National Park Service Removes/Restores Harriet Tubman on their Website, What’s Next?

"Beacon of Hope" traveling monument by Emmy-Award winning sculptor Wesley Wofford

being installed onsite October 2024 at our Niagara Falls Underground Heritage Center.

Photo by Alana Adetola Arts Photography, LLC

     Monday morning, I awoke to emails, texts, messages and phone calls concerning the National Park Service (NPS) removing images and text of Harriet Tubman from their website.  In addition to a large image of Tubman, the NPS webpage initially read, "The Underground Railroad — the resistance to enslavement through escape and flight, through the end of the Civil War — refers to the efforts of enslaved African Americans to gain their freedom by escaping bondage," boldly highlighting the agency and self-determination of people of African descent. In replacement of her image were now images of commemorative postal stamps of those who escaped or helped others to escape slavery. The webpage’s introduction also changed the description of the Underground Railroad as “one of the most significant expressions of the American civil rights movement” that “bridged the divides of race” and the phrase “enslaved African Americans” was changed to “enslaved workers.” Initially a NPS spokesperson defended their ability to remove this image and revise that content telling CNN, "The idea that a couple web edits somehow invalidate the National Park Service’s commitment to telling complex and challenging historical narratives is completely false and belies the extensive websites, social media posts, and programs we offer about Harriet Tubman specifically and Black History as a whole." In addition to trivializing this erasure as a couple of web edits, the NPS spokesperson also highlighted the two national historical parks named for Tubman stating, "The National Park Service recognizes Harriet Tubman as the Underground Railroad’s best-known conductor and we celebrate her as a deeply spiritual woman who lived her ideals and dedicated her life to freedom." All of this was whitewashed revisionist history used to propagate a false narrative of American history in the public domain. 

Niagara Falls National Heritage Area Main St. & Depot Ave. Mural "Harriet Tubman: A Light of Hope"

by Maddona Pannel. Photo by Alana Adetola Arts Photography, LLC.

     Harriet Tubman is an American hero of international acclaim. As a conductor of the Underground Railroad following the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, she led freedom seekers here to my city of Niagara Falls across the historic International Suspension Bridge to freedom on the Canadian side. Our Niagara Falls Underground Railroad heritage Center is literally at the former site of this bridge where she crossed by train. In 2024 she was commissioned posthumously as a one-star brigadier general by the Maryland National Guard; she was the first woman in the U.S. to lead an armed military operation during a war. Her brave military actions led to the emancipation of about 750 enslaved people during the Combahee River Raid in South Carolina. Queen Mother Tubman was a mother, herbalist, cook, nurse, spy, scout, suffragist, and matron saint to many. To try to eliminate her important contributions sets a dangerous precedent for the erasure of more American history and other important figures who have also contributed to this society.

     As a result of a huge public backlash, within twenty-four hours the NPS has since restored their webpage to the original image and content of Harriet Tubman issuing another public statement that the changes to the page had been made "without approval" from the agency’s leadership. This erasure by the NPS mimics the same Federal policies of government agencies, institutions and businesses across the country to change or scrub any historical references to diversity, equity, inclusion and the stories of Americans deemed unimportant and dispensable. Arlington National Cemetery website content highlighting the graves of Black and female service members have vanished or been concealed. A Defense Department website article about Jackie Robinson’s military career disappeared and then magically reappeared. Another Defense Department page featuring the biography Black Army general Maj. Gen. Charles Calvin Rogers, who received the Medal of Honor by the way, also disappeared before being restored. These are just mainstream examples that people are aware of. Seeing this erasure continually happen has given me the sense that it is calculated and deliberate; an intentional way for the Federal government to cattle prod the American people to see what they can and cannot get away with, right now. In the cases where images and/or content is restored after its removal, it most instances a copy and paste public statement is issued by the agency stating that it was done -by who knows- without leadership approval. An apology is rarely given, a person responsible is never named, and everyone just goes on with their lives until the next shock from the cattle prod. If this was done to Harriet Tubman, one of the most beloved American and International icons, who is next? Better yet, who has this already happened to?

     Prior to and during the Nazi regimes attack of villages and territories, Hitler systematically used them to confiscate art, historical records and cultural objects from homes, libraries, businesses, and etc. He would also deliberately destroy historic landmarks and cultural sites of the villages and territories he attacked.  This was all part of their larger cultural and ideological agenda of erasure, which included the Führermuseum project; a museum that was to be established in Hitler's hometown of Linz, Austria to display the cultural objects his regime stole from across Europe. By 1945, Hitler had possession of more than 5 million cultural objects and the power to interpret them to the world, in perpetuity. One reason that many Historians have been comparing what is happening today with 1930s Nazi Germany is because there are some parallels in what we are seeing in America. This erasure of American history, censorship, disinformation, propaganda, deletion of digital content, deaccessioning of historical archives, library records and art, confiscation of cultural objects, demolition of historic buildings and landmarks is based upon a historic Fascist playbook. It is a systemic attack upon the cultural identity, legacy, societal contributions, and self-determination of our citizens. These are acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, groups of people and remove them from America's map of human geography. 

Hands-Off Protest

Baltimore, Maryland City Hall

April 5th, 2025

      As a person of direct action, I always strive to share solutions. Not as some lofty goals but as jewels that I actually live by. The first thing that I would encourage you to do is RESIST, and resistance takes on many forms. Start from where you are! Protest is only one form of resistance. Resistance can be buying the books that are being banned for your own library or to gift to others, especially children. Resistance is not financially supporting businesses, product brands and institutions that have removed DEI policies and/or people. Resistance is being intentional about preserving your family history, archives, and cultural objects. Resistance is not giving your valuable time, monetized web traffic and attention to entertainment or content that does not align with your principles and values. Resistance is also supporting institutions such as our Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center by visiting our space and taking a tour to learn more of the stories of everyday people, doing the extraordinary, that are facing the threat of erasure. You can become a member of our institution, support our gift shop, make a donation. Like many other not-for-profits who have received federal grants to support our work, the current Administrations Executive Orders and DOGE have put our funding at-risk. In fact, less than 8% of philanthropic support goes towards investing in communities of color. This is systemically problematic, yet not unsolvable. Direct action such as these enable us to continue this important work and remain a beacon of light in dark times such as these. And lastly but most importantly, resistance is committing yourself to telling the complete truth, regardless to whom or what.

Peace,

Saladin

Content Harvesting and Gossip Era Groupies

In my 2022 article Intellectual Property: How Protected Are We? I shared that, "This society is drastically changing with the exponential growth of technology. Those changes are not favorable for those of us who have little to no control over any legal assets/intellectual property. As black people, we cannot allow those changes to happen around us." With the expansion of technology, we went from an Internet Era to a Social Media Era. Since publishing that article, society has begun to move through an IP [Intellectual Property] Era and devolve into an Era of Content Harvesting and Gossip Groupies.

  Step back and look at the content being shared online today. Whether it's skits, LIVE videos, reaction videos, music, social commentary, or podcasts, most of that content is based on negatively talking about others. Everyone has something to say, about everybody. As much as some people claim to hate "Lying Donald Trunk" -as my six-year-old calls him, he is generating millions of dollars of content revenue for people talking about everything he does/doesn't do and anyone remotely associated with him. This does not mean that I support him. I am simply pointing out the same contradiction of Northerners running textile companies making a claim that they were against slavery while enriching themselves from the cotton picked by enslaved people and shipped by Southerners. Trump is content gold and his remarks/tweets provide job security for some of his most vocal content-creating critics. It is a sick symbiotic relationship. Knowing this, I strive to step outside of this cycle of abuse by not allowing myself to be used as a content tool. It is not often, but sometimes I have still fallen short of that. More recently, I publicly addressed a male with an obvious man-crush who has consistently trolled me privately and publicly over the last several years. In hindsight, it started after I gave them an interview for YouTube, yet never gave them direct access to me. Over time, I was accused of "thinking I was better" and they became an outright contrarian to whatever they would see me share online, and recruit others who secretly felt the same way. Because they are not in my personal or professional circle, I would receive this information from those who wanted to inform me about some things that were going on in the periphery of my life. Anyway, I humorously responded to some recent low budget content they made that included me. My response was all EGO and ultimately fed the attention seeking behavior that content harvesting gossip groupies like them monetize. As the old saying goes, if someone walks in on a wise person and a fool having a disagreement, they won't be able to tell the difference. In this instance, I was definitely a fool for even entertaining this.

Universal Parliament, P.S. 154 Harriet Tubman Elementary School 
[November 28th, 1982]

Speaking of foolishness, there has recently been a lot of discussion, particularly among members of our Five Percent Nation, about public commentary shared by Golden Era Hip Hop Pioneer and Brand Nubian group member Lord Jamar. Lord Jamar recently appeared on the In Godfrey We Trust Podcast to debate Professor Dave Farina about the Flat Earth; a concept supported by Lord Jamar yet disproved by the scientific community before the 6th Century BC and not advocated by our Five Percent Nation. As a professed member of our Five Percent Nation, Lord Jamar has been publicly and privately criticized for his pro-Flat Earth stance by some Nation members and people within the general public about how he handled this public debate. Many have shared that it was an embarrassing display by Lord Jamar, and he even issued a public apology stating that, "I was not myself." I received many requests from viewers to share my perspective on this and I honored those requests with the below video:

Commentary on Lord Jamar and The Flat Earth Discussion

     As you can see in the above video, my position is clear. Some of us Five Percenters are too fixated on conversations that do not actually impact the larger community. This is also reflective of this Content Harvesting and Era of Gossip Groupies. We should be directing our focus and finances on things that will aid in our growth and development. Some Five Percenters have argued that it is not about Lord Jamar and the Flat Earth. The issue is he is misrepresenting the teachings of our Five Percent Nation to a wide audience. Ironically, two years ago I put forth the unsuccessful effort to guard against incidents like this by trademarking the elements of our Universal Flag and seeking a body of Five Percent Nation members who would manage it. In this instance, they could have easily sent him a cease-and-desist letter for trademark infringement and the unlicensed use of our Universal Flag with his content, including its removal from the cover of his The 5% Album and any related merchandise. If this cease-and-desist warning was ignored, we (the trademark owner) could have escalated the situation by filing a lawsuit against him, leading to legal repercussions like court orders, financial damages for any profits made from the infringement, and attorney fees. It seemed simple enough to me, yet some Five Percenters just didn't get it. This idea was eventually sabotaged by some of the same folks who have criticized Lord Jamar about his public representation of our Nation. In replacement of our trademark, I've seen Five Percenters choose to make long-form videos about Lord Jamar, go on Podcasts and make social media posts talking about him; none of which are an effective call to action to address their so-called issue. Maybe now folks will start to better understand the power of controlling our identity/representation in the public domain by owning our IP [Intellectual Property]. Maybe. If someone is really that concerned about Lord Jamar's public representation, I would encourage them to just be better representations in their communities, municipalities, and online. Unfortunately, that is all you can really do at this point. 

     As this society continues to move through an IP [Intellectual Property] Era and devolve into a Content Harvesting and Gossip Groupie Era, it is important to not lose sight of the tangible everyday work we need to do that positively impacts the lives of others. We also must not minimize or overlook the importance of owning our IP. The folks who are chasing ambulances to have something or someone to talk about, and/or not owning their IP, will not always be around. They have "a said birth record" and will eventually run their course. Think about the big celebrity gossip that you heard last week and if folks are even talking about it today. They are not, unless more information has been leaked in the media that is connected to the original story in order to keep it alive. There is something or someone else being talked about today and people are making a living off of it, like parasites. What we ultimately need to ask ourselves is, are we going to ride these shallow waves or be an ocean of ideas and proactivity? I have always chosen the later, and that is why I am here today. Not because I am a so-called "content creator." It is because I am a creator, who is personally and professionally content, with what I consistently share to inspire, empower, and educate others.

Peace,

Saladin

Yeah, put the Bible in school but...

Christ, Domitila Rome Catacombs (Second Century AD)

 

     In Austin, Texas this past November, the Texas State Board of Education approved a new K-5 Bible-infused Christian curriculum across the state. Although it is not mandatory for Texas School Districts to use it, there is a financial incentive; they receive $60.00 per student if they do. The Houston Independent School District (HISD) alone has more than 189,000 students and this translates into more than 11.3 million dollars. The second largest state in the U.S., Texas is the most populous in its region and is home of the often-untold history of the Texas Rangers. According to NPR, "Eight of the 15 board members voted to approve Bluebonnet Learning, the elementary school curriculum proposed by the Texas Education Agency earlier this year. The curriculum will become available in the spring, with schools that choose to adopt the materials expected to begin using them at the start of the 2025-26 school year." The NPR article goes on to state, "The curriculum was designed with a cross-disciplinary approach that uses reading and language arts lessons to advance or cement concepts in other disciplines, such as history and social studies. Critics, which included religious studies scholars, say the curriculum's lessons allude to Christianity more than any other religion, which they say could lead to the bullying and isolation of non-Christian students, undermine church-state separation and grant the state far-reaching control over how children learn about religion. They also questioned the accuracy of some lessons. The curriculum’s defenders say that references to Christianity will provide students with a better understanding of the country’s history." While many Christian Nationalists see no problem with this, there are others criticizing this move as, "using Texas schoolchildren as 'experiments'." 

     Let me start by saying that I am a scientist of life. As a scientist of life, I study everything, including religions. While I do think that religion has served a great purpose for some people in the past, present, and will in the future, I do not personally subscribe to any one organized religion. This does not mean that I am an atheist, I simply do not advocate religious hierarchies, prejudice, indoctrination, and the historical tyranny and fanaticism that often comes along with belief systems. When you look at the history of humanity you will find that the most heinous acts and destructive events are rooted in religiosity. On the flip side, and from my studies, I have also found many great principles and values that people can learn from religion. Principles and values that fosters a greater sense of self, a better relationship with our human family, and cultivates respect for our planet Earth. Unfortunately, many overlook this. So, I say yeah, put the Bible in school but only under these conditions.

Whenever the mainstream society make decisions in the so-called best interest of children (or women, and others), those decisions are primarily for white men and everyone else is expected to go along with it. That is the way that this country was founded, and this is the White Androcentric status quo that many expect to maintain, even to their own detriment. Just look at how BiPOC people and women have historically been outliers on this country's legal landscape since its 1776 inception. This means that HOW rollouts are historically done, in every industry, is questionable, inequitable, and non-inclusive. Let's start there. Next, the rhetorical questions we need to ask are things like, how are BiPOC people and women going to be framed in this religious curriculum? Will they be centered and under what circumstances? Will there be mandatory cultural competence and anti-bias education training by experts for district administrators and teachers who choose to use this curriculum? From seeing the talking points of public officials like Houston Republican Will Hickman saying, "In my view, these [bible] stories are on the education side and are establishing cultural literacy" I know what kind of culture he is talking about, and it is not Eastern, African, or Indigenous. I think children should learn about the Bible, in order to better understand the origin of their own beliefs if they are Christian or the Christian beliefs of others if they are not. Many biblical stories are powerful learning tools, yet it should not be taught as a history book because it is not. There are many people, places, and things in the bible where there is no evidence that they ever existed. People simply believe that they did, which is fine, it just needs to be communicated that it is a belief and not actual facts. Along with these stories, children also need to learn about historical atrocities committed in the name of Christianity, such as Indigenous Genocide, the Spanish Inquisition, Slavery, Witch Hunts, the birth of the KKK and Christian Nationalism, and etc. Children also need to learn about Arius, the African (Libyan) Priest who was kicked out of the Council of Nicaea and excommunicated for disagreeing with the council changing the Biblical narrative. What about teaching how even though the Bible is an African text, and its stories took place in Africa (pre-invention of the Middle East), Europeans co-opted it, and made God, Jesus, the angels, and all of its characters white? It's a lot. Yet the value in learning this actual history is to show children that they have a great opportunity to be better than many of their Christian predecessors who failed, and are currently failing, to live up to Christian values and being Christ-like, in America.    

Next, we need to ask, what other religious texts are going to be equally included and represented in school districts? They need to be! It is unfair for people in a municipality to pay school taxes to support a religious curriculum that they 1.) may not believe in, 2.) they may be opposed to, or 3.) that excludes/underrepresents their own religious beliefs as other Christian denominations and non-Christians. If school children are expected to learn biblical stories like The Good Samaritan as a parable about loving everyone, including your enemies, as an example of what it means to follow the Golden Rule, they also need to learn the Golden Rule from an Islamic perspective when the Prophet Muhammad said, "None of you has faith until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself." There are powerful stories in religious texts like the Quran, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Tao Te Ching, Apocrypha, and others just like the Bible. I would also include the Satanic Bible, metaphysical and gnostic texts because they should be studied also. I was happy to see that in response to Christian Evangelical lobbyists pushing public officials to legislate biblical curriculums, groups such as the Satanists, Hebrew Israelites, Muslims and others are pushing back by developing their own religious text-based curriculum to introduce it into school districts. The same thing applies to prayer in school. If you are going to do that, have a different prayer every day in its original language, led by a member of that religion, that reflects their belief in a Deity or Deities. Also, have a day with no prayer to accommodate non-religious folks also.  

"God Bless America" by Lee Greenwood

     What I've shared is just the start of a long windy road that I know these folks who are pushing this biblical agenda don't want to go down. They believe that America is a White Christian nation that we all need to be proud of and thankful for being here. I will tell you, I never felt patriotic about this country my entire life. I never looked at the American 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 have never had an experience that has made me feel beyond a shadow of a doubt that when I hear the word "American" that this includes me. I am sure some of you, perhaps many of you, felt the same as I. This does not mean that I am anti-American or that I hate America. There are many great things about America like Black creations such as bean pies, Jazz music, Hip Hop, Maya Angelou, and countless inventions that I love. It just means that when I see political rallies and holiday celebrations and people put on Lee Greenwood's God Bless America, nothing about that song or the video (see above), moves me, at all. My parents, grandparents, and great grandparents felt the same way. Once you consider my ancestors who were enslaved and/or resisting and escaping America via the Underground Railroad, I would bet that they felt the same way also.

     In closing, I think at the heart of this campaign to put biblical curriculum in schools is the realization that there are many folks just like me who are not Christian Patriots. And some folks want to make sure that children are indoctrinated into a Christian Patriot belief system in our public schools as early as possible. A belief system that we will be paying for, in more ways than one. Have you ever seen a Bentley car commercial? I am sure you rarely have seen one, if ever. That is because Bentleys sell themselves and don't need to be advertised or rolled-out with some elaborate marketing agenda. Although some folks are trying to convince people otherwise, state sanctioned Bible-infused Christian curriculum is not a Bentley. Schools should only expose, reinforce, or redirect children to positive principles and values that they are, or may not be, learning at home and in their communities. State and Local governments undermine the First Amendment of the United States Constitution when they don't equally protect religious freedom in public schools and balance the rights of students with the principle of separation of church and state. What we are seeing and have been seeing since the founding of America is people in power doing whatever they want, when they want to, until they are stopped. Laws are only as strong as the science, sensibility, and fairness of those who have the backbone to uphold them. The way that this biblical curriculum agenda is being presented, minus all of my considerations, is leading this country down a familiar path of White Christian Fascism (Christofascism). It is what some people believe they want. With the support of uninformed Americans, this cabal has elected a commander-in-chief, a cabinet, supreme court justices, congressmembers, senators, and state legislators to do their bidding. What is my solution? Keep teaching our children, regardless to whom or what. Give them the resources and help them develop the critical thinking skills to figure things out for themselves, and support those of us who do. See: Atlantis School For Gifted Youngsters

Peace,

Saladin

2025: How You Can Succeed!

Tanzania, Africa

 

     First and foremost, I want to acknowledge those whom we lost last year. It is my will that we honor them by walking with the best part that they shared with us. Reflecting upon 2024, I just wanted to take a moment to share some of my thoughts with all of you regarding being successful in our undertakings. Whether we make New Year Resolutions or not, striving to be resolute in all that we say and do is important, regardless of when we choose to make that decision. In part, this is what “word is bond, bond is life and I will give my life before my word shall fail” means to those of us who are Five Percenters. This phrase is not simply something to recite. It is a declaration of being committed and it highlights the integrity, fortitude, and consistency to follow through with our word. In fact, when our word is truly a bond, we will not be broke, or broken.

  There were several things that I accomplished; from helping coordinate more amazing Niagara Falls National Heritage Area and Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center projects to again being the featured representative for the United Nations International Day for People of African Descent. Our PBS syndicated film Two Wars: The Road to Integration received two Emmy Awards, and I celebrated the two-year anniversary of opening our Atlantis School For Gifted Youngsters in November! One of the most impactful was my third journey to Tanzania and Zanzibar Africa in August and bringing 24 people along with me from across the United States. As a cultural ambassador, I take great pride in knowing that contributions such as these continue to expand a positive global footprint. This means nothing if I am unwilling and unable to show others how to also be successful in their undertakings. There are certain things that I have done, and continue to do, that have enabled me to take my ideals from knowledge to born, from inception to conception. In this article here are 9 things that you can do to help you succeed in 2025:

1. When you are setting a goal, make sure that your idea is something that improves your quality of life with the intent/consideration of making you a greater resource to others and the world that we share. Life is interdependent and there is a constant process of giving and receiving. This intent/consideration ensures that your idea is in tune with the universal order and is something sustainable -because we are actively providing a service (and/or products) that others, and the world, actually need. If the only thing that we are thinking about is what we can get (keep), and not what we can consistently give, what we get (keep) will eventually run out. Why? We are just taking and not putting anything back. If you don't believe this, try it with your breath. Keep it to yourself and see how long it takes for your oxygen to run out... It is all about reciprocity and just that simple.

2. Make sure that your idea is real and obtainable. It is less likely that we are going to change EVERYTHING at once so it is important to work on what we can change, one goal at a time. Also, take things one day at a time. It took a while to create habits/routines, and it is going to take time to change them. The smaller goals we accomplish serve as steppingstones; helping us build confidence and gain the tools and experience that are necessary to reach our larger goals. And with any goal, one of the most important steps we need to take, and habits we need to create, is to “get our day underway with a positive, productive attitude.” Use positive affirmations, read positive writings, listen to positive podcasts, and post positive messages where you can visually see them. All of these things help orientate you with higher-order thinking and enable you to get your day underway with a positive, productive attitude. Whatever your cultural worldview or religion is, start your day considering the positive principles that your worldview and religion share. Our attitude sets the foundation of our altitude.

3. Make your goals specific. Instead of saying something ambiguous like, “I’m going to read more” say something more specific like, “I am going to read one book every month.” This is called Specificity. Specificity helps you better focus on your goals and encourages you to be more responsible and committed to those goals. If you were to say, “I want to be healthier in 2025” there is no sense of importance, ambition, or plan of action to take that idea from knowledge to born. Now if you said, “I am going to only eat baked chicken once a week and go to the gym three times a week for 1 ½ hours after work” that has a sense of importance, ambition and provides part of a plan of action to achieve your goal of being healthier in 2025. You clearly put more thought in that! If it is not clear, your path will not be cleared. When we learn about being ‘right and exact’, Specificity is what ‘exact’ means.

4. Set a projected time/date for your goals. Setting a time/date creates a sense of urgency, responsibility, and accountability to meet your goals. If you don’t meet your time/date then set another one. Without setting a time/date, what we are saying is that our goals are not really a priority (important). Why? Because under these circumstances they can happen any time and any day; that is not resolute. If you don't have a time/date, you are creating the possibility that there will never be a time/date. Keep in mind that “one day”, “any day” “someday” are not days on a calendar. Set a reasonable time/date when you want to reach a goal and don’t procrastinate. 

5. Write down your ideas. I have known people who had challenges with organizing their day, appropriating their time, and focusing on achieving their goals. One of the solutions I shared with them was writing down their goals on index cards or signs and posting them in visible places around their home. Not necessarily for everyone to see, it is for you to see; they're your goals! This helped reinforce and remind them of their goals so they would not allow themselves to get lost in the hustle & bustle of each day. Committing your ideas to paper is the understanding of knowledge and wisdom. How? Because it is outside evidence that allows you to physically see what you thought [knowledge] and spoke [wisdom] about. Understanding is often referred to as a child or the best part. This is one reason that Creatives often refer to their projects, such as their paintings, literature, or music as ‘their baby.’ And just like any baby, that must be nurtured and requires attention, our goals require the same in order to grow healthy and strong. Writing down your ideas is also a contractual obligation to yourself.

6. Only share your ideas with those who have shown themselves to be supportive of you fulfilling them. If they are not there to help you, they are only going to hinder you. If they are not an asset, they are a liability. If they are not in your life to build, they will destroy. This also includes the nice folks with pleasant attitudes. Just because they have a happy disposition, it does not mean that they can automatically help. Again, our idea is likened to a baby, and a baby must be nurtured, respected, loved, protected, and educated. That baby must build its immunity to repel the bacteria and viruses that could compromise its health, growth, and development. It is unwise to let any and everybody touch your baby. It is equally unwise to expose your idea to any and everybody. Now, some people may not intentionally strive to hinder you or be a liability. They simply don't have the means to support you. Whether that support is positive conversation or encouragement, experienced expertise, a listening ear, or sharing actual resources. This includes your own family. Just because someone is in proximity to you, or may even share a bed with you, it does not mean that they can automatically see your vision. It also possible that someone you talk to online who lives in a different hemisphere, or that you recently met, can see your vision and support you. Lastly, and most importantly, be this support that you seek! It is unfair to ask for something from others that we are unwilling and unable to give.  

7. Look into networking with people/organizations that will help you fulfill your physical and mental health goals. That is why our social equality is important and the reason some keep us apart from their own social equality. Our network is a prime indicator of our net worth. Take care of yourself and connect with those who are invested in doing the same. There are no ideas when we don't have your health. There is no health if you don't have the energy. Get an appropriate amount of rest. Eat healthy foods and don't eat often. Fast. Make sure that you have daily physical activity whether that is exercise, going to the gym, choosing to walk, etc. Figure out what works best for you and stick to it!

8. Speaking of health; strive to maintain a positive outlook! Some days it will be easy to maintain a level of positivity and other days you need fellowship with others who share the same goals and are just as resolute about achieving their goals. This means investing the time to build with others and being present to learn as much as you can about the positive principles/values they are sharing with you. This is a key to sustainability and not burning yourself out.

9. Your idea is not the end all be all. Some people live to have a wedding while others strive to be married, have a family, etc.  While the wedding is a place, being married is a state. So, although your ideas may help you arrive at a place, the ultimate goal should be to achieve a state of existence. And this state of existence should set the stage to help you achieve even higher and greater goals! It is all about constant growth and elevation, not stagnation. Life is constantly changing and evolving and so should the living.

Zanzibar, Africa

PLUS DEGREES: 

*Just say “NO.” Sometimes we put too much on our plate because we don't know how to tell people “NO” and we feel guilty about it when we do. Here's the thing: if you don't have the time, or the finances, don't have to agree to do it. Let time and finances be the reason that you cannot commit to something. It is unreasonable for someone to expect you to create more than twenty-four hours in a day or magically increase your bank account, for them. Just. Say. NO.

*"Be a shark, not a peacock." When a peacock walks into a room with its feathers fanned out everyone can see it. It is not necessary to be a show-off or strive to get attention. You also attract predators that way. Sharks move in silence and by the time you see their dorsal fin, it is too late. In many cases staying below the radar and not revealing what you're doing until it's actually done is a sure way to be successful in your undertaking. Be a fine mist that the naked eye can hardly detect. When we talk a lot, we are also subject to the expectations of others, which are usually unrealistic. If you tell people that you are writing a book and you know that you don't even have a manuscript yet, people may assume that you are going to be publishing a four-hundred-page book next week and expect it. Now when you obviously don't deliver, people will begin to look at you like the boy/girl who cried wolf. Always remember that light travels 186,000 miles per second and sound only travels 1,200 feet per second. People will see what you are doing before they can hear what you are saying so your reputation always precedes you. So, "Say Less" in 2025 and let your work speak for you.

   In closing, I will that every one of you and your families have a positive and productive 2025 and that it adds more beauty to our families, community, and environment. 

Peace,

Saladin 

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