The Middle of the Ring

By Supreme Divine-Dow

 

Where is the movement? The movement to end racism and the oppression of Black and poor people in the U. S. and world. I’m not asking about a program, an initiative, a theology or philosophy. Where is the movement? A verb: the action based collective aspiration, and mobilization to liberate. We have a growing church/Christian ministry in this country that builds magnificent structures and “Temples of God” that attracts tens of thousands of members every week. That’s a movement – a movement of Black people going to church. There is a prison system that houses hundreds of thousands, if not millions of young Black men and women, that receives thousands of inmates daily, across this country. That’s a movement – a mobilization of our young into the prison industrial complex. Each and every day I watch, as bearded muslim men and garbed muslim women travel to and fro – on Fridays setting up vending stands prior to and after Jumah services.

 

Is all this a movement? Where is the Movement!? Black nationalists write academic papers on the intracies of oppression and racism; Five Percenters draw up the predicament of Black folk in heavy mathematics and scientific terms; revolutionaries make noise, movies, and rallies to free all political prisoners, and all this is, yet, independent, isolated, demarcated movement. But where is the unified network and collaborative efforts to stop the killing of Black youth by their peers and police? Where is the movement, the action, the drive to move some of the money tithed to the church, collected before and after Jumah, drawn up from high science, and raised by revolutionaries to stop the bleeding and loss of life that plagues our cities because of mis-education, poverty and self hatred perpetuated by way of a racist and classist state, enforced by a three branch government that rambles on and on about balancing a budget and reforming entitlement programs. A movement, not a new CDC, pop warner football league for at-risk youth; no book-bag giveaway initiative, or free turkey bag and trimmings before thanksgiving. Where is the movement that has teeth and bites and rips at the core of what causes our children to be so bitter and un-loving? Where is the movement that grabs and shakes, and paralyzes racists and neo-capitalists? Where is the movement that is grown from the streets and transforms the country? We need a movement – religion in the streets, philosophy guiding the intentions, high science dropped by the wise, and change, a reality. Where are our movement people? Have we lost them to religion, culture, science, philosophy, and universities? Have we stymied the growth and extinguished the fire in the bellies of our youth that so desperately want and need a better life? Have we all just retreated to our respective corners, leaving the middle of the ring and the depths of our hearts vacant, only to be occupied by the fighting of a left or right – wing – who need to control and condense our lives and communities? We need Movement people! People of action; people who wear timberlands to go to work; people who don suits to sit by the door and act; people who wear hooded sweatshirts not to hide their identity, but to keep warm because the rumble is in the street, the middle of the ring. We need movement people who do more than recite hip-ass poetry and underground rap lyrics. We need movement people that can and will do more than write tight program proposals and mission statements. Movement people move and act as they articulate. Movement people organize, plan, come together, then get in your face and challenge and don’t play it safe. Movement people are young, old, are pastors, imams, deacons, rebels, thugs, just released, husbands, wives, girlfriends, homies, ceo’s, city workers, the un-employed, under-employed and gainfully employed – thinkers, but doers, planners but risk takers. Movement people aren’t convinced by a meeting or conned and calmed by a politician and they stand in awe of no one. Where are our Movement people? Where is the Movement? Who is in charge here? Can I speak to the person in charge, ‘cause I see no movement, no leadership as a people. No movement toward a common goal or destiny. All I see is talkers, thinkers, writers, rappers, pontificators, politicians and pols on tv – we don’t need them. They are tired and worn out. For this movement, we need movement people! Calling all movement people! Calling all movement people! Time to stand up and do something. Calling all movement people! We meet and move tonight.

Copyright 2013