African Power from Local Economic Centers [Video]

Listen Siblings, I come in peace,

“[T]here is always a number, even though small, of active minds, ever ready and prepared to lay out the course of salvation; and it is to these we look for direction in all those things that affect the human race.” — Marcus Garvey

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African Power from Local Economic Centers
By Onitaset Kumat

In 1895, Booker T. Washington delivered a speech now known as the “Atlanta Compromise” where our ancestor invited Africans and Europeans to cooperate for African liberation. In hindsight, the idea was naive, but to preempt the invitation, Booker T. Washington delivered, what I will call, “the allegory of the Amazonian Vessel.” He begins,

“A ship lost at sea for many days suddenly sighted a friendly vessel. From the mast of the unfortunate vessel was seen a signal,“Water, water; we die of thirst!” The answer from the friendly vessel at once came back, “Cast down your bucket where you are.” A second time the signal, “Water, water; send us water!” ran up from the distressed vessel, and was answered, “Cast down your bucket where you are.” And a third and fourth signal for water was answered, “Cast down your bucket where you are.” The captain of the distressed vessel, at last heeding the injunction, cast down his bucket, and it came up full of fresh, sparkling water from the mouth of the Amazon River. “

Booker T. Washington used this to say that Southern Europeans in America will most assist Africans in America. But I, Onitaset Kumat, will use this to say “African people, look to transform your local economic centers.”

In a sea of prosperity, African people in America raise their buckets above their heads! “Africans, cast your buckets where you are!” In every African neighborhood, international corporations and international people, set up shop to take money from us. “Africans, cast your buckets where you are!” In everyone of our neighborhoods, you’ll see Asian laundromats by European apartments, Asian hair and nail stores by European clothing stores, Asian corner stores by European policeman and fireman, and never will you see African grocery stores. “Africans, cast your buckets where you are!” Every week, millions of dollars escape your grasp. It runs to your Local Economic Centers (LEC) and disappears in the uncaring hands of Asians and Europeans. “African people, CAST YOUR BUCKETS WHERE YOU ARE!”

In Somalia, we say “Poverty is Slavery.” And what’s true for Africans in Somalia, is true for Africans in America: “Poverty is Slavery.” So our circumstances beg the question, when did you learn to love your own enslavement? When did you learn to love eating food that others refused to eat–causing for you diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure? When did you learn to love dressing in clothes that others refused to wear–depicting prison, laborer and brothel culture? And when did you learn to love living where others refused to live–by disposal and even nuclear waste facilities? When did you learn to not want Prosperous, Independent African Communities (PIAC)? When did you learn to love slavery?

I’ll tell you exactly when! Today! The Day Before! The Day Before That! And Before! And Before! And Before! And Before! Every day of your life, since before you left your mother’s womb, you’ve been learning to love slavery! Everywhere you turn, everyone you speak to, every which way you look, someone or something is trying to teach you to love your own enslavement. Now, Asians and Europeans are the predominant teachers of this sort of affection–they tell you that you’re violent, they tell you that you steal, they tell you that you are overpriced, and they definitely deny you loans. But you can’t complain on this. This is what they had done since they came from our wombs, thousands of years ago! And some of these teachers are African. Sometimes unwittingly, like when in conversation, someone says “Slavery is over” and no one disagrees; but oftentimes wittingly, like our musicians and celebrities who play roles of African degradation, discouraging Prosperous, Independent African Communities, only to delay their personal poverty when they discover that Asians and Europeans have wittingly outwitted them into delaying African prosperity with our blood, tears and sweat. But you can’t complain on that either. Because “only those who know better, do better” and “the African institutions which teach better, have little finances, hence little reach.”

Case in Point, the African Blood Siblings is the most moral institution in the world. The African Blood Siblings is the most advanced organization in thoughts of moral philosophy, social history, and the totality of African liberation. The African Blood Siblings is the most dedicated group toward the restoration of African grandeur–even owning a costly street presence for its own self-propagation! In fact, the African Blood Siblings is the only library for the “law of harmony“–making it, by Ancient wisdom, the only presence capable of success. Yet the African Blood Siblings has to beg its readers to share or subscribe to its writings, let alone finance its operation. We like to complain when Asians, Europeans or Africans put up disagreeable messages on our people, but we don’t so much as support those messages from our people which will help to restore our freedom! We have nothing to complain about! We either organize with the African Blood Siblings or support it. There are no other options.

Local Economic Centers will become Prosperous, Independent African Communities. We’ll boycott. We’ll give Asians and Europeans until sun down to get out of our neighborhoods, then we’ll starve the tenacious. We’ll put up our own businesses. We’ll eat healthy food from the Continent; we’ll wear respectful clothes with deep meaning; and we’ll live in a community where everyone knows you for your moral reputation. And we’ll have a lot of these–connected–from America to Africa and every place in between. We’re looking at the Global Restoration of African People!

But Frederick Douglass told us “Freedom isn’t Free.” This message reached you, but you must make it reach others. You support this message, but you must make others support it. You want to hate slavery, but you must make others want to hate slavery with you! You’ve read this! Read it to others! Douglass stated “Power concedes nothing without a demand.” Our people are the “power” that need to be demanded from! Demand support for the African Blood Siblings and you will see the meaning of African Power!

Hotep my African Blood Siblings!