Question: what can say more than a thousand words but has no mouth?
Answer: a picture.
Nov. 16 was all the way live, and like we said, we could tell you about it but you won't fully believe us until you experience it for yourself.
On this date we hosted a screening of "The FBI's War on Black America," and the crowd really dug it. We had a nice mix of colors, ages, political philosophies and genders - you name it. It wasn't the typical lefty event where everyone knows everyone already and usually knows what they're going to say because they've said it before... so many times!
It was people who really wanted to know what secret government agencies do with our tax dollars. This was not a movie about conspiracy theories, but about human rights. So we showed the film and facilitated the question and answer.
The first question was, "Where are all of our new Black Power leaders like Fred Hampton, Huey P and even a Malcolm X?" The answer, which was a collective response came from different people in the audience: "Today we need a people's movement, as soon as we erect one supposed leader they put a bullet in him to plant fear in others. If it is a people's movement, everybody is involved."
I believe it was Wycliffe John who said, "If I was president I'd be elected Friday, killed Saturday and buried Sunday."
So, of course, the discussion of violence, self-defense and what not came up. Someone asked what were people's opinions on this subject, and they varied but one response stood out in our minds:
"We know we cannot transform minds and hearts with guns, this is a work we the people are doing together on the communities we live in, but first within ourselves. This is not good guys vs. bad guys, this is humanity vs. insanity. When the human family is divided, then shy faces in high places can slide in and pop somebody and say he was a terrorist, and if you don't know your Palestinian neighbor that well, and if it happens to be around the time of a terrorist scare, we conveniently look the other way".
Another person asked how to stay current on the pulse of the movement. Moorpheus said, "Today what used to be a political movement has shifted gears to become a spiritual/cultural movement known as hip-hop, so when you look for inspiration and information similar to how Muhammad Ali or Kwame Ture did, you must pick up a Silent Lambs, dRED.i or even a Felecia V. Loud CD, and this same spirit is present in the music. The only difference is that we are not telling you how things should be. We are describing what is and challenging the courageous ones among us to change what we can change."
This was our second showing within the film series. The next one is "The Spook That Sat By the Door." I'm not gonna tell you everything, but I'll give you a taste. The story is about a young Black man named Turk who is recruited into the CIA through an affirmative action program, but the twist is he takes the CIA information back to his South Side Chicago neighborhood.
The rest you can see on Dec. 21 at Central Cinema (1411 21st and Union Street). Showings are at 7 and 9 p.m. For more information, visit dredimovement.com. PEACE.
Fire off a letter or e-mail to GCL1 and Moorpheus at the address below or through editor@sdistrictjournal.com.[[In-content Ad]]
