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the moment Stokley Carmichael (aka Kwame Ture) grabbed the mic
and yelled "Black Power!" the phrase has struck fear in the heart of
White America. Not that they were overly concerned that we posed some
sort of military or economic threat, as the White power structure had
those two options on "lock," but the possibility that the phrase would
galvanize the masses of Black youth to action and motivate them to do
more than get their groove on Saturday night and their praise on Sunday
morning sent chills up the spines of those who had a vested interest in
holding the Black community down.
Something had to be done to destroy this uncompromising desire for
FREEDOM, JUSTICE and EQUALITY.
The blackploitation movies of the �70s were a good try as they served
as a funkier alternative to the Black Nationalist struggle. However,
even the pimps and pushers were struggling against "the man."
Also, during that period, the blood of the Black Panthers and our
other martyrs was still fresh on the pavements of many neighborhoods of
Black America.
So the weapon of choice was a movement of young Black teenagers who
had developed a system of organization that could do anything from
educate children about the historical struggle of African people to turn
the deadliest gang rivalry into a break dance competition.
First, the power structure tried to ban rap music altogether by
strengthening indecency laws in states where rappers performed and
forcing them to place parental guidance stickers on their albums. But
the contradiction of having those who have robbed, killed and murdered
every culture on the planet serving as morality police was too much to
swallow.
Also problematic was the fact that to them the members of 2 Live Crew
and Public Enemy were interchangeable.
So they fell back on their old standard, "if you can�t beat them,
corrupt them." It was not an overnight, hostile takeover but a slow,
cunning infiltration, kind of like the annoying scratchy throat that you
ignore until it has you sick in bed for two weeks. By then it is too
late.
What arose was a Hip Hop nation that held no allegiance to the Black
Nation as the Hip Hop nation was all-inclusive and for anyone regardless
of race, class, religion or political views, where anyone who had $15 to
buy a CD and could imitate the style of dress from glossy magazine
covers could be down.
There is a saying in Afrocentric circles that when the European
missionaries came to Africa, they had the Bible and we had the land and
when they left, we had the Bible and they had the land. In terms of Hip
Hop, when white missionaries in the form of corporate executives came to
the �hood, they had the 20-inch rims and courvoisier and we had the
music. When they left, we had the rims and courvoisier and they had the
music. We traded our dashikis for Rocawear, our African medallions for
platinum chains and our souls for a moment to shine in front of White
America. As it is said, we crossed over and couldn�t get black.
Black Power became an example of racism in reverse and a term that
should have gone out with the Afro pick.
Hip Hop should serve as the background music for the Black Nation and
should be heard pumpin� through speakers at every uprising, protest, or
demonstration.
However, the forces, which control Hip Hop, have taken measures to
make sure that the Hip Hop Nation and the Black Power Nation don�t
unite. While most rappers would swear on their mammas� graves that they
are in control of their Hip Hop destinies, I cannot help but think that
behind the backstage curtain at every rap concert is an old White
"Wizard of the �hood" carefully manipulating the lives of our children.
What we have here is a failure to communicate; a conversation that
never happened. A dialogue between the Black Nation and the Hip Hop
nation has been skillfully blocked by the White power structure.
While talk shows often pit Harvard-educated, middle class journalist,
Bob Smith against straight up gangsta MC Cut Throat, I have yet to see a
debate between "MC Cut Throat" and straight up Black militant,
revolutionary "Bro. Shaka Zulu."
We must not be afraid of alienating our children (as many of them
cannot become more alienated, anyway) by engaging them to observe Hip
Hop against the backdrop of the struggle for Black LIBERATION. As many
of them pride themselves on being the "realist" and shocking White
America with their lyrics that talk loud and often say nothing, we must
teach them of the ancestors who were really controversial and were
rewarded with a bullet in the head or noose around their necks and not
heavy rotation on a radio station.
We must not be afraid to use the term "anti-Afrikan-ism" in
describing some of the disrespect that White corporate America gives us
in the guise of entertainment. While it may be too early to grill Lil
Bow Wow on his views on the mental genocide of Afrikan people, it is not
only proper; but our responsibility, to engage 30-something-year-old
Black men on their views on colonialism. If they are able to tell our
children about the correct way to sell crack or murder another Black
man, the issue of White supremacy should not intimidate them in the
least.
Although many would like to write-off the age of Black Consciousness
as a lost era; if you walk outside on a warm summer night, after the
last video has played on BET, if you listen closely, you can still hear
the voices of the ancestors shouting Black power, Black Power, BLACK
POWER!
(Minister Paul Scott is founder of the New Righteous Movement based
in Durham N.C., which teaches Afrikan Liberation Theology. He can be
contacted at [email protected].)