Marvin X
Star Witness at Probate Court trial of his late Patron's estate
Abdul Leroy James
Attorney Clinton Killian
Marvin X
photo Adam Turner
in solitude. Leroy and Larry were co-owners. The main house burned down in the Paradise fire but Marvin's apartment was untouched.
photo Adam Turner
After the Paradise fire that destroyed the main house, Marvin X stands in door of his Cherokee apartment that was untouched in the Paradise fire. Leroy James gave him this space to write five books in five years of solitude as he also healed from the death of his son, Darrell, 39 years old, and the transition of his estranged partner due to his drug abuse, Oakland High School English Teacher, Marsha Satterfield, 41years old RIP.
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Shortly after Dr. Huey P. Newton was murdered on the streets of West Oakland, Marvin wrote a scene of his last meeting with Huey in a West Oakland Crack House. This scene became a one-act play by Marvin X and Ed Bullins and was produced in New York at Woody King's New Federal Theatre. The full length play of Marvin's addiction and recovery One Day in the Life, became a recovery community classic that Leroy James helped produce, beginning at the Uhuru House in East Oakland. Mayor Willie Brown invited the production to San Francisco where it was produced at the Bannam Place Theatre, North Beach, Lorraine Hansberry Theatre on theatre row in Union Square, and at Recovery Theatre, St. Boniface Church, in the Tenderloin. When the video version toured the east coast, Marvin treated his Patron and his partner, Paula, to accompany his tour.
Eldridge Cleaver and Alprintice Bunchy Carter
Leroy James supported the Oakland memorial service for Eldridge Cleaver, Marvin X officiated, 1998.
Kathleen Cleaver and the Cleaver's daughter, Joju, attended. Participants included Dr. Nathan Hare, Dr. Yusef Bey, Emory Douglas, Tarika Lewis, Imam Alamin, Minister Keith Muhammad, and Majeedah Rahman. When Eldridge and Marvin X were on Crack, Leroy James gave them one of his properties in the Oakland hills after they promised to write a book about Leroy. But it was a Crack lie to get money from Leroy as did many people. "In sha Allah, I shall write the book on my beloved Patron's life. Surely he did more good than evil, especially with the wealth that he acquired. We love you brother Abdul Leroy James. RIP!"
Marvin X Testifies
Yesterday, Oakland Attorney Clinton Killian prepared Marvin X to give testimony today as an impartial witness in the Probate Court trial of his late Patron, Abdul Leroy James' estate: Michaela Abdul, Contestant vs. Lauria E. Mozon, Respondent. Attorney Killian told Marvin X he had to hit a Hank Aaron home run. The matter being decided is whether Lauria E. Mozon was married to Abdul Leroy James. Marvin knew Leroy James since childhood when they grew up in West Oakland. Marvin was infatuated with his 6th grade classmate, Jackie Adams. Leroy was a friend of her younger brother. Many years later, Marvin and Jackie met at the funeral of Leroy's mother. At today's hearing, Marvin was questioned whether Lauria was at the funeral of Leroy's mother. The poet said he didn't recall her being present. Attorney Killian asked if Leroy ever referred to Lauria as his wife? Marvin said no. Throughout their long relationship, Leroy repeatedly told Marvin he didn't believe in marriage, although Lauria produced a marriage license, but it had Leroy's brother's name as the husband, Larry James, who has a wife. Apparently Leroy had no intention of marrying Lauria. He never told Marvin he had married Lauria. The poet told the court, "I was shocked to learn of this socalled marriage only after the death of my patron.
Attorney Killian began questioning Marvin on his background as a black radical writer. Marvin explained that he came from conscious parents who published a black newspaper when he was born, 1944, in Fowler, California, The Fresno Voice where his parents lived when he was born. His black consciousness was developed further when he attended Oakland's Merritt College, where his classmates were Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, who would co-found the Black Panther Party, 1966.
Bobby Seale and Huey Newton, Co-founders of the Black Panther Party, 1966
"We all were influenced by the Afro-American Association, under the leadership of Attorney Donald Warden, aka Khalid Abdullah Tariq Al Mansour.
The parents of Vice President Kamala Harris met at Oakland's Afro-American Association
Vice President Kamala Harris's parents met at a session of the Afro-American Association that lead to the Black Panther Party, Black Arts Movement and Black Studies.
In the 70s, Marvin X reconnected with Leroy James and his brother Larry. Leroy, now a multi-millionaire real estate investor, became Marvin's patron and helped publish his books and helped finance Marvin's artistic productions and community social justice projects. In 1979, Marvin X was teaching English at the University of Nevada, Reno.
While at UNR, he was awarded two planning grants from the National Endowment of the Humanities to produce two conferences for the Reno Black Community. But when the Oakland Police killed his friend's brother, 15 year old Melvin Black, Marvin was urged to return to Oakland to help his friend rally the community to stop the monthly killing of black men. With the financial support of Leroy James, Marvin organized a rally attended by five thousand people at the Oakland Auditorium, and invited Minister Farrakhan as the keynote speaker.
Attorney Khalid Abdullah Tariq Al Mansour at the Melvin Black Forum on Human Rights, 1979,
financed by Abdul Leroy James, organized by Marvin X. During Al Mansour's speech that dragged on, the keynote speaker, Minister Farrakhan, called Marvin to the green room and told him if he didn't get Mansour off stage he was leaving for Chicago immediately. Marvin returned to the stage and snatched the mike from Mansour and gave it to Minister Farrakhan's Assistant Khalid Muhammad who brought on the Minister.
The AAA gave birth to the Black Panther Party, Black Studies and the West Coast Black Arts Movement, co-founded by Marvin X. His first writings appeared in the Student Magazine at Merritt and later in Soulbook, a radical publication of RAM or the Revolutionary Action Movement, headed by Robert F. Williams (Negroes With Guns) and Max Stanford.
Other speakers included Angela Davis, Eldridge Cleaver, Paul Cobb, Dessie Woods Jones, Khalid Abdullah Tariq Al Mansour, et al. Leroy offered one of his properties in the Oakland hills for Minister Farrakhan. Attorney Killian asked Marvin did Lauria attend the Melvin Black Forum on Human Rights? No, sir, Marvin said. What other events did Leroy help you produce? "In 1980 he helped me produce the Black Men's Conference at the Oakland Auditorium. He provided one of his properties for the Black Men's Conference office." Did Lauria attend the Black Men's Conference, asked Killian? No, sir. Did she ever visit the Black Men's Conference office? No, sir. Did she ever tell you she was Leroy's wife? No, sir.
Did he have other women? Yes, sir. Did he call these women his wives? No, sir. He didn't believe in marriage. Who were these other women? Marvin, "There was Joan, Paula, Kim, Doris, Nicole and others!" They lived at his various properties. Did Lauria know these other women? I don't think so. Did you visit the house where she lived? Yes. Did she ever tell you she was his wife? No, sir. Did he sleep in the master bedroom with her? No, sir. He usually slept on the coach in the living room.
"Marvin X, for five years, you lived on the ten-acre estate of Mr. James in Cherokee, Butte County. What did you do there for five years?" I wrote five books and healed from the loss of my son and a partner. "Did Lauria ever visit the estate?" No, sir, not that I recall. Did Paula visit the estate? Yes, sir.
What were the other productions Mr. James assisted you with, Marvin X? In 1998, he assisted me with the memorial service for Eldridge Cleaver. Did Lauria attend? No, sir. In 2001, he helped me produce the Kings and Queens of Black Consciousness at San Francisco State University. Did Lauria attend? No, sir, Paula and Leroy helped take ticket money at the door. In 2004, I produced the San Francisco Tenderloin Black Radical Book Fair.
Attorney Killian, "Did Lauria attend?" No sir, Paula did. He housed some of the participants at his house on Lake Chabot Road in Castro Valley. Did you ever stay at the house on Lake Chabot Road? Yes, sir. Did Lauria ever visit the house on Lake Chabot Road? No sir, I don't recall ever seeing her there. But Paula lived there.
Marvin X was cross examined by two lawyers but they had few questions and the court session ended. Attorney Killian and his assistant told Marvin he gave excellent testimony. Attorney Killian said, "It was combination Hank Aaron and Willie Mays testimony." After the remaining witnesses give their testimony, the judge will decide if Laruia Mozon was in fact married to Abdul Leroy James and his estate will be divided accordingly. Stay turned to the Wild Crazy Ride of the Marvin X Experience, a video documentary on the life and times of the artistic freedom fighter.
In 2019, Marvin X invited Dr. Cornel West to Oakland for a Conversation on local, national and global issues. Continuing the philanthropic tradition of his brother Leroy, Larry James helped produce this event at Geoffrey's Inner Circle. Hassan Larry James was also in charge of security for the event.
The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad and The Most Honorable Martin Luther King, Jr.
My final word on Abdul Leroy James, we both dearly loved and appreciated the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Leroy forever thanked the HEM for teaching him how to do for self. This knowledge gave him the motivation to become a multimillionaire. As per probate, both men estates went into probate. My daughter, Attorney Amira Jackmon, opened a law office for estate planning, but after she saw black people didn't rush to pay her $2,500.00 to do their estate planning and would rather lose their family wealth in probate court, she closed down her law office but continued during her legal work as a high finance bonds attorney.
--Marvin X
2/2/21