Three Years Later; Where are the benefits NOT OWNING this trademark?

Official Registered Trademark, December 21, 2021 

     Three years ago on this Winter Solstice date, December 21^st, 2021, I successfully registered the elements of the Universal Flag for our Five Percent Nation as a class 41 licensed trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). As I shared in my article, What are the legalities of our Universal Flag?:

"By law, you cannot trademark a flag, so this trademark was not defined or described as a flag in the USPTO application. This trademark defined, described, and included all of the elemental arrangements of our Universal Flag. This ensured that it could be trademarked not as a flag, while simultaneously protecting our flag in the public domain from any similar elemental arrangements that would infringe upon our registered trademark. In other words, this gave us legal protection/recourse to address any individual/company who was using our federally registered trademark without our licensed permission or any individual/company that wanted to create something similar to our trademark, such as a rainbow-colored emblem like ours with a #6 in the center." 

To learn more details about that initiative I would encourage you to read the article What are the legalities of our Universal Flag? Today I wanted to take the time to build upon that experience, what has happened since that time, and what I think we can expect to see moving forward.

     When I first announced that initiative it was embraced with a great deal of support and attacked with disdain. Some Nation members shared that I was wrong for not presenting this initiative to them personally, and/or to the larger number of Five Percenters collectively for their input before acquiring this IP. These are things that I considered yet decided against it in the interest of time and to prompt an immediate call to action and National response from our members. So instead of talking about it I made the proactive decision to be about it by investing the time and finances to secure the trademark for us. When I received the official document from the USPTO, it is hard to express the prideful feeling of bringing it to our people to say, "Here, this is an invaluable asset that I acquired for us to advance our Nation!" While some members appreciated the socioeconomic foresight of securing this IP, others did not. 

     Following the successful December 21^st, 2021, registration of this trademark, I sent the above January 7th, 2022 Universal Flag Board email to various Five Percenters [men and women] in different regions across the country. As stated in this email:

“My reasoning for initiating that IP initiative was to put in place ‘legal safeguards’ for us to control our national narrative and maintain our cultural identity. Prior to this, anyone could use our Universal Flag and there was nothing we could legally do about it. Now that our Universal Flag is our registered trademark, no entity [entertainers, businesses, institutions, organizations or media sources, etc.] has the legal right to use it and can/will face legal consequences for misuse and abuse of it.” 

I emphasize the words “us”, “our”, and “we” in this email because this trademark was never for me. Because I initiated the trademark process, my name originally appears on the application. Yet, as shown in the above email, I sought out a diverse group of Five Percenters [men and women] to form a committee that the trademark ownership would be transferred to and managed for our Nation. This never happened and what unfortunately followed was mass confusion, misinformation campaigns, and a fumbled bag by Nation members to secure an invaluable national asset and legally protect our cultural identity in the public domain. It was disappointing then and is disappointing now to see the same Nation members unable to publicly defend themselves and secure our financial future. I learned a lot from that experience, especially around organization.

Stymie Beard, Little Rascals Gang

       When striving to organize any group of people around an idea, there usually exists an element that can stymie that group's ability to build. Stymie means "to present an obstacle to" or "stand in the way of'." Sometimes this obstruction is rooted in legitimate concerns for the safety, welfare, and progress of the group -as we often saw demonstrated by the sharp-witted Stymie from the Little Rascals who helped solve his gang's problems. Sometimes folks are not like Stymie and their obstruction is illegitimate, thus undermining the safety, welfare, and progress of the group. Whether legitimate or illegitimate, everyone has a rationalization behind why they choose to support/not support an idea. In presenting our Nation with an actual registered trademark, something tangible and not just an idea, it forced many people to communicate their rationalization(s) and confront their own contributions, role, and responsibilities to our Nation. It was not the fact that what I did for us was inherently wrong; every pioneer and innovation is viewed as wrong by some people who never did it before. For many people, this was the first time that they even thought about what it means to officially register the elements of our Universal Flag as a licensed trademark. Very few people asked me questions to gain an understanding about what we were now in possession of. Most people honestly did not even know what we had or the difference between a trademark, copyright, or a patent. It was obvious when they clumsily used these words interchangeably while trying to present themselves as knowledgeable to explain their stance. Some people unrealistically argued that if Walmart or any company were selling products with our Universal Flag on it, we should find them and teach them. Others protested by saying things like, "we are not under the government", "Universal Shaamgaud didn't do it, do you think you are smarter than him", "It doesn't matter, it [the Universal Flag] is for everybody" and etc. It was evident that the rationalizations people made, to justify why they did not want ownership of this invaluable asset, were not legitimate and clearly motivated by something deeper. 

In order to support this initiative, some folks had to justify in their minds why they and others [including the Universal Flag designer Universal Shaamgaud himself], have never done it before. For some folks it was simple; "We are at a point in our Nation's history where we need to own it." For others, it was not that simple. They had to justify a lot in their minds to accept this gift from me. Some people were simply mad that they didn't do it first, and to accept it was to acknowledge my contribution and give me the credit for doing it, even though it was for all of us. Some people were never going to acknowledge it and give me credit, especially those who always had/have something negative to say about me privately and publicly. Some folks felt like me acquiring this IP was me looking down on them and saying that they didn't have the intelligence or skills to do it on their own until I came along. To them, they would rather starve than eat what was being shared them. All of them experienced some level of cognitive dissonance or the discomfort of holding contradictory thoughts. For many, those contradictory thoughts were 1.) We own our Universal Flag 2.) Proof that we don't legally own the Universal Flag because I got the registered trademark for us. For some, they struggled with additional contradictory thoughts. None of what I am sharing is mind reading or speculation. People actually communicated these kinds of sentiments privately and publicly when this initiative was presented to them. With all of these things going on in some people's minds, some folks came up with a whole bunch of illegitimate reasons why they did not want this for our Nation. These kinds of rationalizations are called "defenses mechanisms" in the world of Psychiatry; strategies that people use to avoid certain thoughts/actions that are unwanted. What was so unwanted? Me, and/or me doing this for us. The only legitimate reason that I heard from a few people is that our collective body of members were not ready for that level of responsibility to represent/protect ourselves in the public domain as legal owners of this IP because they didn't know what we actually had. I anticipated this and that is the reason that I secured it first so that we had it in our possession. It was better to have it, and learn how to use it, than to not have it and watch people keep using it. Some folks accused me of doing things wisdom knowledge, or backwards, which is untrue. I knew all about it, did it, and shared the best part with others; that is knowledge, wisdom and understanding. Others who knew nothing about possessing a registered trademark felt like they were forced to do things wisdom knowledge, which is also untrue. All they needed to do is now invest time to learn more about what was now in their possession to use for the benefit of our Nation; that is also knowledge, wisdom and understanding. They were in a perfect position to learn more about what they now legally owned and how it could be used. Not that day, weeks, or even months later. It could have been a year to that date that folks finally educated themselves enough about owning this invaluable asset and how to actually use it. 

     2021 was a pivotal moment in our Nation's history. It was post-Covid, we were "displaced" from our community as I shared in my article Anchor Institutions and the Fate of Allah School in Mecca, we were poorly represented in the public domain and facing dire socioeconomic circumstances. At the date of this writing, all of things have only gotten worst and no one has come forward with anything tangible that addresses all of these National issues. I think failing to accept ownership of our registered trademark was a missed opportunity for us to use this invaluable asset to legally protect our image/narrative in the public domain, improve our collective quality of life, and create multi-capital for our Nation's growth and development, in perpetuity. I would love for someone, or others, to come along and legitimately prove me otherwise. Not with economic development presentation pitches with no capital investment, crochet crown and lapel pin fundraisers, or livestream/podcast monologues called 'classes'. I commend folks for at least doing something, yet none of those things are really moving the needle forward. If they were, we would see the evidence in actual attendance, participation, financial investment, and viewership. Unfortunately, we don't see that evidence. And no, I don't see myself as our Nation's savior on some high horse with the answer to solve all of our problems. I am just one person, who shared an excellent idea, that would have surely solved some of our problems. Three years later, how have we benefitted from not owning this registered trademark? I honestly cannot think of one example. You might be wondering what ended up happening to the IP huh? Well, let me tell you a story, it's called The Magic Stone

The Magic Stone

     Once upon a time there was a people living in a distance land, struggling from a famine that ravished their entire village. Food was scarce, sickness was common, and people suckled cactuses to get what little water that they had. One of their family members seeking to assist his people set out on a perilous journey beyond the borders of their homelands. After a year of roaming the lands, the family member came upon a quarry of magic stones that possessed limitless power to change one's circumstances. Excited, the family member began to make his way back to his village to share one of the magic stones with his people. When he arrived at his village and announced his discovery, a great disturbance arose among his people. While some of his people were thankful, some verbally attacked and threatened to physically harm him. Some of the more superstitious family members began to share legends as reasons why their wisest elders never had the magic stone, so they shouldn't either, despite the desolate condition they were now living in. Others arrogantly dismissed it, boasting that they could have gotten the magic stone themselves, and he was no better than them. Some family members began to spread lies about him and the magic stone, sowing seeds of doubt to turn people against him and his gift. Some family members secretly suggested that he not allow other family members to have possession of the magic stone, while other family members asked him to allow their council to control it. Some family members outright refused the magic stone, believing that he should have asked them did they want it, even though it was clear that their people needed it. After three days of fasting and consideration, he had an epiphany. The next day he came before the village and announced that because his people could only agree that there was no agreement about what to do with the magic stone, he would destroy it. And he did. 

The End

Peace,

Saladin

Unpacking The Male Box

Sakila Primary School, Tanzania Africa

 

    The origin of the word emotion is "emote", which comes from the Latin verb emovēre, meaning, "to remove or displace." It is interesting that this is the etymology of the word because in this androcentric society, the expression of emotion is typically viewed as something displaced that should be far removed from us. How ironic huh?

    As men, we feel and experience the same emotions that women do. We know what insecurity, envy, anxiety, and other emotions feel like. The main difference is, women have naturally learned to name, unpack, process, and communicate those emotions. Men typically don't learn this, and we have been taught all kinds of propaganda and rhetoric to explain why we don't, and should not name, unpack, process, and communicate those emotions, all the way to an early grave. In fact, our typical path of manhood is "anti-femininity." Through my Atlantis School for Gifted Youngsters I have a Boys As Allies Rights of Passage Program where we engage in various activities and have conversations around manhood and masculinity. One of the things that we discuss and do activities around is The Male Box and all of the things that go into it; which are things that we were taught about manhood and where it comes from. Some of the things that boys often share regarding what makes them a man are things like; having sex, being able to fight, growing body hair, having a job, driving a car, going to the military, having a child, etc. Then we discuss how if a male does not have one or a number of those things or experiences, is he not a man? What they begin to realize, through their own investigation, is that many of the things that we use to define manhood are arbitrary and made-up markers to designate points along a person's life cycle. None of these things instruct us about character, principles, values, responsibilities or teach us important life skills as we transition in age and maturity. They also tell us nothing about managing physiological, emotional, and social changes that we go through and responsibilities to ourselves and other human beings such as a family and community. I often ask them, isn't it strange that you can take a drivers course and get a learners permit at the age of 16 and a drivers license in NYS at 18, yet there are no instructions on how to be a man? I also point out that you can join the armed services at the age of 18 (17 with parental consent) and die in the military for this country yet you cannot legally drink a beer or vape. So how do boys learn to become men? The majority of us learn like a pack rat, collecting a bunch of ideas we picked up at home, in society, and through the media. While there are some good things that we have learned, I would venture to say that most of what we accumulate is not beneficial and the evidence is in the collective state of our relationships, communities, people, and overall society. The proof is all around us, in what we digest, and oftentimes right in the mirror. I am not making this assessment like I am Dr. Umar Johnson, 19 Keys, Billy Carson, Ali Muhammad, or other self-appointed men telling everyone what they need to fix because we are strait. I mention brothers like them because when you listen to them talk, you never hear them discuss what they are working on in their lives or personal growth and development. They all give the impression that they have arrived, somewhere, that you need to get to. Yet whenever you think you have arrived, they will always have some explanation why you still haven't made it. Anyway, my statement was not from that egocentric point of view. I am also not sharing this perspective to suggest that all women are strait either and that we as men need to get on their level. There is a such thing as "toxic femininity" and there are women with a low EQ also. Especially women who are emulating the ideas that we, as men, have picked up.

"Beyond The Murals" Photography Exhibit
The Cotton Factory Hamilton Ontario, Canada

    Most of us men who are born into this Western society were exposed to its Eurocentric religious/cultural belief systems that warp the perspective of femininity, women, and womanhood. In various Black/Brown classical and indigenous societies, femininity, women, and womanhood was seen through a lens of honor and respect. Like my culture of the Five Percent, women are seen as the Earth, Mother Earth, the Great Mother and Mother Nature because of her form, character and function -such as her physical composition, atmosphere and ability to birth and sustain life. The Earth is a terrestrial planet. That is where the name 'Earth' is derived; the Latin root "Terra", the root word of terrestrial meaning 'of the land.' This means that our planet possesses a solid surface and a metallic core. This core is the source of Earth's geomagnetic field that shield's it from cosmic radiation. The Earth also has four different layers: an inner core, outer core, mantle and crust [surface]. Lastly, Earth is distinguished from the other terrestrial planets Mercury, Venus and Mars because it possesses water which is vital for life as we know it. All of these qualities have a symbolic relationship to women, and the original woman in particular. In regard to the Earth's primarily Iron [Fe] core, the source of its geomagnetic field that shield's it from cosmic radiation, iron is considered the life-force of the Earth in some societies such as the Aborigines of Australia. As a life-force of the Earth, it symbolizes a woman's vitality, integrity, resilience, strength and fortitude. In regards to functioning as a geomagnetic shield, that symbolizes a woman's protective instinct against outside danger. The four different layers of the Earth symbolize the layers of a woman. The crust is the surface or most outer layer of the Earth. This represents what and how we physically see a woman; this is her appearance. The mantle is the second layer or what lies just beneath the surface; as a mantle is that which cloaks, shrouds or disguises. Also keep in mind that movement of the mantle causes tectonic activity such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes on the crust, her surface. In symbolic terms, sometimes it's something lying just beneath the surface, that's undetected by the naked eye, that causes the unstable activity we see on the outside. The hottest and deepest layers of the Earth are the outer and inner core which are primarily composed of iron and nickel, thus making the planet magnetic. It is in this interior place that our Earth derives its magnetic field; its North and South Poles [compass]. In symbolic terms, internally is where you'll find the core convictions and source of a woman's moral compass and sense of direction. As the Earth possesses other precious metals and minerals that develop within it's womb, women possess the ability to develop precious life within their womb; children. The Earth's weather is primarily determined by the state of its atmosphere, as a woman's mood is partly determined by the state of her emotional atmosphere. The Earth's magnetic relationship with the Moon's 28-day lunar cycle effects our planet's tides the same way a woman's 28-day menstrual cycle affects her emotional tides that are linked to her sympathetic nervous system that partly regulates her hormones and body's ability to cope with stress. As hunter gatherers that eventually transitioned into agriculture and industrialism, we directly consulted with women who were biologically in tune with our landscape, weather, planting and harvest seasons. As forecasters, their wisdom was critical to our survival and that consultation corresponds to the creation of lunar calendars based upon the 28-day Moon and her 28-day menstrual cycle. Among many societies, a woman is seen as an oracle [diviner] within its cultural matrix because of her intuition, what our southern relatives call "mother wit", and what Western Philosophy has come to define as a priori knowledge. In Greece for example, she was the priestess Pythia; central figure of the Gaia [Earth] society and Oracle of Delphi men would consult for guidance on the seventh day of each month. This is the essence of emotional intelligence or EQ. Our ability to survive and thrive as men literally depended upon, and depends upon, this corresponding relationship to women. Now, some men might take what I shared above as a justification for worshipping women. That is taking it too far. I also don't think that women should sit around worshipping as men. That is taking it too far also. In both instances we can mess around and lose sight of ourselves in the process. To equally revere each other and show adoration is enough. No one is more important than the other and we are both worthy of honor and respect.

      Considering all of this, I think that there is room for us as men (and women who do not know themselves) to increase our EQ. Some of the benefits of this are improved communication, stronger relationships, better leadership skills, increased empathy, greater self-awareness, better conflict resolution, enhanced decision-making, increased adaptability, and improved ability to manage stress. The only liability is not having these benefits. It is amazing how in conversations about KOS [Knowledge of Self] there is rarely any mention increasing our EQ as an important part of that self-assessment and path of growth and development. Working within the non-profit sector and professions of education, community building, and public art, these spaces are dominated by women. This has given me access to relationships, resources, and wisdom to help me along the way. Some men may rarely find themselves in spaces like this, so I understand if they feel disconnected from and uncomfortable with some of these ideas about EQ. Regardless of that, what most of us men usually have in common is the lack of access to spaces for us men to get together and even build about this. Yes, we will get together to watch a sports event, go to a concert, strip club or other activities, but we usually are not getting together to help each other name, unpack, process, and communicate our emotions. Thankfully I have brothers in my circle whom I am vulnerable with. Brothers who I share my hurt and disappointments, my appreciation and excitement with. Many of us don't have brothers or spaces like this and we walk around and interact with each other like nothing bothers, fazes, or affects us. The truth is there is a lot that bothers, fazes, and affects us every damn day and we need each other, and sometimes professional therapy, to name, unpack, process, and communicate those emotions. We need to be more vulnerable within our brotherhood and create these spaces for ourselves and the young boys growing up. Our young boys need to see us honor, congratulate, and share with each other so they can learn how to do the same with their peers. It is an important part of our mental health and path of growth and development as men. We will be better because of it, and our relationships, families, communities, people and overall society will also. 

Peace,

Saladin

Our Vulnerability is equal to our Responsibility

Photo: Alana Adetola Arts Photography, LLC

 

     On Epiphany Day, I will be fifty years young. There is more snow on the roof than last year but still a lot of fire in this furnace. Reflecting upon my life thus far, there are many things that I have learned, and many things that I am still learning. The main thing that I have been intentional about learning is how to be more vulnerable. Vulnerable about what I share, how I share it, and what I am open to receive. It has truly been my greatest challenge thus far.

    As males in an Androcentric society, there is a traditional emphasis on IQ, or the assessment of intelligence around reasoning. What we are rarely taught about is EQ or emotional intelligence. EQ is defined as a measurement that "determines an individual's ability to identify emotions, both their own and that of others. It is a common belief that people with a high EQ make better leaders, because of their ability to understand and connect with those around them." What I have learned is that we are indoctrinated since boyhood to not show emotion, not use words that express emotion, or even acknowledge the emotions of others. This unsophisticated posture and stoic attitude has ill-equipped many of us males to even identify emotions; our own and what other human beings are experiencing and expressing. Yes, we know what mad, happy, and sad is. Yet it is challenging for many of us to recognize depression, rage, apathy, empathy, confusion, jealousy, adoration, disappointment, and numerous other emotions that many women naturally can. It took me years to realize how unevolved I was, and still am, regarding my EQ. For women, I think it is important to understand that as men, we are traditionally socialized NOT TO BE emotionally available to ourselves and for each other. It is very rare that dudes get together and honestly talk about how a woman hurt our feelings by what she said or did, how confused we are about how our relationship is going, or that we are honestly afraid to take the next step in a career. In fact, we probably don't even use the words "hurt", "confused", or "afraid" to describe how we feel even though that is exactly what we are experiencing. We usually don't tell other men that we are proud of them, say that we admire certain qualities about their character, or let them know that we appreciate them being in our lives. We were not taught, and still don't learn, that these are healthy human interactions and important expressions to share with one another. Now, as a woman, imagine having the expectation of us men being emotionally available to you. It is not impossible; it is often unrealistic because many of us were never given the tools. Many of us never learned this. To get many of us men to just begin including words in our vocabulary to communicate emotion, we need to do the self-work of learning to first identify those variety of emotions that we all experience. Do you know how many times we feel ashamed yet express it as anger? Many of us don't even realize that what we are feeling is shame. We just think we are mad about something. As men, we have been taught to historically suppress, minimize, and outright deny these emotions. And to top it all off, who do you think is best qualified to teach us how to navigate these emotions? One of the main people whom many men refuse to learn from; women. 

     YouTube Link: Online Class For Women

     I grew up in a household where my father had some emotional intelligence. He would openly cry if he was upset, he saw something beautiful, and he did not hide it or apologize for expressing these emotions. He told my siblings and I that he loved us, he openly showed affection to our mother, he used words to communicate how he felt, and I was not told "don't cry" or "be a man." Even with seeing, experiencing, and having access to all of this EQ in my own household, I was still unevolved. What I experienced at home was not reflected in the dominant society or the everyday social environments where I invested most of my time. My household experience was usually not being reinforced anywhere outside, especially within the various sports that I participated in. The importance of emotional intelligence never crossed my mind as a child, and it still never crosses the mind of many men. When I finally did begin to think about it, in my adult years, the next questions that I began to ask myself is: Who could I trust to share with? How can I learn to be vulnerable in a Capitalistic society that thrived on taking advantage of the most vulnerable? These are not questions that I simply found an answer to, these are questions that I constantly ask myself as I learn to increase my EQ. 

     As a part of my growth and development process over the last two years I have been intentional about including words that describe emotion within my vocabulary. That has not been a walk in the park for me. I have had experiences with women whom I shared personal feelings with who did not know what to do with them. I have had women laugh, dismiss what I shared, minimize what I expressed, or completely ignore it and talk about their own emotions. Although I was initially hurt and sometimes vowed to never share sh*t with them again, I did come to understand that they were usually not accustomed to seeing that from a man or being in the position to receive that expression. They did not know what to do. Whatever their reaction was, it was an indication for me that they were unable to hold space for me emotionally, while simultaneously expecting me to hold space for them. We may had been compatible in various areas, yet being non-compatible in the area of emotional intelligence began to be a struggle for me, especially as a Black man living in a hostile society. And I'm not saying this from the perspective of a man with a high EQ, I am saying this as a man developing in this area of emotional intelligence being with a woman who is unprepared to receive and reciprocate that. 

     Knowledge of Self is not simply an intellectual journey. It is also a path of the heart that requires us to critically examine how we think AND feel. This is a lifelong commitment to growth and development beyond just reading/collecting books, watching YouTube videos, listening to podcasts, and debating people in the comment sections on social media. Sometimes, it may include professional therapy. Not life coaching. Not the Universal Parliament. Not a church, mosque, masjid, synagogue, or kingdom hall. T.h.e.r.a.p.y. When my father died in his sleep and my brother was murdered hours later on the same day in 2021, I sought therapy for the first time in my life. I had no idea how that tragedy could potentially affect me, and I wanted to be proactive by seeking professional help. I found a Black Therapist and went for about six months. Through her I had an opportunity to help name, unpack, process, and communicate my emotions. I am unsure how I would have gone through that tragedy without that professional help, along with the support of my family and friends. I am much better for it, and I see how it can be a benefit us men. Not just because we experienced similar tragedies; it just took that kind of tragedy for me to take that step. It is a benefit simply because we are Black men living in a historically hostile society, and we personally don't have all of the answers. Others can help us discover those answers, and some of them are actual professionals. An important part of being vulnerable is also being open to a professional possibility to learn, and grow. We will be better for it. 

     

Peace,

Saladin

When People Fear Success, More Than Failure

United Nations, Geneva Switzerland

     Back in the early 2000s I was walking down a crowded street in NYC and a man approached me and began talking about an article that I wrote in a UK Publication in the 1990s. He described that article in detail, asked questions, and shared how important it was to his growth and development. This incident was nearly a decade after I wrote that article, before the development of social media apps, and before smart phones even existed. That experience shook me up and was one of my first introductions to what it means to be a public figure. On one hand I appreciated learning about how my work was positively impacting lives, yet it was strange being approached that way in the public. I thought a lot about being surveilled, how this person was possibly a government agent, how many other people were watching me, and the potential threat to my life and possibly those around me. It wasn't like that article was about bird watching in Vermont, it was about cultural awareness and self-determination. 

    With all of the work that I have done over the years and continue to do, experiences like this have only increased, exponentially. Nowadays, I am much more accustomed to and prepared to handle these experiences, embracing the fact that this global visibility is a natural result of the work that I do. Contrary to what some folks would like to believe, I have had to learn to acknowledge, accept, and live with this attention. This is a global visibility that I never strived for or desired. 

     Last month I was sitting with colleagues at a Conference in Philadelphia and shared with them my experience filming Episode 5 of the award-winning docuseries Enslaved, executive produced and starring Samuel L. Jackson. Three days prior to filming I learned that the production date/location was changed to the middle of the week 700 miles away to Lake Michigan in Sherboygan, Wisconsin. I was teaching Pre-K at the time, it was nearing the end of the year, and I was coordinating/practicing our students graduation event that was going to be held that Friday. So that Tuesday I brought my luggage to school so that I could leave directly from class to the airport in order to catch a flight to Milwaukee. I flew out of Buffalo, New York that evening and arrived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that night where car service drove me to Sherboygan about an hour away. I arrived after midnight, checked into the Blue Harbor Resort, and was informed by some of the production team that we would be meeting for breakfast at 5:00am to be out on the dive boat by 5:30am. Keep in mind that from the time I left school the day before, every single moment was a completely new experience for me. I could hardly sleep; it seemed like I blinked my eyes, and it was 5:00am. 

     When I went downstairs to breakfast, I briefly met the production team and was informed by the Director Simcha Jacobovici that we were going to be boarding a dive boat that would be taking us two hours out into the middle of Lake Michigan. There our team of scuba divers would be examining the wreckage of the Home and the Niagara; two sunken schooners now sitting almost 170 and 50 feet below the surface that once ferried Black freedom seekers to Canada from Sandusky, Ohio. Again, I cannot emphasis enough that this was all new to me. This is the first time I was in Wisconsin, staying at this location, meeting the crew, riding on a dive boat, and filming a documentary in this environment. To top it off, an hour into our boat trip, as I start to get seasick below deck, Simcha starts to get footage of myself and Historian John Polacsek discussing Black freedom seekers using waterways along the underground railroad. We then moved to the upper deck and this is footage that was primarily shown in the docuseries. We filmed all day, and we got back to the resort in time for a late dinner. The next morning after breakfast I was scheduled to get car service to the Milwaukee airport to fly back to New York, but Simcha had other plans. There was some footage that he didn't get, and we all had to change back into our clothes from yesterday to get back on the dive boat to shoot. I was able to get to the airport to make my flight just in time. I made it back to New York that night and was up the next morning for our last day of school and Pre-K graduation. All of that happened within a span of 72 hours, and it took me some time to process that experience. The best way that I could describe it is teleportation. In the midst of that experience I was nervous, it was stressful, and I was seasick at times, yet it emotionally prepared me for every single thing that I have done after that. Not once did I feel unqualified, unprepared, or in a space I did not belong. That experience empowered me with the ability to professionally show up under conditions like this, that most folks would be afraid of, which has now become a consistent part of my life. One day I may be at the local grocery store speaking to a person, and 24 hours later be in another state or country speaking to a room of 1,000 people. There is a fearlessness that I have when it comes to showing up, and that is an important part of being successful in any of our undertakings.

     Most folks don’t know how it feels to be visible, and vulnerable. When people around the world can recognize you, reach out to you for assistance/advice, constantly express their gratitude, invest in what you do, quote you in music/literature/curriculum, etc. Take a moment and Google your name to see what comes up about you. Now Google my name, Saladin Allah, and see what comes up. This has been my constant reality for well over two decades now. In no way am I complaining or saying that this is a bad thing. What I am saying is that being a public figure comes with a level of scrutiny, responsibility, consistency, and other expectations that most folks do not understand, are not prepared for, or maybe would not even want. Some folks even believe that they are prepared, or even deserving of this kind of public visibility, and do everything in their power to get it. Yet they usually refuse to do the consistent often "non-visible" work that is actually notable and commands this attention. I didn't just get here, nor did my global visibility happen overnight or because of some viral video, meme, or social media post. I am an internet immigrant who came from an age before household computers and some Tictokers were born native in a digital world. I became influential before Influencers existed and taught online classes before there was something called Zoom, and doing online radio shows before podcasting existed. I have been here for a while. For years I humbled myself and would not even share with people the reality of what goes on in my life as a public figure. Sure, some people can see what I choose to share on social media about my work, but that is just a small fraction of what this internal world is like, and the demands that come along with it. Seeing life through this lens, I continue to learn a lot about myself and other people. A major part of this education is understanding that socioeconomic, educational, and etc. factors aside, when we are our own worst enemies, we drastically limit our ability to succeed. 

    Something that I have also learned is that many people would rather sit and post content on social media to simulate success rather than do the actual work to be successful. Some people even fear success more than they do failure. They would rather accept being safe and mediocre than take a chance at being better. In many cases, they will make up all of the excuses in the world, and create the most elaborate self-sabotage schemes, like play the B.S.E. [Blame Somebody Else] Game, as the reason for their failure to succeed. I have seen this scenario time and time again and could write a book about the number of times that I have helped put people in positions to succeed and they fumbled the bag, dropped the ball, or simply did not show up. And YES, as crazy as this sounds, some folks have even tried to blame me for their failure; even though all I did was open doors for them, get out of the way, help them get money, and never ask for anything in return. I used to take that personal, be hurt, and disappointed in people. Then I grew to understand that it was not personal. It was clearly not about me, or everything that I was able to do for them, that they were not able to do for me or for themselves. 

     Over the last decade I began to be more intentional about publicly owning, acknowledging, and talking about my work, and receiving acknowledgement from others. It was never a case of Imposter Syndrome or lack of pride; I just really considered the feelings of other people by choosing not to be as big as I really was. I am still considerate like that, yet I no longer shrink myself for others to feel comfortable. If I feel like talking about working with the UN, sharing some experiences consulting a celebrity, international travel with a purpose, or a chapter in the seventeenth book that I published, it is what it is. I mean, if a watched a lot of reality television, had a job I didn't like, wanted someone to make me happy, or gossiped about what other people were doing/not doing, I would have that to talk about too, but I don't. Another thing that I learned is some people see your accomplishments and happiness as a magnifying glass that only enlarges their failures and unhappiness. For whatever reason, sometimes even unknown to them, they do not 'feel' proud of you, regardless how they try to mask it. I have seen men who cannot genuinely say things like, "I am proud of you", "You inspire me" and "You helped me..." I've watched dudes literally repeat my words as if they said it or copy/remix some project, program, or initiative that I created, yet act like it didn't come from me. Some even went as far as privately reach out for my guidance and resources behind closed doors but then act like they don't associate with me in the public. Yeah, it's wild, but this is something that has come along with being in the public like that. 

     I grew up in a pre-internet era where the work that people did, or didn't do, was clearly evident in our everyday lives. That is where we were recognized, or not, in a concrete reality. In today's digital landscape of social media, many people are constantly seeking virtual attention and notoriety that they haven’t concretely earned or deserve. People start something and then fizzle out months later because they are ambulance chasing content creators. They post things they did years ago for credit because they are not doing anything credible right now. They troll public figures on social media because a response validates them as "somebody" and equally important. I've said on many occasions that I use social media as a routing device back to reality. It directs people to what I have actually done, and what I am actually doing, in concrete reality. 

    Even though I get frustrated sometimes, I may feel like I need a personal assistant, and there are not enough hours in a day, I have learned to personally handle the attention and expectations of being a public figure. My biggest challenge has been how to establish and maintain a relationship in the midst of all of this, which I am still striving to figure out. One day I will get there. 

Peace,

Saladin

Genealogy and Discovering Our Roots

 

Marriage Certificate of Great Aunt Gertrude (Williams) Dorsey to Great Uncle Leo Joseph Dorsey.
In this certificate, Leo's parents Joseph -Allan- Dorsey and Edith Harper are highlighted. 

     Over the last few years, I have noticed a growing trend on social media of Black folks debating our ancestral origins and identity. What I rarely see are discussions on genealogy. Studying our family history and tracing our lineages would end much speculation about our identity and where we come from. Through this process, we find names, ethnicities, ages, genders, geographic locations, professions, property, and other documents. The best way that I can describe my own genealogical journey is "mind-blowing"! Check this out. 

    Before and following the August 1st, 1834 Abolition of Slavery throughout the British Empire, it is estimated that between 30,000 and 100,000 enslaved people escaped to freedom onto the Canadian side and established communities. When the Fugitive Slave Act was passed in 1850 by then-President Millard Fillmore, an exodus of free and enslaved black folks began to cross the Canadian and Mexican border. These patterns are clearly indicated in population census data and community activity on both sides of the U.S., Canadian, and Mexican borders during these time periods. During that time period, numerous family members on my father's side made that journey and helped establish or settle into Black communities within the Province of Ontario, Canada. From the records that I discovered, the majority of these ancestors were affiliated with AME (African Methodist Episcopal) Institutions that taught Black Liberation Theology. In addition to Little Africa, a Black community located in Fort Erie, Ontario, the other most notable community where my family members resided was Coloured Village in St. Catharines, Ontario.    

Salem Chapel BME Church

     Central to St. Catharines Coloured Village community was/is the Salem Chapel BME (British Methodist Episcopal) Church. This institution was built by formally enslaved people, freedom seekers, in 1855. One of Salem Chapel's most notable members was Harriet Tubman, who lived in St. Catharines from 1851 to about 1861 right across the street in a boarding house -which no longer stands. Initially established as an AME institution, the Salem Chapel and many other Canadian institutions became BME affiliated following the passage of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act. Members refused to travel into the United States to attend annual AME Conferences for fear of being captured so they began to establish their own BME Conferences. Central to these institutions' Black Liberation Theology were civic protests, anti-slavery lectures, and the establishment of mutual aid committees to provide food, clothing, and shelter for newly arriving freedom seekers. There were other notable members of Salem Chapel during the time that Harriet Tubman worshipped there, and many were my relatives. 

St. Catharines Orioles; First Black Hockey Team in Ontario, Canada.
7 players were my relatives: Leverne "Larry", Amos and Gordon Dorsey,
Doug, Dick and Hope Nicholson, and Winifred Bell
 

     Allan Alexander Dorsey or Deacon Dorsey is my 2nd-great grandfather who was born c.1840 in Tubman Country, Dorchester County, Maryland. He escaped from enslavement c.1857, settled in St. Catharines, and joined the BME Church where he met and married Samantha “Amanda/Mandy” Hemsley in 1863. Amanda was born in St. Catharines c.1844 and they had six children: Maurice, Lydia, Mary, Joseph Allan, William, and Frederick. Deacon Dorsey was a well-respected member of the community and served in that position at the Salem Chapel from 1868 until his death in 1882. Joseph Allan is my great-grandfather, the father of my grandmother Inez Maude Frank (Dorsey), who is featured in the news article below.

Inez Maude Frank (Dorsey), Grandmother

Great Aunts, Sisters Gertrude Dorsey (L) and Olive Plummer (R)

    It is through my grandmother Inez Dorsey (Frank) that I am related to both my 3rd great-grandfathers Josiah Henson and the Rev. James Harper. My grandmother Inez is the daughter of Joseph Allan Dorsey (Deacon Dorsey's son) & Edith Harper. Edith is the daughter of Charles & Harriet (Collis) Harper. Charles is the son of Margaret and the Rev. James Harper; my 3rd great-grandparents. Another interesting fact that I learned is while my great-grandmother Edith was born in St. Catharines, her father Charles, his five siblings, and his parents Margaret and Rev. James Harper were all born in Columbia, South Carolina. It is from this location that they escaped slavery. So, who was the Rev. James Harper? He was Harriet Tubman's Pastor at Salem Chapel when she lived in St. Catharines, Ontario Canada. 

     When the First Annual AME Conference of Upper Canada was held in Toronto on July 21st, 1840, before their affiliation with the BME, Rev. James Harper was in attendance alongside my other more famous 3rd great-grandfather, Josiah Henson. Two years later in July 1842, the AME Churches of Upper Canada again gathered for a Conference but this time in Hamilton, Ontario Canada. At this Conference Rev. Harper was ordained an Elder and Josiah Henson was ordained a Deacon. Also present was Austin Stewart, Black Abolitionist who would eventually author the famous 1861 biography Twenty-two Years a Slave and Forty Years a Freeman. Another person who was present was Rev. Jacob Dorsey from the Salem Chapel, another one of my relatives who was born enslaved in Maryland around 1790 and escaped to Canada. 

     Josiah Henson was born enslaved in Charles County, Maryland June 15th, 1789. At the age of 41, he, his wife Charlotte, and four small children -two of whom he carried in a knapsack on his back- escaped from Owensboro, Kentucky. Forty-one days later they crossed to freedom in Fort Erie, Ontario Canada on October 28th, 1830, and settled into a Black community there known as Little Africa. Josiah would go on to lead a Black Militia during the Rebellion of 1837, found the Dawn Settlement in present-day Dresden, Ontario, establish the British-American Institute, and work as both an Abolitionist/Pastor. In 1849, at the age of 60, Josiah Henson's book “The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada, as Narrated by Himself”, was published. As this book circulated among abolitionist reading rooms, Harriet Beecher Stowe, a young writer and abolitionist, learned about Josiah Henson. Upon one of his trips from Boston in 1849, he met Stowe at her home in Andover, Massachusetts. Two years later in 1851 Stowe wrote to Gamaliel Bailey, the editor and publisher of The National Era, and offered him a story for his antislavery paper that she had been working on. Published in The National Era on June 5th, 1851, Stowe's story Uncle Tom's Cabin ran in forty-one weekly installments for ten months. This series of articles used Henson's life story as source material, and centered him under the alias 'Tom' as the protagonist. These articles were published one year later in 1852 as the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin and became the best-selling novel of the 19th Century. 

     Stowe received a lot of negative backlashes and criticized as making the story up because it was a novel. To set the record straight, Stowe published a second book titled The Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin one year later in 1853. It is in this book that Stowe recounts the life of “the venerable” Josiah Henson and exclaims that his life served as the basis of her famous novel. This book was seen as the spark that ignited the Civil War, which began on April 12th, 1861. In fact, when Stowe visited President Lincoln on December 2nd, 1862, he is reported to have said, "So you're the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war." In the midst of the Civil War, then President Abraham Lincoln began to draft a document which became The Emancipation Proclamation. Six months after meeting Stowe, on June 16th, 1862, President Lincoln checked out a copy of The Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin from the Library of Congress and returned it forty-four days later on July 29th, 1862. This book was used as President Lincoln's primary source material to draft the Emancipation Proclamation, enacted six months later, on January 1st, 1863. 

My Father Philip B. Frank holding a picture of Josiah Henson,
his 2nd great-grandfather and my 3rd great-grandfather

     What I have shared is just scratches the surface of the genealogy research that I have done on my family. It is a rich legacy of self-emancipation, education, community building, and preserving our cultural identity. Along with dozens of Underground Railroad freedom seekers who escaped to Canada, I have found family members draft cards who fought in WWI and WWII, Indigenous family members living on the Six Nations territory in Canada, violinists, members of the first Black hockey team in Ontario, the first Black person on a Canadian stamp, family members who chaired committees for immigrant aid societies, public speakers, poets, and etc. 

     There is a saying that we should live our lives as if a million ancestors were watching. All of us had two parents, regardless if we know them or not. This means that we had to have four grandparents, eight great-grandparents, sixteen 2nd-great-grandparents, thirty-two 3rd great-grandparents, and etc. This is not even considering numerous aunts/great aunts, uncles/great uncles, and cousins. That is our ancestry and our ancestors are literally a part of our genetic code (secret language/writing); we embody them. We are also composite of their stories; their choices, accomplishments, failures, epiphanies, perseverance, pain, and joy. We are the evidence of what our ancestors did, what they didn't do, and what they hoped to do in their lifetime. Imagine knowing little to nothing about them and these stories. Consider the wealth of resources and reference books of wisdom that we don't have access to because we do not know them or their names. How well can we truly know ourselves without knowing much about where we came from, and the sacrifices that our ancestors made, that enabled us to be here? Consider the miracles that our family members performed or experienced over the generations, that we know nothing about. While each year gives us an opportunity to learn about and express our infinite potential, imagine not knowing how generations of family members have knowingly/unknowingly expressed their infinite potential in different areas of life. There is no advantage, asset, or value in not knowing who our people were, and are, to AND in us. If you're interested in learning about your family, Family Search is an excellent website to start, plus it's free. All you need is the desire to know, the diligence to search, and the love to share it with others, especially your family!

Peace,

Saladin

Builders Build; Journeys to The Motherland

Anusha on the white sand beaches of Zanzibar

 

    Last year I traveled to Africa for the first time following the successful opening of my Atlantis School Gifted Youngsters. For two years I worked on renovating the site, while simultaneously coordinating public art projects in my city through the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area, serving as the director of community engagement at the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center, working with the United Nations, doing documentary projects, and various other programs and initiatives. It was a lot, and I would joking tell people that I work twenty-five hours a day, eight days a week. However, none of it felt or feels like work because I love what I do. Over this time period I sacrificed a lot to complete the Atlantis School. There were times that I had an opportunity to travel outside of a professional capacity, yet I chose to purchase a pallet of drywall, new windows, or appliances. Upon the completion of the Atlantis School I planned to take a trip somewhere in January 2023. That "somewhere" was Tanzania, 7,760 miles away. 

Tanzania, January 2023

     Many people have asked me, "Why Tanzania?", and there are a few reasons why I chose this location for my first journey to Africa. Number one, this East African country, with over one hundred and twenty different tribes, does not have the same history of the transatlantic trade of enslaved people as West Africa. Yes, I will visit the Western African slave ports, castles, and etc. one day. I did not want my first trip "home" to be an experience of trauma tourism. Secondly, I wanted to be in an area where I could see the various landscapes of the African continent including its famous wildlife. My entire life I grew up seeing Maasai statues, spears, shields, and other African art and crafts that my father collected. To visit a land that my father never journeyed to, yet taught my siblings and I so much about, was a personal pilgrimage. Lastly, Tanzania's Visa and COVID-19 policies were not harsh restrictions. I did not need to get dozens of vaccinations, nor was their media using fearmongering propaganda to force people to do so. 

     If you have ever said or heard someone talk about their dream to return to the motherland, my experience was like what you might imagine. From the time that I set foot on the soil in Mt. Kilimanjaro, until the time that I left, it was one of the most liberating experiences in my entire life. I felt like a king returning to my country. Our people were kind, generous, considerate, and honored for me to be there. There were white 'tourists' there from around the world to go on safaris and visit Zanzibar, yet I was not treated as a tourist. It is the first time in my life as a Black man that I have ever felt a sense of security, safety, and comfort. I was home! It left such a deep impression on me that on my journey back to America all I could think about was how I could bring others with me next time. I literally began putting the plan together on the plane. Several months later I was right back in Tanzania, and Zanzibar this time, with several others from across the United States. A few weeks ago, 12 months later, I returned with twenty-one people, including my five-year-old queen Anusha. 

     Many people have asked, "What is the reason for these trips?" I simply want people to this experience this, especially our youth. Folks have asked what travel agent/agency did I go through to set this up and the answer is none, nor am I doing this as a travel agent. When I traveled the first time I started building relationships with our people there, and it was through this established local network that I began to make these journeys possible. On this most recent journey, it was a collaborative effort; my colleagues from my second trip, Kelly Diane Galloway (Buffalo, NY) and Roderick Adams (Oakland, CA), assisted with the planning, coordination, and its execution. This journey was also captured by videographer/documentarian Dorrell Edwards of Always Timeless Productions who will be producing a documentary about our experience. 

A heard of elephants in the Serengeti
Image: Always Timeless Productions

   From the first time that I went to East Africa, to the most recent journey, I still find it difficult to verbalize this lived experience. Staying on a fully sustainable eco farm which grew fifteen varieties of bananas, I was unable to eat bananas in America for five months. Drinking pure water from a natural mountain stream, not witnessing an argument or fight, eating all organic fruit and vegetables with seeds, sitting with my back to doors without feeling a sense of danger, and being declared an International Ambassador of a Primary School that I visited are just a few things that radicalized me. Sure, there are pockets in America where you can find some of these things, yet that is what I experienced as a standard of normalcy in an environment that sustained it. Everyone looked like me, from the darkest shade of black to the lightest of brown; in their cities and rural areas, in law enforcement, their government, and in every profession within society. In the images of their schoolbooks, on their advertisements, and across television. People were not materialistic and judging one another based upon what they had, or did not have. No one was debating each other's religious or political perspectives. There was not even a sense of violence. To put this into perspective, just last week Anusha asked, "Dad, were there police in Africa?" The fact that she didn't even realize they were there taking up space tells you how different it was to what we experience with law enforcement here in America. That was only one of many insights that my five-year-old, and the other youth who traveled with us, had through this experience. They now know for a fact that certain psychological, physical, social, economic, and environmental living conditions are possible!

Sakila Primary School
Image: Always Timeless Productions

     One of the biggest epiphanies that I had was witnessing how racism and white supremacy has embedded in many of us Black folks in America a deep seeded sense of insecurity and hypervisibility. Most of our people in Tanzania grew up never being scrutinized based upon their so-called race. In fact, many don't even know what "race" or "racism" is. On one occasion I was having a conversation with a few locals about some of the challenges and history of being Black in America and realized that I brought more baggage with me to Africa than I had realized. So, when some of our people come from Africa to America and have no concept of racism, or the historical plight of Black folks here, that is real. Some of our folks from Africa are so oblivious that they think that it does not exist; so they treat Black folks in America like they are incompetent and delusional. Some folks from Africa strive to better understand the concept of racism, or the historical plight of Black folks here in America. Some educated themselves before they came to America, others began to educate themselves once they began to realize that they were put into a Black (people) box. Keep in mind that in America's short 248-year history, this predominately white society legally restricted Black people from participating in it as citizens for 199 years or almost 77% of the time that America has existed. That restricted participation included all areas of people activity from economics, education, entertainment, government/politics, religion, health, sex, and law. This was all because of the color of our skin. Any cultural movement in America by and for Black people to reclaim our cultural identity, to proclaim or beauty and intelligence, to amplify our voice, accomplishments, appearance and to scream that Black lives matter are all responses to being dehumanized, othered and uncentered in a predominately white, historically racist, society. When you are the descendant of a people who have been generationally, intellectually, legally, socioeconomically, emotionally, academically, and physiologically defined as inferior (Black) or superior (white), you either believe it and act accordingly or you fight to not believe it. All of this psychological, social, economic, educational, institutional, legal, and environmental baggage is what we all inherited as Americans, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. All of this, and more, was baggage that I brought with me to Africa. Baggage that many of our brothers and sisters in Africa have never seen or heard of before.

Welcome Reception to Sakila Primary School

     As the International Ambassador of Sakila Primary School, I was able to secure water for the school for the next two-years and our second travel group brought supplies to the staff and students. On our most recent trip we brought more supplies and my colleague Roderick secured sixty computers that we were able to provide for their staff and create a computer lab. Lastly, we unveiled the launch of our Sakila Care Foundation; a non-governmental organization to expand this global initiative. 

     The experience of being in a cultural environment where "hakuna matata" (no worries or there are no troubles) is literally the status quo is both transformative and therapeutic, especially for our children. It is a lived experience that cannot be simulated at a three-day retreat, some professional development training, or hours long YouTube videos. As a Five Percenter, I think that too many of us use the word 'build' as a noun and see it as an object or a thing. That thing is usually just a bunch of talking, gossiping, social media posting, and Youtubing and it rarely goes beyond that. The word 'build' in our language [of Supreme Mathematics] is a verb or a word used to describe an action. So, to 'build' means to show forth and prove our power through some act, direct action, or activity. As a noun it is only potential, yet it is kinetic as a verb. These successful journeys to East Africa helped build an intercontinental bridge across the Atlantic Ocean to connect our people. A connection that enables our people to build beyond "the block" on both shores, especially our children. I am extremely proud to spark this initiative yet even more THANKFUL to those who have joined me to help make this experience possible for themselves and their families. We will be sharing details for our August 2025 trip on social media so stay in tune if you are interested in being a part of this amazing journey!

Peace,

Saladin