It is, What it is, Until it isn't...

     Imagine receiving a series of phone calls the first thing in the morning from people around the country asking about a controversial book you allegedly published. When you check online you realize that some unknown company published a book, which includes your writings, and is selling it without your knowledge. Imagine folks reaching out congratulating you about being on different artists' album intros, songs, interludes, and outros that you never knew existed. Imagine U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the LA/LB [Los Angeles/Long Beach] seaport contacting you to examine a shipping container of imported designer sneakers that retail for $405.00. It's a courtesy call from an Import Specialist because they felt that designs on the product resembled Five Percent Nation cultural symbols. Imagine several global media outlets reaching out to you in the middle of your school day for an immediate comment on a story related to the Five Percent that is going to print in a few hours with or without your input. Imagine receiving death threats, hundreds of telephone calls in a day, learning that you are under surveillance, and getting a visit by government agents asking questions about your cultural views. Wild huh? Probably unbelievable to some of you. Well, that is just a glimpse of what goes on in my life. Things that I usually don't share publicly. 

     While I receive a great deal of support from people who genuinely appreciate what I do, a small segment of folks do not. That lack of support is not based upon the actual importance of my work because its value is proven in its results and global reach. Some people just don't like me, for whatever reasons known to them. Some have tried to smart-shame me for going to college, labeled me a goody-toe-shoes for not having a criminal record, or called me egotistic because I don't make myself easily accessible. Some folks have even interpreted the consistent work that I share in the name of the Five Percent as acting like I am better than other people and propping myself up as THE leader. One of the words that have been used to describe me is 'arrogant', which means, "an exaggerated idea about our abilities and sense of importance." To be fair, I don't immediately disregard assessments of me, whether they are negative or positive. I do put some thought into some of those assessments, the folks who share them, and the possible reasons they would think/feel that way. That personal information that I shared above, along with any projects, programs, and initiatives that I share, either accurately describes my ability and the important global work that I do, or it does not. Sharing the news that five of my twenty-three books are in a special archive at the British Library is not arrogance. You can either go to the UK and check them out of their collection or I am exaggerating. 

     Exploring some of these ideas, I have realized something that I have not considered before; my ability, and the important work that I do, may look exaggeratedly different than how I present myself. My persona may throw some folks off because it is not tied to things that they typically associate with success, self-importance, and power. I don't take pictures with folks to look important based upon proximity and place. I rarely if ever wear logo-branded clothes/sneakers, especially in photos and videos. My car is eighteen-years-old and I don't walk into rooms with a need to be seen and heard; I am absolutely fine with saying nothing unless there is something to be said. I live humble, I present humble, yet the things that I share are far from it. 

     Some of my colleagues have bluntly stated that folks who always have something negative to say about me are just "haters." While I won't discredit their perspective, I will say that there is also another way to look at it. Sometimes people are not haters; especially those who don't even know us. It's self-hate that they are projecting and you are their target. Let me explain.

    In Psychology, projection is the act of displacing one's own thoughts and feelings onto a different person, place, or thing. When people project they misrepresent what is going on "inside" of them as coming from the "outside." Why do folks do this? Because they are dissatisfied with what is going on in their life. Some people don't hate us, they hate their own lives and the truth that our life expresses exposes their self-hatred. To them, our life represents a proverbial mirror, and every time they see us they see the opposite. Just like a reversed reflection in a mirror, our right is their left (or wrong)... If we are doing good financially, they see how bad they are doing. If we have accomplishments, they are reminded of their failures. They think about their academic struggles and speech impediment when they hear how educated and articulate we are. Our confidence and security reveal their doubt and insecurity. When some people are exposed to these mirrored truths, they simply feel the need to attack or ridicule the person, place, or thing where these truths are emanating from. 

     Sometimes I think we take for granted where we think people are in life without knowing their journey to get there. We all have an origin story and my story begins with my family dynamics. My parents were down with the Black Panthers; my Ole Earth was a social psychologist, and my Ole Dad was a tradesman who collected African artifacts. My Ole Earth used to intentionally take us people-watching. Yes, she would literally say, "come on let's go people watching." We would jump into the wood-paneled station wagon, drive to a mall, park, or other public space and sit and watch people. She would then ask us questions about the people, environment, and the things we observed. Exercises like this, having a DSM [Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders] in our library, and learning about black classical/contemporary contributions to civilizations from our Ole Dad helped shape my consciousness. My eldest brother attended Alabama State University, my elder sister attended Morgan State University, my younger brother and I attended Central State University and both of my young Queens attended Howard University. My parents never said to us, "go to an HBCU." We chose that based upon our appreciation for our people and the desire to be amongst and invest in our own. In 1994 I met my Enlightener in that black college environment and formally gained KOS [Knowledge Of Self] when I was nineteen years old. I am forty-seven today and over the years I have been intentional about teaching and positively representing the culture of the Five Percent. Running concurrently with my experience teaching and positively representing the Five Percent is the development of the internet and social media; a digital vehicle that I began to use to amplify our Nation's presence through various projects, programs, and initiatives. Based on the extent of my digital footprint, you cannot discuss pioneering Five Percent content creation without discussing these contributions. I was among the first of us to publish articles online, the first to vlog, the first to start a podcast, the first to teach online classes, and start various other projects, programs, and initiatives that continue to this day. Those statements are not an exaggeration of my abilities and importance. Making those statements... is not arrogant. They are documented actual facts. Now some people would say, "Why do you even gotta say alllllllll a dat? Just let your work speak for itself." Well, it has spoken for itself for years to those who are honest and aware. Some folks still have no clue and may speak out of ignorance because they are unaware. What is the value of knowing facts like this? Folks can have access to predecessors, with a reference library of life experiences, that can help them succeed in their new undertakings. 

   When I started creating content as a Five Percenter more than two decades ago, smartphones didn't exist. Nor did social media. Today there is so much content available, some people are more invested in talking about stuff online than actually doing stuff offline. According to research in the National Library of Medicine, this present technological shift has increased "sedentary lifestyles" to the point where the current generation is the first to have a shorter life expectancy than their predecessors. Now along comes the Metaverse; a virtual reality space where inactive folks can now interact with computer-generated environments and other inactive folks. The irony is that it's not much different than the virtual reality of filtered/deepfake images and videos, fake personas, fake businesses, and fake accomplishments that people already generate and interact with online. Now that we are seeing this increase in the "quantity" of content, that is a prime indication that there is a decrease in quality content. That applies to any industry. Once you start seeing a lot of a product, its quality has been stepped on... sometimes more than once. I have always been aware of this so I never used my online platforms to bombard people with non-quality content. It's never been about how many videos I've posted, it's about the quality of those videos to inspire, empower and educate people around the world. It's not about the length of the hundreds of thousands of words that I have written in articles and books, it's about the weight of those words. 

     Nowadays there are more Five Percenters online than there have ever been before. While some of us are working diligently to positively represent who we are in our respective fields, other individuals are more concerned about jockeying for digital real estate, trolling, and being Five Percenter versions of Saa Neter. As I've shared, technology has fostered an unhealthy sedentary lifestyle that contributes to shortening our lifespan, physically and mentally. Along with that inactivity, some people, including those who consider themselves to be enlightened, are becoming more apathetic, pessimistic, and less hopeful about the real world. Thus this attitude is reflected in the dramatic, violent, gossip-laced content that they create, engage in, and reshare. I don't have any answers for adults who choose to be like this and set such lowly standards for our youth. I strive to protect our youth from being exposed to these negative influences by being an example, and I am thankful to see more responsible adults stepping up to do the same. Yet there is still much work to be done. And until then, it is, what it is, until it isn't. 

Peace,

Saladin 

Are Supreme Mathematics and Supreme Alphabet Related?

 

In this 73rd Episode of Atlantis Build Talk Radio I discuss the science of our Supreme Mathematics and its relationship to our Supreme Alphabet.

Atlantis Build Talk Radio · Episode 73 -Are The Supreme Mathematics & Supreme Alphabet Related?

Also, please SUPPORT and SHARE my Atlantis School For Gifted Youngsters Renovation Project. I am renovating a property to establish a cultural enrichment early childhood learning center and after school program:

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Animation Series: Solar Facts

 

In this Atlantis School For Gifted Youngsters Animation episode we discuss what is universal about family and the importance of our children having a positive support system to guide them.

Please SUPPORT and SHARE my Atlantis School Renovation Project. I am renovating a property to establish a cultural enrichment early childhood learning center and after school program in my city:

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CashApp: $SaladinAllah

Peace,

Saladin

Animation Series: Who is that Mystery God?

In the Atlantis School For Gifted Youngsters animation episode we discuss "Who is that Mystery God?" and explore the journey of Knowledge of Self.

***VIEW BELOW***

Where Are The Women And Children?

Sausage Party: an event or group in which the majority of participants are male.

     Sex Ratio is the proportion of males to females in a population. If the Sex Ratio were 8:1, this would mean that for every 8 males there is 1 female. While these Sex Ratios have not been formally examined among the Five Percent, when you look at our ciphers around the Nation, our Sex Ratios are grossly disproportionate and imbalanced. It does not matter what the occasion, Five Percenter males far outnumber the presence and participation of Five Percenter females. I've heard people give various reasons why this occurs. Regardless of those reasons I think we can all agree that the absence of women and children undermines our national growth and the growth of any nation. Without the Earth, seeds or soil, there is simply no life. These disproportionate Sex Ratios, combined with the low retention rate of women remaining citizens of our Five Percent Nation, is problematic and must be addressed. There is no silver bullet to address this, yet there are some things that we can do to help change this trajectory of our Nation. Here are a few ideas:

120 Degrees Are For Women Also

     Over the years of being a citizen of this Nation I've heard differing perspectives on if women in our Nation should know 120 Degrees. I've always been an advocate that she should know 120 along with Supreme Mathematics and the Supreme Alphabet. Why shouldn't she? Some brothers have said that 120 Degrees are FOR MEN ONLY, which is one of the most asinine statements that I have ever heard. Some other brothers think that you should only teach a woman 120 Degrees because she is going to be your woman. Which is also asinine because I am not sure how dudes handle that situation when an underage girl outside of their family is striving to learn or a woman they're not interested in having a relationship with. One of the primary reasons that learning 120 Degrees is important, whether we are a male or female, is because it represents 6/8th's or 75% of our cultural curriculum:

1. Supreme Mathematics
2. Supreme Alphabet
3. 1-10 (Student Enrollment)
4. 1-14
5. 1-36
6 1-40
7. Actual Facts
8. Solar Facts

   When a person only knows the Supreme Mathematics they only have access to 1/8th or 12.5% of what they need to know about our culture. If they only know the Supreme Mathematics and the Supreme Alphabet they only have access to 2/8th's or 25% of what they need to know about our culture. That is completely unacceptable. You cannot expect a person with 12.5% or 25% knowledge of our culture to have wisdom and understanding. 
     If a man is the only one that possesses 120 and something happens to that man, those Degrees will die with him also; as we have seen with some of our elders and the widows and children they left behind. It is obvious that these Degrees were that important for him to know and use in his daily life to the point of reciting them word for word. Why then are they not as important for a woman, especially upon his physical death? When a woman knows 120 Degrees her children also have direct access to them, regardless to whom or what. This is important to understand because the Woman is naturally the closest teacher of the child during their formative years.  This period of growth and development is the transition from a child's pre-verbal to verbal years and the manifestation of their mother tongue. As I mentioned in my article Semantic Enigma: How To Speak Five Percenter Language 101, learning our language that is comprised of 120 Degrees, Supreme Mathematics and the Supreme Alphabet "promotes positive cognitive, social, emotional, language and literacy development. Make no mistake about it, a child [or any person] with access to a language that reinforces an identity of power and infinite potentiality has a profound effect on brain architecture and psychological orientation." Whatever a woman knows and understands will be what she will give her children. To deny her access to information, that we as a man deem important enough to live by, is criminal.

     How can a woman knowing 120 Degrees help change the Sex Ratio trajectory and low retention rate of women remaining citizens within our Nation? Women who know 120 Degrees will have an opportunity to be more invested, more empowered and have a greater sense of emplacement within our Nation. This will also serve the purpose of holding women to a higher cultural standard and both of us, men and women, to a fairer degree of accountability concerning our relationships, social norms and resources we provide for our families and communities.  When we are both in the know we have more potential to grow.

Encourage and Support Women Specific Events
     Some brothers are concerned that if women are encouraged or supported to create women specific projects, programs and initiatives that men will be left out. You obviously will be left out if you are not helping out. In all of the numerous projects, programs and initiatives I have organized or been involved in over the years, those Sex Ratios I spoke about earlier are flip flopped; men are in the extreme minority. If it is a guy thing then the guys come out, sometimes in droves. Yet if it is something concerning women and/or children I have never seen the same degree of equal participation. 
     I am not advocating that men abandon projects, programs and initiatives that are specific to our growth and development in order to support women. Naw, that would not be equality. I am saying that we should equally support what we are both doing for the growth and development of our families and communities. Those women who have seen me give all that I have and do all within my power to support them were/are more likely to support what I am doing. I also need to note that there are projects, programs and initiatives some women are advocating that do not have the family and community in mind nor are they working towards a sense of reconciliation or understanding with men. Some of these women are misandrists and I would not encourage men to support them, the same way that I encourage women not to support misogynists. None of them are about family and community; the propagative pillars of our Nation.

City Science, Social Science and the Role of Cultural Capital
City Science and Social Science is the knowledge of inhabited places, its people and their relationships. In considering where we live and how we function as a Nation, there are two unavoidable questions that we must answer for ourselves: 

1.) If what we can offer as a Nation in regards to food, clothing, shelter and other resources is not on par or greater than what the larger society is offering our women and children, why should we expect them to be fully committed to our Nation? 

2.) If we cannot offer women and children protection and security from being abused physically, emotionally, financially and etc., why should we expect them to be fully comfortable within our Nation? 

While these questions do not reflect the status quo within our Nation, they do exist in some places. And like MLK said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."
     Without these provisions and protections we are not dependable. When we are not dependable we are not trustworthy. And without trust, there is no way of building solid relationships that establish and maintain families and communities. This requires Cultural Capital; a network of relationships and resources rooted in shared customs, principles and values that mark our way of life. These relationships of reciprocity, trust and the cooperation among citizens of our Nation systematically advances our cultural interests. Cultural Capital is the practical link between City and Social Science. Talk is cheap and the only real value of our culture is its investment in our people and the places where we live. 

     As we continue to embark upon our personal and interpersonal journey of Knowledge of Self, keep in mind that we need each other. No one is better or more important than the other. Culturally speaking, both men and women within our Nation should have equal access and exposure to 120 Degrees, not just our Supreme Mathematics and Supreme Alphabet. When we have unequal access and exposure to this cultural map, and its terrain, it undermines our ability to read/interpret that map and navigate that terrain. Men are not the only ones qualified to teach 120 Degrees to others. When a woman has 120 Degrees she is held to a higher cultural standard and is qualified to teach other women and children. She is also qualified to build with a man who has 120 Degrees, or who is learning his Degrees, and can share her wisdom and understanding with him. Every female that a man teaches 120 Degrees is not automatically his woman. That is ridiculous! There are many young girls, some underage, who are striving to learn and it would be wrong, and in some cases outright criminal, to expect a companionship from them. Our goal is to teach and we should simply expect more teaching in return. 

Peace,
Saladin

Gematria: Can You Mix Supreme Mathematics & The Supreme Alphabet?

   
  
   Should the Supreme Mathematics and the Supreme Alphabet be combined? Some within our culture have learned that they should not be combined. Others were taught that they should be combined.

   When I was learning this culture from my Educator [Enlightener] I was not given Supreme Mathematics or the Supreme Alphabet on a sheet of paper with basic definitions next to them. I learned both the Supreme Mathematics and the Supreme Alphabet in realtime because I walked with my Educator. For example, I learned that "M" or Master is the 13th letter based upon the knowledge (1) and understanding (3) I gained through experience. I didn't have to be taught to memorize or remember that M is the 13th letter, I learned its context. Although others may have had a different experience, this is what and how I was taught and it was rare that I would come into contact with another Five Percenter, including Elders within our Nation, who  taught that our Supreme Mathematics and Supreme Alphabet should not be combined. As I learned each of the Supreme Mathematics and Supreme Alphabet I eventually wrote them down on paper, including their combined correspondences. 

Mathematics is the Operating System of the Universe

   I've taught and have written extensively on the subject of the cultural curriculum of the Five Percent and how it is an integrated system. This means that our Supreme Mathematics, Supreme Alphabet and 120 degrees are different segments that are combined to work as one unified system. They were not meant to be segregated and here is why. 

   Mathematics is the Operating System of the Universe. Language is a way of communicating the processes [computations, quantification and calculations] of that Operating System. In order to communicate you must first conceptualize those processes and forge them into words. Those words are constructed from letters, and those letters come from an Alphabet; the ordered system of those letters, their place value and basic sounds.

   The Alphabet is an ordered system of 26 letters or sounds. As a sequence, each of those 26 letters have a "numerical value" and correspondence to the Arabic Numerals [1 to 9 and 0]. It does not matter if a person wants to acknowledge that the letter "C" is the third letter or not. Their lack of acknowledgement does not change its sequence in the Alphabet, its numerical value or its correspondence to the Arabic Numerals. If someone were given a sheet of paper with a single letter [symbol/glyph] on it, whether they know it or not, that letter has a numerical value and place within the context of the ordered system [Alphabet] it came from. Decoding and constructing any language requires understanding this. In order to understand Egyptian Hieroglyphs and Sumerian Cuneiform a person must understand the sequential order, "numerical value" and place in the ordered system [Alphabet] its symbols came from. Without that information a person would not be able to understand Hieroglyphs or Cuneiform. The same is true for children in America who are learning English. As an Early Childhood Educator I teach preschoolers their letters, the letter's "numerical value", their sound and sequence in our Alphabet. This information enables them to construct words in order to effectively communicate. I would be undermining my students educational process if I taught them that there is no corresponding relationship between the letters and numbers. In fact, those children who don't grasp this relationship struggle with ELA [English Language Arts] and have difficulty reading, writing, comprehending and communicating. Left unchecked, this sets a trajectory that negatively affects other subjects which require reading, writing, comprehension and communication. This often leads to why some students are labeled with a learning disability or take remedial classes. As an Educator I have also experienced the behavioral issues that come along with students being frustrated because they have difficulty reading, writing, comprehending and communicating. And to paraphrase what my God Brother Jahshamel shared, "The educational challenges some people have had throughout their life do not magically disappear when they start learning the culture of the Five Percent." That is also important to understand.

Gematria

   Gematria is a word that comes from the Aramaic and Greek language, popularized by Jewish Kabbalah, and is related to the English Geometry. Gematria is an alphanumeric code where each letter has a numeric value. For example, A =1, B =2, C =3 and etc. in the English language. Words and Names that are constructed with these letters also have a value. For example, the name Allah would have a numeric value of "7" because A = 1, L =12, L = 12, A = 1, H = 8 = 34 = "7". The concept of Gematria originates among black classical civilization; the origin of Plato's writings and his study of the subject in Khemet/Kemet [Egypt]. The same way that Arabic Numerals [1 to 9 and 0] correspond to letters in the Alphabet, our Supreme Mathematics correspond to the Supreme Alphabet. In our language of the Five Percent when we say, "Understanding [3] is to Cee [C, 3rd letter] things for what they are, not what they appear to be" we are showing that Mathematical and Alphabetical correspondence. When we say, "We make knowledge born [19] yet a person must save themselves [S, the 19th letter, is Self or Savior]" we are showing that Mathematical and Alphabetical correspondence. Those are a just a couple of the numerous examples within our culture that show and prove how these segments, numbers and letters, are combined to work as one unified system. This is not simply about mixing numbers and letters, it is deeper than that. Did Allah, the founder of the Five Percenters, know what the word Gematria was? Did he study Jewish Kabbalah or even read the writings of Plato on the subject? It is possible. It is also possible that he never did. Regardless if he did or didn't, he developed a successful alphanumeric value system known as the Supreme Mathematics and the Supreme Alphabet that is unique to the Five Percent Nation.  

   Again, Mathematics is the Operating System of the Universe and we deal with equations every day. In Mathematics an equation is a mathematical statement that combines numbers and letters. The letters (a, b, x, y or etc.) in a equation represent an unknown quantity and that unknown quantity is a number that is yet to be solved. For example, if the equation were x + 6 = 10, "x" is a number that you don't know the value of. When you solve for "x" your answer would be x = 4. Now what the does this have to do with our Supreme Mathematics and Supreme Alphabet? Our life is full of equations where unknown qualities, not just quantities, must be solved. In these life equations those unknown qualities [numbers] are also letters (a, b, x, y or etc.) that we are striving to find the value of. The Supreme Alphabet is like an answer key for those life equations because every letter has its value. While some are striving to solve for "m", we know that its value in our life equation is master, which is knowledge and understanding [m = 13]. While others are striving to figure out justice, we know that "j" is knowledge cipher [j = 10]. Every letter in our Supreme Alphabet represents a 'quality' the same way that letters in Algebraic equations represent a 'quantity'. This is Living Mathematics!
   As Living Mathematics, this is about our cognitive ability; our capacity to effectively read, write, comprehend and communicate correspondences. It is about our ability to make reasonable connections and draw logical conclusions in life equations. As a Five Percenter, those reasonable connections and logical conclusions hinge upon understanding how our Supreme Mathematics, Supreme Alphabet and 120 Degrees work as a unified system. A unified system that improves our quality of life, the quality of life of our families and the quality of life of our communities. 

Peace,
Saladin

9 Ways To Born A Determined Idea

   Reflecting upon how positive and progressive 2019 has been for me and looking towards 2020, I wanted to take a moment to share some of my thoughts with all of you in regards to being successful in our undertakings. As a Nation we do not advocate Gregorian New Year Resolutions and strive to be resolute in all that we say and do. In part, this is what “word is bond, bond is life and I will give my life before my word shall fail” means in our 11^th degree in the one-to-fourteen. This degree is not simply something to recite. It is a declaration of being resolute and it highlights the integrity, fortitude and consistency to follow through with our word. In fact, when our word is truly bond we will not be broke, or broken.

   I have accomplished much in 2019; from being my city’s prestigious 2019 Civil Rights Achievement Award Recipient, helping coordinate a Walk To Freedom Public Art Mural Project to releasing my seventeenth book Once Upon A Time In Amerikka and being featured in the soon to be released six-part international docuseries "Enslaved" that is Executive Produced and Hosted by Samuel L. Jackson. As one of our cultural ambassadors I take great pride in knowing that positive contributions such as this continue to expand the global footprint of our Nation. This means nothing if I am unable to show others how to also be successful in our undertakings. There are certain things that I have done, and continue to do without fail, that have allowed me to take my ideals from knowledge to born, from inception to conception. So in this article I would like to share these thoughts as 9 Ways To Born A Determined Idea:

1. Although it is your personal idea, our idea should be something that improves (progresses) you with the intent/consideration of making you a better resource to others and this world we share. Life is interdependent, we all play a role in how the world turns and there is a constant process of giving and receiving. This intent/consideration ensures that our idea is in tune with the universal order and is something that is sustainable -because we are actively providing a service (and/or products) that others, and the world, needs. If all we are thinking about is what we can get (keep), and not what we are able to consistently give, what we get (keep) will eventually run out. 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... In short, we are not the 10%.

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Peace,
Saladin

Should Allah's Five Percent Form a Tribal Government?

   On October 18th, 2019 the Yanadameen Godcast, a Youtube podcast hosted by Hip Hop Artists Lord Jamar of Brand Nubian and Rah Digga of the Flipmode Squad, was joined by Actor, Hip Hop Artist and Community Advocate Born Mastermind Allah to discuss nation building and steps needed to form a tribal government. This episode highlighted an initiative spearheaded by Born Mastermind to nationalize Allah's Five Percent Nation of Gods and Earths into a tribal government. You can view this episode in its entirety HERE. 

     While this was the first time that many Five Percenters became aware of this initiative I was aware of this for some time before it was publicly shared. The first time I heard about this determined idea was in 2018 during a panel discussion about community building and the political process at our Annual Show and Prove. That panel was coordinated by our late great brother Cee Aaquil Allah, moderated by the elder God Minister Justice and featured King Civilized, Born Mastermind and myself. While King Civilized and myself elaborated on our insight and journey in the political arena and community outreach, Born Mastermind spoke about creating a plebiscite and forming a tribal government. The second time that I heard about this initiative was early 2019 when I built with Born Mastermind in Mecca [Harlem] during the Official Street Naming ceremony. We exchanged math and soon thereafter discussed his initiative more extensively and my projects, programs and initiatives. We also discussed potential collaborations. Following that conversation he also sent me information to do further research and decide if I was willing and able to be involved in this initiative. It was following that initial conversation, unanswered questions I posed, research I did and the cultural inconsistencies I saw that I decided not to be involved. So I ceased to follow-up on the private meeting texts and donation initiative Born Mastermind began to organize around his idea.

    In regards to the cultural inconsistencies I saw, there were things that were not in line with our teachings. In a November 15th, 1967 interview at the Otisville Reformatory School for Boys, Allah, the founder of our Nation of the Five Percent, shared, "I'm not against the United States. The Earth got to be build on. And it's your duty to teach the uncivilized we don't care whether he's black or white," and "... you got to educate these children in a way to show them why they must keep this country themselves, black and white, must unite together... now many of my people are against me." This, among many other statements by Allah, made it clear that he and his Five Percent were not Pro-Black or Anti-White nor were we against American citizenship. Allah, who was a military veteran at this time, did not refer to his Nation as a tribe nor did he promote the idea of being a sovereign body operating apart from the local, state or federal government. 

Who is the Founder of the Five Percent?

     Since our formal inception, we did not need nor seek to be nationalized as a tribal government. Allah’s Five Percent is already a Nation, with a National Flag, a common culture, chronology and land [territories]. When it comes to nationalization, for one to claim federally recognized tribal enrollment status you must prove your ancestry as a descendant of Indigenous People here in North America and/or use other tribal constitution criterion to prove your nationality as outlined by that particular tribe. This means you must show genealogical proof and/or other enrollment criteria that you descend from First Nations People such as the Seneca, Hopi, Olmec, Mayan or any of the other 550+ federally recognized tribes. If you are saying that you were here before these 550+ federally recognized tribes then you must be able to show and prove that. That requires more than books and artifacts in a museum as proof. Although we recognize that we are descendants of First World People, the Original People and fathers and mothers of civilization, and can cite archaeology, paleontology and other facts as evidence to support that, many of us who descended from those First World People have difficulty proving our ancestry genealogically and genetically.
     Forming a tribal government was not Allah’s impetus, program or goal. Allah was practically invested in community outreach and youth advocacy to help his Five Percenters become productive 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 assimilation or being a part of “the dead world.” He advocated the acquisition of power through showing that our Nation is equal to all nations through the science of education. 

   I understand Born Mastermind’s desire for organization, collective work and responsibility. Many of us understand this and are already working individually and collectively within our respective areas as Allah’s Five Percent. Many Five Percenters felt violated, expressed outrage and publicly shared their contempt upon hearing that Born Mastermind along with a small group of people came together as a plebiscite to draw up a constitution, form a government structure and vote to nationalize Allah’s Five Percent and our Flag without our consent. Although Born Mastermind shared his perspectives on nationalization during a 2018 panel discussion I took part in at our Annual Show and Prove, he did not formally bring this initiative before our Universal Parliament for input nor did he share it with many of the elders of our Nation. Many Five Percenters felt blindsided seeing and hearing his tribal government initiative for the first time on a Hip Hop podcast. That shrewd, non-participatory approach often makes any initiative, regardless how well meaning, doomed from the start.

     Living 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. When I first began to see these ideas about sovereignty, particularly among Moorish Science Temple members, I immediately recognized that most of those folks were basing that upon what they read online or saw in YouTube videos. I could tell that they had rarely if ever been around First Nations People, on their territories and had no clue what sovereignty and self governance practically looks like. Even though I've seen some well intended people seeking sovereignty, most of these folks were males interested in forming a tribal 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 they couldn't get expunged. Whether well intended or not, I also realized that most of these sovereignty seekers 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. hit 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 doesn't mean that the idea of sovereignty is impossible, it means that folks must really 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 the dual citizenship game; to have one foot in and one foot out. Some do it to acquire benefits from a society as one of its citizens, but then claim sovereignty when they're expected to do something for that society in return. In other words, I can buy property and open a business people patronize yet not pay any taxes to the society that contributes to the fire, police and other services that protect my property, patrons and supports my business. Does that seem fair to you? 

     I do not consider Born Mastermind’s nationalization initiative, nor his intentions, evil. I do consider them not well thought out, grandiose and culturally inconsistent. I think that he truly thinks that his initiative is in the best interest of Allah’s Five Percent, and like with other controversial decisions he has made concerning our Nation in the past, he is doing things his way regardless to who tells him otherwise or what the consequences are. If the name and flag of the tribal government he was nationalizing was unique, it wouldn’t be problematic. Unfortunately, he is using our Nation's name and flag for his tribal government initiative. When you use the name and flag of any Nation that already exists, that is a serious problem. 
     The bottom line is this: I am not in support of creating a tribal government because Allah’s Five Percent is already an autonomous Nation. That is our body politic. We are culturally self-governed and come together locally, regionally and nationally for Parliaments to build upon how our local and general body is operating in accordance to our culture. If changes need to be made in the best interest of our ciphers then we build upon that and collectively make a decision in the best interest of the body. We have no individual leader and encourage collective leadership with everyone possessing an equal degree of input in our affairs. Our ciphers are a consensus method designed to get everyone’s equal input, not a plebiscite where the few can decide what is best for the many. When the few vote to make decisions for the many that process produces dissatisfaction, dissension and division... Regardless what our profession is, we are Allah’s Five Percent credentialed within various industries. We own property and thus have jurisdictions, as Allah’s Five Percent. We are not in need of autonomous Federal recognition or jurisdiction nor do we need permission to operate as we already do. What we do need is for some of us to realize that we already have everything that we need, and simply build upon that.

Peace,

Saladin

Hey RZA, We Have Questions About Wu-Tang: An American Saga?

   Since its September 4th, 2019 Hulu release, Wu-Tang: An American Saga series has received mixed reviews from mainstream audiences, critics and citizens of the Five Percent Nation. With an 80% Rotten Tomatoes Rating, Daniel Fiendberg of The Hollywood Reporter writes, "the Wu built a brand based on the street-level drama of their primarily Staten Island upbringing, but filtered through lenses as eclectic as martial arts movies, comic books and 5 Percenter doctrine. The Wu narrative is gritty and grounded, while at the same time verging on urban legend or tall tale." He also goes on to state that, "it captures some of the group's kaleidoscopic perspective and nascent brilliance, but leaves too many of its best ideas half-developed."

   As a Five Percenter, it is no secret that our culture has been very influential in the growth, development and creative expression of the Wu-Tang Clan and its associated group members. In fact, RZA explicitly depicts some of our cultural elements in this series which most mainstream audiences are being exposed to for the first time. While some of those cultural elements were accurately depicted, other elements were not accurately depicted. Because of this, Five Percenters have shared mixed perspectives about how we were and are portrayed in this series. On October 18th I sent RZA an email concerning these perspectives which he has yet to respond to. In part, that email read:

"With the success of your series, and more mainstream exposure of various cultural elements of the Five Percent, I would like to interview you about that process. My readership would be interested in knowing what challenges come along with striving to articulate those cultural elements in a screenplay and presenting them in mainstream media on film? What was the process used to familiarize the actors with the culture of the Five Percent? What creative control do you have in our imagery, use of symbols and objects that express our culture in the series? What was your vision in regards to our depiction and how closely have you manifested that determined idea? These are just a few questions, and others, that many of us have regarding our cultural expression in this series. To my knowledge there is no interview, or interviewer who has allowed you to expound upon these important insights and I would be thankful to have an opportunity to responsibly make this happen!" 

   While some Five Percenters have been quoted on social media as saying, "Bullshit" and "That's why I'm not watching that series.... It's all watered down....", others have stated, "Wow peoples it's TV ya'll. I [am] thankful he [RZA] made Knowledge Born of our existence to the mainstream. I like it!" and "It's not a documentary. lol It's a TV series based on true events. Near Correct." I can understand and appreciate both perspectives. Since its release I have received three times as many inquiries about KOS [Knowledge Of Self] than I normally do. This has enabled me to respond to more questions regarding our culture and direct people to active Five Percenters in the inquirer's region. Creating consistent quality content from a Five Percenter perspective has enabled me to build this type of global platform that people can reference. While there were certain Five Percenter customs that were correctly depicted in this series such as the Just-Ice character questioning Rakeem [RZA] backstage about Today's Mathematics and Rakeem's breakdown of "justice" when questioned by the Gods on the block, there were other instances in this series that depicted us so inaccurate that any Five Percenter would question how much creative control RZA actually had in this series. For example, the emblem that Five Percenter actors wore was not our Universal Flag. As one Five Percenter put it, "reminds me of the Kellogg's Raisin Bran Logo." In the series our 120 Degrees/Lessons were presented as some type of book or manual that one could buy, not the book of life research binder that a student compiles as they responsibly acquire their Degrees/Lessons from their Educator/Enlightener. Although this Wu-Tang: An American Saga series is inspired by actual persons and events, the Five Percenter characterizations, dialogue and incidents that are fictionalized for the purpose of dramatization is still disinformation that can misled people about who we are as a Nation.  

   The release of the Wu-Tang: An American Saga series has definitely caused more people to inquire about the culture of the Five Percent. This same interest has occurred throughout the chronology of Hip Hop depending upon what Five Percenters or Five Percenter influenced Rap Artists were popular. This did not and does not automatically make a person qualified to learn anything. It is only through building actual relationships is that determined. Regardless of a person's interest, the release of a dramatic series or treading topics on social media, we as the Five Percent have been here and will continue to be here living out our culture. If a person is truly willing to seek, they will find us.

Peace,

Saladin 

Sands In The Hourglass

     There are a lot of ideas circulating calling themselves science. In reality they are merely conjecture, because they don't have enough substantial evidence to prove their veracity to principle elements, ideas and concepts to have us considered them true knowledge. 

Among these ideas or theories is the idea that [Supreme] Mathematics is our culture devoid of the history, legacy and acts of Allah and Justice. This is similar to saying that speaking English is English culture, when it is literally just the mouthpiece to express elements and phenomena within what is known as English culture. Language comes from the Latin, "lingua" meaning "tongue." Language is only one of culture's many elements: tradition, chronology or its history, education, science, beliefs and religion, art, literature, social conditions and ideology being some of its other elements.

What we call [Supreme] Mathematics is a spoken language which the Father Allah derived based upon his encounter with the Supreme Wisdom of Alphonzo, as taught to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad by Master Fard of the God tribes of the East. The language of Mathematics describes the concepts, nomenclature and ideology which falls under elements of the culture of Islam [I Self Lord And Master] That is, as a science, not to be confused with culture itself.

For within the culture of Islam there is beliefs, folklore, philosophy and religion and its diversity. With the religion of Islam, like various other religions, there are prejudices towards the beliefs of other religions. Within the science, as with the science of everything in life, one can ill-afford to let personal biases to stand in the way of the search which is the true basic premise of science--which is TO KNOW, and find the truth of things. We scientists welcome the study and analysis of everything, including the terms we use. Mathematics was derived by our Father observing the Supreme Wisdom book, concerning the Science of God or 360° of perfected Knowledge, which by the way was the masterstroke of knowing several languages.

NOMENCLATURE

Nomenclature is NAME, DESIGNATION: the act or process or an instance of naming; a system or set of terms or symbols especially in a particular science, discipline, or art like the nomenclature of inorganic chemistry or an international system of standardized New Latin names used in biology for kinds and groups of kinds of animals and plants. Naming describes and identifies meaning by isolating the principle reason of what a thing or quality exists for. Our language of speaking Mathematics should not be confused with a culture or curriculum of just using Supreme Mathematics solely. Most of us use terms belonging exclusively to Supreme Alphabets and the Twelve Jewels in our analysis of people, places, things and events to define their significance. When a person speaks, one's diction reflects the culture or discipline he or she comes from, it is not their culture solely. The words and terms it contains defines elements within their culture of the people who speak it and transformations that have occurred throughout their chronology. We use our language somewhat as a diagnostic tool; just as our founder [Allah] did when he studied Supreme Wisdom when he was in the Nation of Islam. The Father's choosing of One Hundred and Twenty Lessons [120°] as a primary part of our cultural curriculum is a result of that diagnostic decision-making which determined our destiny and legacy. When a person speaks Mathematics, they speak about ideas and imagery that exist within our cultural references of things which are principal to our specific culture. Its emphasis is on a science and philosophy which deals with the nature of our origin in this world, which is in essence is God; as told from an Eastern perspective.

As I said, Mathematics is a diagnostic tool which allows you articulate your findings within the linguistic aspects. The real culture is within the legacy of the original people which speak it. Without Supreme Alphabets, we would have no roles to fulfill, outside of the ones you read about in the lessons. Those who call this "the culture" do not subscribe to studying. This does not truly make sense since many of the words they use to describe reality does not exist in the Mathematical lexicon but exists as definitions only within 120° itself.

I remember, when I was young in this science many told me to "not to cast my 'pearls-among-swine' because they will only mix it in with their own disgusting mental foods," and now that I am psychically all-grown-up...I see this to be true. In this Western world of social media, like Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter and etc, you do not have to conform or be socially accepted into esoteric or higher learning societies. You just have to hang around long enough to get the gist of things. You can forego the discipline it takes to conform to their peer group pressure, put together a social media page of stale ideas and build an audience of followers who idolize you with likes and love icons. What this does is adds more splinters to the splinters and weaken our ability to stand as a people, which is just what the enemy wanted. Love is a many splendored thing... but love of a people and it's destiny, is very hard to find.

Peace,

Life

Edited by Saladin