While many of the leaders of the Black Freedom Rights Struggle during the 1950’s and 1960’s were pastors and lay leaders, the concept of non-violence that they preached and practiced was not based on Christianity. Many Christians love to kick that Jesus was this long haired hippie but there were several instances in the Gospels where Jesus was far from that. While we can discuss the myriad interpretations of Jesus, that’s not the point. My point is that the concept of non-violence practiced during that time came from the teachings of Gandhi. While Gandhi practiced Hinduism, he did not get that idea from his religion. Gandhi pulled his ideas from Jainism. If there is a religion of peace, Jainism is it.

It was Bayard Rustin (a socialist and an atheist by the way) who introduced the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King to these concepts of Jainism. If one were to check King’s life after the March on Washing in 1963, one would learn that King began to do research on Jainism and the teachings of Gandhi. I am not trying to take anything away from those church folks who put in work. I just want folks to realize that those concepts and tactics used during that era did not come from Christianity.  

The thing about Christians, and yes I mean ALL of them, is that they like to pick and choose certain quotes in the Bible. The problem with the Bible is that it contradicts itself on almost every page. While Jesus did discuss “turning the other cheek” there were moments in the Gospels where he was violent and talked about violence. Let’s not mention the fact that Jesus was really exclusive about who was down and who wasn’t. So this idea of tolerance in Christianity is fiction.

It’s unfortunate that folks like Rustin and A. Philip Randolph get written out of the Black Freedom Rights Struggle. The narrative that is written is that church folks did it all when that is not the case. And yes, the black clergy came from the stance of Liberation Theology as preached by Martin Delaney (another Martin you should read about) in the 19th century. And it’s a crime that Liberation Theology has also been written out of history or seen as a form of “communism.” But that is another post for another day.   

If you are in Detroit on May 14th, support the folks at the 5E Gallery! they don’t disappoint. 

Kumare

I let this documentary slip under the radar. Kumare won some awards and garnered critical acclaim. The thing about documentaries is that they are touch and go. They are either really good or they are horrible things that put you to sleep. Fortunately, Kumare is pretty good. Kumare is directed by Bikram Gandhi. He is a first generation Indian American who was raised in a devout Hindu home but religion never really stuck with him. He traveled back and forth to India to find the right religious group to fit in. He studied different religions and spoke to many spiritual teachers. In the end, he realized it was all a hoax. So he decides to grow his hair and beard out, learn yoga, consult with several spiritual leaders and then come back the United States and become Kumare.

You will laugh. The amazing part is that Gandhi as Kumare does most of these things without laughing or even smiling. People say all kinds of things to him to win over his kindness. He encounters other religious leaders who claim he is authentic. At a certain point it gets kind of scary. Many people put tremendous faith in him. Eventually, Kumare has a small following. Many claim how Kumare changed their lives. At one point, Gandhi decides to reveal that he is a fake but decides against this and leaves his flock. Several weeks later he does reveal the truth. No one stones him.

Of course, this doesn’t surprise me. While Kumare was lying to his followers, he didn’t ask them to drink cyanide laced kool aid. Kumare didn’t ask his followers to let him sleep with his daughters. He didn’t ask them to turn over their fortunes to him. Like many followers of mad men, when their followers learn of their deception, they become stronger followers. Many of his followers still felt that Gandhi had spiritual powers.

One thing the viewer will realize is that people in the film project their hopes and misgivings onto Kumare. If you notice Kumare doesn’t spend too much time talking. His followers do all of the talking. He just nods and obliges them. Over and over, Kumare tells his followers that he is fake and that they already have what they need to be successful and find fulfillment. It seems as if no one is listening to him even as he runs them through these ridiculous rituals and fake yoga moves. He does this all with a straight face.

The viewer can’t help but watch how many of his followers really care about Kumare. Both Kumare and the viewer will also realize that these people do need something in their lives to take them over the next horizon. That much is true. Kumare realizes that folks come to religion to find that something or someone. He also realizes that for some of these people he is really helping them. Although many of the people profiled in this documentary are amazing and have been through so much, they still feel like they need something else.

I found this to be a great experiment. One that we can all learn from. While Kumare didn’t have thousands of followers, he had enough people who thought he was the real thing. One thing I learned is that many people want to feel special. They want to feel like they matter in this vast universe. Gandhi proves that religion provides that feeling for people even though it’s not really true. While many people might be offended at what Kumare was doing since he is mocking spiritual gurus, we should be more offended by those same gurus who have thousands of followers while doing the spiritual hustle. What I dug the most about this experiment is that Gandhi wasn’t trying to call anyone out. Instead, he was trying to figure out what makes people cling to religion. He was not trying to bash religion at all.

Again, Gandhi realizes that people are searching for something to give life meaning. People want to hope for something better. For many, religion provides that comfort. Although Gandhi witnessed people make amazing breakthroughs because they believed in themselves, they always gave credit to Kumare even though all he did was listen. That’s the part we should pay attention to.  

iamonebeing:

What Ever Happened to Hip Hop (Documentary)

Published on Dec 15, 2012

Documentary from Sonali Aggarwal: Starring Afrika Bambaataa, KRS-ONE, Busy Bee, Kool Keith, MC Lyte, Slick Rick, Jean Grae, Gemini and other notable people being part of the Hip Hop movement. It began with the beat of the drum. With the beat, came a voice for those without one. From this voice, came a movement. Overcoming the odds, the originators of Hip Hop took their music from block parties of New York City streets to world wide radio waves. During the early years, the music and message reached new heights by exploring humanity, politics, and street life, while keeping it real and having fun. But what ever happened to Hip Hop? Currently the most pervasive music worldwide, its roots have been forgotten, its message perverted. With Hip Hop in the spotlight, it’s time to put it back on track. This documentary presents views from Hip Hop founders, contributors, and artists in an attempt to return its audience to the four principles: Peace, Unity, Love & Having Fun

christiannightmares:

The always current Pat Robertson warns that the ‘demonic’ game Dungeons & Dragons ‘literally destroyed people’s lives’ (Found at Right Wing Watch; For a related video, click here http://christiannightmares.tumblr.com/post/11119061093/whip-smart-christians-talk-about-the-oriental)

gotta love ol’ Pat

In a few days, a relative of my wife will pass away. I was never really close to this person. While she had a big influence on my wife, we can’t say they were that close either. After almost 15 years, this person will lose her battle with cancer. Like most bouts with cancer, it’s a roller coaster ride of chemo, a few years of almost being cured, to several to be determined dates of death.

I know that most people have good intentions when they provide ideas on how to help out. That’s a good thing right? While much of the intention is good, the actual advice is condescending and at times, victim blaming. First, if someone has been battling cancer for over 10 years, chances are they tried everything within their power to get better. My wife’s aunt did everything from chemo, acupuncture, holistic healing, crystals, and various new medical techniques. I am sure they might have miss some new breakthrough or diet plan, but we can be pretty sure they tried everything within their power and means. So when you tell someone that a relative has cancer, you hear all kinds of stuff. I know, my oldest son fought cancer. That was a lesson as well.

I did have quite a few people tell me “well if she wants to beat it, she can beat it.” Again, I know their intentions were good but it’s tremendously condescending to say something like that. Trust me, if it was all about willpower, I knew quite a few folks who could have beat cancer. Many of them had more will power in their pinky then most of us have together. A handful of people even questioned her morality. While only a handful of people came out of their faces with this sort of dribble, I hear it on the street often.

“If they only lived right, they would be okay.”

“If they only accepted Jesus, they would triumph.”

That is said quite often in barbershops, dinners, barbecues, and other large gatherings. Many people equate good things happening to people with their so called morality. This is troubling despite the overwhelming evidence that bad things happen to good people all the time.

I have heard people suggest that the African Slave trade was something that happened due to a moral failure. Yes! It sounds crazy but there are people walking around who believe that nonsense. You heard some people during 9/11 claim that God was punishing America. Many of these people aren’t raving lunatics either. A great number of these folks are law abiding citizens who will give you the shirt off their back if asked however they sincerely believe these ideas as if they were fact.

Like the song, I do believe in miracles. While I don’t think there is a supernatural being or beings who perform these miracles, there are some things that happen that are just unexplainable. Why do some people who are terminal, survive? It can be any number of things but I doubt it’s their so called morality.

My point? When you learn someone has a chronic illness or a disease that will end his or her life, be a little sensitive and keep your unproven ideas to yourself. If you do know about a miraculous medical breakthrough, it doesn’t hurt to provide that information. Instead of saying something stupid, offer to lend a hand. Trust me there is so much you can do and sometimes that is enough to demonstrate that you actually care.  

kemetically-afrolatino:

Rebel Diaz Arts Collective (RDACBX) Evicted from South Bronx building (March 1, 2013)

Armed NYPD officers and city marshals raided the 5,000-square-foot loft early Thursday and ordered the one artist present to leave.

The collective has rented the loft for more than four years, during which time it transformed the abandoned space into a thriving hip-hop community center, called RDACBX, where media-making workshops, a monthly “Boogie Mics” open mic night and a new “radical library” drew hundreds of youth from the South Bronx and beyond.

this shit is an attack on our culture, our people and our hood. gentrification/white invasion is real and it’s happening everyday.

RDACBX is close to me cuz i organized a Tumblr meetup conference last year at the space, a safe space for people of color to talk about shit that affects us, like this bullshit. I also attended the Boogie Mic open mic night whenever i was in the area, spittin poetry about bullshit like this.

that last pic shows all the leftover stuff from the space. they had a fukin legit hip hop studio in there producin gems for the hip hop and urban community. they held workshops for the youth, a Hip Hop festival in December, and a summer youth employment program. and now it’s gone cuz the murals and content are “too political.” fuck that.

even without a space, RDACBX held their regularly scheduled Boogie Mics outside the building on friday March 1st. you can knock us down but you cant keep us down.

plz stay posted for info. on how to support RDACBX.

see RDACBX’s press release for more info

check out this video where RDACBX speaks out during an emergency press conference and rally decrying the eviction from their studio.

news coverage #1 DNAInfo; #2 hyperallergic.com

As I travel to either lecture or teach Capoeira, there is a word I use that I hear Christians use often. The term is “fellowship.” I am sure folks were using it before Christians did. I do think that Christians use the term to encompass everything people do together. On the street, we use the term “build,” but when I use that term I have to do provide a definition. When I use “fellowship,” everyone gets it. Like “build” it can mean sharing information, experiences, and ideas with like minded individuals or people who are on the same page. Both terms denote a positive and wonderful experience.

My point in that exercise is to explain that there are experiences that many people share outside of the church. There are moments that are fantastic and stay embedded in our psyches. There are times when we all feel something transcendent. Take a New Year’s Party. It’s very secular and tied to no ancient ritual yet everyone is geared up to celebrate that one moment. If you are sober, it’s amazing. There is a tremendous amount of hugging, dancing, and jumping up and down. For one moment, everyone in your time zone is on the same page. Many people feel this sense of euphoria while doing things in smaller groups. John Coltrane explained that there were moments where he felt a tremendous sense of self and meditation while performing on stage. People feel an overwhelming sense of emotion when winning a major event. Some people feel this way when they climb a mountain or go parachuting.

In other words, many people get these sensations in areas that are completely secular. Yet theist, spiritualists, and other people who believe in the supernatural claim that only they can feel these sensations. As atheists, they claim that we don’t have those sort of experiences. Many theists feel that if you are not part of their religion, you might not feel those kind of emotions described above. They feel as if they have a monopoly on these sort of transcendent experiences. As usual, they are wrong.

It is something that is connected to the idea that because we don’t worship a God, that we atheists have no sense of morality. Just because we don’t worship a God, many theists assume that we have nothing to look forward to and that we are not happy people. I said it before and I will say it again, we can be good without God. We can experience wonderful things around wonderful people and be ecstatic about it.