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

Anchor Institutions and the Fate of Allah School in Mecca

 

   When the elders in our Nation of the Five Percent spoke and speak about the olden days, when our Parliaments were standing room only, how we had a working relationship with our local government, and when our influence in our communities spanned the boroughs, they are articulating how we were an Anchor Institution. Anchor Institutions are institutions, such as nonprofits, universities, hospitals, and corporations that serve as socioeconomic engines rooted in the communities they serve. According to National Academies, anchor institutions "play an important role in uplifting community conditions through a series of multilevel strategies and economic investment, including the creation of workforce training and living-wage jobs with good benefits, creating and improving affordable housing, increasing local safety and access to parks, and many others." Since its founding in 1967, our Allah School in Mecca Street Academy was established as our brick-and-mortar anchor for youth/community outreach within the Harlem community. Over the last fifty-seven years, we have fought to maintain that identity as an anchor in the public domain where mainstream media has historically mischaracterized us as a gang. With the expanding gentrification of Harlem, its subtle erasure, and redefinition as "North" or "Upper" Manhattan, it is important for us as Five Percenters to consider ways to protect our institution as the historical anchor it has been. 

     Within our Nation, it was always assumed among our members that our Allah School in Mecca is a parcel that was gifted to us by the Lindsay Administration with a 99-year lease. It was only recently discovered that no legal document exists to substantiate that claim of a 99-year lease. While some Five Percenters have argued that Allah School is Defacto ours because of our historical use, we are not the legal property owners. This parcel is classified as a miscellaneous religious facility owned by the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services [NYC DCAS]. From a legal standpoint, we as Five Percenters have been occupying this space based upon a non-verbal, undocumented memorandum of understanding with each City Administration since June of 1967. Because there is no legal documentation to substantiate our Defacto claim, our occupancy can be legally defined as squatting by the current or future City Administration. Luckily in New York, if squatters occupy a property continuously, openly, and exclusively without permission for a specified period, they can take its title. While this may be possible with a private owner, it is questionable if the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services would allow this to happen for prime commercial real estate that continues to appreciate in value over time.

     According to public records, the total assessed value of 2122 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd [Allah School] in 2021 was $186,300. In 2022 it increased to $202,950. Its current value is $215,000. The value of the building [Youth Center], which measures 1,200 square feet, was $69,300 in 2021. In 2022 it increased to $85,950. The value of its land, which measures 12,490 square feet, has remained $117,000. Its market value, or the actual price someone was willing to pay for this property in 2021 was $414,000. Its current market value is $478,000 and continues to increase each year. Although there have been and continue to be conversations about the economic development of our Allah School, what has not increased are actual facade improvements or economic development on this property. 

     The value of any property is not based on the parcel itself. The property value is based on the surrounding neighborhood and the community. Sometimes to raise property value, community members are systematically excluded from economic development projects to redesign the neighborhood. This displacement process to change the character of an area for outsiders to move in is called gentrification. Regarding the Five Percent, this displacement of our Nation began during COVID-19. During the shutdown, we were restricted from using P.S. 154 Harriet Tubman Learning Center [250 W 127th Street] for our Universal Parliaments and Annual Show & Prove. Harriet Tubman was an adjacent Anchor Institution and community partner whom we have collaborated with for four decades. According to the School Administration Staff whom I spoke with at that time, the auditorium/cafeteria space was not available to the public due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions and unclear vaccination status protocols. This was understandable, seeing that most public spaces were closed during the shutdown. Yet four years later, our Five Percent Nation still has not set foot back in Harriet Tubman. This single maneuver displaced our most critical mass of Five Percenters who gathered monthly at Harriet Tubman for our Universal Parliaments and yearly for our Annual Show & Prove. Whether intentional or not, this maneuver undermined our ability to remain anchored in our community. As an alternative site, our Nation has been using P.S. 92 Mary McLeod Bethune [222 West 134 Street] for our Universal Parliaments and our upcoming Annual Show & Prove.

Allah School, PS 154 Harriet Tubman, PS 92 Mary McLeod Bethune

     Although this alternative site at P.S. 92 Mary McLeod Bethune is only half a mile away, it still displaces our Nation. Without our critical mass of Five Percenters gathering monthly and yearly within our community and at Harriet Tubman, a huge socioeconomic void was created that now erases our historic public visibility. How can we consistently engage our community members and provide resources where we are not present? How can we demonstrate that we are an asset rooted within our community, when we are not actually in the community? 

Aerial view of Allah School and its surrounding economic development

     When you look at the above aerial view of our Allah School, you can see the economic development and economic development potential around it. What you cannot see are the socioeconomic anchors that are being rooted around Allah School as engines to serve our community in ways in which our Allah School is not. While there are brothers who consistently show up in person/virtually once a week to talk for hours about our culture, there are no professional revenue-generating workshops, classes, or projects being facilitated at Allah School every day. We have no grant-funded youth advocacy/community outreach programs being offered in the neighborhood. We have no collaborative initiatives with area organizations and institutions that are available on-site or virtually. Nothing is being offered by/for women and girls; even though women represent 75% of the professional non-profit workforce in the U.S. and the Allah School is a non-profit. Additionally, according to a recent April 23rd Five Percenter Newspaper Facebook Group Post and my follow-up confirmation with School Officials, we are now in jeopardy of losing P.S. 92 Mary McLeod Bethune as the current location of our Universal Parliaments and the upcoming Show & Prove. A petition is being circulated by the surrounding school community to stop us from utilizing the space due to adult Five Percenters loitering, urinating, drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana, and being noisy on school property. 

April 23rd, 2024 Five Percenter Newspaper Facebook Post

     While some understandably see all of these things as a huge deficit, I see them as a unique opportunity for those of us who have the knowledge, wisdom, character, and consistency to make some positive productive workshops, classes, projects, programs, and initiatives happen. However, this will require some deep fundamental changes at our Allah School which some may not be willing to make. So where does this leave us? It leaves our Nation in an unprecedented time of growth and development if we are open to exploring solutions that may be beyond our personal scope. To continue our legacy as an Anchor Institution, we must be rooted in the same youth advocacy, community outreach, and capacity to secure resources as our founder, Allah. He was a doer, and his self-styled wisdom was evidenced in the way he actually shaped his community; the complete opposite of the deficits that I shared above. If we clearly do not have the character, experience, expertise, or credentials to lead these workshops, classes, projects, programs, and initiatives, we should proactively support the best knowers who do, regardless of our age or gender. Our survival literally depends upon this support, and our Nation will not thrive without it. 

Peace,

Saladin

7.5 Ounces of Brain Power!

 

   "What is the strongest muscle in your body?" I would ask my preschoolers. The answers I would receive would be everything from arms, legs to balled up fists. All of my students left my class knowing that it was our brain and all of the exercises we did were designed to strengthen that muscle. Whether we were doing yoga, painting, learning letters or playing with blocks in one of our centers, it was all about brain development and as an early childhood educator I was helping construct their brain architecture. I speak about this in the past tense because now I primarily work with sixth graders and I Substitute in other elementary grade levels. Regardless of their grade level, I always emphasize the power of their brains.

   When we get knowledge of self, one of the degrees we learn as Five Percenters is a 32nd degree which asks, "What is the mental and physical power of a real devil?" In summary, we learn that a devil's mental power is nothing in comparison to that of the original man and that they are also physically weaker. We also learn more specifically that there is a 1.5 ounce variance between the weight of the original man's brain and the weight of the devil's brain -- i.e., the original man has 7.5 ounces of brain and the devil only has 6 ounces of brain. Typically when you hear us [Five Percenters] build on that degree we simply equate the 7.5 and 6 to a supreme mathematical correspondence. In other words you may hear something along the lines of, "7.5 is God's [7] Power [5]. 6 is Equality [6] or limitation because the devil's power is limited." While this perspective has some value, it does not tell us anything about the actual brain weight or where the figures 7.5 ounces and 6 ounces even come from. I have also heard misogynists state that "7.5 represents the mental power of man and 6 represents the limited mental power of women." These chauvinists are usually the same folks who ignorantly boast that it is not even important to know what those figures actually mean because "Allah, The Father told us to draw it up." That anti-academic excuse is usually their response to anything math or science related in our degrees. Willfully this article on brain weight and mental/physical power will encourage those who are learning degrees to be more studious.

7.5 ounces of brain vs. 6 ounces of brain

   The average human brain of a normally hydrated person is about 3 lbs. 3 lbs is equal to 1400 grams which is 49 ounces. 85% of the brain is water weight. This means that 41.65 ounces of the brain's weight is water. When you subtract the 85% water weight [i.e., 41.65 ounces] from 49 ounces you get 7.3 or approx. 7.5 ounces of brain.  Let me show you the math again:

BRAIN = 3 lbs, 1400 grams, 49 ounces

85% of BRAIN is water which equals 41.65 ounces

49 ounces - 41.65 ounces of water = 7.3 approximately 7.5 ounces

   As shared above, 7.5 ounces is in reference to total average brain weight of a normally hydrated person. Well what about abnormal brain weight such as 6 ounces? Any difference in average brain weight, whether heavier or lighter, is based upon different factors including genetics, age, sex, body length, BMI, diet, ailments and other variables. Microcephaly, a rare genetic condition that causes small brain development, was first identified among the Pashtun people of Northern Pakistan. These Aryan descendants, often referred to as "white" Afghans, showed incidences of microcephaly 1 in 10,000 newborns while the worldwide average ranged from 1 in 30,000 to 1 and 250,000 newborns. Microcephaly has also been linked to the deadly mosquito-borne and sexually transmitted Zika virus outbreak that occurred in the mid to late 2000s in Polynesia, Africa, Brazil, Columbia, Mexico and other countries of densely populated melanated people.  

 

   

   Aside from a genetic mutation, one common cause of abnormal brain weight is dehydration. Dehydration does more than give you a headache and dry mouth. According to some studies on how dehydration effects the brain, just a 1% reduction in body mass of a 150 lb person equates to a 3 lb loss of fluid in the body which includes the brain. This loss of fluid impairs our executive brain function, body temperature regulation, motor skills, sensory perception and causes brain tissue to shrink over time. What this indicates is that chronic dehydration leads to brain atrophy or shrinkage in brain volume over time. What some scientists have also discovered is that people that evolved in colder climates, where there is scarce vegetation and alkaline food sources, they were more prone to dehydration and its accompanied impairments. Regardless of the outside temperature, humans lose body moisture every day through breathing, urination, perspiration and other body functions. Without perspiration and lack of thirst as visible indicators, people in cold climates often think that they don't need water and cannot get dehydrated. Couple this with an acidic diet consisting of more than 75% meat which lacks fiber and requires more water to process, people are at a higher risk of dehydration. Interesting enough in the late 19th Century into the early 20th Century these cold climate descendants published pseudoscience rationalizing the complete opposite -- i.e., that melanated people from nutrient rich tropical places had significantly smaller brains, a lower I.Q. and were closer to apes on the scale of human evolution. People like Earnest Hooton even went as far as establishing a whole filed of comparative anatomy -- i.e., thus helping establish Harvard as the center of Physical Anthropology and creating the classification model that put white people as the upright model of civilized man and melanated people as low-brow primitives. Hooton's racist work also set the foundation for the American Association of Physical Anthropology and the National Research Council to organize a committee to focus on the anatomy of the "Negro." That committee yielded African baby comparisons with young apes and published findings in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology to prove, not suggest or imply, that Negroes were closer to primitives than the white race. Devilish huh? Does all of this explain where the 6 ounces of brain weight and power comes from? Not entirely. Yet is does give you a sense of the different factors that actually causes abnormal brain weight and its accompanied deficiencies. Deficiencies that can cause a person to be more prone to weakness and potential wickedness.

   The study of the brain is one of the most fascinating subjects we can undertake, especially as  "scientists of life" [Five Percenters]. We are literally learning about our conduit of consciousness and repository of the mind! One of the many things that you learn about the brain is how cell phone technology and social media has literally changed our brain chemistry. When we receive social media notifications such as "likes", "loves", comments, shares and etc. our brain sends a chemical messenger called dopamine along a reward pathway that positively stimulates us. Dopamine is the feel-good neurotransmitter that also gives us a sense of pleasure and satisfaction when our senses are stimulated by eating food we like, hearing music we like, during intimacy, smelling a good fragrance or seeing a beautiful sight. Think about that! In regards to brain chemistry, the pleasure and satisfaction a person gets from a Facebook "like" is the same feeling of pleasure and satisfaction that they get from doing something in real life. Now you understand why many people are satisfied simply saying what they are going to do and never put forth the actual effort to do it. They are literally satisfied with the pleasure of a "like", "love", comment, prayer hands or other emojis they receive. They've been rewarded! Software Developers know this and designed social media platforms with this in mind. I wrote about this more extensively in my article Is Social Media The Digital "Turn on, Tune in, Drop out"?

   In conclusion, how can we even claim supreme intelligence if we see no value in studying the muscle responsible for the executive function of that intelligence? How can we even actualize our mental and physical power if we aren't serious about studying the command center of that mental and physical power? As Five Percenters we sell ourselves short, and the people who we are supposedly teaching, by not putting forth the effort to study actual math and science. I understand that some of us have been in remedial classes growing up, we may have learning disabilities, we just never did well academically or etc. Yet because of this sense of lacking and inferiority complex some of us have developed some very negative attitudes towards scholarship. So instead of seeking help we make up obvious excuses to try and hide our insecurities or academic trauma. I am not a know-it-all and never really challenged myself in school. I did enough to get by. As I got older, especially when I gained knowledge of self I became more studious. This means that I keep dictionaries, other reference materials and an active library card so when I come across something that I don't understand I can take time to research it before I move forward in my studies. I also make sure that I am always connected to experts in various fields who can support me. Yes it is a tedious process and takes patience yet that is what comes along with being studious. Putting in that effort benefits everyone around us. Conversely, our lack of effort will continue to be a detriment to everyone around us, especially our children.

Peace,                                                                                                                                                    Saladin

The 46th Annual Show and Prove

Photo Credit: FadPhotography [Instagram]

   Every second weekend in June we [the Five Percent Nation] hold our Annual Science and Educational Show and Prove at the Harriet Tubman School in Harlem, NY [Public School 154]. June 11th, 2017 marked our 46th Annual Event. The first Show and Prove took place on June 13th, 1971 at Harlem Prep following a December 4th, 1970 dance that was organized six months earlier in Queens, NY [AKA: The Oasis in the Desert]. I mention this dance because it was the first collective gathering of Five Percenters since the assassination of The Father [Allah] one year earlier on June 13th, 1969 and the spark to ignite the Science and Educational Show and Prove. This annual youth-centric event was established to celebrate The Father's legacy through showcasing the contributions and accomplishments of our family members who are building upon this legacy. Founded by several young Five Percenters such as Allah B, Prince Allah, God Supreme, Dumar, Gykee, Takesha, LuAsia and others, the Show and Prove highlighted a youth science and educational fair and has expanded over the years to include a marketplace, food vendors, speeches, performances, and a Meet & Greet/Cook Out the day before. The largest single gathering of Five Percenters each year, the first Show and Prove on June 13th, 1971 was said to have over 2,000 people, most of them youth, in attendance. The first Show and Prove I attended was 20 years ago in 1997. Since that time some things have changed and some things have remained the same. Some for the better, and some for the worst.

   Because I usually travel to the Show and Prove the night before I'm often the first person to arrive at the Allah School In Mecca in the morning. When an Elder God arrived to open up the school he recognized me immediately and informed me that I could sit behind the desk and answer any incoming phone calls. "I know you're more than qualified to sit there" he said, as he walked through the rest of the school to check it out. As others began to arrive I was given a tour of our current storefront renovations by Cee Aaquil Allah who is managing the project and also serves on the Show and Prove Organizing Committee as the event's lead organizer. From what I've seen thus far these modern updates are going to be an excellent addition to support our school and the surrounding community. Next I had an opportunity to build with the God Unique who coordinates the computer lab. He has a background in computer science and shared with me a program he built that instructs its user in our cultural curriculum using integrated audio, images and eventually video. For example, a child can click on our 1st degree in the Student Enrollment "Who is the Original Man?" and a pre-recorded voice will then recite the question and answer of that lesson. That pre-recorded audio file could be that child's voice or another Five Percenter's voice -such as an elder Unique had the opportunity to record who is no longer with us. I was honored to archive my voice reciting the 5th degree in the 1-14's; the lesson where I got my righteous name 'Saladin' from. I spoke extensively with the God on its current and potential applications in relationship to my work in early childhood development and pre-teen/teen programming and look forward to using it as a resource at my Atlantis School For Gifted Youngsters. After building with a few brothers/sisters who began to arrive I walked around the corner to the Harriet Tubman School to meet back up with Cee Aaquil and other volunteers to help prepare for the Show and Prove.

Photo Credit: FadPhotography [Instagram]

   When I became more publicly active as a Five Percenter I began to travel to the Show and Prove each year to volunteer. This experience has given me a unique perspective of what we can do to enhance the event. At the top of that list is VOLUNTEERS! We need more people who are willing and able to do more to add-on. A call is put out every year from the Show and Prove Organizing Committee for VOLUNTEERS and not enough people have been adding on. Willfully more people will be available to assist next year and in the future!

   Although many people come for the celebrity performances, our marketplace has become one of the focal points of the Show and Prove and a potential garden bed for our Nation's economic development. Because I'm an author, people always ask me if I brought any books to sell and encourage me to bring them next year if I didn't. Although I appreciate that support, I inform them that I just came to help out. I've just always seen the Show and Prove in its traditional sense; a youth-centered science and educational fair, not a personal money making opportunity. Now don't get me wrong, the inclusion of a marketplace is an excellent "addition" to our event yet it should not be the primary reason some of us come there. Some people use the motto, "we need to support each other" as their reasoning for selling or buying something during this event. I can understand that because as I mentioned, this is the largest single gathering of the Five Percent each year. I also understand that this opportunity to truly "support each other" requires more than a "I sell something and you buy it" business model. 7-Eleven and Walmart also sells us something and we buy it, so how are we any different? We need to ask ourselves: How do any of these financial transactions mutually empower both parties? As entrepreneurs we must consistently ask ourselves: What are we doing to show people that we're not just digging in their pockets like 7-Eleven and Walmart? Is our business consistently known for doing giveaways for our products/services? Are we known for donating money and/or our sweat equity to support programs, projects and initiatives? Are we actually employing people making a livable wage? 

   In my article Cultural Capital in a Post Obama America I explained our economy based upon Cultural Capital: "a network of relationships and resources rooted in shared customs, principles and values that mark a people's way of life. It's defined by reciprocity, trust and the cooperation of group members who systematically share and maintain the same resources and cultural interests. Thus this system of shared resources and cultural interests existed before money and is ultimately rooted in our relationships." What this economy looks like in a Jewish Community is a Jewish man being given store credit by the Jewish store owner and being told to pay for the groceries when he gets paid since he didn't have enough money right now. What this looks like in an Chinese Community is a Chinese woman receiving interest-free loans from three neighbors to help start her business instead of going to a bank. What this looks like in an Italian Community is Italian business owners consistently purchasing sports team uniforms, donating back to school supplies and giving away scholarships to youth. In all of these examples it's not about the money, it's about how people treat one another. Some may argue that they don't have enough to even do this or they're just a small business. Keep in mind that some of the examples of cooperative economics and collective work and responsibility I shared above were done during the Great Depression and other times in America when people had a fraction of what many of us have today. While many Five Percenters who operate a business are fair and understand that the highest value lies in our relationships, I've heard horror stories of some of us taking pre-order money for products/services and then giving people the runaround or a nasty attitude because they inquired why their order still hadn't arrived in over a month. To add insult to injury, these customers were not even offered anything for the poor service and inconvenience. This is completely unacceptable and this westernized mentality of capitalizing off of people, especially our people, must stop if we're ever going to build an economy that supports national consciousness, community control and peace. 

Photo Credit: FadPhotography [Instagram]

   Something I've also noticed at the Show and Prove is the growing number of street vendors setting up outside of the Harriet Tubman School to sell their products/services instead of vending inside of the event. If we want to vend outside of the Show and Prove event then I think it's appropriate to contact a member of our Show and Prove Organizing Committee to inquire about a street vendor fee; a donation that will help support the services at the Allah School In Mecca. Whether vending inside or outside, to support true economic development we need to change a hand to mouth trajectory of trying to get individually paid. Again, some of us think that we have so little that we really can't give like that. Keep in mind that when we each give a little, we will all have a lot. This sense of collectivism, self sacrifice and protecting ones cultural interests has allowed other people to survive and thrive under similar circumstances. Next year I would love to see more youth vendors and a commitment from inside and outside adult vendors to have a youth vending with them. I'd also love to see more youth oriented products/services for sale at our marketplace. Lastly, I would like to see adults committing to a donation that goes towards an Annual Show and Prove Youth Scholarship and a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place cash prize for youth participating in the science and educational fair. I think that it's a fair investment in our future generations.

   

Out of all of the years I've attended the Show and Prove, this is the first year I felt an overwhelming sense of genuine support and acknowledgement for what I've been doing to publicly represent our culture. I've felt it in the past yet this year was different. It made me feel very proud that old and young alike look upon the work I do as some evidence of what we are. All of the support I received let me know that I'm appreciated and it encouraged me to do even more to make sure that our national activity, narrative and image remains right and exact. So I want to say THANK YOU to each and every one of you whom I had an opportunity to meet and reconnect with. 

Peace,
Saladin