APPEAL FOR SUPPORT OF THE BLACK ARTS MOVEMENT 27 CITY TOUR

The Black Arts Movement Poets Choir & Arkestra, BAM Conference, University of California, Merced, February 28-March 2, 2014

The mission of the Black Arts Movement’s 27 City Tour is to continue the cultural revolution we initiated during the 1960s.  This cultural revolution is still needed because for a variety of reasons the Black Arts Movement was aborted due to the radical nature of our task which was the liberation of our people in harmony with the political movement.  Today, the need to address the political condition is critical, yes, even with the election of a non-white president, though this president has done little to address non-white issues, especially the high unemployment of youth, the high incarceration rate of 2.4 million  and the deportation rate of two million so called illegal immigrants since President Obama took office.

But more than the political and economic situation is the cultural condition, the reactionary values in hip hop culture, especially unconscious rap poetry, and even the socalled conscious poetry is, in the words of my daughter, an expression of the pseudo conscious, for words are not followed by the right action. As we know, talk is cheap!

But most important is the overall lack of mental health wellness in our community nationwide, to say nothing of physical wellness. The high rate of homicide among young North American African men is symptomatic of a lack of manhood training or the infusion of traditional values that inspire and motivate people to be the best they can be, to give honor and respect to their elders and ancestors. 

The 50%  or more drop out rate of students in our schools is partly the result of our dire mental health condition. Alas, it is said not only is there a critical need for a positive curriculum and teachers with an undying love for our children, but the mental health condition of our children requires mental health counselors with radical  values of wellness  based on a holistic approach to solving our myriad psychosocial and economic issues.  We are dumbfounded to learn the USA  (Bush and Obama) promised the young men in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere (except in the USA) three items if they stop their violence and pledge allegiance to the constitution of their lands: education, jobs and housing. Why not offer education, jobs and housing for the boyz and girls ,  in the hood? The BAM tour will address some of these issues through the medium of art, i.e. poetry, drama, dance, music, graphics.

While art therapy has been used in traditional cultures, and was utilized in the Black Arts Movement, there must be a concerted effort to make use of art in the healing of our people. Throughout the years, we have seen the power of art in changing destructive personalities. We recall the production we did of Amiri Baraka’s play Dutchman in Fresno CA. The local pimp loaned us  a wig for the female character Lula. When he viewed the play and saw her stab the young North American African male, Clay, this rocked the pimp’s world and he threw in his pimping towel, joined the Nation of Islam and eventually became an imam and made his haj or pilgrimage to Mecca. Thus we see the power of art to heal broken, self destructive and economically damaged personalities.

Many times we heard Amiri Baraka speak about the need to reach our people in the 27 major cities we inhabit—to reach out and touch them with healing Black Art that can restore our mental and physical wellness.  In honor of ancestor Amiri Baraka, we propose to conduct a 27 city tour with concerts and wellness workshops to aid in the recovery of ourselves. Our special focus shall be on young Black men, although we cannot  and will not ignore young black women, nor will we avoid adult and parental responsibility.

We estimate the overall budget for this project will be 2.7 million dollars at $100,000 per city, including  artist fees, promotion, advertisement, rental of venues, insurance, security, lodging, food and transportation. Since many of the Black Arts Movement workers are elders, the timeline would be at least three years to complete this project,  including planning and production.

BAM workers in each community will be recruited to participate and we would like to establish a BAM center in each city, no matter if it is a 50 seat theatre as Amiri Baraka suggested.  A staff of educators,  and mental and physical health workers must be a part of this project so that we more effectively deal with our wellness in a holistic manner.

Sincerely,

Marvin X, Project Director

The Black Arts Movement 27 City Tour

Philadelphia PA

4/23/14

National Advisory Board Members (invited by Marvin X)

Mrs. Amina Baraka

Sonia Sanchez

Askia Toure
Umar Bin Hassan
Abiodun 

Haki Madhubuti

Mae Jackson

Rudolph Lewis

Maurice Henderson

Emory Douglas

Elena Seranno

Greg Morozumi

Woody King

Ted Wilson

Troy Johnson

Kalamu Ya Salaam

Eugene Redman

Kim McMillan

Ayodele Nzinga

Geoffery Grier

Nefertiti Jackmon

Muhammida El Muhajir

Jessica Care Moore

Paul Cobb

Conway Jones

John Burris

James Sweeney

Fahizah Alim

Nisa Ra

Aries Jordan

Sam Anderson
Greg Corbin
Valerie Gay
Jerry Vernado
Warren Foster

 Philly piano legend Alfie Pollitt (played for Teddy Pendergrass, John Coltrane, et al) will be BAM tour music director

 Temple University Professor Dr. Tony Montiero will join tour as educator

Philadelphia's Sonia Sanchez, Queen Mother of the Black Arts Movement, will participate depending on her health and schedule.

 Greg Corbin, founder of the Philadelphia Youth Poetry Movement, will command the BAM youth program

Denise Valentine of National Association of Black Storytellers is ready to take role in BAM Tour

While in Philadelphia to participate in the 60th Birthday Celebration for imprisoned radical journalist Mumia Abu Jamal, Marvin X has been busy recruiting a Dream Team of artists, activists, educators and promoters for the 27 City Black Arts Movement Tour he is organizing. The following are a few of the persons who have tentatively agreed to join the BAM Tour:

Dr. Cornel West, educator

Dr. Tony Montiero, educator

Dr. Muhammad Ahmed, educator

Fred Hampton, Jr., activist

Preston Muhammad, promoter

Alfie Pollitt, musician, arranger

Elliot Bey, musician

Pam Africa, activist

Maurice Henderson, producer

Abiodun, the Last Poets

Umar Bin Hasan, the Last Poets

Ewuare Osayande, poet, professor, editor

Billy X. Jennings, Black Panther archivist

 Poet Genny Lim, drummer Marshall Trammel

 The Last Poets, Umar Bin Hassan and Abiodun

 Avotcja

 Zena Allen on Kora

Tarika Lewis

 Earl Davis

Poet Kalamu Chache'

Poet Lakiba Pittman

Poet Toreada, singer Mechelle LaChaux, poet Ayodele Nzinga, Tarika Lewis, violinist 

Choreographer Linda Johnson, Raynetta Rayzette, Val Serrant, Tumani