Malcolm

                   By Professor ARTURO

                                      I

                              Submission

This is a prayer to the Oneness of God

God is Great

He is the Lord of All Worlds

He makes the water in the well

He has power over all things

He is God

He is God, the One and Only

The Beneficent One

The Merciful One

He is True Love and True Humility

      for True Brotherhood and True Sisterhood

      are Truly powerful...

This is a prayer to the Oneness of God

I submit to no One but Him

I submit to Him, for He is the Way

I submit to Him, for He is the Truth

I submit to Him, for He is the Light of Worlds

I submit to Him, for all Praises and Blessings come from Him

I submit to Him, for He is the Splendor of His Kingdom

I submit to the Spirit and the Word made Flesh

I submit to the land of Mohammed, Abraham,

      and the Prophets of the Scriptures

I cast seven stones at the Devil on the Day of Gathering

I submit

I submit to His Creations

I submit to Sky and Stone and Sea

I submit to the pilgrims, the believers

-from the Mighty Nine to the Wise Men of the East

I submit to feeling blue and alone and seeing a sudden light

I submit to the Great Mosque

I submit to the people--sitting, sleeping, praying, walking

I submit to the pilgrims

--every color, class, caste and rank

(all snoring in the same language)

I submit to the Ka'ba, the Sacred House

I submit it His Creations

I submit to the planeloads of pilgrims

(white, black, brown, red and yellow)

I submit to His servants on the Hajj

                     Arabian Muslims

                     Middle Eastern Muslims

                     North African Muslims

                     Indonesian Muslims

                     Japanese Muslims

                     Russian Muslims

                     Chinese Muslims

                     British Muslims (I say, ma man)

                     New Awlins Muslims (Where Y'at?!!)

I submit to His Will

I submit to His Truth

I submit, for I am Malcolm

I am the "American Muslim"

I am the "Muslim from America"

I am Sonny Liston and Cassius Clay

I am the Cross and Crescent, beaming off TELSTAR

I am Harlem street rallies on sweltering summer afternoons

I am the long, hot Harlem summer of 1964

I am the only so-called "Negro"

     who could stop  a race riot (or start one)

I am Red

I am Big Red

I am anger fermenting in bitter, seething ghettoes and townships

I am Pan Africanism and the OAAU

I am "Omowale" (the son who has come home)

I am the American Muslim

        the Muslim from America

I am MALCOLM!!!

I am EL-HAJJ MALIK EL-SHABAZZ!!!!!

                                     II

                                  Word

"In America," he said, "we are packed like animals

                                             and treated like lepers"

"We didn't land on Plymouth Rock--

 Plymouth Rock landed on us"

All of us--Uncle Tom, Uncle Thomas,

West Indian Archie,

               Corey Horton, Gregory Glover,

                               and Reverend Bishop T. Chickenwing...     

We live in America

We in jail

We 400 years in jail

We been bombed      shot     police-dogged       fire-hosed

                 burned         banned        busted and disgusted

We been sittin' in         slidin' in

      peepin' and-a hidin' in

      wadin' in       eatin' in

      divin' in

                   and

                           marryin' in...

We live in America

We live in the House

the whole House

nuthin' but the House

-the jailhouse

-the crazyhouse

-the Rock House

-Mo' House

     and the Po' house...

We a Muslim, Christian, Catholic, Protestant,

          Baptist, Methodist, Democrat, Republican,

          Mason or Elk...

In New Awlins, we Zulus...and Injuns!)

"Tonto! We're surrounded by the Indians!"

"--What you mean 'we', Kemosabe?"

We live in America

We must  be crazy

We must be 'Negroes"

We live in America (the land of Negroes)

Negroland...

Negro  in     dependence  (from tree to lynching tree)

We Negroes

We must  be crazy

We confused Negroes

     abused Negroes

     defused Negroes

     misused Negroes

We Ign'ant Negroes

      Divided Negroes

      National Negroes

      Southside Negroes

      Harlem Negroes

      Watts Negroes

      Black Bottom Negroes

     Poughkeepsie Negroes

     Urban Negroes

     Urbane Negroes

     Napoleon Avenue Negroes

     Pontchartrain Park Negroes

     EAST Negroes

     Board Negroes

     Commission Negroes

     Poet Negroes

     "I-Love-Africa-'Cause-It's-'In'-This-Year" Negroes

     Strawberry Negroes

     Raspberry  Negroes...

We must be crazy

We live in America

We must  be crazy...

We Negroes

We believe in The Press

When Malcolm told the truth

     Press say--"He polarized the community"

When Malcolm said "separation for self-determination"

     Press say--"He's inciting Negroes to violence"

When Malcolm say "Muslims"

     Press say--"Black Muslims"

When Malcolm say "Terrorists bombed my house"

     Press say--"He did it himself"

When Malcolm say "Defend ourselves"

     Press say--"He's a fomenter of violence'

When Malcolm say "African Americans must unite"

     Press say--"He's an outside agitator"

When Malcolm say "Link up with the oppressed people of the world"

     Press say--"He overgeneralized"

When Malcolm say "We don't want a desegregated cup of coffee

                                                           a desegregated theater

                                                           a desegregated park or

                                                           a desegregated public toilet"

Press say--"He erroneously appraised the racial picture"

When Malcolm say "The weather is hot"

Press say--"He was a fiery, angry malcontent"

When Malcolm say "Mary had a little lamb"

Press say--"MALCOLM LAMPOONS MARY"

Yeah.

We in jail...

We all in jail

We live in America

We Negroes

We must  be Cra-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-azzzzzyyyyyy!!!

                                     III

                                Beatitude

Blessed be Malcolm

Blessed be Malcolm X

Blessed be Brother  Malcolm

Blessed be our Shining , Black Prince

Blessed be Malcolm Little and Big Red

Blessed be Dee-troit Red

Blessed be the Autobiography

(Alex Haley's other book)

Blessed be Malcolm

Blessed be Brother Malcolm

Blessed be Minister Malcolm

Blessed be Brother Reginald and Sister Betty

Blessed be his eyes, afire

       with a passion for our people

Blessed be his voice

Blessed be his words, for they inflame and inspire us all

Blessed be Brother Malcolm

Blessed be May 19, 1925

Blessed be Dee-troit Temple Number One

Blessed be The Ballot or The Bullet

Blessed be "By Any Means Necessary"

Blessed be “A Message To The Grass Roots”

Blessed be the whole loaf--not the crumbs

Blessed be America having a very serious problem--us

Blessed be our people having a very serious problem

Blessed be thee government is in trouble

Blessed be that old-time religion (It's a good religion)

--the one that Ma & Pa used to talk about...

"Blessed be the House Negro and the Field Negro

Blessed be "the chickens comin' home to roost..."

But ever'thang ain't ever'thang...

Ever'thang ain't blessed...

Blessed be the trees they cut down on Claiborne Street

(Never Forget!)

Blessed be them cuttin' down the trees

(and blamin' us for "the deterioration of the community")

Negro Elected Officials who bandwagoneer

        and blame all our problems on dope ain't blessed

They just say "No"...

They just say...

They forget racism

They forget where they come from, don't know where they been

They forget the schools

(the put-me-down looks and hand-me-down books)

They forget St. Aloysius, Brother Martin, Jesuit, Shaw,

                    De La Salle, Dominican, Holy Cross, Fortier,

                    Warren Easton, Curtis, Rummel, Rabouin, Nicholls,

                     Ben Franklin, LSUNO, Tulane (& them other white schools)

They forget them porter and waiter and waitress and maid jobs

      they mommas and daddies got to send they black behinds to school

They forget

They forget

They forget not havin'

They forget not havin' no lunch money

They forget not havin' no carfare

(They forget not havin' no car!)

They forget not havin' no I-10

They forget not havin' no representation

They forget underemployment and over-taxation

But they remember they campaign contributors

They remember they Swedish meatball architects

(and the Metairie mob)

Negro Elected Officials ain't no progress

They just the illusion of progress

They ain't got no power

They ain't got no parity

They ain't got no empowerment

(just de "ment")

They just Negro

They just Elected

They just Official

Naw, they ain't blessed...

Them politicians not tellin' our people

       by the Industrial Canal (before the election)

       that they was gon' be moved out they houses

       they been in for 40 years...ain't blessed

       (They know they wro-o-o-o-o-o-o-ong for that!)

Runnin' for President ain't blessed

-the Nation (not the plantation)

Malcolm was a fire spitter

(wasn't no vote splitter)

Malcolm never ran for President

Malcolm wasn't in no Democratic Party

Malcolm wanted our own party

-a 24/7 international all night long party

-the OAAU, not the USA

Malcolm got killed for what Jesse B. say

-Ain't no President gon' free us

-Washington bought us and sold us-- and they been

         sellin' us ever since

(That's a sa-a-a-a-a-a-ad case)

Naw, the illusion of progress ain't blessed

Tulane and Broad for damned sure ain't blessed

Drunken, white, French Quarter cops bustin' a carriage driver

         upside his head for no rhyme or reason ain't blessed...

Naw, the illusion of progress ain't blessed...

Unempowered Negroes with titles ain't blessed...

The Times-Picayune ain't blessed

(no matter how many articles of appeasement they print)

They still sell us

They still lynch us

They still don't hire us...

The boldfaced ads sayin'    "NEGROES FOR SALE"

                                            "NEGROES FOR SALE"

                                            ain't blessed (Never Forget!)

The rapings, burnings, beatings and mutilations ain't blessed

(Never Forget!)

Angela Hill mispronouncing "Addis Ababa" as "ADIDAS Ababa" ain't blessed

(You know she wro-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ong for that!)

Warehousing, insteada rehabilitating prisoners ain't blessed

"European style" amusement park ain't blessed

('specially when they wan' put it where they done already

   tore our houses down)

A Grammy museum ain't blessed...

(if we just cleanin' and playin' and ain't runnin' it)

We get applause

They get the money...

Naw, they ain't blessed...

Non-Octave Lilly white boards and judges

      who give out grants to artists, musicians and writers

      ain't blessed...

They talk "multiculturalism" (but they vote white)

They talk 'pluralistic society" (but they vote white)

They talk about the homeless

       (but they build hotels and aquariums)

HOUSE PEOPLE -- NOT FISH!!!

HOUSE PEOPLE -- NOT FISH!!!

HOUSE PEOPLE -- NOT FISH!!!

HOUSE PEOPLE -- NOT FISH!!!

They wanna hang the youngblood crackseller

(but De Lorean walks)

They wanna free the Diet doctor's "aging killer"

(but they condemn the young Gary Tyler)

They wanna save the whale and the flag

(but they burn Dalton Prejean)

Naw, they ain't blessed...

The all-white Creative Writing Department at NOCCA ain't blessed

(Put that in yo' pipe and smoke it)

But blessed be our own, for our own is indeed

     is indeed beautiful

     is indeed beautiful

     is indeed beautiful and blessed,   in    deed...

Blessed be "Sho' Ya-right" and "Yeah Ya-right"

(I know that's right)

Blessed be moanin' mothers on Angola-bound buses

Blessed be human rights not civil rights)

Blessed be yo' momma, yo' daddy, yo' maw and yo' paw

Blessed be yo' nanann and yo' parran

Blessed be "I've fallen--and I cain't git u-u-u-u-up!"

Blessed be Big Momma and Chilly Willy

Blessed be acclamation of the people

       (not proclamation of the record company)

Blessed be Canal Street

(even tho' we run stores and don't own 'em)

Blessed be the BINGO

Blessed be the 2 Live Crew

(How dare the obscene cry "Obscenity!")

Blessed be the carpet knife

Blessed be the Peacemaker

Blessed be the Equalizer

Blessed be the Louisville Slugger

Blessed be the Stainless Steel baseball bat

Blessed be the UZI, for it will take yo' behind

                      to the kingdom of heaven...

Blessed be the bugarmen and the badmen

"'Cause Stagolee shot Billy--oh he shot that boy so fast--"

Blessed be the gumbo, the pecawn candy, the butter beans

        and the dirty rice

Blessed be Fr. Jeanmarie

Blessed be John Dave and Sarah Dave

Blessed be Roland Hayes and Jim Hayes

Blessed be the Neighborhood

Blessed be the Neighborhood Gallery

Blessed be the Sixth Ward

Blessed be the Bulldogs

Blessed be the Knights of Peter Claver

Blessed be Saint Peter Claver

Blessed be Sweet Peter Jeeter, card cheater, booty-beater,

                                       neckbone biter, roach fighter...

Blessed be Charlie Murphy

Blessed be Saint Margareet

Blessed be Michael Augustine' momma

Blessed be Peanut (ole big-haid boy)

Blessed be Brother Malcolm...

Blessed be the People

Blessed be the language of the People...

Blessed be the "will call" insteada "the layaway"

Blessed be "charge plate" insteada "credit card"

Blessed be "the Slopjar" insteada "the chamber pot"

Blessed be "Clay-bawn" insteada "Claiborne"

Blessed be "Dry-idds" insteada "Dry-adds"

Blessed be "Rushablade" insteada "Roashablave"

Blessed be "Eye-berville" insteada "Ibberville"

Blessed be "Melphameen" insteada "Melpommanee"

Blessed be "La-hop" insteada "Laharpe"

Blessed be "Burgundy" insteada "Burgundy"

Blessed be "Kally-oh" insteada "Ca-lie-oh-pee"

Blessed be "pecawns" insteada "pecans"

Blessed be the munchies!!!

Blessed be the moo-moos and the zoo-zoos!!!!!

DOMINUS NABISCO!  Et Cum Spittit Doo-doo Oh-Oh-Oh...

Blessed be "the icebox" insteada "refrigerator"

Blessed be "okree" insteada "okra"

Blessed be "sammich meat" insteada "cold cuts"

Blessed be "my-naize" insteada "mayonnaise"

Blessed be "mar-jah-reen" insteada "margarine"

Blessed be "Star Track" insteada "Star Trek"

Blessed be "cowain" insteada "Ninja Turtles"

Blessed be "cawfare" insteada "busfare"

Blessed be "hawspital" insteada "hospital"

Blessed be "knawb" insteada "knob"

Blessed be "jawb" insteada "job"

Blessed be "chawklit" insteada "chocolate"

Blessed be "Mawgus" insteada "Morgus"

Blessed be "turlit" insteada "toilet"

Blessed be "chicken pops" insteada "chicken pox"

Blessed be "chessa draws" insteada "chest of drawers"

Blessed be the chiffarobe!!!!

Blessed be "furl" insteada "foil"

Blessed be "creddick" insteada "credit"

Blessed be "milleton" insteada "merliton"

Blessed be "ersters" insteada "oysters"

Blessed be "eranges" insteada "oranges"

Blessed be "crawfish" insteada "crayfish"

Blessed be "mosquitohawks" insteada "dragonflies"

Blessed be "the chirrens" insteada "children"

Blessed be "army men" insteada "toy soldiers"

Blessed be the Crab, the Chicken Wing

                   the-ten-minutes-to-two

                   and the quarter-to-three

Blessed be the Toulouse Booty

Blessed be WE, THE PEOPLE!!!

Blessed be Slim Goodie Red

Blessed be Dark & Sweet

Blessed be lil' Skinny Minny

('cause she ain't got no meat)

         "Jump back Sally, Sally, Sally--"

Blessed be the agony in the gardens of wicked delight...

Blessed be Vanessa, Odessa, Erness and Miss Hattie

                    Flora and Cora, Alma and Mattie

                    Regina, Sabrina, Bessie and Tessie

                    (the girl ain't right; you know how she messy)

Blessed be Annetta, Loretta, Vernetta and Thelma

                   Sheila and Cheryl and Velma and Zelma

                   Laticia, Patricia, Georgette and Yvette

                   ("Dear Yvette...Dear Yvette")

                    Karen and Sharon, Raynette and Jeanette

                    Linda and Brenda, Yolanda, Saronda

                    Lucinda and Wilma, Towanda and Saundra

                    Yvonnia, Sharine, Darlene and Gilda

                    Bernadine, Janine ("Last time

                                                    Last time I saw Jeanine--" )

                                       and Wilma and Hilda

                    Denise and Deborah, Shantel and Shanel

                    Angela, Georgia, Rochelle and Lenelle...

Blessed be the baby, the bottle, the powder, the talcum

      the cradle, the crib--

Blessed be Brother Malcolm...

Blessed be the Church, the whole Church

      nuthin' but the Church (I do)

Blessed be St. Peter Claver

Blessed be St. Raymond's

Blessed be St. Monica's

Blessed be Epiphany, Corpus Christi, Blessed Sacrament,

                  Holy Redeemer and Joan of Arc!

"Oh-bring-me-back

(Oh-bring-me-back)

To-the-Holy-Ghost-Church

To-the-Holy-Ghost-Church)"

Blessed be

Blessed be

Blessed be Brother Malcolm

-his undying love

-his cataclysmic love

-a catechismic love

-his whole heart

-his whole soul

-his whole mind

     and his whole strength

Blessed be our SHINING, BLACK PRINCE— 

               EL-HAJJ MALIK EL-SHABAZZ!!!!!

(No justice/no peace)

*   *   *   *   *

posted 22 August 2007