General Kumasi orders Black August soldiers to read Marvin X's Notes

Black August founders,organizers and participants, left to right: Mama Efia Nwangaza, Human Rights Advocate, Greensville, SC,Shaka Al Thinin. Back left: Kumasi and Marvin X 
photo Wanda Sabir, SF Bayview Newspaper

Brother Kumasi, Black August Prison Movement co-founder and undisputed griot (historian) of the Black and American Prison Movement has issued orders to all Black August soldiers to read Notes of Artistic Freedom Fighter Marvin X!  ASAP! After reading the book twice, Kumasi says it is a narrative from the horse's mouth. Marvin X visited Soledad Prison's Black Culture Club, the beginning of the Black and American Prison Movement, 1966. The club was chaired by Eldridge Cleaver and Alprintice Bunchy Carter, When Eldridge Cleaver was released from prison and came to the Bay Area, Marvin X was the first person Cleaver hooked up with. They established a political/cultural center called Black House, 1967. Marvin introduced Eldridge to Bobby Seale and Huey Newton, his classmates from Oakland's Merritt College. Other soon to be members of the BPP also came through Black House: Samuel Napier, became Minister of Distribution of the Black Panther Newspaper. George Murray became Minister of Education. Emory Douglas became Minister of Culture.

Marvin X also recruited for the Nation of Islam., "fishing" Nadar Ali, who became Director of Imports. He mentored writer Fahizah Alim who wrote for Muhammad Speaks and the Sacramento Bee. More recently, his star student from his Laney College Drama class founded her own theatre and is founder of the Black Arts Movement Business District, CDC, Dr. Ayodele Nzinga.
All the above history is covered in Notes. Again, General Kumasi says it is a must read for radical activists.


 Marvin X and Nadar Ali, Marvin's "fish" for the Nation of Islam. Nadar became director of imports and was responsible for importing the Whiting fish Muslims sold by the boatload from Peru. On a business trip to Chile, Nadar was on the balcony of his hotel when Chile's President Allende was overthrown.

Panel of woman discussing the Black Arts Movement on the 50th Anniversary of BAM at Laney College, Oakland. Left to right: Elaine Brown, Halifu Osumare, Judy Juanita, Portia Anderson, Phavia Kujichagulia and Aries Jordan. Marvin X was producer, 2015
photo Ken Johnson

 Amiri Baraka and Marvin X, co-founders of the Black Arts Movement coast to coast. They enjoyed 47 years of friendship and revolutionary art projects.

MX and Fahizah Alim. Mentored by MX, she became a writer for Muhammad Speaks and is Writer Emeritus of the Sacramento Bee. Marvin considers her his muse.
MX and his mentor and associate, Dr. Nathan Hare, considered the Father of Black and Ethnic Studies. Hare was first chair of Black Studies at San Francisco State University and founding publisher of the Black Scholar Magazine.
photo Adam Turner



Marvin X met Eldridge and Bunchy on a visit to Soledad Prison's Black Culture Club, 1966.
Shorty after Bunchy and Huggins were assassinated in the BSU meeting room at UCLA by members of the US organization, on a speaking tour of Los Angeles colleges and universities during his fight to teach black studies at Fresno State University, Marvin X spoke at UCLA and was shown the BSU meeting room with the blood of Bunchy and John still on the walls. He was also shown the headquarters of the Black Panther Party that was site of a BPP/LAPD gun battle with bullet holes on the facade.

Founding members of the SFSU Black Students Union: Benny Stewart, Mar'yam Wadai and Marvin X. Benny was a strike leader, but before the strike Benny was a performer in Amiri Baraka's Communication Project that radicalized students with plays from the Black Arts Movement, including the works of Jimmy Garrett,
Baraka, Sonia Sanchez, Ben Caldwell and Marvin X.
photo Adam Turner

SFSU founding members Mar'yam Wadai, Danny Glover and Marvin X. Danny performed at Black Arts West Theatre, founded by Marvin X and playwright Ed Bullins.
photo Adam Turner

Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton, co-founders of the Black Panther Party.
Bobby, Huey and Marvin X were students at Oakland's Merritt College. Prior to co-founding the BPP, Bobby Seale performed in Come Next Summer, Marvin X's second play, circa 1965. Bobby portrayed a young black man trying to find himself, discover his revolutionary black consciousness. Huey Newton said, "Marvin X was my teacher, many of our comrades came through is Black Arts Theatre and The Black House.e.g., Bobby Seale, Eldridge Cleaver, George Murray, Samuel Napier, Judy Juanita, JoAnn Mitchell, Ellendar Barnes, et al.