, simply because they can sAng or have money or are celebrated in some other way… Knowing full well many of us know, and see the proof that they are guilty… Even when the injustice system let’s them buy their way out of consequences. 

Our intra-communal justice system is pretty much non-existent… How many times have we let the Eddie Long’s, Bill Cosby’s, R-Kelly’s, Nate Parker’s ECT off the hook because they broke past the systematic racist barriers, to achieve great things in their lives? I am NOT saying that BLACK Women do not molest or rape people… I am saying that everyone can see her crimes easily, but when a BLACK Man that is celebrated does them, there is always an excuse for him… 

Rape culture within BLACK families is like a micro version of the communal issue… The ongoing systematic oppression BLACK People face… Many will overlook what uncle or cousin so and so did to little Janie… But what about little Janie & the thousands like her… What about the little Jamal’s who faced the same torture? 

We have allowed a culture within our culture, where it is “pleasing” to sacrifice the souls of those victimized, to a “greater good”… A good that is actually bad because it is morally bankrupt, and problematic in every way… Mainly because it is based off the myth…This unspoken myth that “we can’t allow white people to see us slippin’.” I truly believe this is what fuels this convoluted problem we face with so many overlooking serious crimes, done by some in our community to our community… Especially so for BLACK Women and Girls.

Every damn time some of us try to decry misogynoir, rape culture, and all its descendants… We get a slew of BLACK Men & Women trying to override with: “We shouldn’t bring Black Men down”, “But y’all ain’t say anything about <insert any white perv>, “ Well why did she wait so long to say something”, “Well you know these girls look like grown women nowadays”, “ Well you know she wanted it” “Don’t talk ill of the man of god”, “Oh I just like his music/acting/producing”… I could literally go on with the excuses… It’s really sad, and we have to change this!

I know as BLACK People, we’ve been tossed to and fro on systematic racism’s sea of lies… I know this has caused so much discombobulation within us, in more ways than this blog can express… I know we sista’s have plenty of work to do on ourselves… We are not flawless. We have our issues… Yet, none of this takes away from the truth of this problem, that is being discussed in this blog.

In our community, BLACK Men wield psychological power over the whole community(patriarchal privilege), therefore the ways in which BLACK Women & Girls are oppressed have to have BLACK Men caring & concerned in dismantling it throughly… There are some dope brotha’s out here & some dope sista’s too, but being dope individually is not enough… We need to raise a communal consciousness where we are vibing at the highest level within our shared surge frequency. We have to dismantle the patriarchy, rape culture, & every other behavior and mindset, that demeans BLACK Women and Girls. Otherwise, there will be no revolution; there will be no lasting and thorough liberation for our people.

 There is this phenomenon of “Bro Code” that is found in every culture in variance around the globe, and it is a unity based off of keeping each other (men) out of trouble, no matter how wrong it is… In our community in Amerikkka, Bro Code exemplifies itself in many ways… “Slut” branding, being silent or ignoring their bro’s doing harmful things to their lovers, taking the side of an abuser or rapist because “well he’s never done anything to me”, always taking the side of men in debates even when they know the man is wrong, ECT… It’s a code that says: We’re men and we stick together no matter what… Right or wrong. Men who deviate from this code are ostracized or labeled as being “a pussy” or other monikers… It reminds me a lot of Blue Culture… You know, how the cops stick together to hide each others shit…

And then there are the BLACK Women… And G-D bless their confused souls, for thinking that downing BLACK women in the presence of these type of men, those who are strict adherers to Bro Code; that this will bring up their “stock.” I have seen it so much online and offline… BLACK Women running to help down a BLACK Woman who has been victimized, or who dares speak out against a perpetrator… Just so other Black Men can crown them “queen.” It’s really disgusting, but I understand why it exists… But don’t get it twisted, wanting to be crowned “queen” is not the only reason some BLACK women do this… Some BLACK Women have a hard time dealing with their rape &/or molestation, and so they have made faux peace in their minds, by explaining it away and blaming themselves… So when she witnesses a woman going after her attacker, especially when it’s a beloved figure, this type of Bro Code co-conspirator feels targeted, and therefore lashes out through victim blaming.

‘Cause I know and fully acknowledge, that not every accusation is true, and not every accused is guilty…Yes, I know BLACK Men have been unjustly accused of the rape of white women, just to give racists an opportunity to lynch them… Yes, all of this is real and factors into “hush culture”… Yes, I get it! STILL, that does not negate the fact that BLACK Women and Girls who have had a crime done against them by a popular BLACK Man; people don’t want to even believe that it is a possibility, and they start bashing her, whomever she is, immediately… Right away she is ripped to shreds…The moment she open her mouth, everyone is in defense of the more celebrated or well known man. This goes for men & boys who have been abused by BLACK Men as well… (e.g Eddie Long.) I am not excluding BLACK males who’ve been victimized, nor am I excluding BLACK Women who rape & molest…  I am just focusing on misogynoir, but please know there are many intersections to this, and we have to work to take down every one.

I could go on and on, but truly I think I am making my points clearly… We need to make sure we liberate our community from misogynoir, rape culture… All of its offspring, cousins, and ex’s… We need healing healing healing!

There are certain things I admittedly struggle with grasping fully; on how we should operate… Not according to Amerikkkan Laws, but rather Universal Spiritual Laws & African Moral Codes of the past that we need to re-adopt… But here we are in 2016 in the oppressors stolen land… How do we go about deciding when enough is enough, and are there certain crimes we must push folks out of “the village” forever for committing? (e.g I don’t think child molesters can be rehabilitated)… How do we honor the victims, send a clear message that we won’t take that shit in our community, if we keep them around… Do we have a right and should we forever boycott & shun these sorts? Isn’t community safety & growth more important than skill, celebrity, or money? How is all of this supposed to work?

I think certain crimes like rape, molesting & unjustified murder should have a high price, and  separation from the community should be a part of that; no matter what the oppressors injustice system decides… I think that the victims should have a chance to declare what they want to happen, and if it is agreed to be just; it should be carried out! I believe that we have to start having our own tribunals in our communities… To decide if wrong was done, because part of BLACK liberation must include governing ourselves…This is still practiced in many societies in Africa & the Caribbean…There is the law of the land, and then there is the law of the community… For safety reasons, and as a sign & byword to anyone else, we have to start taking strong stances amongst ourselves. I think before we can get to the place of properly self governing our communities, we have to get rid of this misogynoir & rape culture, and we have to culturally educate our people thoroughly… So that as we form these sorts of justice epicenters in our communities, we will have the collective right heart set & mindset to do it in the most righteous ways.

Here are a few more things that needs to happen to help dismantle misogynoir, rape culture, and any other behavior/ideal that limits Wombman & Girls from being heard, respected, taken seriously:

• Brotha’s  get a new Bro Code… Let it be that y’all stick together tightly in not allowing BLACK Women & Girls to be demeaned or hurt, and holding yourselves to a higher standard than the oppressor has set forth in the earth in all matters.
• Bro’s & Sista’a need to be educated on rape, incest, molestation & the psychological affects 
• Sista’s stop encouraging Bro Code just to get “chose”
• Bro’ & Sista’s must be culturally educated, so that we can have the right mind & heart set
• Bro’s & Sista’s must not excuse bad behavior in our community because a “fave” is on the hot seat
• Bro’s & Sista’s must be open to learning, unlearning & relearning as necessary
• Bro’s & Sista’s who get all of this already… Let your Light shine, correct the BS around you, and find ways of reaching our people in ways they will receive( the challenging part)
• Listen to victims, and believe them. If it is found out they lied about a person hurting them, they deserve the same penalty that the person falsely accused would have received. 

This isn’t a lot of things… These are just beginning thoughts on how we can start to make things better in this area… Truth is, we have so much work to do… It starts with taking in this problem thoughtfully… Many are so closed to really discussing this, because it does center around patriarchy, therefore it seems to those not yet mature, that it is a man bashing session… This is not “men bashing”… This is Men upliftment to the Light… If y’all love us like you say, we should be able to come to you with our hurts & you should make every effort to correct what is hurting us. All of this has gone on far too long… Will we be the generation to end misogynoir, rape culture, and all its offspring in our communities, BLACK PEOPLE??? If we want revolution & liberation, we will…

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#MikeBrownForever w/ Poems

The past several days, I have had the honor of being back in Ferguson, MO; with all those I first connected with in August of 2014… Shortly after the brutal execution of Michael Brown Jr. I have been in & out of Ferguson over the last two years to stand with the people, and to support their efforts against the corruption of the system, in any ways that I could actualize. The people I have been connected to since my first descent into the area; they are the people who either knew Mike Brown, or who’ve been long term residents of Ferguson, or folks who have strong ties to the Canfield Community in which Mike Mike lived.

There were so many beautiful moments during this trip; connecting with the community as we all mourned Mike Brown, a healing event that occurred on the 8th that really did do just that… Just a lot of moments of reflection, and the beginning workings of healing coming to the forefront. Myself and many local poets shared offerings & there were also remembrances for those we have lost during these last two years. A young woman of the area also put together a dope video collage of the last two years of protests, that certainly should be entered as a short film in somebodies film festival if she chooses; it was that good… Just really great vibes all around.

On the 9th, we had a very solemn assembly for Mike Mike… Very heartfelt & painful; especially for the family & the community who have been fighting every single day for justice; that is yet to be realized. Mike Brown literally changed all of our lives, whether near or far… Whether you have ever been to Ferguson or not…If you care about BLACK People, and have been putting in work in your lifetime toward BLACK Liberation; his brutal execution has furthered your militancy and awakened your urgency in some way, shape, form.The family of Mike Brown has been through so much, please continually keep them in your prayers & good intentions.

The evening of the 9th, we took to the streets in protest, because Mike Brown must be remembered FOREVER, and protest is what initially brought us all together... It's what sparked this wave of our continued struggle. As we were doing so, the Ferguson cops come to harass us in riot gear.; which we expected because that is their normal We started to get on the sidewalk, and the people of the area were deciding what we should do next. Police just stood in the street with riot gear on filming us. One of our young men was standing by the curb & a woman came through and hit him so hard with her car, that he went flying in the air. It was the worst thing to witness…I thought he was dead at first…We all began to cry & scream & cops just stood there… I was just so angry, enraged, hurt…We all were & then the police started firing shots at us…YES LIVE ROUNDS!!! I had to literally run for it & dive under a car… I was trying to get in this random persons car... And under his car…My phone went flying & it got ran over by another car & it still works(thanks screen protector)… In the process of all this, I got hurt pretty bad(from diving to safety), but I didn’t notice until much later. 

So many rounds were shot at us, I have no idea how to give a count of how many… Way too many is all I can definitively say. All that military gear cops have, but shouldn’t; being put to use against citizens for no damn good reason… And the bullets sounded like air whizzing past; not like fire crackers… Shots in immediate succession; sounding like a machine gun, but lighter( I don’t know what they were using though.) It was crazy… I was in it, so I can only tell you how it sounded from my perspective… Bullets whizzing by is no joke! 

So none of us were hit by the bullets…The CREATOR, Angels, Ancestors had us protected and surrounded… BUT STILL, like WTF? The young man who was hit by the hit & run driver is seriously injured, but I'm so glad he is still living as well… Cops never went after the driver, which leads me to believe it was a set up by cops… All of it! They are very venomous when it’s the anniversary of Mike Brown’s execution; by their disgusting colleague… They did similar horrible things to people last year around this time… We get no justice from this system…Cops lie & deceive… We must protect one another!

SO as a person who only comes in & out to support & stand with the community; I know that I don’t have to live with the terror of Ferguson & St.Louis PD everyday, like my loved ones do…This makes me furious & sad for them… At the very least, Ferguson PD should have been disbanded a long time ago… Still & despite it all, the people of Ferguson are standing tall & strong… Learning, growing, amending, resolving… Never giving up, and this is why they deserve our support, love, prayers; without co-opting/exploiting the work they do daily. If you want to see some of the pictures, please visit my twitter page

& Set 1 & Set 2

I will end this blog by sharing two of the poems that I offered at the Healing event on 8/8/2016…

#MIKEBROWNFOREVER

Canfield Cantata

(Written a year & a half ago… Dedicated to Lost Voices & the People of Ferguson, who have ignited the world with freedom fires)

Blue and red bandanna’s colliding in unity and fire, a holy solemnity is kept.

Not knowing the way, not knowing the “appropriate tone”… G-D has called, they have answered! Young mothers, barely of age— Strong-Attitude High- Love Sick-Warrioresses wildin’…Crying out as they lead: “Watch my baby for me, while I take these streets, so BLACK People can be free—FUCK THE POLICE!

Mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters raw love showing; voices trampled by respectable knee-grows— This one and that one and he and she— Respect they’ve added a QIA to that LGBT… Intersectional  but some whoring to be seen, the greedy and unashamed… False freedom promises and purposeful publicity arrests… Secret feds wearing blue vests; unauthentic, the people deceived.

The people rising, the people crying, the people shedding blood, the people at the most risk at their home… Drowned out by those who want to turn the energy into acceptable sound in the ear of white privilege. Silencing, demeaning, ignoring, conceding… Taking advantage of plight, no humility to not shine solely…

BLACK Women leading the charge, front line in all ways feeling unsafe by the misogyny from bothers undone— Desperate and ugly the sick hearts of coons who try to capitalize on an opportunity to be oppressor through new BLACKNESS— Misogynoir recipients,non-cis hetro-realities, being told to shut the fuck up, because who you gut is, is more important than our collective freedom… Playing into oppressors hands, COINTELPRO like demands, pushing money in the populars hands; folks keep missing it!

The real, the true, the A-1 from days ones, all around… Working their asses off, never seen by many. Forgotten sometimes as new faces arise and fall, sacrifices disregarded and unappreciated— The same fire that stated it all is bubbling again, no more selfish delusions, the righteous fight continues. Fake ones, mean spirited ones, wannabe famous ones, and “new BLACK” ones, step aside fast— ‘Cause I hear the real and true ones catching their breaths…

I hear the heartbeats becoming stronger, I see the eyes becoming bright, the limbs becoming strong again… I see the maturity of righteous struggle beautifully begin to palette the faces, the glow basking. The voices are no longer cracking, they have become strong, they are becoming stronger… I hear a new song of the aware, resolute, freedom fighting kind—And I hum along, keeping rhythm and time while adding my line… And it is so.

ORIT © 2016

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39.

Mike & Marshawn

I

Prophesying your own death, yet didn't realize those bloody sheets you saw were for you... This haunts me in a way that is sad, enlightening... Meant to be. To a young man, everyone knew as Mike Mike... This prose is just for you.

Since August 09, 2014, your name, your life, your potential has filled my soul with fire. A righteous fire, that caused me to up my own ante... Radicalize and stand up to the systematic lies... For you and all of us... The Sons and Daughters of G-D, direct reflection of the image... Blackness, we are!

I dunno if you can see from where you are and travel, that your words have come true... Everyone does know you, just like you said we would. You are a breath of eternal flame that ignited us, challenged us, to fight for justice, in your wrongly executed name!

We will never forget you, no we'll never forget... Your pain, your dishonor, by disgusting pig slopping. No we'll never be the same, never be the same... And it's our honor!

So rest well young Ancestor, learn and glean from the great company your in. Know you have taught us so much, we know you are in the the winds blowing about us incessantly... 

In rain, in hail, in sleet, in snow, in heat... The people gathered, the people disrupted, the people united...Your winds energizing us totally and holy... We can never forget.

I just want you to know, soul to soul, that you and I are connected, and I'm thankful.... May your winds continually blow... For change, for justice, for revolutionary love in action...

II

… And that it does... Yes it does! Over so many, especially the young... Like freedom Warrior Marshawn McCarrel, who just made purposeful journey to the Ancestral realm. Have y'all gotten acquainted yet? It's only been 3 days now since he took flight, to of the unknown path, we on earth have yet to go. So, Let me tell you a little about who he is, it's important you know, it's important you know.

Just a few years older than you, when you laid on that ground for four hours and thirty minutes... He was one of the first to come from out of town... To come see that you got the justice you were do. Oh, he had already been dedicated to community for years... Cried many tears... Love of a thousand oceans deep.

In rain, in hail, in snow, in heat he cried out your name & the names of so many who had been slain... Doing the work, disrupting the status quo... His agony of soul, because of our collective woe. He loved so big, so wide and all knew... He was sincere. 

But Mike Mike, let me tell ya', it's been so hard since you been gone... They hate us, they continue their slaughter and it's been killing us so deeply inside, though we try to stay strong. Wondering how we can make it, continue to breathe in this agony... So Marshawn, who journeyed where you are, a few days ago, decided that he had to indict the system by allowing his blood to flow... 

He let go of his breaths and unsteadily steady heartbeat sounding... To arise more fight in us... More grit in us... To tell the system, to stop fucking with us! My heart is heavy, but  I know y'all got so much to talk about and do... Where you are, sending gentle whispers of destiny to us... If we are still enough, we will hear... Your heartbeats in sync, forever in the other realm where peace can be reality.

But right now I cry... Been crying for 3 days now... Thinking about the oppression and trauma that took you both out...  For the way that you both left this life... I hope you both know how loved you are... I know Marshawn will let you know all about everything we have been doing, to keep your name resounding... 

So, rest powerfully you two... No more struggle, no more pain, no more wondering... We'll see you both at the first of the new dawns light... I can't wait... Til' then, we gonna be alright.

From: Nigiste Nigiste: Ancestral, Present & Forever Entangled 

ORIT © 2016

All Rights Reserved

COPYRIGHT ©  ORIT 2016

All Rights Reserved

www.oritvibes.com