If I don't promote myself, who is? If I don't love myself, who is? Philly Sister said,
"Marvin X loves himself so much, he makes me want to love myself more!"
Marvin X says, "You want somebody to love you when you don't even love yourself? People tell me this nigga and that nigga don't like them! I reply, do you think I worry about those who don't like me, who hate me? Wise sister told me long time ago, 'Marvin X, just know this: more people love you than hate you, so focus on those who love you and fuck the haters!'"
Another person said to my haters, "So what if Marvin X is a dope fiend, alcoholic, and a dirty old man who loves ho's, at least he's productive. The Last Poets say he writes a book a month! You clean, sober, vegan, jogging but ain't producing shit! WTF!"
Marvin X is 75 years old, half blind, disabled in one arm, yet writes 24/7. You young, cock strong, ain't doing shit but smoking blunts all day and night. Hell, Marvin X and his comrades in the Black Revolution of the 60s smoked weed 24/7 too, but made revolution. You high but revolution is passing you bye. Yeah, Black Lives Matter, but Black Power Matters more. Hell, whites march with Black Lives Matter signs, then scam you out of your house in the hood, then put a Black Lives Matter sign in the window. Now you in a motherfuckin tent by the freeway and Black Lives Matter? Black Power Matters! Like the Oakland Mothers, occupy any vacant properties and claim housing is a human right. Did not the California Governor Newsome and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and a Land Truth come to the aid of the Mothers? You should now occupy the 40% of single family houses in East Oakland owned by Wall Street investors. Guest what, if you occupy any development, the developers will eventually want to make a deal.
In South Africa, they have a deal: Leave us the keys and git yo ass up outta here! SASame is good for the USA. The homeless should occupy any new housing development that has caused displacement. Stay until an agreement is reached with the developers and the City, but not only for occupation but equity ownership of said property. Let this equity ownership be part of any Reparations Agreement with cities and states throughout the USA. Don't accept kibbles and bits, demand equity ownership under a land trust with life estate titles to each unit. Better Ax somebody as they say in Houston, Texas.
At this moment it will take you 228 years told reach financial equity with the white folks you love so much, but they enjoy the benefit of accrued capital from 400 years of slavery. You multi-cultural but on the last rung of the multi-cultural ladder and don't bring shit to the multi-cultural table. The other multi-culturals at least have consciousness of their culture, economic thrival. You talk about Kwanza but throughout the year won't spend one dollar with another!
black business. Check yourself. Check your daily round and see how much money you spend in your community. President Donald Trump talks about fair trade with Canada, Mexico, Europe, China, Japan. You must talk about fair trade in the hood with Latinox, Arabs, Asians, and
Euro-Americans, wait a minute, fair trade with Africans and Caribbean Diaspora Negoes/Africans too, most of whom hate "Black Americans" (as a result of white supremacy colonialism and neo-colonialism) yet enjoy the fruits of our struggle with the white devil! We know Pan Africa is sick, we know bleaching cream is the biggest fad from Africa to the Americas and the Caribbean. I love the sister who wrote on Post- Traumatic Slave Syndrome, but ain't nothing Post in our condition that is severe in the here and now!
If and when you enact failed policies and somebody else's agenda, you qualify for the nut house. Check your dip stick and report to the nut house, tell them you are a danger to yourself and others. Only then will they open the door for you.
What you bringing to the table, nothing! The Latinox, Asians, LGBT and trysexuals come with their agenda, what's yours? And if you get reparations, you don't have financial literacy. Here in the Bay, after the 1989 Quake, Blacks enjoyed Xmas in October, got money for food, clothing, housing, furniture, first and last rent, hotel vouchers, restaurant, but most everything went to the dope man by 12 noon the next day. If you are blessed with reparations, will it all go to the white man and dope man by 12 noon the next day? WTF. Before reparations, we need mental health recovery programs and financial literacy. Alas, we were freed from slavery but had no programs to recover from 400 years of trauma, only things saved us was blues, jazz and gospel music, thank you Jesus!
Only a few of us understood Jesus on the cross and lynching tree! David Walker, Nat Turner understood, Gabriel Prosser, Denmark Vessy, Toussaint and Desselines understood, Harriet Tubman understood, Henry Highland Garnett understood, Sojourner Truth and Ida B. Wells understood. Wish somebody would hep me, in JB linguistics.
Marvin X is one of the founders of the Black Arts Movement and Oakland's Black Arts Movement Business District.
Marvin X and Sun Ra, BAM co-founders, worked together coast to coast, taught together at UC Berkeley, 1972. Sun Ra arranged music for X's play Take Care of Business, Black Educational Theatre, 1972.
Contact him at 510-575-7148
BAM Co-founders Marvin X and Danny Glover. Danny performed at Black Arts West Theatre, San Francisco, 1966, founded by Marvin X and playwright Ed Bullins.
"Marvin X has been ignored and silenced like Malcolm X would be ignored and silenced if he had lived on into the Now. He's one of the most extraordinary, exciting black intellectuals living today."
--Rudolph Lewis, Chickenbones
"He's the African Socrates teaching in the hood...a combination of Thelonious Monk and Marianne Williamson!"--Dr. Cornel West, Harvard University
"He's the USA's Rumi, Saadi, Hafiz...."--Bob Holman
Marvin X and Fahizah Alim
"His poetry is orgasmic.... His love poems will resound as long and as deeply as any love poems ever written by anyone, e.g., Shakespeare, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Sonia Sanchez, Maya Angelou or any others."--Fahizah Alim, Editor Emeritus, Sacramento Bee Newspaper
"He is father of the genre known as Muslim American literature...."--Dr. Mohja Kahf, Professor of English and Islamic Literature, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
"Marvin X is one of the innovators and founders of the revolutionary school of African writing."
--Amiri Baraka (RIP)
Dr. Nathan Hare and Marvin X
"Marvin X is one of the blackest men to walk this earth in consciousness if not complexion...."
--Dr. Nathan Hare, Father of Black and Ethnic Studies
--Dr. Nathan Hare, Father of Black and Ethnic Studies
Marvin X at his Academy of da Corner, 14th and Broadway, downtown Oakland, "The most dangerous classroom in the world, across the street from Oscar Grant Plaza where political rallies take place and police violence under the color of law. Academy of da Corner is also in the heart of the Black Arts Movement Business District along the 14th Street corridor, proclaimed by the Oakland City Council on January 19, 2016. Marvin is a co-founder of the BAMBD.
photo Jahahara Alkebulan
![]()
Marvin X and Oakland City Councilwoman Lynette McElhaney in happier times. She thinks
Marvin hates her because she pushed through the legislation establishing the BAMBD but has done nothing since to make Oakland's Black Cultural and Business District a reality. Marvin says he doesn't hate her, he loves story tellers!
Marvin X and Oakland City Councilwoman Lynette McElhaney in happier times. She thinks
Marvin hates her because she pushed through the legislation establishing the BAMBD but has done nothing since to make Oakland's Black Cultural and Business District a reality. Marvin says he doesn't hate her, he loves story tellers!
"He's Plato teaching on the streets of Oakland."--Ishmael Reed, Emeritus Lecturer, UC Berkeley
Tentative Schedule
West Coast
San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton and Marvin X at Shamann's press conference on reparations from the City and County of San Francisco. Marvin X is the Political columnist for the San Francisco Sun Reporter Newspaper.
photo Adam Turner
Oakland
January 25, Saturday, 12 Noon
Marvin X Welcomes NCobra Reparations gathering in the BAMBD
Joyce Gordon Gallery
14th and Franklin Streets
Downtown Oakland
Host Jahahara
Dirty South
Durham, North Carolina
January 30-31
Reading at Duke University
Black Muslim Atlantic Symposium
Host Ellen McLarney, Professor
of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
East Coast, UpSouth
Philadelphia
Sunday, February 2
Moonstone Poetry
Fergie's Pub
1214 Sansom St
2PM
poets reading
Marvin X, accompanied by Elliott Bey on keyboards
Lamont Steptoe
Kirwyn Sutherland
Host Larry Robin
Newark NJ
Friday February 7, 7PM
Amina Baraka's house
808 South 10th St
Marvin X will read, sign books
Host Amina Baraka
Newark NJ Mayor Ras Baraka and Marvin X
Philadelphia
Saturday February 8
Culture Works
1315 Walnut St
Room 320
Reading, book signing
5-7pm
dinner available
Hosts Sisters Zakiyyah, Nisa Ra
Left to right: Dr. Molefe Asante, Mrs. Amina Baraka, Marvin X, Middy Baraka, Kenny Gamble
They are on Philly's Theatre Row for Muhammida El Muhajir's Intergenerational Discussion
Black Power Babies. Muhammida is the daughter of Nisa Ra and Marvin X. Muhammida now lives in Accra, Ghana. She urges her father to get his behind to Ghana permanently. She says, "Ghana may not have electricity 24/7 but it doesn't have white supremacy, not 24/7!" The Black Power Babies Intergenerational Discussion was sponsored by Kenny Gamble and Sarah Lomax of WURD Radio.
Nisa Ra, Muhammida El Muhajir, Marvin X
Sarah Lomax of WURD Radio, Marvin X, Muhammida El Muhajir and Mrs. Amina Baraka
Marvin X is available for readings and speaking engagements coast to coast. Call 510-757-7148
mxjackmon @gmail.com
![]()
![]()
Marvin X after lecture/discussion with University of California, Merced students
in Dr. Kim McMillan's Radical Theatre class. "My students love Marvin X!"
![]()
Marvin X at his alma mater, San Francisco State University, after a lecture/discussion with students in Davey D's class on Hip Hop.
photo Davey D
Marvin X at University of Chicago's Sun Ra Conference on Afro-Futurism
photo B Sunrise
Marvin X after lecture/discussion with University of California, Merced students
in Dr. Kim McMillan's Radical Theatre class. "My students love Marvin X!"
Marvin X at his alma mater, San Francisco State University, after a lecture/discussion with students in Davey D's class on Hip Hop.
photo Davey D