Is Knowledge and Understanding one and the same?

Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada commemorative plaque
for Chloe Cooley that I helped create.
-National Historic Site, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario-

 

     People who learn about the culture of the Five Percent come into this knowledge in different ways. Whether that is through a family member, friend, associate, or social media nowadays. Some people are initially given history about our founder Father Allah and the First 9 Born. Others are given that history including history of the Gods in Medina (Brooklyn). Some are simply handed Supreme Mathematics. Others are given all 120 lessons at once. I've also known people who were told to memorize "What We Teach." That was not my experience. While I was loosely familiar with the Five Percenters through the Golden Era Rap Music that I was listening during the mid-1980s to mid-1990s, I wasn't formally introduced to the Five Percent culture until I went away to college.  

    I met my Five Percent Enlightener/Educator Raheem in the Spring of 1994 on the campus of Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. It was my second year at CSU as a 19-year-old football recruit. We met one evening by our Student Center where I was waiting for a bus to go into town. After a brief interaction he told me to meet him by our school cafeteria the next morning and that is where our journey of Knowledge of Self began. When I arrived there early the next morning, he was already there. Then we walked to the library, where I worked my work-study job a few days a week. Upstairs he pulled out a book on Nihilism by Friedrich Nietzsche and one about Quantum Physics by Physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hakwing and found a table to sit at. We were there building about cosmology, self-creation, the indigeneity of Black people, epistemology and etc. until the library closed that night. We didn't even take a lunch break. My expectation was to learn Five Percent culture which required me getting "the lessons", Supreme Mathematics, and etc. This is not what happened. At all. Confused, frustrated, and discouraged, he walked me back to my dorm room after spending the entire day discussing what I thought was a waste of time. Once we got to my floor, he went over to the pay phone, made a call, spoke briefly, and then handed me the phone. It was his Enlightener/Educator, Life. Life introduced himself and then went full speed into building about what I had just began to learn at the library. As he spoke, I could feel myself shrinking, feeling more and more unsure about if this was what I wanted to learn. It sounded like he was speaking a foreign language, and I could not follow along. I stayed silent, listening, unsure about what to even ask for clarification. The pace of the conversation made it difficult to process. It seemed like another hour had gone by and when he finally got off the phone with me, I couldn't tell you anything that was just said. I was lost! Seeing this and my sincerity to learn, Raheem reassured me about the journey ahead and not to be discouraged. It took time, patience, and walking with Raheem to develop the competency, confidence and conscientiousness to teach this culture.  

    Raheem was from North Philly and enrolled at Central State over a year before I arrived there. When we met, he wasn't enrolled that Spring Semester in 1994, yet he still voluntarily attended classes such as sociology, physics and etc. Imagine that! He wore a black eyepatch from a childhood incident where he lost an eye. He had an I.B.M tat on his hand between his thumb and pointer finger, was able to speak Arabic, and he carried around a cloth chess board with plastic game pieces in a Ziploc bag. In addition to attending classes, he was training to become a chess master and studied masters like Bobby Fisher and Gary Kasparov. He was literally a genius hiding in plain sight. 

    My journey of Knowledge of Self began academically and in an academic environment. As I studied various sciences of life, I was slowly given one lesson at a time. A lesson was recited to me, and I would eventually write it down from memory. When I would return home during our trimester school breaks, I was never given any additional lessons. I was told to study the lessons that I already had, and that we would continue my studies when I returned back to school. I was never given Supreme Mathematics or the Supreme Alphabet on sheets of paper; I learned them and part of their applications through lived experience. Once I gained a basic understanding of what these principles and qualities meant, I begin to formally write them down. Nineteen months later on September 30th, 1995, I finished knowledging (learning to recite) all 120 lessons. That was thirty years ago. At this point in my journey, I've had Knowledge of Self longer than I haven't had it. During this time, I've realized that there is a difference between people who have learned our Five Percent cultural curriculum through Semantic Memory and those who have learned it through Episodic Memory. Let me explain.

Semantic Memory and Episodic Memory

    Semantic Memory is like a storage cabinet of general facts. Semantic Memory is non-sensory and represents things like the names of people, objects, words, and places. It enables us to mentally catalog information and recognize patterns. Episodic Memory is like a time machine that enables us to relive moments and share specific events that are personal to us. Episodic Memory is sensory, such as recalling what the love of our life looked like when we first met, how it smelled visiting certain place in the Spring, or describing the taste of a favorite dish at a restaurant. Both forms of memory are necessary. Semantic Memory is about quantity and Episodic Memory is about quality. Semantic Memory is like knowledge and Episodic Memory is like understanding. The bridge between the two, or wisdom, is known as Autobiographical Memory. Autobiographical Memory enables us to share the age and time that we were in love, the person's name we were in love with and other details about this experience. It is "the way" that objective facts/information draws a clear mental picture, and our ability to communicate that.

    Over the years of having Knowledge of Self and learning the cultural curriculum of the Five Percent, I've found that some people only have a Semantic Memory of what they learned. While some people did use their Episodic Memory of Supreme Mathematics to explain how these principles apply to their life, many did not have the same ability with 120 lessons. They could recite our Student Enrollment by heart, but they had a hard time putting into context and communicating how these lessons directly applied to their life. When asked about different populations and their useful land, they had a hard time seeing how these demographics and land usage in North America (United States, Canada, Mexico, some Caribbean Nations) and all over the planet Earth directly impacted the resources, socioeconomics and political landscape where they lived. They could tell you the exact square miles of the planet Earth, yet they couldn't connect a personal experience to those miles or when, where, what, how and why that was even important. In most instances I've simply seen people add up 196,940,000 square miles to the number 2 and then give some impersonal non-autobiographical explanation about being wise, simply because the number 2 is wisdom in our Supreme Mathematics. This lack of understanding showed me that people were just obtaining information, not gaining awareness/knowledge, and that information was not transferable through wisdom. 

   When I got knowledge in the mid-1990s, there was a negative anti-intellectual stigma sometimes associated with those of us who gained Knowledge of Self in an academic environment. Sometimes we were called those "Digable Planet" Gods and Earths as a so-called insult, because of our cool beatnik-like intellectual demeanor. Some Five Percenters felt like some of us weren't street enough and this attitude still exists in some ciphers today. If some fashioned themselves as warriors, some of us were seen as statesmen/stateswomen and scientists. In time I began to understand that this wasn't always personal. In the early days of the Five Percent Nation, the pursuit of higher education was often rejected by some Five Percenters who considered it believing in the teachings of the 10%, "the white man's education" and "being under the government." For many Five Percenters, the path of academic achievement was closed, equated with evil, and those who pursued it were often ridiculed. It took one of our ridiculed pioneers, UM-Allah, to attend and graduate from college with a master's degree in the 1970s to show and prove the real value of higher education to others. In time, others eventually began to follow suit. Yet the sneering among others never ceased. 

   I didn't learn this culture in a vacuum or an environment with limited experiences. As a newborn, I learned how our lessons, Supreme Mathematics, and Supreme Alphabet applied in a library, in a college classroom, around campus, off campus, in Southwestern Ohio, and back home in Western New York. This variability gave me an opportunity to literally see the culture in different ways, in different settings, around different people, and using different modalities. Each experience created a different Episodic Memory for me and enabled me to see the culture beyond a Semantic Memory and single context. The culture became a part of my Autobiographical Memory that I was able to communicate. This is different than a person learning this culture in a neighborhood that they rarely left or a controlled environment that they were not legally allowed to leave. It looks, sounds and feels different. It's the difference between sharing a personal story about awareness and gaining knowledge compared to someone just religiously repeating that knowledge is the foundation and the ability to look, listen, observe and respect. I've met people who knowledged 120 lessons in less than a month, moving swiftly from one degree to the next. Yet in that short time there were also fewer opportunities to experience those lessons across a variety of contexts. That learning process lacked variability. Fewer experiences also meant a widened gap between what they knew and what they actually understood within those lessons. This led to an obvious challenge with how to apply the principles, values, insights and procedures that could be learned within these lessons. For example, the first 10 lessons in the 1-14 teach us principles, values, insights and procedures how to deal with evil or immorality. This is something that one could not learn if they only had Supreme Mathematics because they do not explicitly or implicitly explain evil or immorality. 

What does this mean?

     We, as Five Percenters, traditionally claim to be universal and that our home is the planet Earth. As Gods, we also say that Allah is Lord of ALL Worlds. In theory, this is true. Yet far too often, many of us have not and are not seeking to experience the variability that expands our knowledge, wisdom and understanding of our culture. The United States is a little more than 1% of the planet Earth's square mileage yet many Five Percenters don't even explore this country. This restricts our opportunities to see the culture in different ways, in different settings, around different people, and using different modalities. This also limits our ability to conceptualize the lived experiences of those who have experienced this culture beyond a Semantic Memory and single context. How universal can we really be with these restrictions and limits? Are we truly able to teach knowledge and wisdom to all the human families of the planet Earth when our world is only a city block, the neighborhood or social media? Do some of us actually fear representing our culture in spaces beyond our comfort zone? These are some of the questions that I ponder as I continually access global opportunities to represent Five Percent culture in different ways, in different settings, around different people, and using different modalities. I am always inspired when I see Five Percenters doing positive impactful work. I will that my work also continues to inspire others to do positive impactful work, through expanding their knowledge, wisdom and understanding of Five Percent culture, especially our youth. This requires us to not just think outside of the box but not to box ourselves in from opportunities to experience our way of life in different ways, in different settings, around different people, and using different modalities. 

Peace, 

Saladin #AtlantisBuild

America's 250th: Are You Patriotic Enough?

"Soiling Old Glory" April 5th, 1976

 

     Even though the first recorded ships carrying enslaved African people to the North American Caribbean occurred in the early 1500s, August 20th, 1619, is marked as the date that the Transatlantic Trade of Enslaved People began when the White Lion, commanded by Captain Jope, brought the first enslaved African people to the English colony of Jamestown, Virginia. This means that from August 20th, 1619 to July 4th, 1776 there were almost 8 generations of slavery on this land before America was born. When these Colonialists finally declared their independence from their European homeland on July 4th, 1776, slavery was not abolished. Slavery continued for another 4 generations until 250,000 enslaved Africans in Galveston, Texas finally got the news about the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation two years later on June 19th, 1865. Following Juneteenth came the Reconstruction Era and Jim Crow [American Apartheid] which continue to legally deny Black people's humanity, citizenship and our ability to participate in America society. This lasted another 5 generations, from June 19th, 1865 to the Fair Housing Act on April 11th, 1968. And since 1968, Black people have continued to face consistent forms of systemic injustice in the employment, medical, educational, economic, housing, criminal justice, and political fields. It is also important to mention that during this time there were 3 million card carrying members of the KKK in the early 1900s, lynchings, sundown towns, and other white vigilante groups created to terrorize and murder Black people who sought to exercise citizenship rights. 

What does this mean? 

   Without counting the 157 years or almost 8 generations of slavery on this land before America was born, Black people have been legally defined as inhuman property, 3/5th's of a human being, non-citizens, and an underclass for 192 years of America's 250-year existence; from July 4th, 1776 to April 11th, 1968. 192 years means that 76% of the time that America has existed, Black people have had the transgenerational experience of non-citizenship. The First and Second Great Migrations in the early and mid 1900s was an exodus out of these Southern conditions, only for Black people to be met with the same discriminatory politics and policies in the North. American politics and policies that Adolf Hitler studied and wrote about in Mein Kampf as inspiring the Nazi ideology. Considering all of this, how can we commemorate 250 years of American history while minimizing, ignoring, or trying to erase the fact that millions of Black people have been legally denied freedom in America for 192 of those years? 

     Some people would accuse me of being unpatriotic for laying out this American timeline. For me, I am not sure what people claim is great about America along this timeline, when considering the experience of Black people. I also don't know what needs to be done to make America great "again." When I've asked folks these questions, I never get an answer or even an era that they're talking about which includes the experiences of Black people. Is it the era of the Antebellum South? What about the time of the Great Depression? Maybe the turbulent 1960s or the crack-era 1980s? Now don't get me wrong, when you don't have to think about enslaver breeding plantations, white people using black babies as alligator bait, Black men being murdered for voting, entire Black towns getting burned to the ground, Black caricatures in film, television, literature and radio, a pregnant Black woman getting lynched and other traumatic experiences, we as Black folks have created joy. Everything that we have culturally created in America is superimposed over the backdrop of legally sanctioned white domestic terrorism. Whether that is the creation of Invisible Institutions, the Underground Railroad, Hip Hop, bean pies, AAVE, Black Dandyism, and etc., all of it is rooted in some form or collective freedom. 

     Many people believe that America is a white Christian nation that we all need to be proud of and thankful for being here. I never felt patriotic about this country my entire life. My parents never bought me red, white and blue outfits nor did I wear these colors as an adult. When I grew up my family never flew the American flag on our house or car, and I never looked up at this flag with tears welling up in my eyes with my hand over my heart while someone sang the national anthem. I never felt included, even as a kindergartener. I never had an experience that made me feel beyond a shadow of a doubt that when I hear the word "American" that this includes me and my people. I am sure some of you, perhaps many of you, felt and feel the same as I. When I see political rallies, holiday celebrations and people put on Lee Greenwood's God Bless America, nothing about that song or the video (see above) moves me. Many of my family members felt and feel the same way, including those who served in the military. Yes, there are Black folks who are just as patriotic as any red-blooded white American. For many of us, we have traditionally participated in American autoerotic celebrations from afar; repurposing the 4th of July into family barbecues with seasoning, Donny Hathaway's This Christmas, Easter into a Spring church fashion show, and New Year's Eve into Watch Night. I always instinctively understood that the generations of my people who were born in and lived in America, never experienced the full rights of American citizenry. If they were proud of anything it was their pride in overcoming almost insurmountable odds stacked against them. Nowadays more people are starting to understand this feeling. They are waking up to the reality that the patriotism many Americans embrace originates in the violence of "Patriots” against those who were/are not deemed citizens or even human. They are realizing that the American Flag is less about personal pride and more akin to waving a Jolly Roger Flag as a symbol of warfare and intimidation. They are also learning that July 4th is a colorful celebration of violent military conquest and how "fire worked" [fireworks] in the form of cannons [“bombs bursting in air”] to kill "their enemies." None of this, included the present-day U.S. Department of War, is rooted in peace.

     In closing, the 250th to me is not all about only discussing the historical oppression of my people and how this country still has a long way to go. That is part of it because some people seem to forget that millions of people were killed to take this land that millions of others were brought here to work for free. You cannot possibly know where you a going if you don't know where you've been. For me, this is also a time to reflect upon the joy, contributions, achievements, and resilience of my people in-spite of the systemic generational challenges that we have faced in America. I will never relent in sharing these stories of my people, whether it is good, bad, ugly or beautiful. I will continue to tell the truth, whether people feel cozy or uncomfortable. Part of that mission is to help ensure that today's children are nurtured, respected, loved, protected and educated to become positive,  productive, compassionate adults. They are the link to our future, and it is important that they are equipped with the knowledge and wisdom to understand their role and responsibility in creating it. 

Peace,

Saladin, #AtlantisBuild

Historic! NYS Governor Signs Harriet Tubman Byway Into Law

Pictured (l-r): Third row -Josh Poole, Sage Hazarika | Second row: Nikita Jankowski, Jasiah Jackson, Char Rivera, Ally Spongr DeGon, Senator April Baskins, Sara Capen, Saladin Allah | First row: Xochi Jankowski, Noble Jankowski, Anusha Quanaah, Nevaeh Everett, Governor Kathy Hochul, Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, Stokes' granddaughter

New York becomes home to its first state-designated Underground Railroad byway, a 176.76-mile route from Auburn to Niagara Falls honoring Harriet Tubman and Freedom Seekers — the first phase of a planned 550-mile border-to-border heritage corridor connecting Maryland to Canada.

   On Saturday June 13th, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation officially designating Phase 1 of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway (HTURB) as part of New York's Scenic Byway System, enacting Senate Bill S9057A and Assembly Bill A10194A. The signing took place in Buffalo to kick off the 2026 Buffalo Juneteenth Parade and marks the first official designation of the 176.76-mile heritage corridor connecting 22 sites significant to Harriet Tubman, the Underground Railroad, and Freedom Seekers across eight counties from the City of Auburn to Niagara Falls. The Governor was joined for the signing by Senator April Baskin, Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, New York State Attorney General Letitia James, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, and was surrounded by members of the HTURB team — including Ally Spongr DeGon, Sage Hamilton-Hazarika, and Saladin Allah — whose work helped bring the designation to fruition. Following the signing, the HTURB team walked alongside the Governor, Attorney General, and Comptroller in the Buffalo Juneteenth Parade to its conclusion. 

“On the 50th anniversary of Buffalo’s Juneteenth celebration, there could not be a more fitting time to sign the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway into law. I thank Governor Hochul for her support of this legislation, Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes for sponsoring this bill in the Assembly, and Saladin Allah and Lillie Wiley-Upshaw, two Western New York leaders in African American history preservation whose years of advocacy helped make this designation possible. I would also like to uplift the hard work of the New York State Department of Transportation, which spent years working diligently to shape this worthy piece of legislation. This byway honors Harriet Tubman, the Freedom Seekers who traveled through New York, and the communities that risked everything to help them. It formally recognizes that the road to freedom ran through our state and will create new opportunities for heritage tourism, local businesses, and economic development. When people travel these roads, they will see visible reminders that freedom, courage and resistance traveled them first.” -Senator April Baskin

“Harriet Tubman’s life is a study in leadership, determination and the universal concepts of liberty and freedom. As we approach the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, it is important to remember and to celebrate people who exemplify the ideals this nation was founded on. Harriet Tubman, without a doubt, is one of those people. Now Ms. Tubman’s legacy is further ingrained here in New York State with the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. I thank my colleagues in the Assembly, Senate and Governor Hochul for getting this legislation passed and signed.” -Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes

“There is no state in the nation with a larger Underground Railroad footprint than the Empire State, and this legislation will highlight a network of important sites along a newly created byway honoring the legacy of the Underground Railroad and one of the fiercest freedom fighters in American history – Harriet Tubman – who ultimately called New York her home. Generations ago, the Underground Railroad carved a path through a divided continent and enabled thousands of enslaved people to gain their freedom. Through the creation of this new scenic byway, we honor the legacy of the men and women who made this dangerous journey, paving the way for a new birth of freedom for millions of African Americans.” -Governor Kathy Hochul

   With the bill now law, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) — in partnership with the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway Organization — will soon begin installing signage marking the route and connecting Underground Railroad landmarks across Central and Western New York. The route begins in Auburn, Cayuga County, passes through Seneca, Ontario, Wayne, Monroe, and Orleans Counties, then continues through Erie and Niagara Counties, and ends at Niagara Falls. The byway honors Harriet Tubman — who made her home in Auburn for 54 years (and where she’s buried), after escaping slavery and leading 70+ Freedom Seekers to liberty — and the broader Underground Railroad network that ran through New York State. Once fully implemented, the byway will bring visitors to well-known New York State landmarks such as the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park, two National Historic Landmarks, and 14 National Park Service Network to Freedom sites. The scenic byway will also connect visitors to existing Black neighborhoods, businesses, and other sites, encouraging travelers to tour and support communities along the route. As needed and appropriate, additional interpretation — in the form of kiosks, exhibits, events, or experience centers — will enhance the visitor experience by connecting the traveler with the byway’s historical significance. Recreational activities along the byway, such as the Empire State Trail and Erie Canal, will further expand the diversity of experiences available to visitors.

 

ECONOMIC IMPACT

The eight Phase 1 counties already generate $5.67 billion in annual visitor spending, supporting more than 64,000 jobs. With the new byway, there is potential to increase that number. Maryland’s comparable Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Scenic Byway contributes $23 million in annual sales and supports 363 jobs. The Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Scenic Byway generates $1.06 billion in total business sales and more than 6,500 jobs across four states. Cultural heritage travelers — the byway’s core audience — spend an average of $1,182 per trip.

 

THE ROAD AHEAD

With Phase 1 signed into law, HTURB — housed within the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area will begin implementing the Corridor Management Plan (CMP) in partnership with NYSDOT and the Underground Railroad Consortium of New York State (URCNYS). More than 100 volunteers and numerous organizations participated in creating the CMP and supporting the byway’s designation. Phase 2 will extend the byway from Auburn east through 14 additional counties to Manhattan and the New Jersey border, creating a contiguous 550-mile border-to-border corridor. Seventy-nine municipalities across Phase 2 counties have already passed resolutions of support. Phase 2 designation legislation is proposed for the 2027 legislative session. The long-term vision connects the New York Byway into a continuous multi-state route from Dorchester County, Maryland — Harriet Tubman’s birthplace — to St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, where Tubman guided Freedom Seekers to safety. Linking with the existing Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania Harriet Tubman byways, and the proposed New Jersey byway, the full corridor would become one of the most significant heritage travel routes in North America.

ABOUT The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway

The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway Organization is the independent governing body of the designated byway, housed within the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area (NFNHA). It oversees governance, stewardship, tourism development, and the corridor’s expansion to a full border-to-border route.

The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway (HTURB) is now a New York State Scenic Byway spanning 550+ miles from Manhattan to Niagara Falls across 22 counties and more than 160 municipal jurisdictions. Phase 1, signed into law by Governor Hochul on June 13, 2026, designates 176.76 miles from Auburn to Niagara Falls across 8 counties and 22 heritage sites. The byway was initiated by the Underground Railroad Consortium of New York State (URCNYS) — a non-profit volunteer coalition of historians, tourism officials, heritage attractions, and descendants of Freedom Seekers, founded in 2015 — and has grown into its own independent organization, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway Organization, supported by URCNYS and administered by the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area. For more information, visit our Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway (HTURB) HERE or follow @tubmanbywayny.