"Marvin X is Plato teaching on the streets of Oakland."--Ishmael Reed
"We doubted a Marvin X
existed. We double doubt
there is a Plato Negro."
--Amiri Baraka
Introduction
by
Ptah Allah El
TTo all seekers of truth living in the post modern world, this volume of
literature is your pragmatic hustler’s guide and intellectual syllabus
for success. Some people found it strange when scholar Ishmael Reed
first compared Marvin X, the son of Owendell and Marian Jackmon to the
classical Greek Philosopher Plato (427 B.C.), son of Ariston and
Perictione.
No one can argue that both Plato and Marvin X have proven in
their dialogues/writings to be great thinkers and critics of their
respective eras. Although separated by over two thousand years of
history and clearly two distinct worldviews, research proves that these
poet/philosophers strangely share similar souls. Recently while reading
about the Dialogues of Plato, I came across a quote by William Chase
Greene, former Professor of Greek and Latin at Harvard University.
Greene describes Plato’s works by profoundly stating, “In yet another
field the Platonic Philosophy seeks to find an escape from the flux.
Those poets and artist who are content to record the fleeting
impressions of the senses, or to tickle the fancies and indulge the
passions of an ignorant people by specious emotional and rhetorical
appeals, Plato invites to use their art in service of truth.”
These are timeless words describing Plato’s classic works, yet if you simply
replace Plato’s name with Marvin X in the above quote, and review
Marvin’s work over the past 40 years, you won’t be surprised why he has
adopted the title “Plato Negro”.
In this classic volume Marvin X truly becomes Plato personified, as we see him transcend from master poet to philosopher. Plato was once a master poet until the death of his teacher Socrates in (399 B.C.). This marked a turning point in Plato’s life
causing him to fully convert to philosophy. The same can be said now
with Marvin X who recently lost his master teacher John Douimbia and has
since elevated beyond poetry, reincarnating as the philosopher “Plato
Negro”.
These “New Dialogues” of The Wisdom of Plato Negro provide a
post modern Gorgias, Sophist, Symposium of Laws, on how to hustle and
survive in the new Obamian American Republic. It is clear that Marvin X
has become the true Platonist of the day by demonstrating his Platonic
love for the people, taking us on a symbolic trip through the parable of
the Cave, where all true analysis takes place, inside the true self.
As an African Philosopher, as ironic as it sounds, the works of “Plato
Negro” prove to be a major contribution to the field of African
Philosophy. These works provide a model for a standard approach toward
reflective thinking and critical analysis for African people, still
trying to define their own philosophical worldview. What Plato’s works
did to inspire classical Greece and the European generations to follow,
we hope this brilliant piece of literature from “Plato Negro” will shed
light on Africans today and future generations to come. Write on “Plato
Negro”.
Ptahotep A. El (Trace 101)
Minister of Education, Academy of da Corner,
14th and Broadway, downtown Oakland.
