2026: Say Less, Do More!

Cradle of Humanity
East Africa, Tanzania

  

     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 2025, 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 in 2025; 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. I celebrated the three-year anniversary of opening our Atlantis School For Gifted Youngsters in November! In this article here are 9 things that you can do to help you succeed in 2026:

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 unclear 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 2026” there is no sense of importance, ambition, or action plan to accomplish that goal. 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 an action plan to achieve your goal of being healthier in 2026. You clearly put more thought into that! If it is not clear, your path will not be cleared. When we learn about being ‘right and exact’, Specificity is what it means to ‘exact.’

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” and “someday” are not days on a calendar. Set a reasonable time/date when you want to reach a goal and don’t procrastinate. If you are having legitimate challenges accomplishing a goal at that time and on that date, set another reasonable time/date.

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.

Ngorongoro Crater

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, you 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 2026 and let your work speak for you.

   In closing, I will that every one of you and your families have a positive and productive 2026 and that it adds more beauty to our families, community, and environment. 

Peace,

Saladin 

#AtlantisBuild

Knowledge of Self: Who Are You Really?

“We are actually God Beings having a human experience.” -LeVar Burton

     This coming September marks thirty years since I have had Knowledge of Self via knowing 120 Lessons. If you are unfamiliar with what 120 Lessons are here is a video that I shared about The Origin of 120 Lessons and How They Function. Yet and still, knowing this information is just part of my process of gaining Knowledge of Self, as there are many paths of enlightenment. Knowledge is more than just knowing a bunch of facts, having a lot of information, using AI to make intelligent-sounding social media statuses/comments, or posting our personal library online to look smart. Knowledge is awareness; consciousness that comes from the root word "know." When we use the phrase "Knowledge of Self" it begs the question what part of Self do we need to know? In order to do that, we need to first identify The Self. Is the Self our name? Is the Self our nationality, ethnicity, age, or gender? Is the Self our race or religious/non-religious ideas? Is the Self our language, accent, diet, or temperament? Is the Self the car that we drive, our career, income, relationship status, or the clothes that we wear? Is the Self the neighborhood that we live in, our medical and family history, hobbies, or future aspirations? Is the Self our physical body? And if we define the physical body as "ours", what is the Self that owns this physical body? These are "my hands", "my eyes", and "my brain" creating this article, yet what am I that owns these hands, eyes, and brain? Those are big questions that many people have never asked or explored. At the root of all of these parts of ourselves is awareness. Awareness, consciousness or knowledge is the essence of our identity, and it is infinite and intangible. That awareness, consciousness or knowledge is The Self that underlines these multidimensional, multilayered, and multifaceted aspects of who we are as sapient beings. LeVar Burton simply described this idea as, "We are actually God Beings having a human experience" during a recent Wild Card Interview with Rachel Martin. I would take it a step further by saying that as beings, we are also created with the same matter or star dust that created the physical universe. Our atoms, which are the building blocks of matter and everything that exists within the universe, is the same or undifferentiated. 

We Are Star Dust

     When we start to ponder the above questions about identity, we began to take ourselves to the "ledge" of what we "know" by exploring the limits of our thinking. And this thought process is often rooted in a westernized segregated thinking that betrays the wholistic thinking that classical and indigenous Black/Brown civilizations conceptualized and integrated this into our societies as first world people and the fathers and mothers of civilization. Knowing this ledge or limited thinking is the path of Knowledge [know + ledge = knowledge]. In order to ask "questions", it requires us to be on a "quest" [quest is the root of question]. The further we question and explore, this leads us to the conclusion that The Self, as infinite and intangible awareness/consciousness, it underlines the multidimensional, multilayered, and multifaceted aspects of who we are as sapient beings. It's a dichotomy because The Self is simultaneously many things while at the same time one. This is what is meant by the word individual; we are an indivisible [inseparable] duality. Knowledge of Self is a never-ending inner journey to explore the multidimensional, multilayered, and multifaceted aspects of who we are. The purpose of that exploration it is align with our infinite ability to elevate our consciousness, quality of life, sense of purpose, and relationships to others and this planet. This journey requires us to learn about our family, their stories, and how we got here on the map of human geography. It requires us to assess our diets to see what is best for us. It requires us to reexamine the things that we have embraced as principles, values, and social norms. It requires us to go places and expand our lived experiences by seeing something new. It also requires us to be studious by committing ourselves to learning about the past, what is presently happening, and considering how we can positively shape the future. It requires us to better understand the planet and our relationship to its animate/inanimate objects. These, and many other lifelong considerations, are a part of this journey of Knowledge of Self.

     In this journey of Knowledge of Self, there three things that always happen:

1. We learn new ideas.
2. We confirm some things that we always knew.
3. We learn to get rid of old ideas.

     Every single thing that we experience fall within these three categories, and every category requires change. Sometimes that change is easier than others. I remember starting to learn how to identify unhealthy ingredients in packaged foods. Not eating those ingredients was easy. The hard part was oftentimes not having a reference guide in hand to look up ingredients while standing in a grocery store aisle; cell phones and Google did not exist at this time. Some of us find it hard to change our attitudes or habits about things that we always knew were right or wrong. I've known women who had a difficult time leaving an abusive relationship even though they knew it was the right thing to do. Sometimes it is easy to get rid of old ideas, sometimes it is not so easy. This self-diagnostic process helps us elevate our consciousness, quality of life, sense of purpose, and relationships to others and this planet. It is through this journey that we become more aware and empowered to share that knowledge with others, which may include how we were able to change our attitudes and habits.

 Endogenous vs Indigenous

     Endogenous means originating within or an inward origin. Indigenous means originating in an outward place. As awareness/consciousness incarnated within a physical form, we are endogenous before being indigenous to any place. The mind [intangible] proceeds the body [tangible]. Anything that has an outward manifestation first originates within. This includes our audible voice. Before anyone can hear what we are thinking or what we are saying, it is first internally communicated through the inner voice. That voice that you are presently hearing inside of your head as you read this sentence is the inner voice. That voice, that we call the inner monologue, internal dialogue or self-talk, is the non-audible inward expression of awareness/consciousness. Where did it come from?   

     The inner voice that we hear inside of our head, that usually sounds like our voice, is not ours. We learned to claim it as ours. It’s actually a combination of ideas from different voices that we have heard throughout our lives. Some of those ideas that we claim are good, some are not. Some are louder than others. The journey of Knowledge of Self is also about processing and unpacking those ideas that we have identified with and claim as our inner voice. Because that self-talk which eventually manifests itself in how we talk about ourselves and others. A person who has low or vacant esteem, who always talk negative about themselves, has been socialized through a combination of negative ideas from different voices that they have heard throughout their lives. Children how have been told their entire lives that they are bad, ugly, or stupid, often adopt that idea as a part of their identity. That is sometimes the loudest voice that they hear inside of their head. And sometimes it requires more than religion, Supreme Mathematics, retreats, programs, psychedelics and etc. to change that. Sometimes people need therapy to help them process and unpack those negative ideas that we have identified with and claim as their voice. All of this is a part of one's journey of Knowledge of Self. Negative self-talk betrays and neutralizes the infinite potential of The Self. If our idea about who we are is limited to our career, relationship status, appearance, religion, etc., we fail to acknowledge the multidimensional, multilayered, and multifaceted aspects of who we are as sapient beings. It's like having a gift to create visual art within us and never acknowledging or exploring it. Most people have numerous gifts and abilities that they never explore(d) because they don't acknowledge that they are essentially multidimensional, multilayered, and multifaceted. They only identity with parts of who they are, not the whole.

     Now, just because we do acknowledge this and consider ourselves to be on a journey of Knowledge of Self, it does not automatically mean that we know what to do with what they are learning. That requires wisdom. It is being aware of what we now know, and having the consideration, courage, consistency to use it. There are things that we learn about ourselves, and about others, that require us to change our relationships. That is not always easy. Imagine being in a relationship for many years that you always thought was true, then one day you find out that it was a lie and you were being cheated on. Imagine that this was your relationship to yourself, and one day you discover that you've been cheating yourself. You've been cheating yourself all of these years with ideas that betray your ability to elevate your consciousness, quality of life, sense of purpose, and relationships to others and this planet. Most people are not happy when they find this out. In fact, they become angry at themselves and others who they feel/believe set them up to be cheated on. Everyone who is on the journey of Knowledge of Self experience this kind of heartache. It's traumatic, and everyone doesn't recover from it. Some people stay heartbroken and vow to never associate with certain people, places, or things that trigger this trauma. I know people who had a traumatic academic experience, and their reaction [not response] to that trauma is anti-intellectualism. As anti-intellectuals, they became obsessively skeptical of anything academic and consistently smart shame and show disdain for people whom they believe are educated. It can take people a lifetime to recognize that has not been the wisest way to address this trauma. Sometimes recognizing this lack of wisdom requires therapy. 

     Wisdom is using right discernment [judgment] to apply what we know about ourselves, others and the world around us. As sapient beings, this is one thing that separates humans from animals. With a more advanced brain architecture, we possess a consciousness that enables us to think abstractly, solve complex problems, and experience life through self-aware sensory perception. While animals can demonstrate wisdom, humans have the ability to demonstrate supreme wisdom or a higher degree of discernment. That is, humans who are on a path of enlightenment. Historically speaking, when humans have not had a path of enlightenment, we see a decline of civilization and descent into a primitive state as evidenced in The Dark Ages. You can also see this evidenced in the Information Age where we still see a decline of civil discourse, civic engagement, and civilization even though the exponential growth in technology allows people to access more information than ever before. We see people who would rather produce hours of content talking negative about people, places, and things that they don't like instead of investing that same time and finances to create positive solutions. The irony is, some of these people claim to have Knowledge of Self; which shows a clear disconnect between What We Teach [knowledge] and What We Will Achieve [wisdom]. There can be a number of reasons for this disconnect and someone's inability/unwillingness to create positive solutions. Sometimes the problem IS the actual solution. And to solve some problems it may require us to delicately walk back across a fragile bridge that we burned. I can only imagine the level of humility, courage and consideration required to do this. I also understand that there must be some lessons in this to help us become wiser. 

     All of us are on a journey in life and will face challenges, that sometimes appear insurmountable. Some of those challenges are people, places, and things along the landscape and we will need the mental fortitude [knowledge] and skills [wisdom] to address them. The stories that we tell ourselves, the stories that others tell us, the stories that we agree/disagree with and how we use them either aligns with or betrays The Self's ability to meet those challenges. Those stories either align with or betrays our ability to explore The Self's multidimensional, multilayered, and multifaceted aspects of who we are as sapient beings. Our sense of identity is a fundamental part of that self-work. In a number of Surahs within the Quran, the Arabic phrase "Kun fayakūn/Kun Faya Kun" (كن فيكون) is used which means "Be and it is!" In the book of John 1:1 we read, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." If we think and tell ourselves that we can't, we won't. Regardless of the support and encouragement that is available to us. If we think and tell ourselves that we can, we will. Regardless of the lack of support and discouragement. Each day is an opportunity for us to be better and do better for ourselves, others and the planet. How we choose to ultimately see ourselves will determine what we do. 

Peace,

Saladin

Are we "under" the government?

Photos: Jamel Shabazz

      Over the years I have often heard the phrase, "we are not 'under the government'" by some Five Percenters who used it as their reasoning for not participating in various aspects of American life as citizens. Sometimes it was legitimate, like when they exercise free speech, the practice of religion or right to peacefully assemble; all things that our government cannot interfere with. In other cases, that phrase has been used to support some pretty illegitimate claims. Take going to college for example. In the early days of the Five Percent Nation, the pursuit of higher education was often rejected by some Five Percenters who considered it believing in the teachings of the 10%, AKA "the white man's education" and being "under the government." Thus, the path of academic achievement was closed, equated with evil, and those who considered college were often ridiculed. It took one of our ridiculed pioneers, UM-Allah, to attend and graduate from college with a master's degree to show the real value of higher education to others. In time, others eventually began to attend college. I got knowledge of self in college from my enlightener [educator]. He got knowledge from his educator while attending college. His educator also got knowledge from his educator while he attended college in the 1970s. This rejection of higher education and apprehension about academics can still be seen among some Five Percenters today by their overt/covert attacks and snide remarks about the world of academia and those of us who successfully work in and navigate these spaces. These anti-intellectuals are obsessively skeptical of anything academic and show disdain for people whom they believe are educated or affiliated with the government. This distorted perspective has also been used to reject citizenry rights like acquiring marriage, driver's and business licenses, various forms of insurance, home mortgages, paying taxes, and anything else connected to a local, county, state or federal government. It brings to mind the concept of sovereignty, yet this "we are not under the government" mentality is far from what true independence would actually require.

     

    Through my travels, I have gotten to know some folks who are pretty serious about sovereignty. From homesteaders living in solar powered earth-shelters that you can't find on Google Maps, to remote militants stockpiling munitions and food for their fallout shelters. Fron indigenous peoples who are still getting water out of wells, to tribesman living in villages where Verizon doesn't get service. In all of these cases, they are living in rural areas. What I have yet to see is sovereignty fully actualized in large metropolitan areas such as New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, etc. where its citizenry heavily relies upon its city, county, state, and federal government services to support their way of life. This is especially true for those of us who are receiving some form of public assistance, SSI, or SSD. It is difficult to claim autonomy, self-governance, or independence while being in that position as a citizen. Allah himself, who founded the Five Percent Nation in 1964, was intimately connected to his city, county, state and federal government. It was through these government bodies that he was able to successfully assist the youth. 

     Let's start by saying that Allah was an American citizen born Clarence Smith in Dansville, Virginia in 1928 and appears in the government census records of his household during that time period. After moving to NYC in the 1950s he got legally married to Dora Smith, in accordance with the city, county, state and federal marriage laws, and paid the accompanying license filing fees. He eventually took an oath to this government by enlisting in the U.S. Army and saw combat during the Korean War. Following his discharge from the U.S. military, Allah joined the Nation of Islam where his wife Dora was a member; which is a religious tax-exempt organization according to the city, county, state and federal laws of the U.S. government. He also had children with his wife Dora Smith, and partner Willeen Jowers, who all had birth certificates and social security numbers that were registered in the city/county hospital where they were born. After leaving the Nation of Islam, Allah and some of his colleagues founded the Five Percent Nation. His entire life, just like ours, was connected to government.

     When our Five Percent Nation began to grow amongst the youth throughout the boroughs of New York, Mayor John Lindsay, a Liberal Republican, formed a relationship with Allah through his Aide Barry Gottehrer and Executive Assistant Sid Davidoff. Mayor Lindsay was a clean-cut lawyer by profession who graduated from Yale University. A former U.S. Congressman and a gunnery officer in the United States Navy, Lindsay was also affiliated with the Bush family. Lindsay ushered at the wedding of Nancy Bush, the sister of former CIA Director and POTUS George HW Bush Sr, and this is where he met his bridesmaid wife Mary Anne. Barry Gottehrer was an investigative journalist prior to becoming an Aide in the Lindsay Administration. His insightful award-winning newspaper series "New York City in Crisis" laid bare the racial and socioeconomic problems in NYC. Considered a political hatchet job, his New York Herald-Tribune series attacked the policies of current Democratic Mayor Robert Wagner II and painted an untainted picture of the Herald-Tribune's endorsed candidate Congressman John Lindsay. This compelled Lindsay to add Gottehrer, and his political narrative shaping expertise, to his Administrative Staff once he was elected Mayor. Sid Davidoff was Mayor Lindsay's troubleshooting consigliere. Another lawyer by profession and visiting lecturer at Lindsay's alma mater Yale University, Davidoff was considered one of President Nixon's worst enemies. Davidoff was named among other political opponents as part of Nixon's covert "Political Enemies Project" list that was revealed during the Senate Watergate Committee investigating the Watergate scandal. It was through these relationships that Allah became intimately connected to his city, county, state and federal government. Through these strategic partnerships, Allah was able to successfully acquire resources to produce projects, programs and initiatives that his Five Percenters used to positively transform their lives and the landscape of Harlem and NYC as a whole.

The Universal Flag and its designer, Universal Shaamgaud Allah

     Upon Allah's approval of our Five Percent Nation's Universal Flag design by Universal Shaamgaud Allah, flag lapel pins were eventually financed and created "under" the direction of the NYC government. Allah was obviously not anti-government so in collaboration with Mayor Lindsay's office, Lindsay had our lapel pins created by Eagle Regalia; a manufacturing company that was founded in NYC in 1910 that specialized in the production of banners, flags, emblematic jewelry, buttons, badges, plaques, and trophies. In addition to our flag lapel pins, Eagle Regalia also created the licensed badges of the NYPD and other government agencies in New York. According to our nation elders, young Five Percenters would be given a flag lapel pin with their righteous name inscribed on it. When a Five Percenter chose a righteous name and earned or was given a lapel pin, it was distributed at the Street Academy [Allah School]; a government property given to the Five Percenters with a ninety-nine-year lease by the Lindsay Administration in 1967. To receive a lapel pin Five Percenters were required to write down their honorable name [birth name] in a book with their righteous name beside it. Some lapel pins had names already inscribed on them. Other lapel pins were blank and were sent out to have their name inscribed on them. These lapel pins were more than just decorative symbols of our cultural identity, accomplishment, and pride. They enabled Allah, in partnership with the city government, to better organize, document, monitor, and deputize a growing youth movement into an unrivaled dynamic of political power. A powerful segment of New York's citizenry that the NY Daily News partly described as "the neighborhoods most respected." On the night of April 4th, 1968 when Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated, Mayor Lindsay contacted Sid Davidoff and Barry Gottehrer about coming to Harlem to pay his respects and offer his condolences to the people. Against their advice to not come because they could not guarantee his safety, Mayor Lindsay came to Harlem anyway and met with Gottehrer and Davidoff along with Allah and a group of his Five Percenters. As they began to walk the streets of Harlem, people began to join them and together they successfully stopped the Harlem community from rioting.

Universal Parliament, P.S. 154 Harriet Tubman elementary school 
[November 28th, 1982]

     Since our formal inception, we did not seek to be sovereign or nationalized as a government within a government. Allah was a tax paying American citizen who was invested in working with the city, county, state and federal government to help his Five Percenters become productive civic-minded members of this society. Our unique culture was, and is, a way to facilitate that process. It is through our culture that people learn to think global and live as local citizens. At the same time, Allah was not advocating blind assimilation or being a part of "the dead world." He advocated the acquisition of sociopolitical power through showing that our Nation is equal to all nations through the science of education. When Allah saw his young Five Percenters hanging out, he would tell them to go to school and/or get trade in order to make something of themselves and not become a burden to society as juvenile delinquents. He didn't just say this. As I shared, in 1967 with the assistance of city government, Allah established our Allah School in Mecca Street Academy as a brick-and-mortar institution for youth/community outreach within the Harlem community. When young Five Percenters got jammed up with the law Allah even instructed them to turn themselves in to take responsibly for the situation. It's wild to me when I hear Five Percenters trying to avoid the government when our own founder had one of the best rapports that a citizen could have with their local government.

 

     Growing up in Western New York I have had the privilege of knowing, working with and being with many members of the sovereign Six Nations; the Cayuga, Mohawk, Seneca, Oneida, Onondaga and Tuscarora. When I was a child, I invested a lot of time on the Tuscarora Reservation because my Ole Dad was friends with the Chief. In later years once I got knowledge of self and began to hear some of these Five Percenter ideas about "not being under the government", I immediately recognized that most of those folks were regurgitating something they heard, read online, or saw in YouTube videos. I could tell that they really had no clue what sovereignty and self-governance practically look like. Even though I've seen some well-intended people seeking sovereignty, most of these folks were males who were trying to avoid the government for less than noble reasons. Most of them wanted to assume a different legal identity to allude past debts like child support/arrears, taxes or to hide criminal background records that they couldn't get expunged. I also realized that most of these folks claiming that they were not "under the government" didn't consider the real responsibility that comes along with it. Self-governance, forging a court system, institution building, credentialing professionals, obtaining housing and etc. hits different when financial institutions, hospitals, county buildings, utility companies, wireless service providers, insurance agencies and automotive dealers don’t provide services in your sovereign jurisdiction. It does not mean that this idea is impossible. As I shared earlier, I know folks in non-metropolitan areas who are serious about sovereignty. What this does means that folks talking like, sitting online in the middle of some of the largest cities in America, must be willing to make serious sacrifices in order to truly live that out. Most folks aren't even built for that and this is the reason they promote what I call a quasi-dual citizenship game; having one foot in and one foot out, when it fits their narrative. In other words, we don't want to get married "under the government", but we will fight somebody at the county building if they try to cut our food stamps or HUD tries to kick us off of Section-8 housing. Some of us claim that we are not "under the government" but actively participate in lawless activities that makes us criminally subject to and under the surveillance of the government. How does that work? Some of us play this quasi-dual citizenship game to get benefits from this government as one of its citizens but then claim independence when we are expected to do something for this government in return. Some people believe that they should be able to buy property and open a business that people patronize, yet they should not have to license that entity, pay insurance, legal fees, permits, taxes, and etc. that ultimately provides the fire, police and other city, county, state, and federal services that protect that property, patrons and supports that business. Does that seem fair to you? People often want what they want, and don't think about where our public, social, emergency, city, county, state, and federal services come from, who pays for these services, and the people who perform these jobs? Historically, Black/Brown communities have often paid for these kinds of government services that support adjacent white communities without receiving them in return, so I understand that inequality. The folks that I am talking about are not people fighting for that kind of sociopolitical justice and equity. I'm talking about folks that are selfish; those who express the same Capitalistic mentality as those historical white communities who have kept/keep us apart from their own socioeconomics and enrich themselves from our labor. 

Photos: Jamel Shabazz

    Under the U.S. government are the legislative, executive, and judicial branches whose powers are granted by the Constitution in the Congress, the President, and the Federal courts, respectively. As American citizens, we are subject to the federal, state, county, and local laws where we live. Before we even open our eyes each day, we have some form of engagement with these entities. Even if we are not gainfully employed, have health or dental care, or a checking account, we are still American subjects. Some of us, probably more than others, are American subjects because we are clearly being supported by some person, people, and government entities. That's humbling to say the least and you would think that folks would be more modest when they are in that position. I definitely was when I experienced this, and still am, regardless of my station in life. Oftentimes, it is the loudest mouths among us who claim that we are not "under the government" who are usually the most reliant upon, or beholden to, our government. From my engagement with them, I can also see that they have never taken a civics class, engaged in the political process, pursued higher education, gotten therapy, or invested in any forms of professional development. These are the adults who have publicly argued that the letters in our English alphabet don't have a corresponding numerical place value, as in A =1, B =2, C= 3, etc. These are the same adults who believe that owning a federally registered trademark of their flag's elements will put their people... who are already American citizens or citizens of other Nations..., "under the government."

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

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