W.E. A.L.L. B.E.: January 2009

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Heartless Remix-This Week With Jasiri X Episode 17

Check Out The First Installment Of W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV!!!

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Artists: Sis. Rachel Crouch

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV interviews enterprising young artist Sis. Rachel Crouch at Howard University in Washington D.C. the day before the Inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama As The 44th President of the United States. Please view more of this artist's amazing art @ http://www.rachelcrouch.com

Mumia Speaks: Obama's Time

VIDEO:President Barack Obama 2009 Inauguration And Address

[col. writ. 1/20/09 (c) '09 Mumia Abu-Jamal

With poise and considerable grace, Barack Hussein Obama took the stage of history, and tried to turn a mammoth page in the book of America's national life.

With an air of seriousness and exuding confidence, he glided across the stage, shaking hands, giving hugs, and kissing ladies. He seemed to particularly revel in shaking hands -- and hugging! -- the next to the last number of the exclusive club of 44, former president George W. Bush.

But if Barack Obama was the shining star to Bush's fading star of this political moment, the other star that shone brightest was the People, who filled the streets in ways that seemed unprecedented -- by the millions.

Faces beamed warmth and excitement, seemingly ignoring the frigid temperatures.

There was, as there ever is in political gatherings, pomp and circumstance, but popular good nature seemed to radiate from the people,who stood in the cold for hours to witness a history that few thought they would live to see: the installation of a man of discernible African heritage taking the helm of the ship of state.

If the nation beamed with excitement, the world drew an almost collective breath of relief at the sight not only of Obama's inauguration, but the leaving of a man seen as the quintessential 'ugly American.' While things will probably not change as drastically as some hope, and others fear, the transition from an administration seen as blusterers, saber-tattlers, and fear-mongers to one at least capable of projecting competence and intelligence seems like a sea-change.

To paraphrase Shakespeare's play "Macbeth", of Bush's departure from office, 'Nothing so became him as leaving it.'

Has this change been more symbolic that substantive?

This we shall surely see.

--(c) '09 maj

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The Power of Truth is Final -- Free Mumia!

Audio of most of Mumia's essays are at: http://www.prisonradio.org

PLEASE CONTACT:
International Concerned Family & Friends of MAJ
P.O. Box 19709
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WE WHO BELIEVE IN FREEDOM CAN *NOT* REST!!

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[Check out Mumia's latest: *WE WANT FREEDOM:
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#1-800-533-8478.]

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio Special:Reflections On The 2009 Inauguration Part One:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2009/01/23/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio Special: Yes He Did...So Now What??? Defining The Obama Presidency...
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2008/11/16/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio Special:O Yes We Did!!! The Barack Obama Tribute...
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2008/11/09/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio Special: Barack Obama & The Hip Hop Effect On American Politics:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2008/02/10/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-Radio

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Get The Barack Obama Holiday Inaugural Gift Package By R2C2H2 Tha Artivist!!!

http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2008/12/get-barack-obama-holiday-inaugural-gift.html

Mumia Speaks: OSCAR GRANT -- And YOU

[col. writ. 1/17/09 (c) '09 Mumia Abu-Jamal

Like you, I've seen the searing phone-camera tape of the killing of 22-year-old Oscar Grant, of Oakland, California.

And although it's truly a terrible thing to see, it's almost exceeded by something just as shocking. That's been how the media has responded to this police killing, by creating a defense of error.

This defense, that the killer cop who murdered Grant somehow mistook his pistol for his Taser, has been offered by both local and national news reporters -- even though they haven't heard word one from Johannes Mehserle, the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) cop who wasn't even interviewed for weeks after shooting an unarmed man!

If you've ever wondered about the role of the media, let this be a lesson to you. You can see here that the claim that the corporate media is objective is but a cruel illusion.

Imagine this: if the roles were reversed, that is, if bystanders had footage of Grant shooting Mehserle, would the media be suggesting a defense for him?

Would Grant have been free to roam, to leave the state a week later?

Would he have made bail?

The shooting of Oscar Grant III is but the latest, West Coast version of Amadou Diallo, of Sean Bell, and of hundreds of other Black men -- and like them, don't be surprised if there is an acquittal -- again.

Oscar Grant is you -- and you are him, because you know in the pit of your stomach that it could've been you, and the same thing could've happened.

You know this.

And what's worse is this: you pay for this every time you pay taxes, and you endorse this every time you vote for politicians who sell out in a heartbeat.

You pay for your killers to kill you, in the name of a bogus, twisted law, and then pay for the State that defends him.

Something is terribly wrong here--and it's the system itself.

Until that is changed, nothing is changed, for we'll be out here again (in the streets) -- chanting a different name.

--(C) '09 MAJ

See Also on W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio:

*W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio Special*

Enough Is Enough!!! Ending Police Brutality In The 21st Century

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2009/01/15/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

Some More Perspectives On Oscar Grant Tragedy...

http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2009/01/some-more-perspectives-on-oscar-grant.html

Former Police Officer Who Murdered Oscar Grant III Caught In Nevada...
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2009/01/former-police-officer-who-murdered.html

For More Info About Police Brutality Please Listen To W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio's "Brave Mothers Rally Against Police In-Custody Brutality/Homicides" segment (Original Air Date Dec. 28, 2008):
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2008/12/28/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

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WE WHO BELIEVE IN FREEDOM CAN *NOT* REST!!

From The Honorable Sis. Cynthia McKinney: "Mr. President, Give Us A Clean Break From War"

Cynthia McKinney
Statement on Obama Actions Thus Far re Gaza

"Mr. President: Give Us A Clean Break From War"

In a message to President Obama today, former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney wrote:

"It is time that the United States negotiate in good faith with Hamas, the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. It is also time that the U.S. government tell Israel to release the Hamas Parliamentarians it illegally arrested. President Obama, please say something about Gaza. You have been roundly condemned for your continued silence in the face of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Israel in Gaza. Silence is complicity. Not one more bomb for Israel."

Israeli action in Gaza has outraged the world. Starting with Israel's inhumane blockade of Gaza when it didn't like the 2006 election results that put Hamas officially into power. In September 2007, Israel declared Gaza an "enemy entity." Of course, Israeli efforts to isolate the Gaza Strip can be traced back to Ariel Sharon as early as 2005. In carrying out its military Operation Cast Lead, Israel not only committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, it also carried out a long-standing goal of Gaza isolation. The President's continued silence on Gaza and the Palestinian right of self-determination is unacceptable.

I would like to commend President Obama for recognizing that peace is the imperative and that the United States can play a constructive role in its attainment. However, placing a phone call to an irrelevant "leader" in an attempt to revive his political standing is not a route to peace: it is a journey down the same road that we're already on, that is massacres, genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture--all with U.S. weapons, paid for by U.S. taxpayers.

The President must call the elected representatives of the Palestinian people and that means dealing with Hamas.

President Obama has already spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. George Mitchell, the President's Middle East Envoy, is reportedly scheduled to visit the region, but is expected to meet only with Egyptian, Israeli, Saudi, and Jordanian leaders, and the West Bank's Abbas. Unfortunately, despite worldwide revulsion and United Nations outrage at Israeli actions in Gaza, Gaza has not been reported to be one of the Presidential Envoy's destinations.

Even worse, one of the first officials that Obama called on his first day in office was Palestinian Mahmood Abbas. Abbas, however, is no longer President, heading a government that has no opportunity to govern, from a state that exists only as a construct not made by the Palestinian people. For the United States to embark upon the path of peace, it must recognize and act on the fact that Mahmood Abbas is now irrelevant.

I believe that the call to Abbas occurred because of pressure on President Obama from outraged activists around the country and around the world calling for him to do something. But Abbas is irrelevant if the goal is peace.

If the goal, however, is to appear to be doing something while all the time doing nothing but allowing the violence of U.S.-sponsored military action to spread including saber rattling against Syria and Iran, then the President is on the right path.

The American people voted for change and peace. President Obama's current path will produce neither.

I have implored President Obama to say something about Gaza. He has been roundly condemned for his continued silence in the face of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Israel in Gaza. Silence in the face of such criminal behavior is complicity.

President Obama must urgently place a call to the elected government of the Palestinian people.

President Obama can send a strong message to the warmongers inside his own party and present them "a clean break" from war. I encourage him to do so. We will not be fooled by actions that have the appearance of putting us on a path for peace, but that are public relations projects that buy time for more war.

To activists and human rights lawyers around the world I say: Now is not the time to let up. We must be unrelenting in our pressure for justice and recognition of the rights of all peoples embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Those rights include the right not to be occupied. And the right to resist occupation. This is the embodiment of self-determination. And the Palestinian people are holders of these rights.

It is time that the United States negotiate in good faith with Hamas, because it is the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. It is also time that the U.S. government tell Israel to release the Hamas Parliamentarians it illegally arrested.

While the United States Government spends precious resources to imprison Palestinians in the United States who attempted to ameliorate the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, I will attempt another trip to Gaza to assess the depth of the worsened humanitarian catastrophe now there.

I have repeatedly called on the President to ask for and the Congress to vote not one more bomb, not one more dime for the Israeli war machine.

*W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio Special*
The Honorable Sis. Cynthia McKinney Tribute Show!!!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2008/08/03/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

*MORE INFORMATION*

Cynthia McKinney 'Power to the People' Campaign for President

http://www.runcynthiarun.org

http://www.allthingscynthiamckinney.com

http://www.mckinney2008.com

Rosa Clemente, Candidate for Vice President

http://www.rosaclemente.com

Green Party of the United States

http://www.gp.org

--
John Judge
Press Secretary
202-584-1021
240-491-3311 fax
press-secretary@runcynthiarun.org
www.runcynthiarun.org (Media Contacts)

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio 1/28/2009~If Memphis Could Talk Part 5: The Legend Of Tom Lee & Soul Drumming Legend Howard 'Memphis Bulldog' Grimes

Celebrating 2 Full Years In The Biz: Ain't No Stopping Us Now!!!

January 2009 Theme: Silence Is Not Golden!!!
Date: Weds. Jan 28, 2009
Time: 8pm Central/ 9pm Eastern/ 6pm Pacific
Call in Number: 646-652-4593
E-mail: r2c2h2@gmail.com

Listen Live Online:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2009/01/29/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

Topic: If Memphis Could Talk~Part 5

A.) The Legend Of Tom Lee

Why Tom Lee Is A Hero:
On May 8, 1925 in a small wooden boat, Lee, who could not swim, made several trips to where the Norman went under, plucked 32 White people from the Mississippi River current and took them to shore. Seventeen others swam to safety and 23 died.
http://www.tomleeamemphishero.webs.com/

Featured Guests: Tom Lee's Descendants (Sis. Charmeal & Bro. Eric Alexander) Share With Us The Awesome Story & Legacy Of Their Ancestor

Left to Right: W.E. A.L.L. B.E.'s Bro. R2C2H2 Tha Artivist, Amnesty International's Bro. David Hinkley & Sis. Charmeal Alexander

B.) Introducing Mr. Backbeat: The Legendary Master Soul Drummer Of The Memphis Sound Mr. Howard "Memphis Bulldog" Grimes

Otis Clay and The HI Rhythm Section, 1986
Standing left to right: Leroy Hodges, Charles Hodges, Howard Grimes
Sitting left to right: Otis Clay and Teenie Hodges

Willie Mitchell (seated) and (from left) Leroy Hodges, Mabon "Teenie" Hodges, Archie Turner Mitchell, Rev. Charles Hodges and Howard Grimes gave records from Hi that special sound. Gerald Cyrus

Meet The Drummer That Is Your Favorite Drummer's Favorite Drummer That You Probably Never Heard Of But That You Definitely Heard!!!

For Over 50 plus years Bro. Howard Grimes has been the backbeat for the Popular American Music Soundtrack. Since he started as the first Black Drummer for Satellite(Stax) Records in the late 50s when he was only 12 years old, Bro. Grimes has worked with some of the Who's Who of American R & B and Soul music of the 20th Century. He has been the x-factor behind the highly successful, vaunted and organic Hi-Rhythm sound that catapulted the careers of legendary talents such as Ann Peebles, Otis Clay, O.V. Wright and yes even the incomparable Al Green to stratospheric heights!!!

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio recently had the honor of exclusively interviewing Bro. Howard Grimes to get the real unfiltered history behind the legendary Memphis Sound. This segment only features a tiny percentage of what will come out in the near future. W.E. A.L.L. B.E. will be sure to keep you all posted.

Listen To Bro. Howard Grimes Reminisce About Fellow Music Legend & Fallen Comrade Bro. Larry Lee...

Topic: If Memphis Could Talk Part 3~Singing The Unsung Genius Of Larry Lee: Memphis Soul Music Legend & Jimi Hendrix's Best Friend:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2008/12/07/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

****
Get Involved

As Always You Can Catch Tha Artivist Presents…W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio Live Every Wednesday In 2009 @ 8PM Central By Clicking On The Following Link:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe

Please Be Our Invited Guest By Calling Us Live @ 646-652-4593 Or E-mailing Us Your Questions And Comments @ r2c2h2@gmail.com

As Always Please Spread The Good News!!!

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To see or rather "hear" how far W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio has come please listen to the first broadcast, Jan. 7, 2007:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/01/07/tha-artivist-presents

Also check out how good we were in "2008 a.k.a. The Year Of Citizen Radio":
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2009/01/we-all-be-news-radio-made-2008-year-of.html

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*Support W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio!!!*

The W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Needing Funds Drive For W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio Begins...
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2008/12/we-all-be-needing-funds-drive-for-we.html

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Supporting W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio: Buy Art & Gear For 'The Cause' Today!!!
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2008/12/we-all-be-supporting-we-all-be-news.html

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W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio Reps Black History 365 Days A Year!!!
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2008/02/we-all-be-news-radio-reps-black-history_29.html

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Celebrate Black History And Love All Day Every Day With Works By Tha Artivist:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2008/02/celebrate-black-history-and-love-all.html

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Buy The Award Winning James Reese Europe: Jazz Lieutenant

*Named To The Smithsonian Institute's Jazz Books For Kids And Young Adults List*

Official Website:

http://www.jazzlieutenant.blogspot.com/

Buy The Book @ Amazon.com

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$ Millions Of Dollars In Scholarships, Internships & Job Offers $
Please Visit

http://www.ctherd.blogspot.com/

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Check Out "The Empowerment Hour" Hosted By Bro. Kermit Eady Every Saturday @ 6 PM EST/ 5PM CST

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/EadyAssociates

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Get The Barack Obama Holiday Inaugural Gift Package By R2C2H2 Tha Artivist!!!

http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2008/12/get-barack-obama-holiday-inaugural-gift.html

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Mumia Speaks: Remembering Comrade Huey...

"Power is the ability to define phenomenon
and make it work in a desired manner."
[Huey P. Newton]

Video: Huey Newton Speaks On Black Suicide

Video: Huey P. Newton Interview From Jail

Huey: A Memory (1942-1989)

[piece writ/4POCC 1/15/09], (c) '09 Mumia Abu-Jamal

Huey P. Newton's name, and more importantly, his history of resistance and struggle, is little more than a mystery for many younger people in their 20's.

The name and works of a third rate rapper is more familiar to the average Black youth, and that's hardly surprising given the failure of the public school system.

For the public school system is invested in ignorance, and Huey P. Newton was a rebel -- and more, a Black Revolutionary.

Inspired by the civil rights movement and the violent attacks on Blacks trying to vote, Huey felt a bolder, more radical stance was needed.

At the age of 24, he co-founded the Black Panther Party, and the group expanded by leaps and bounds. Begun in Oct. 1966, in 3 years it had grown to over 40 chapters and branches across the country, with an international section in Algiers, North Africa.

Dedicated to the principles of Black self-defense and Black freedom, the Party became the foremost radical group of the era, with a wealth of supporters and enemies.

Chief among enemies was the US government, which, in the words of the FBI's head, J. Edgar Hoover, considered it "the greatest threat to national security."

For many thousands of Black youth, the rebelliousness of the Party spoke to their spirits more truly than did the peaceful resistance represented by Dr. Martin Luther King.

Huey was not a pacifist, and neither were millions of Black people.

But Huey, for all his brilliance, flair and resolve, was only human, and as the saying goes, 'to err is human.' Under attack from without and within, the party made missteps that contributed to it demise by the early 1980's.

But it is the best of Huey P. Newton that survives -- the bold soldier, the Minister of Defense, the thinker and writer -- who gave his best to the Black Freedom movement; who inspired millions of others to stand.

--(c) '09 maj

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WE WHO BELIEVE IN FREEDOM CAN *NOT* REST!!

Friday, January 23, 2009

Dispatches From DC: Election Day 2009

by Shani Jamila

shanijamila@wpfw.org

Inauguration Day, 2009! It's been two months since the night that catapulted progressives throughout the country- and indeed the world - into a state of incredulous euphoria. Barack Obama was elected President of these United States. In Washington DC thousands of people flooded the streets dancing on top of cars as if it was an intellectual Freaknik. Multiracial African drum circles spontaneously gathered to announce the arrival of the first Black president, grown ass men went skipping down the sidewalk yelling out "Barack!" like they had Tourettes, and U Street became the site of what was arguably the largest en masse electric slide in recorded history. The sheer joy, not just on Black and brown faces but on white ones too… the naked possibility of it brought many to tears.

That same energy is still pulsating through the city, in a deep thrill that most African Americans have never known. In my travels throughout the African diaspora, I have regularly remarked on the deep sense of nationalist pride possessed by people who come from countries where they see their reflection in the highest echelons of leadership. As we enter this now time, where the symbolic power of Obama's presidency has catalyzed the reimagination of racial identity in this country, there is undeniably a new sense of belonging that has arisen for many U.S. based Blacks. For the first time in this country's history, Blacks felt invested enough in the outcome to vote in higher percentages than whites. Our heightened political participation, reflected in slogans like "Refuse us 40 acres and a mule and we'll take 50 states and the White House," means that a historically disenfranchised people now see the "us" in the U.S. Whatever one's political perspective on that fact may be, it is clear that with this election the boundaries of blackness have been expanded in a way that is unprecedented. Due to it, we as a people are forever changed.

We strut a little deeper, hold our heads a little higher, smile a little broader. We temper our brimming joy with a protective caution, clear that this bouquet of emotions does not relieve us of the responsibility for critical analysis. To truly understand, let's take it back a bit to when the news of this transformative time first began to sink in…

House Negro

The news spread throughout Black America as fast as the sound of hands being placed on hips from coast to coast. He called him a what?? Yeees, honey. On November 19th, 2008 Ayman al-Zawahri, deputy leader of Al-Quaeda, released a video in which he declared President Elect Barack Obama a "house negro."

While it is strangely remarkable that of all the racial cliches to employ, this one came from that camp, the discussion was not new within our own communities. In fact, al-Quaeda is not the first to call out Black White House operatives - some of our most brilliant minds have done the same. For example, Harry Belafonte famously made the same "house negro" characterization of Powell and Rice in 2002. Well before the disastrous advent of the Bush administration, Audre Lorde questioned whether you could effectively use the master's tools to dismantle the master's house. And just as al-Zawahari's insult was not singularly targeted (he included Condoleeza and Colin in his epithet as well), our analysis also extends beyond Barack to the general ascendancy of Black faces to nationally known positions of political prominence.

It is an interesting paradox of this historical moment that even as Black faces have become more visible in the political realm, our community is facing crises the likes of which we have never before seen: the devastating impact of mass incarceration, exploding rates of HIV and AIDS, rampant illiteracy that is the product of failing school systems, etc. Many attribute this to the catastrophe of conservatism that has assaulted our political system for the past 8 years. But it is of note that al-Zawahari's comment demonstrated no distinction between African Americans who ascended to positions of prominence due to their affiliation with the Republican party, and Obama who campaigned on a Democratic promise of change. Rather, there is a line being marked in the sand between Black politicians and the larger community they hail from.

By its very nature, the term house negro is meant to evoke an elitist life of privilege and relative comfort in the midst of your people's suffering. Many house negroes were, like Obama, the products of a mixed race lineage- although at that time this fact would have been due to the institutionalized rape that characterized enslavement. But the reality was that resistance was not solely contained to a certain segment of the community. Many house negroes (who by virtue of their daily proximity to whites were rendered more at risk for sexual assault) were able to utilize their access to rebel against enslavement in ways others couldn't, e.g. spitting in or poisoning the food they prepared and stealing supplies to sustain their own families. In fact, seven generations ago my own great-grandmother learned to take meat from the big house by putting it in a sack and dragging it back to the slave quarters just before daybreak- when she had the cover of night and the dew was heavy on the grass. By dawn, the sunlight would perk the grass back up and there would be no trail to indicate her steps.

I provide this example to say we got to get deeper y'all, move beyond old stereotypes that are both inaccurate and don't serve us. To be clear, a conversation about the evolution and implementation of Black leadership is valid no matter what community you come from, especially when that leadership now governs a multi racial country and functions as a world leader. Many of us are anxious for Obama to articulate stances that are more progressive than the centrist stands he has taken to date. But when people outside of our community feel entitled to publicly employ racial epithets, whether it is the political extremists of al-Quaeda or the liberal entitlement of Ralph Nader's Uncle Tom reference, it is beyond Barack. Neither has the cultural capital to be able to employ these slurs without repercussion.

At this point, regardless of anyone's personal perspectives about his politics, Barack may be a house negro, but as I've heard it said he is the White House Negro. How he chooses to play his position remains to be seen.

U.S. Blacks in the Global Imagination

There are a lot of comparisons being made between our new President Barack Obama and Black leadership of previous eras. While there is certainly no question that he would not be in this position if it had not been for the work of countless Black people before him, many of these efforts are ill advised. For example, when al-Zawahari went on to say that "Obama is the direct opposite of honorable Black Americans like Malcolm X," he was drawing a false parallel. They are both tall, slender, light skinned Black men with a tremendous gift for oratory and an inspiring passion for politics. They have both provided the tee shirt industry with a spike in sales. That is where the similarities end.

As Cornel West has distinguished, Barack is an American leader who is Black while Malcolm was a Black leader who was American. While I am loathe to prioritize identities as such, these are two fundamentally different constructs. Malcolm gave his life for the forceful advancement of Black people. Barack did his damndest over the course of the campaign to render his Blackness inconsequential. In fact, when confronted with the discourse of a man much closer to the legacy of Malcolm - Reverend Jeremiah Wright- he distanced himself. But this is not about a comparison of their individual personalities - in their respective ways both have done much to positively impact the Black community. This is about a historical moment in a movement of people of color.

On a large scale, this construction speaks to the ever evolving space that U.S. Blacks occupy in the global imagination. Historically, we have been identified as the anti-America, both here and abroad. Here, we were legally barred from citizenship and counted as only 3/5ths of a person. Abroad, Black folks were seen as cultural ambassadors and human rights advocates, people willing to suffer unimaginable abuse for the sake of challenging this country to claim our and its full humanity. This is what Al-Quaeda's Malcolm reference was meant to evoke, and an examination of whether this status has changed is both valid and necessary.

What kind of cultural and political ambassadors have Black folk become? Before the advent of the Obama administration, the appointment of Black conservatives to high profile political positions has meant that the face of African America in the global gaze has morphed from Martin, Fannie Lou, Malcolm, and Josephine to what the late Damu Smith called the three C's- Colin, Condeleeza, and Clarence. The masses of people on the ground who give their lives to work in the continuum of Black struggle, including those in third party politics who also ran for President in 2008, are not given their due shine by the mainstream media. Therefore, this distorted impression of Black America, combined with the targeting of Black and Brown communities by the military industrial complex, means we are disproportionately represented as the face of imperialist occupying power in other countries of color.

What we are witnessing is the browning of American imperialism. And this is the double edged sword of Obama's victory- Black Americans now feel more included, but in what? Did we just, in the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., "integrate into a burning house?" Or will we be able to harness this desire for change percolating in the air, and in the tradition of our greatest ancestors work to redirect the country to a human rights agenda?

The Politics of Possibility

In the months leading up to the election, I'd argued that this was really a proxy referendum on white supremacy. If McCain could be elected after eight years of Bush - especially when he and his choice of running mate were so obviously inferior to the Democratic ticket - with up to three Supreme Court justices on the line and the fate of key cases such as Roe v Wade hanging in the balance… when this country could leave its own citizens to rot in Gulf Coast waters while sending money and manpower overseas to fight in immoral and illegal wars… when the economy has gone to hell at the hands of a Republican empire…. If in the face of all that we did not have a President Obama at the end of it, the only rationale would have been racial prejudice.

And I fully expected that American racism, woven so intricately into the fabric of this country's culture, would have been strong enough to withstand the qualitatively different capabilities of the Democratic and Republican candidates. This is why - for a full week after I danced teary eyed down these DC streets - the first thing I would do when I awoke was smile an incredulous smile, and then quickly scan the headlines to make sure it was still true. The blow to white supremacy that Obama's election signifies is a triumph beyond measure. However, while his election definitely signifies a large shift in the racial landscape of this country it most certainly does not merit the post racial paradigm being bandied about by pundits domestically or globally. The goal should be to celebrate our diversity and get post-racism - which means a dismantling of structural inequity in addition to individual triumphs.

The true blessing of this moment is the transcendent politics of possibility that his election signifies for all. Events we never dared to imagine have proved possible. Can we all be inspired now to believe bigger about bringing an end to the epidemic of police brutality, and to the massacres in Gaza, Iraq, Darfur and the Congo? As Tavis Smiley asked, can we build the grassroots movement that will be the Frederick Douglass to Obama's Lincoln? Can we, in the words of the World Social Forum, make another world possible?

Today, as I move with millions through these DC streets, I am buoyed with the hope that answers in the words of My New President (!!!!!)- "Yes, We Can."

Shani Jamila is the host of Blackademics on Pacifica Radio's WPFW 89.3 FM. http://www.wpfw.org

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio Special:Reflections On The 2009 Inauguration Part One:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2009/01/23/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio Special: Yes He Did...So Now What??? Defining The Obama Presidency...
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2008/11/16/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

~~~~~~

Get The Barack Obama Holiday Inaugural Gift Package By R2C2H2 Tha Artivist!!!

http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2008/12/get-barack-obama-holiday-inaugural-gift.html

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-9 TN): We Witnessed History.

Dear Ronald,

On Tuesday, we witnessed history. I had the great honor of watching Barack Obama take the oath of office from the inaugural platform, and I was awestruck as I looked across the expanse of the National Mall to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where one of America’s most courageous and compassionate prophets of peace — Reverend Martin Luther King — called upon our nation to fulfill the promise of its founding dream for all of our people. This week we made one giant leap toward fulfilling that dream when Barack Obama was sworn in as our 44th President of the United States in front of nearly two million joyful Americans.

“On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord,” said President Obama.

Hundreds of Memphians made the long trek up to our nation’s capitol and joined with us to celebrate this momentous occasion. I was inspired by all of your stories, humbled by your support and grateful for all your good will. Neither the cold, nor the crowds, nor any of the myriad inconveniences ever threatened to dampen the spirit of the gathering that amassed that morning on our National Mall. The palpable feeling of community, harmony and togetherness in Washington, D.C. over the past week will never be forgotten by those who experienced it. (Click HERE to view a slideshow of people from the 9th District attending the Inauguration.)

“What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified,” said President Obama.

Just three days into the Obama Presidency, the country has undergone a dramatic transformation. Government is once again in the business of improving the lives of its citizens, and President Obama has taken large steps to restore our nation’s image abroad. The details of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act are being finalized, and today, I was proud to announce that Memphis City Schools will receive nearly $150 million upon passage of the proposed legislation. This is going to change the lives of our schoolchildren and create good-paying jobs in the 9th District while improving our critical infrastructure in the long-term. We’ll also be giving tax cuts to those who need it most during these difficult economic times. Additionally, we are mandating that remaining TARP funds be used to help homeowners avoid foreclosure, assist community banks in financial restructuring, and require that companies who accept taxpayer money don’t use those funds to give executives “golden parachutes.” In short, we’re bringing transparency and accountability to the TARP legislation that was missing under the direction of Secretary Paulson and President Bush.

President Obama also announced yesterday that America will close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay and end the use of torture as an interrogation technique. During his campaign, President Obama assured the nation of a return to the rule of law, and he is rapidly making good on his promise. (Click HERE to watch my speech on the rule of law on the Floor of the House.)

This week, the Inauguration of President Obama has rightly dominated the headlines, but I’m happy to announce that we received some exciting news of our own. Yesterday, my colleagues on the influential Judiciary Committee elected me to chair the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law (CAL). It’s a rare privilege to chair a subcommittee in only your sophomore term, and I was honored to accept the chairmanship. As some of you may remember, I was elected to serve as a Regional Whip back in December by the Democratic Caucus, so this is my second leadership post in just my second term.

CAL has jurisdiction over bankruptcy law, among other areas; so in the coming weeks, we will have a significant role in shaping key elements of the economic recovery. We in CAL have a lot of work to do, and I am excited to hit the ground running. I will work with Chairman Conyers, Speaker Pelosi and members of the Obama Administration to empower bankruptcy judges to modify mortgage terms to help homeowners stay in their homes and put a floor on this mortgage crisis. (Read more about my Chairmanship HERE).

Also this week, the Senate passed two pieces of legislation that I strongly supported and cosponsored: the Paycheck Fairness and the Lilly Ledbetter Acts. These two bills will help to close the gender-based pay gap and will come back to the House next week where they have strong support. President Obama has also expressed his support.

“Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met,” said President Obama.

The significance of Barack Obama’s rise to the presidency can not be overstated. While the daunting array of challenges facing his administration at the dawn of his presidency are many, I have faith in this great leader, faith in my colleagues in Congress, and most importantly, faith in the American people that we can overcome these crises.

As always, I remain,

Most sincerely,

Steve Cohen
Member of Congress

Website:
http://cohen.house.gov/

*Check Out U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen Interview On W.E. A.L.L. B.E News & Radio:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2008/03/02/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-Radio

See Also...

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio Special:Reflections On The 2009 Inauguration Part One:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2009/01/23/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio Special: Yes He Did...So Now What??? Defining The Obama Presidency...
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2008/11/16/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

~~~~~~

Get The Barack Obama Holiday Inaugural Gift Package By R2C2H2 Tha Artivist!!!

http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2008/12/get-barack-obama-holiday-inaugural-gift.html

Obama's Day Was Really Our Elders'

Hours Before Obama Takes Over-Are You Profoundly Excited?

by Davey D

I been in Washington DC for the past few days amidst all the excitement and fanfare leading up to today. January 20 2009-Inauguration Day for Barack Obama, the 44th President of these United States.

There's no denying the festive mood that has engulfed this city. It don't matter if you are downtown near the Capitol or on historic U street, in Columbia Heights or over in Georgetown or in South East. People are excited. People are besides themselves. However there are two types of excitement. One is reactionary and I don't mean this in a bad way.

What I mean is there's an excitement that comes with the bringing about of change. After 8 years of George Bush there is cause for much excitement and it shows. The parties are abundant, the bubbly is flowing and the giddiness behind the possibility of us finally getting this huge albatross off our necks is infectious.

This reactionary excitement is one that manifest itself in the many galas and balls that have come to make up this Inauguration weekend. And please don't get me wrong, a good party is what many need. If you can for even a few moments have a reason to crack a smile, give somebody a nice hug or give someone a high five or a pound, now is really the time to do it.. The possibility of good times lay ahead. There's excitement in seeing Young Jeezy and P-Diddy at a gig that caused people to pay 200 dollars for tickets. Its the excitement I seen on the faces of young kids at a youth center had when Bow Wow strolled through. Its the excitement people had when they saw Samuel Jackson walking down the street.

When your younger such excitement seems like it will last forever. This reactionary excitement is a high like no other and causes some who are inexperienced to behave recklessly. We may in our excitement spend all our money on foolishness. We may in our excitement behave in manner that we one day look back upon in embarrassment. Some of us in this moment of excitement can't contain ourselves and rush around frantically trying to take it all in. We live for today with little regard for the future and definitely no reverence for the past.

And I gotta be honest after 8 years of Bush-why not? Like I said sometimes live in the moment type of excitement is needed.

But as you walk the streets of Washington and allow yourself to be still and pay close attention for minute or two, you tap into another type of excitement. I have no real words to accurately describe it. But its deeply profound. I see it amongst the elders -so many of them who braved the cold, overlooked their own health concerns and any other obstacle.There are elders here who were coming here hell or high water.

This is a profound type of excitement-one that can literally move you to tears. It shows up in the twinkle you can see in ones eyes. Some of the people I come across have hardened faces, but this weekend something is glowing within. Its a profound type of excitement that is bigger than any one person. Its seems deep rooted.

I been talking to a lot of our elders and when I ask them about Barack Obama and what this day means to them, tears well up in their eyes. One woman from Philadelphia well into her 80s said to me I feel liberated. She longed to see this day.

Another woman also in her 80s who grew up in Texas told me that she had a deep, deep anger that has finally subsided.

Others will shake their heads, tear up and say its been a long time coming and they are so glad to see this day.

This is not just about Barack Obama, but its about a long journey that many of them have endured and Obama and his family about to take residence in the white house is the manifestation of a whole lot of prayers, a whole lot of hope against all odds and the ultimate triumph.

When I talk to some of these elders especially those from the south I hear all sorts of stories about the Jim Crow days when they couldn't drink at the same water fountains, eat at the same lunch counters or try on clothes at a department stores. Some try to downplay it and explain it away, but I can tell that the stories they recount have a deeper more personal pain behind it..

I seen that look in my mom many times when I was younger when she would put on a good face and tell me and my sister things weren't cool, but she wouldn't go into detail and burden us with exactly how bad things really were. Moms would shoulder that burden. She would shoulder it to shield me and my sister. She would burden it so we would have a better day and brighter tomorrow.

It would be years later that bits and pieces would surface. It might be random story of her being called Nigger on the first day of work. Or being humiliated by jealous vindictive white co-workers when she was the first Black on her job. It could be something even more painful like the real reasons pops left. My point being as I've gotten older I've come to know that look and come to appreciate the sacrifice and burden that was shouldered.

This weekend I've seen it over and over again. The look of elders-those who have taken on so much for us. Those who won't relive the real horror stories both for our sake as youngstas and for theirs, since many are trying to forever forget what they may have endured once upon a time when this country was front and center about seeing and treating Black folks as second class people.

It's with this understanding that I note this profound excitement residing with many of the elders. They are moved to tears and in their mind God did not let them down. Their faith has endured and with the hopes and aspirations they have for Obama and the first family I can tell as they speak they have it for us. They want the best for those who come behind them.

Its been hard to talk with the elders this week without tearing up, because as they talk it its not the words they see its the spirit I feel. Its that unspoken thing that says 'son you don't know what I went through to see this day'. 'Please don't disappointment me'. 'Please don't let me down'. I done a lot for you over the years and now my time is near and it's on you to carry on..' Like I said . many have held on dearly just to see this day.

I asked one elder how what she thought all the white folks she encountered were thinking, who discriminated against her and her sister when she was growing up. She looked and smiled from ear to ear and said I don't care. and it doesn't matter. She said they probably still think the same but it doesn't matter because they can't stop this.

This day is not for Obama as much as it is for them-The elders.

Three days before this inauguration I lost my Uncle who passed suddenly. I know he would've loved to have seen Obama take office knowing that he grew up in nearby Virginia and was one of those countless elders who could tell you some tales of what it was like once upon a time and how they endured. I know some of those stories have been told, but I also know there are so many that have been kept to himself so we who came after could be free of the burden.

Its with this understanding that with the swearing in of Barack Obama, I swear myself in. It means that not only can I not disappoint, but I gotta make sure this man taking over the reigns doesn't disappoint. The person sitting next to me has got to make sure I don't fall short and disappoint. If we can all uplift and commit ourselves to being better people and doing better by each other the election of Barack Obama will not have been in vein.
I also understand that while I may have reservations and concerns and theories etc, that I should shoulder that burden-This time from my elders and work hard to make their dreams be fully manifested. In other words Obama can't fail. He better not fail. After seeing all these older folks looking at the Capitol or peering through thee white house fence and profusely crying, I can not, we can not allow this man or ourselves to fall short.

This day is for the elders who shouldered much and did their best to protect us. Its dedicated to those who had the sense enough to pray when we wouldn't pray for ourselves. Its dedicated to those who sacrificed and even gave their lives so we could have the opportunity. I understand the profound excitement. With Obama taking over the reigns so are many of us. May our journey be a good one. A new day has begun.

Visit
www.Daveyd.com

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

My President Iz Black: Check Out Pres. Obama's Inaugural Address...

VIDEO:President Barack Obama 2009 Inauguration And Address

REMARKS OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

Inaugural Address
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Washington, D.C.

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

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http://www.crmvet.org

Eye-Witness To The Crucifixion: The Last Days Of MLK...

Show:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2008/04/07/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio-1

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Topic: If Memphis Could Talk Part 4~April 4th, 1968, Another Perspective...

Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2008/12/14/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio