Nia Wilson, RIP
Power to the People!
North American Africans in Oakland are in pain, grief and sorrow at the cold blooded murder of Nia Wilson and the stabbing of her sister Latifah at the BART station. Ironically, Channel Two television tried to debase Nia by showing her with a gun at some earlier time.
Obviously, if she'd had the gun on her person, she might be alive today. At least she would have been able to exercise self defense. I've told my three daughters to pack. I don't want them in no situation where they cannot defend themselves and their children! One daughter told me the other day, "Daddy, I'm strapped!"
Signs throughout the BART tell riders to "Be aware of your surroundings!" The Boy Scout motto is Be Prepared! In the hood we say, "Stay strapped!" The time is such that America's low intensity war against North American Africans is escalating so we must be aware of our surroundings at all times and never get caught napping. We cannot pretend we will be treated as other human beings when this has not occurred in the 400 years we've been in the wilderness of North America. We have been treated as savages along with the indigenous people. And we are killed today as if we were savages or animals, although the Euro-Americans have always treated their animals, especially their dogs, far better than they've treated Africans kidnapped into the "American slave system" (Ed Howard term).
This morning's rally of Black Artists expressing their grief and sorrow at the murder and stabbing of the Wilson sisters, quickly morphed into a manhood/womanhood rite of passage. Men were given their marching orders to upgrade their respect for women and men. Speakers urged the men to stop calling women bitches and ho's and to assist women when they need protection and not seek sexual favors for their role as protectors of the family, tribe and community. Men expressed their sorrow for not being able to save our sisters from the savage attack. We can't say the white culprit was mentally ill because we have no knowledge of his medical records. We do know it was a totally unprovoked attack by a white person upon two North American African females.
Some speakers recalled the shameful actions of NAA men who were standing with phones in hand, although the stabber has a prison record so we know he knew how to move quickly upon his prey, almost before anyone had time to intervene.
There was a call for the religious community to march with the people as protection since ministers are known to be a shield from the brute force of police who attacked protesters.
If we recall the incident in Los Angeles when the LAPD attacked the Nation of Islam's Mosque and Minister Malcolm X pleaded with the Honorable Elijah Muhammad for a swift retaliation, HEM told Malcolm to chill because in any war there shall be causalities, and so it is with the Wilson sisters. They are causalities of war but we must pick the right time to retaliate. Forget about justice in the courts! In war the warriors give justice to the enemy.
Frankie Beverly sings of joy and pain, sunshine and rain. Wars have tragedies and victories. As we mourn the death of Nia Wilson, consider her a martyr for freedom. Consider Latifah a soldier in the Black Liberation Army.
As we mourn and celebrate the death of Nia, let us also celebrate the victory we enjoy with the occupation of Lake Merritt. One of the speakers was from the Bar B Que Becky Revolution that continues every Sunday at Lake Merritt on Lakeshore Avenue. It is a beautiful demonstration of Power to the People. Revolution is the seizure of power as we have done with the Sunday occupation of Lake Merritt, a space we were banned from while I grew up in West Oakland. Those who don't know need to know it happens every Sunday with vendors and our people enjoying themselves in a space we have liberated. A cultural worker came by my book stand and said, "Marvin, the people just took the Lake, huh?" I said, "Yes, we just took the motherfucka!"
The vendors begin setting up around 6AM so they can secure vending space and parking space. There has been little police presence and little need for security. I know of no incidents, thus revealing how beautiful we are when in full control of our space. The occupation of Lake Merritt is thus a political, cultural and economic revolution that can and must be expanded along the entire length of the Black Arts Movement Cultural District from Lake Merritt along the 14th Street corridor to the Lower Bottom and along East Oakland's International Blvd. to deep East. This space must be part of any economic and cultural parity package. Just know life is joy and pain, sunshine and rain!
--Marvin X
Co-founder
Black Arts Movement
Black Arts Movement Cultural District
7/26/18