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History 101: Black Panthers, Palestinians & The Fight to End Racist Zionism

August 2, 2014 By
Former Political prisoner Dhoruba Bin Wahad

Former Political prisoner Dhoruba Bin Wahad

We sat down and spoke w/ former political prisoner, Black Panther (Panther 21) and BLA member Dhoruba Bin Wahad who gave us an incredible in-depth history about the relationship between the Black Panther Party and the Palestinian Liberation Movement.. It’s important history that has been erased in the current conversation as there is a concerted effort by organizations like AIPAC to rewrite history and downplay the militant aspects of the Black Freedom struggles. For example many do not know that there were Palestinian Black Panthers in Palestine. Dhoruba explained that they formed because they felt organizations like the PLO were not militant enough. The breakdown on this is serious history.

Our conversation started off with Dhoruba laying down the history of how Israel formed in the first place and the mass displacement of Palestinian people. He clears up the common misperception of Palestine and Israel being in armed conflict for centuries. Its an excuse given so that people avoid looking at Israel’s human rights violations. It obscures the racist and imperialistic aspects of Zionism which is driving the current conflict. More importantly as Dhoruba points out it takes away from the reality of Israel being a ‘settler state’.

Dhoruba talks about the role colonial powers, in particular Britain and France played in issuing mandates and how they fostered a climate that eventually resulted in the current conflict we see going on now in the Middle East..

Palestinian Black PantherDhoruba detailed how and why the Black Panthers linked up with the Palestinians and the important role that the struggles in Algiers played in bringing folks together. Dhoruba explained his role as one of the liaisons between the Panthers and Palestine’s UN delegation..he also details how J Edgar Hoover and his infamous Cointel-Pro program launched a campaign with a racist name called Operation Hymie where they sent off letters to Jewish organizations asserting the Black Panthers were Nazis and Anti-Semitic. It was an attempt to demonize the Panthers and dampen the relationship and support they had from Jewish folks who did support the Panthers.

We were joined in our conversation by local activist and scholar Danea Martinez who detailed the relationship between Palestine and the Black freedom struggle in South Africa. She gave us an accurate perspective on Nelson Mandela, the ANC (African National Congress) and where and how they intersected with the Palestine struggle. She also gave us perspective on Israel displacing Palestinians in 1948 from their homeland and the formation of Apartheid in South Africa that same year.. Its remarkable and sobering history as she details Zionist Israeli’s long sordid relationship with Apartheid South Africa. Its history that many in power are trying to erase.

Both Danea and Dhoruba talked at length about Arab racism and slavery on the African continent. Dhoruba who lived in Africa for a number of years detailed the racial politics and how they play out both here in the US and abroad. He reminded folks that many of the Arabs we’re  talking about involved in slavery in places like Mali and the Sudan are actually Black. he noted they are ‘Blacker than you and me’ but in appearance but they identify as Arab. He walks us through some of the complexities around this and talks about where and how Anti-Black sentiment emerges within the Arab world. The information he breaks down in this segment is extremely insightful and gives important context to this discussion on Arab racism.

We also talk at length about the impact the cold war had on the liberation struggles in both America amongst Black people and in Palestine. We talk about the role it played in heightening racist Zionism..

We conclude the conversation with a discussion of how Israel’s policies and practices are being exported to US police departments and SWAT teams here in the US.. There is an NYPD office in Tel A Viv and many officers have taken leaves of absence to go fight for Israel’s IDF to hunt down Palestinians. This slaughter has got to stop.

Check out the full Hard Knock Radio Interview below

https://soundcloud.com/mrdaveyd/hkr-08-01-14-fight-the-power-black-liberation-palestine-zionism

Update: As we are finishing up this interview we got word that Palestinian futball (soceer) legend Ahed Zaqout  was killed as a result of Israel’s relentless bombings of Gaza. We also got word that 9 members of Dr. Mona El-Farra, of the Middle East Children’s Alliance and the director of Gaza Projects Lost 9 members of her family yesterday.  You can hear her first hand accounts HERE

 

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News, Hard Knock Radio Intv Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Forget President’s Day-Today We Celebrate Huey P Newton on His Bday

February 17, 2014 By

George Washington Today February 17th 2014. For many people it’s the conclusion of a 3 day weekend in which we are encouraged to celebrate Presidents Day where we honor Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Celebrating Lincoln is understandable considering he helped put an end to the horrific institution of slavery by putting forth the Emancipation Proclamation, even though he had to be pressured by abolitionist like Frederick Douglass and others.

Celebrating Washington and Jefferson who were founding fathers of this country and slave owners is not the biz no matter what angle folks take. There was no excuse for their participation in the horrors that were unleashed on enslaved Africans who were not considered human, which on top of being forced to work from sun up to sun down, were subjected to harsh whippings, rapes and their children being sold off.

Some like to point out that Washington freed his slaves. In fact it was written in his will. Yes we heard that story. They were freed after he died. All  316 of them were freed by his wife Martha Washington who waited  a good twelve months to honor her husband’s wishes.

Some like to point out that Washington often expressed support for the gradual abolition of slavery. Maybe that’s true, but this is the same Washington who signed the Fugitive Slave Law which allowed slave owners to recapture enslaved Africans even if they managed to escape to states that had abolished slavery. Washington put this law into effect in 1790, which was a good 14 years after he signed the Declaration of Independence that asserted All Men Are Created Equal. We now know that assertion didn’t include Black folks.

We should also remember that Washington came to the aid of the French who had gotten their butts beat by enslaved Haitians who rebelled and overthrew their slave masters. Instead of recognizing their independence Washington dispatched emergency aid. He wanted the newly freed Africans to put back into bondage.

Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson is honored in many parts of this country on President’s Day and is depicted as a beloved figure. He should be remembered as a man who like Washington also owned hundreds of slaves and unlike Washington who instructed his slaves to be freed in his will, Jefferson feared slave revolts and opposed any law that would allow owners to free them.

Many like to talk and romanticize about the love affair Jefferson had with Sally Hemings, an enslaved girl of mixed race who was 14 when Jefferson first got at her. She had 6 children by the President. In describing the relationship, many like to refer to Hemings as Jefferson’s mistress which implies she was a woman who was free and willing participant in a sordid love triangle. Hemings was enslaved and had no agency in this relationship. That makes her a victim of rape. People should reflect on that for a minute.

Lastly folks should note, that like Washington, Jefferson opposed Haitian getting their independence and went HAM on them by putting in place an embargoes designed to economically cripple them. He too feared slave rebellions.

Huey P NewtonInstead of honoring slave holding Presidents, one should note that February 17th is the birthday of Huey P Newton co-founder of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense..Since its Black History month we figured it would be good to give folks some insight as to who Huey was and what the Panthers were about.. Here’s a brief bio on Huey…

Huey Newton, the youngest of seven children, was born in Monroe, on 17th February, 1942. His father, who named his son after the radical politician, Huey P. Long, was an active member of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP).

At Merritt College in Oakland, California, Newton met Bobby Seale and in 1966 they formed the Black Panther Party. Initially established to protect local communities from police brutality and racism, it eventually developed into a Marxist revolutionary group. The Black Panthers also ran medical clinics and provided free food to school children.

The activities of the Black Panthers came to the attention of J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI. Hoover described the Panthers as “the greatest threat to the internal security of the country” and in November 1968 ordered the FBI to employ “hard-hitting counter-intelligence measures to cripple the Black Panthers”.

The Black Panthers had chapters in several major cities and had a membership of over 2,000. Harassed by the police, members became involved in several shoot-outs. This included an exchange of fire between Panthers and the police at Oakland on 28th October, 1967. Newton was wounded and while in hospital was charged with killing a police officer. The following year he was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter.

After being released from prison Newton renounced political violence. Over a six-year period 24 Black Panthers had been killed in gun fights with the police. Another member, George Jackson, was killed while in San Quentin prison in August, 1971.

Huey P Newton chair Newton now concentrated on socialist community programs including free breakfasts for children, free medical clinics and helping the homeless. The Panthers also became involved in conventional politics and in 1973 Bobby Seale ran for mayor of Oakland and came second out of nine candidates with 43,710 votes (40 per cent of votes cast).

Newton published his book, Revolutionary Suicide in 1973. The following year he was arrested and charged with murder and assault with a deadly weapon. Released on bail, Newton fled to Cuba but in 1977 he returned to the United States and was freed after two hung juries.

Newton returned to his studies at the University of California and in 1980 he received a Ph.D. in social philosophy. His dissertation was entitled:War Against the Panthers: A Study in Repression in America. Huey Newton was shot dead on 22nd August, 1989, while walking along a street in Oakland.

courtesy of http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAnewtonH.htm

Over the years Huey Newton and the Black Panthers inspired many within Hip Hop. From Public Enemy to 2Pac to Digital Underground who started off as the Spice Regime a Black Panther styled group to Paris to the Fugitives which was a Bay Area group composed of Panther children.

In recent years we’ve seen revolutionary artists like Eseibio the Automatic who hails from Oakland pick up the mantle and keep the Panther legacy alive. His album Revolutionary Minded is a testament to that commitment.  He furthers that commitment by organizing programs for the youth and sparking off weekly letter writing campaigns for political prisoners, many who are former Panthers who fearlessly laid it down for the liberation of the people.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKu-laBsMEY

Below are some clips to get you up to speed as to who Huey Newton was and what he was about..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhTD1CY1COs&playnext=1&list=PL0B8A60B9092950FA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuU7bEqKcLk&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4ypqCYPduI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po8eetZxqB0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oIWjbhZI-A&feature=related

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News Tagged With: , , , ,

Black History Month: The Legacy of H Rap Brown (Imam Jamil Al-Amin )

February 2, 2014 By

H rap brown ptOne of the most enduring and dominant figures during the Black Freedom movements of the 1960s and 70s was H Rap Brown of SNCC (Student Non Violent Coordinating Committee) where he served as chairman and later as the Minister of Justice for the Black Panther Party.

His fiery oratorical skills often sparked fear in authorities and those in power who he spoke out against. His rhetoric led to him being arrested and accused of inciting a riot in Cambridge Maryland  in 1967 even though police had shot at him, grazing and unarmed Brown in the head hours before any ‘riot’ jumped off.  If anything what took place was a response to what happened to Brown..

Nevertheless, Brown’s harsh words netted him rebukes from the The president and Vice President of the US and made him a major target for then FBI director J Edgar Hoover‘s Cointel-Pro operation Later a law was passed in Congress known as the H Rap Brown law which made it a federal offense to cross state lines with the intent to start a riot.. It was a way to silence activist like Brown and others  who were deemed militant.

For many in the Hip Hop generation, H Rap Brown became known via his book Die Nigger Die which his is autobiography penned in 1969 where  he not only lays out his political vision, but also recounts the various word and rhyme games he played as a youngster growing up in Baton Rouge in the late 1950s. Known as the Dozens Brown’s sharp rhyme tongue led to him getting the nick name ‘Rap‘.  Some of the rhymes found in that book would later go on to be immortalized in songs like Rappers Delight,  in particular the one that read ‘I’m Hemp the Demp the Women’s Pimp..Over the years he’s been named checked and sampled by everyone from Public Enemy on down to Bay Area rapper Paris.

H rap Brown Today H Rap Brown is known as Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin and he sits in solitary confinement in a super max prison in Florence, Colorado accused of killing tow police officers. It’s a crime that he’s maintained his innocence and in fact has been confessed to by a notorious gang member who lived in the area. He also has a more recent book titled ‘Revolution By the Book; The Rap is Live‘

Below is an in-depth story that not only chronicles Brown’s life but also lays out the railroading that went down with his case..Thats followed by a couple of clips. One is an insightful interview given by H. Rap on the Gil Noble show. Thats followed by a speech he gave on education..

Rap Sheet: H. Rap Brown, Civil Rights Revolutionary – Cop Killer Or FBI Target?

H Rap Brown on Gil Noble’s Like it Is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izKmQgNmYao

The Politics of Education

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH_5aqVRdjE

Jasiri X ‘Real Rap’..

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News Tagged With: , , , , ,

Robert King of Angola 3 & Former Panther Malik Rahim Say Good Bye to Herman Wallace

October 14, 2013 By

Herman-Wallace-full April-2013Former Black Panther and political prisoner, Herman Wallace of the Angola 3 was buried yesterday. His funeral coincidently took place one week before the 47th anniversary of the Black Panther Party. There is no doubt his legacy, his death, the plight of political prisoners and the torture behind solitary confinement will cast a shadow and be addressed at the Panther Reunion (Oct 17-19) at the Arlene Francis Center in Santa Rosa..Get more info on that HERE.

With respect to Wallace’s funeral KPFA News Reporter Ann Garrison covered it and spoke with Angola 3 member Robert King who is now free.. (Albert Woodfox is still locked up ) and Malik Rahim former Black Panther and founder of Common ground Collective in New Orleans.

Here’s what Ann wrote and her conversation:

Friends and supporters of Herman Wallace held a memorial service and buried him in New Orleans, the city where he was born, on Saturday, October 12th. Wallace was one of the Angola 3 who were convicted of killing a guard at Angola State Prison in 1972.

They have always maintained their innocence and said that they were actually convicted for organizing a chapter of the Black Panther Party in Angola Prison, to push for an end to brutal and inhumane prison conditions.

Robert King was held in solitary confinement for 29 years before his conviction was overturned and he was released; Herman Wallace was held in solitary for 41 years, as was Albert Woodfox, who remains in solitary confinement.

Wallace was released in an ambulance, dying of cancer, on October 2nd, after a federal judge ruled that his indictment had been un-Constitutional. He died three days later on October 4th.

Angola 3 member Robert King and Malik Rahim, former Black Panther and founder of the Common Ground Collective, attended the memorial service and helped bury their lifelong friend. KPFA’s Ann Garrison spoke to them the next day.

Click the link below to download or listen to the HKR Intv

Click the link below to download or listen to the HKR Intv

ANN-MALIK-KING-HERMAN-WALLACE-FUNERAL

Filed Under: 2013 Daily News Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

45 Years Ago Today Dr Martin Luther King Was Killed by the US Government

April 4, 2013 By
Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane

The US Government Killed Dr King

Today April 4th 2013 marks the 45th anniversary that Dr Martin Luther King was assassinated.. I want folks reading this to be crystal clear about a couple of things.. First, do not mention King’s death and reduce it to the work of a deranged man name James Earl Ray..If the local or national corporate backed media talks about Dr King’s death in those terms, then they are negligent. In fact its safe to say they are complicit in helping cover up what should disturbing to all of us.. Dr Martin Luther King was killed by the FBI.. he was killed by our US government.. He was one of many victims to the FBI’s Counter Intelligence program best known as Cointel-Pro..

Repeat after me… COINTEL PRO.. This was the program used by former FBI head J Edgar Hoover to go after  the Puerto Rican Independence Movement, the American Indian Movement, The Student Anti-War Movement and the Chicano Movement. The FBI saved its most vicious and invasive tactics for the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements.. Malcolm X and Dr King were key targets, primarily because they had linked the domestic struggles for  ‘Civil Rights’ and Black American self determination to the larger struggles taking place internationally.. That was dangerous to the FBI and our government and led to Hoover seeing King as public enemy number one along with the Black Panthers and other groups that had shifted into the same direction of internationalizing Black struggles.

So again do not say Dr King was killed 45 years ago today without mentioning Cointelpro.. In another note we should not lose sight of the fact that earlier this year we saw a lot of fan fare around  Dr King statue on the national mall and President Barack Obama get sworn in using Dr King’s bible..In fact his inauguration was on the same day as the King Holiday.. many thought this was anice and potent gesture.. I say it was a distraction.. If President Obama can get sworn in using King’s Bible, how about using those Presidential powers to completely unearth the role the US government played in Dr King’s killing? How about using those Presidential powers to to bring about justice and punsish all those still alive who were a part of Dr King being killed..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlKP5fgY4C0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbJkJTFXvkM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMgccsq1IyM

 

 

What took place was with Dr King being killed was something much larger then James Earl Ray.. It was part of something deep rooted and systemic..

Filed Under: 2012 Daily News Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

The NRA Says Blacks Need Guns for Protection in a New Ad

March 4, 2013 By

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDjp66NdiNY

Davey-D-brown-frameI found this latest ad from the NRA (National Rifle Association) featuring a Black man named Colion Noir stating that African-Americans needs guns to protect themselves to be intriguing on a number of levels.  He talks about how the government  which has a history of racism will not be there for us, hence protecting one’s family is on us..

A couple of things to think about..In the ad Colion mentions the racist government but then tells us how the proverbial hood thugs ‘Ray Ray‘ and ‘Pookie‘ got guns and that President Obama and the govt wont be there to protect us hence.. He says its best we get our guns..

To a degree some of that may be true, but lets look at the sleight of hand Noir and the NRA pulls..While many African-Americans need protection from inner city crime, they also need protection from the government that also terrorizes Black folks..

Colion Noir

Colion Noir

In the ad Noir omits and redirects an important part of history, by inferring that the racist US government allowed white supremacist groups like the KKK to come after us.. Let’s keep it real many of those folks in wearing those hoods were police and government officials.  In their height during the 1920s when Black folks were being lynched left and right, the Klan was a major force in politics..

Black folks if they were to use guns to defend themselves as suggested in the ad, would have to do so against the police and many within local and national government.. That would include mayors and governors who referred to us as ‘niggers‘ while standing before us with state troopers preventing us from attending segregated schools or voting.

When civil rights advocates like Fannie Lou Hammer spoke about being dragged off buses and beaten for trying to register folks to vote in Mississippi, it wasn’t hooded KKK members doing the beatings.. It was the state troopers.. If guns were needed for protection it was against those troopers.. What was the NRA’s take on incidents like that in the 1960s?

What was the NRA really saying with this Noir ad and how does it stack up with their historic actions in the past when gun laws were passed by the government to disarm militant Black groups like the Black Panthers Party for Self Defense?  In 1967 after the Black Panthers following the letter of the law, armed themselves and began patrolling their neighborhoods to make sure the police would cease brutalizing  law-abiding citizens, the Mulford Act of 1967 was passed in California to disarm them..

ronald reagan-225

The person who pushed for that law the hardest was lifetime NRA member then Governor Ronald Reagan who is quoted as saying “We will never disarm any American who seeks to protect his or her family from fear and harm.” ..Well a big middle finger to Reagan and the NRA who stood silent when the disarming of Panthers, SNCC and other groups happened. Having a slick ad with an African-American talking about Black history and racism while neglecting the racism of the NRA and its most visible members when it was needed most is the height of disingenuousness..

Over the past 40+ years since the Mulford Act was passed where we’ve seen a sordid legacy of police in Cali shooting, killing and brutalizing, African-Americans, the NRA has been nowhere around to offer comfort, resources or solutions.. Where was this nice NRA ad with Colion Noir when unarmed Oscar Grant was shot point blank in the back  by an out of control BART cop?  Where was the NRA when the infamous Riders scandal and the Rampart scandal were jumping off in Oakland and LA? How was the NRA helping citizens who needed to protect themselves from a tyrannical government represented by the police?

where was the NRA when John Burge was torturing Black folks as a Chicago Police commander?

Where was the NRA when John Burge was torturing Black folks as a Chicago Police commander?

In Chicago, a city with one of the strictest gun control laws in the country, where was the NRA during the reign of terror of Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge? Between the years 1972 and 1991 over 130 African-Americans some as young as 13 were tortured.. (note not beaten.. tortured) by this Burge and his men.. You can read about that HERE ..The 135 cases is what’s been documented, many believe its was hundreds more.. When Chicagoans made their plight known, where was the NRA? Where was ads like the one with Noir? Nowhere to be seen..

We can go on and on citing police brutality incidents on unarmed citizens and the NRA being ghost.. So why are they visible now? Did they have a change of heart or are they walking a razor thin line in terms of how they describe the enemies African-Americans neeed to protect themselves against? Yes many folks in the community have to deal with crime.. Pookie and Ray Ray do cause problems.. I’m not sure if shooting them is the answer, but if it is as the NRA suggests, then we have some other enemies to get at as well.. Will the NRA be standing with us the next time an unarmed Black youth is shot and killed by police? Will they have an ad advocating we protect ourselves or will they remain silent like they did in the past?

written by Davey D

Black Panthers

Filed Under: 2013 Daily News Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

LAPD was Never Spooked by Christopher Dorner..Something Don’t Smell Right

February 13, 2013 By

Davey-D-purple-frameOver the past week, Southern Cali police had more than 1000 officers combing mountains, stopping traffic on major freeways where cars were held up for hours, they offered a million dollars making it the highest reward ever offered for a wanted person in state history and that’s just for starters…

During the past week, LAPD shot 3 innocent people without identifying themselves as police officers.. They set up 50 separate security details to protect the families of cops who were ‘threatened’ in the manifesto said to be written by former LA cop Christopher Dorner..

During yesterday’s shoot out in the San Bernardino mountains’ near Big Bear they allowed a cabin where Dorner was said to be held up to burn completely to the ground.LAPD spokesman Andy Smith was livid when it was suggested that police had identified the remains that are supposedly in the burnt down cabin.. He said that the building was too hot to enter and that it would take some time to ID the body.. Police as of this morning 2-13-13 are still on tactical alert ‘looking’ for Dorner…

I want folks to look at some of what I mentioned and really think about this..I know many who dislike the police would like to believe that one man had one of the most militarized and largest police forces in the world, was spooked over threats and subsequent actions from one man..Some have gone so far as to call Dorner a modern-day Django. Others have noted that Dorner with his military training gave him a tactical edge and made him the most dangerous suspect ever faced by LAPD…

Daryl Gates hired lots of military men to work for LAPD

Daryl Gates hired lots of military men to work for LAPD

While its true Dorner is a military guy, he’s not the only military guy. LA under past chiefs like Daryl Gates, and  William H Parker before him, made it a point to hire military men to be on the force. Again LA is one of the most militarized police forces in the country..LAPD has long prided itself on having the latest tools and weaponry at its disposal. Many of the police practices we see around the country come from LA including SWAT Teams which originated in LA..  There are lots of former Navy Seals, Green Berets, Marines, Special forces guys etc..all up in the ranks of LAPD and So-Cal police forces in general. So yes, Dorner was a trained cat not to be messed with, but he was not the only one at the party who could get down. There are just too many cats with similar and superior skills on that force that would not be spooked by one cat..

Again let’s think about this..On the criminal tip, Southern Cali is home to some of the most ruthless, well armed and vicious organized gangs.. The Mexican mafia, Armenian mob, Aryan Brother Hood, Skin heads, Biker gangs like the Mongols & Hells Angels Russian mob, drug cartels of every stripe, Crips, Bloods etc.. This is gang land for real..and many of those gangs are openly hostile to LAPD, yet we have never seen the resources and all stops pulled up to confront them, the way they did Dorner…We never saw this much power even after some of those gangs were deemed domestic  terrorists..and even after we’ve seen some of these outfits do everything from murk entire families to terrorize entire families or ethnic groups..

There have been several rebellions in LA over the years, the most glaring the 92 Rodney King Rebellion.. After the acquittal of the 4 officers accused of beating Rodney King, LA erupted as members of some of LA’s largest gangs that had recently formed a truce, sat on national TV and pretty much promised to go after LAPD.. We saw the Parker Center police headquarters destroyed by angry mobs.. We saw armed groups, many of them gang members take to the streets..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60jXGIEcw5I

During that rebellion we didn’t see LAPD spooked. Families weren’t protected.. a thousand cops were not on the streets ‘looking for any one man or even a bunch of men.. We didn’t see officers including Daryl Gates have 50 protection squad units.. At the end of the day LAPD wound up shooting and killing more than 20 people during the rebellion..During the height of hostilities we didn’t see LAPD spooked.

During the hey days of the Black Panthers, US and other Black and Brown militant groups that routinely mashed with LAPD and had shootouts we did not see the type of resources to track down and confront any of these groups, the way we saw with Dorner..and we know LAPD went pretty deep with those groups..as explained by former Panther Erika Huggins

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIekry1oLKU

Some suggested LAPD went all out because Dorner was deemed a serial killer Cali has had more than its share of serial killers and we never ever saw massive manhunts like this. Not here, not anywhere.. Freeways weren’t shut down for hours, safe houses and protections squads weren’t assigned to everyone in danger.. I recall back in 200-2001 when the niece of former LA Police Chief Bernard Parks was killed by gang members we didn’t see this type of all out manhunt or even all out efforts to completely eradicate the gang. Nothing like what we saw with the quest for Dorner..So why now? Was it because he was a rogue cop?

For those unfamiliar with Southern Cali, there’s a few other things folks should know about how the police get down.. There have always been rogue cops.. For example, for a long time, LAPD and LA sheriffs had beef with each other and it was not unusual for squads to actually square up and go at each other like a gang..

David Mack LAPD was a rogue cop reporteldy a member of the Bloods

David Mack LAPD was a rogue cop reported to be a member of the Bloods

We also know that long before the Jump Out Boys, a rogue gang of cops  recently exposed for shooting Black and Latinos leading to seven members fired the same day Dorner posted his manifesto, that Southern Cali police departments within their ranks had long had social clubs/ gangs  many of them white supremacist.. But as we saw leading up to the Rampart Scandal and the saga behind Death Row records and the death of death of Notorious BIG,  there were Peace officers of color who were associated with street gangs including the Bloods. The point I’m making there have long been rogue officers, some friendly, some not so friendly to the force, but still never this much manpower to quell…

Say what you want, but this situation with Dorner has the looks of police not scared of one man, because he made threats or had weapons. This had the look of someone trying to find something.. What that something is, one can only guess, but as I said last night when they let that cabin burn and then announced they couldn’t tell if the man reported inside was Dorner.. ‘something don’t smell right in the city of Angels ‘

What did that man know and was all this man power simply to stop him or retrieve something he had?  Was the mission to make sure he went to his grave with sordid secrets? We may not get immediate answers to any of these questions, but we best keep asking.. LAPD no matter what they say was not spooked or felt they was in some sort of imminent danger as they would like us to believe..not with all those resources, man power and history.. Nn the words of Public Enemy Can’t Truss It..

Filed Under: 2013 Daily News Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

An Open Letter to the NRA..Guns, Guns & More Guns Is that the Solution?

December 21, 2012 By

Davey-D-purple-frameDear NRA (National Rifle Association) we peeped your press conference this afternoon and lemme make sure I understand the main premise.. What we need in this society as follows; Guns, Guns and More Guns.. We need a cop on every corner and armed guard in every school..

We also got from the NRA, that the reason the school kids died tragically in Newtown at Sandy Hook elementary was because the Principal, Dawn Hochsprung who courageously gave her life didn’t have a gun..

If only she had a gun, then the school kids would’ve been saved..That’s the type nonsense you guys always say, but when push comes to shove, it never rally pans out..Most folks unless they been trained gun or not are thinking about getting out the line of fire, not running around like they in a James Bond movie shooting down assailants packing military style assault weapons..

George Zimmerman

George Zimmerman

Sure you NRA types like so-called neighborhood watch George Zimmerman or gun collector Michael Dunn are quick to kill an unarmed Trayvon Martin or a shoot into a car of unarmed teens and kill an unarmed Jordan Davis for playing his music loud or be like Shawna Forde who shot unarmed Raul “Junior” Flores, 29, and his daughter, Brisenia, 9 because she thought they were here ‘illegally’ (they weren’t). Forde and her colleagues in the Minutemen were supposedly ‘protecting the border’.

In these instances and many like them its easy to shoot unarmed folks, but when others are strapped like you are and willing to bust back, you’re doing like everyone else running for cover and then talking smack days later about what you would’ve and could’ve done with a gun.. As the NY Times recently pointed out, there’s been over 60 mass shootings in past 30 years and not one has been stopped by the NRA or armed civilians. You can’t shoot your way out of a problem NRA..So Please Stop all that noise.

Also you all went  and blamed the media and video games for mass shootings. You basically said we need to crack down on that…I’m wondering if you were including the games that your fine organization helped develop like ‘NRA Gun Club‘ or the newest the ‘Medal to Honor‘ video game that our esteemed Navy Seals worked on?

Medea Benjamin

Will the NRA join drone protests since they recruit people who are good at violent  videos games?

Also considering that our military says they need good video game players to operate its new sophisticated equipment which include drones are you suggesting that the protests many of us had against drones is a right? Will the NRA be joining us in that fight against the drone lobby and drone caucus in congress?

Will the NRA hold its criticism when folks speak about violence in entertainment and video games and conclude that our kids have easy access to guns?  Seems like NRA members are usually the first to respond and put down folks who critique our nation’s culture of violence and include in their well thought out solution reduced gun access.. Soon as folks say that then the NRA is out there opposing such critiques. Your solution is we need less violent video games and more guns..

You said that movies are too violent…I guess what you’re saying is that we should be up in arms when favored actor  Clint Eastwood is standing before the world at the Republican National Convention getting the crowd to chant ‘Make My Day‘, a line taken from his violent movie ‘Sudden Impact‘? We’re you guys upset about that? I know I was..

Did the NRA think it was violent back in August when he quoted the Dirty Harry lines or did you cheer along with the other 20 thousand folks? After all it was Clint.. But to hear you guys at the NRA speak today.. Clint’s violent movies led to Sandy Hook..

Dirty Harry..Make My Day

Dirty Harry..Make My Day

When Clint tells folks to ‘Get off His Lawn‘ while holding a shotgun like he did in the movie ‘Gran Torino’, then we should protest and you guys at the NRA will be alongside us..because like you suggested during the press conference, such violent rhetoric is what led to the Sandy Hook massacre..Did I understand that right NRA?

When you talk about violence in music.. You’re talking Toby Keith right? When he tells everyone ‘Cause we’ll put a BOOT in your ass It’s the American way‘ in the song Courtesy of the Red White and Blue?  Is that the type of violence that led to the shootings at Sandy Hook? Was that song ok for Adam Lanza to listen to?

Will the NRA be protesting some of the violent lyrics in NRA member singer Kid Rock‘s songs like ‘Low Life’ and Drinking Smoking where he talks about ‘smacking hoes’, ‘making black music for the white man and how he likes racist jokes ‘ and how his ‘best friend is in the gun rack’? Are those the violent lyrics that led to Sandy Hook..NRA? .

Basically the you guys at NRA wants the whole country to be strapped and once that happens we’ll all be safe according to your logic..Maybe its me, but I’ve been in neighborhoods where everyone is packing and you know what happens? Armed folks shoot other armed folks.. The casualties are usually folks from both sides with innocent people being caught in the crossfire..

Could the NRA have stopped this shoot out at a Reno Casino btw biker gangs?

Could the NRA have stopped this shoot out at a Reno Casino btw biker gangs?

When armed camps go at it we call it gang wars..and whether its Crips and Bloods in Compton going at it or organized crime syndicates like the Gambinos and the Genoveses shooting it out in Brooklyn or biker gangs like Hells Angels and Mongols going at it in Reno, everyone is strapped, guns are drawn and people get shot and killed. Meanwhile you NRA folks are back at the ranch talking about if we had more guns shyt wouldn’t have gone down..To me the outcome is always the same.. Bloodshed..Maybe not mass school shootings but bloodshed nevertheless..

So just so I’m clear, the NRA wants the government to pay for armed guards at every school? You want the government to do this so should we raise taxes? Or cut spending for schools or lower teacher’s salaries? Does this include nursery and day care? What about the fact that we already saw armed guards at school didn’t work when we had Columbine, one of the worst mass school shootings..The good folks over at Gawker pointed this out..You can read about that HERE

If we are going to have armed citizens on every corner as you proposed, does that mean we can bring back the Black Panthers, SNCC, Deacons for Defense, Black Berets, Brown Berets, Young Lords and have them patrol our neighborhoods for folks who misuses their guns and shoot at unarmed civilians? Lemme know whats up NRA so we can get things cracking..

Davey D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZb8EXUrQTo&feature=youtu.be

Filed Under: 2012 Daily News Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

The Revolution Has Come… Rebel Diaz Speak Truth in Times of Turmoil

November 5, 2012 By

I’m so proud of Hip Hop right now… Ice Cube,  Brother Ali, Boots from the Coup, dead Prez, Jasiri X and Invincible have all dropped material in the past few weeks that has uplifted the community and inspired us to fight for better tomorrows.. Adding to that list is Rebel Diaz who skillfully sampled and flipped the chant from the Black Panthers..’The Revolution Has Come‘ and added their own 2012 twist..

It was just recently we lead rapper Rodstarz on our Hard Knock Radio show to give us crucial updates as to how things were faring under Hurricane Sandy. The day after the storm hit Rod explained to our listeners how poor folks were getting mistreated and how Mayor Michael Bloomberg had shut off power to housing projects days before the storm came..

He talked about how folks in his community had to organize themselves and make sure the elderly were taken care of because the city wasn’t going to do it..The day we did that interview there was some criticism from punditary types who lived nowhere near Rodstarz’ South Bronx neighborhood, but insisted that he was wrong with his info..They were citing press releases from Bloomberg as their source to counter Rod’s arguments.

Now that the dust is settling and the waters are receding, we see that all over NY in poor communities, there’s been neglect in the recovery efforts and was Rod was accurate and on point to the fullest with his assessment and breakdown of the situation.

Him and Rebel Diaz are and true to the spirit of ones who loves their people and seeks justice..This is a song underscores that sentiment and should not be slept on.. Turn it up and let it be the sound track to your day to day struggle for freedom..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byL3o3VMUKk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byL3o3VMUKk

Filed Under: Video New Music Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

OLM News w/ Davey D… Intv w/ Sgt Ron Stallworth on Infiltrating the KKK

October 21, 2012 By

One of the most intriguing and insightful individuals we ever sat down with is former Gang Intelligence Coordinator for the Utah police department, Sgt Ron Stallworth. Currently teaching, he is considered in law enforcement circles to be the foremost expert on what many have dubbed gangsta rap.

Yes, we know over the years there’s been a lot of attention given to ‘Hip Hop cops’ like Derrick Parker and the huge dossiers he and others had amassed on rappers, but Stallworth is the original. He’s penned several books on the gangsta rap, which up until recently were only available for law enforcement. Each one of the 4 books I have easily surpass the information and scholarship that we would see with current Hip Hop books on the market.

Stallworth explained that as a peace officer, writing and paying attention to detail is an important part of the job. Overlooking details and cutting corners could be the difference between life and death in the field, hence, his writings and books were and do reflect that..

Stallworth in his writings  attacked the subject of gangsta rap and Hip Hop  with a couple of thoughts in mind. First, he felt it was crucial to connect the historical dots. He was well aware that Hip Hop and Gangsta Rap did not occur in a political or social vacuum. He’s quite clear in noting that Black music expression is connected to struggle and key movements. he details these movements in his writings and explains how and why they are connected  Hip Hop.

Sgt Ron Stalworth

Stallworth covers everything from the Black Panthers to the Black Liberation Army, to the Nation of Islam to the Five Percenters to the Black Arts Movement and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. These details aren’t so much a rap sheet where he starts identifying particular folks. Instead he details such facets like the way the oral traditions are similar and contrasted with key orators in the Panthers vs popular gangsta rappers of the early 90s.  He in great detail, explains how the agendas and ideology of past  political and social movements manifest themselves in so-called gangsta rap.

Stallworth wanted to make sure those reading his work would have a better understanding who were was saying what and how it really matched up in real life. Stallworth would spend hours listening to artists, transcribing their lyrics and cross referencing their words with real life.  He noted that surprisingly lots of artists would literally brag about their exploits, gang affiliations etc.. he noted that many more were telling tall tales or being mouth pieces for neighborhood shot callers. Over the years Stallworth got good at knowing who was real and who was fake. He also got good at breaking down the lingo, double speak and street codes which unearth lots of information and insight.

Sgt Ron Stallworth holding KKK Membership card

In our round table interview we cover a lot of this.. But that’s only the beginning of Stallworth’s claim to fame. prior to getting into studying gangsta rap, Stallworth had infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan.It wasn’t just any KKK chapter. It was one that was stationed in the military bases in Colorado where they were actively recruiting. Stallworth as a brown skin Black man managed to not only infiltrate the chapter, but was offered an opportunity to be chapter leader. Yes, you read that right, its something out of a Dave Chappelle skit, 20 years before Chappelle showed up on the scene..  Stallworth carries a signed membership card from Klan leader David Duke who had no idea that he had been infiltrated..

We start off our round table discussion by talking about Stallworth investigation of the KKK and talk about the current rise of hate groups. During our discussion, he explained that he was going back to Colorado to speak to officers and fill in some key gaps of what he calls the ‘Lost Chapters‘. Stallworth explains that his boss at the time wanted the files on that case to be destroyed. Stallworth kept them and has no regrets considering the significance.

Enjoy this interview w/ Ron that recently aired on Free Speech Tv.. He gives us a lot of game to soak up..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGvcl7nTscE

Filed Under: 2012 Daily News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,
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