Descendant of Famed Freedom Seeker Pens Script

 

Saladin Allah and Host Anthony Morgan in of the Cataract House Gallery at the Niagara Falls 

Underground Railroad Heritage Center, CBC The Nature of Things

     Ken Cosentino -Niagara Falls resident Saladin Quanaah Allah, who goes by the mononym “Saladin,” is the third-great grandson of famed underground railroad freedom seeker Josiah Henson; whose life served as the inspiration for Harriet Beecher Stowe’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” Last month, CBC’s “The Nature of Things With David Suzuki” featured Saladin as a historical expert and guest host alongside new co-host Anthony Morgan. The episode, titled “Secret Agents of the Underground Railroad,” was produced by Quebec-based company Attraction and filmed in Saladin’s hometown Niagara Falls, NY. The episode focused on the historic hotel called “The Cataract House,” which, due to its close proximity to the Canadian border, was a popular stop for freedom seekers along the Underground Railroad.

Stories abound of Harriet Tubman leading many enslaved people to freedom across the suspension bridge between Niagara Falls, NY, and Niagara Falls, Ontario. Lesser known are the stories of Cataract House staff who were secretly assisting enslaved people to board a rowboat at the foot of the American Falls across the Niagara River. This operation lasted for decades and was so well organized, it plays out like a spy novel. Only a small fraction of these stories were featured in the CBC documentary.

With the success of “Secret Agents of the Underground Railroad,” Saladin is currently finishing his treatment based on the Cataract House. Says Saladin, “It is important for me to honor our ancestors by keeping the story historically accurate. Several companies have already shown interest in producing this as a full-fledged series or feature, but as of right now there are no official commitments.” Saladin is a prolific writer and storyteller who has published twenty-three books, five of which are chronicled in the British Library. As an expert on the Cataract House and the Underground Railroad, Saladin has been featured in documentaries such as the award-winning docuseries “Enslaved,” narrated by Samuel L. Jackson; and the IMAX film “Into America’s Wild,” narrated by Morgan Freeman. Additionally, Saladin recently co-produced the documentary “Two Wars: The Road to Integration.” When he isn’t writing or being interviewed, Saladin can be found speaking to the United Nations and is the Director of Community Engagement at the Underground Railroad Museum in Niagara Falls, NY.

Abraham Lincoln utilized “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” as a key speaking point in his campaign for the oval office; Lincoln also drew directly from the literature while writing the Emancipation Proclamation. Says Saladin, “It is no secret who my third-great grandfather was, and how his life story came to impact the end of slavery.” Josiah Henson helped lay the tracks for the Underground Railroad, and for future underground railroad operatives such as Harriet Tubman.

CBC 2/2/23 – “Archaelogy is Rooted in Racism and Colonialism, Say Scientists. Here’s How We Rewrite ‘Everyone’s History'” – Featuring Saladin

CBC 11/9/20 – “Freedom Ships and the Little Known History of Resistance” Featuring Saladin

What is the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center?

Take a journey and learn all about the new Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center. The Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center is an experiential museum that reveals authentic stories of Underground Railroad freedom seekers and abolitionists in Niagara Falls. The Heritage Center inspires visitors to recognize modern injustices that stem from slavery and to take action toward an equitable society. Take a brief tour of the Center with my Atlantis School For Gifted Youngsters Animation video below.

Address:

Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Area Commission

825 Depot Avenue

Niagara Falls, NY 14305

Email: info@niagarafallsundergroundrailroad.org

Phone: 716-300-UGRR (8477)

Heritage Center Hours:

Monday     Closed

Tuesday     10AM – 6PM

Wednesday   10AM – 6PM

Thursday   10AM – 8PM

Friday         10AM – 6PM

Saturday   10AM – 6PM

Sunday      10AM – 4PM

Admission Prices:

General Adult: $10

Student 13+ and college w/ID: $8

Youth 6 – 12: $6

Youth 5 and under: free

Group Rates Available - please email: tours@niagarafallsundergroundrailroad.org for more info.

The History Behind "Uncle Tom"

   Where did the original idea of "Uncle Tom" come from and why aren’t people being taught who this person really was?

  On August 6th, 1986 an article appeared in the Niagara Gazette about my family chronicling the ancestral link between Josiah Henson and then Niagara Falls Native, Inez Dorsey Frank; late mother of current Black Pioneers of Niagara Falls President Philip B. Frank, my Father. Before there was a Harriet Tubman, Josiah Henson was a forerunner of the Underground Railroad, a community activist, institution builder, black militia leader and said relative of the famous explorer Matthew Henson who traveled to the North Pole. It has also been said that Harriet Beecher Stowe interviewed Josiah Henson and used elements of his life used to write the famous novel 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'.

My Grandmother, Inez Dorsey Frank

   Born into slavery in Charles County Maryland on June 15th, 1789, Henson became a Reverend in his late teens and married in his early twenties. He spent most of his life enslaved until being literally sold down the river to his master's brother in the Deep South. Henson eventually took his wife and four sons to freedom in Canada; a trip that generally took a couple months on foot. Henson had this to say about his escape, "I determined to make my escape to Canada, about which I had heard something, as beyond the limits of the United States; for, notwithstanding there were free States in the Union, I felt that I should be safer under an entirely foreign jurisdiction. The slave States had their emissaries in the others, and I feared that I might fall into their hands, and need a stronger protection than might be afforded me by public opinion in the northern States at that time."

   Around 1834, Henson with 12 associates, established a settlement of fugitive slaves on government land. One of the observations Henson made about fugitive slaves arriving to this settlement was, "the mere delight the slave took in his freedom, rendered him, at first, contented with a lot far inferior to that which he might have attained. Then his ignorance led him to make unprofitable bargains. I saw the effect of these things so clearly that I could not help trying to make my friends and neighbors see it too; and I set seriously about the business of lecturing upon the subject of crops, wages, and profits, as if I had been brought up to it. I insisted on the necessity of their raising their own crops, saving their own wages, and securing the profits of their own labor, with such plain arguments as occurred to me, and were as clear to their comprehension as to mine."

   In 1836, Henson convinced members of this settlement to invest their earnings into land in order to be self-sufficient and he brokered a deal to purchase 200 acres of land, thus founding a Community. This land was in a place called the Dawn Township, and this Community was called the Dawn Settlement. Henson had this to say about Immigration and assisting others to become a part of this Community, "The immigration from the United States was incessant, and some, I am not unwilling to admit, were brought hither with my knowledge and connivance. I was glad to help such of my old friends as had the spirit to make the attempt to free themselves; and I made more than one trip, about this time, to Maryland and Kentucky, with the expectation, in which I was not disappointed, that some might be enabled to follow in my footsteps. I knew the route pretty well, and had much greater facilities for travelling than when I came out of that Egypt for the first time." In 1837, Henson, as a prominent leader of the Dawn Community led a Black Militia Unit during the Rebellion of 1837 and advocated in support of literacy and education.

   In 1842 Henson founded The British-American Institute; a Vocational School for all ages that trained teachers, provided a general education and taught mechanic/domestic art. The goal, as Henson wrote, was "to cultivate the entire being, and elicit the fairest and fullest possible development of the physical, intellectual and moral powers. Such an establishment would train up those who would afterwards instruct others; and we should thus gradually become independent of the white man for our intellectual progress, as we might be also for our physical prosperity."

  In regards to these great endeavors of helping build an Institution and establish a Community, Henson concluded, "We look to the school, and the possession of landed property by individuals, as two great means of the elevation of our oppressed and degraded race to a participation in the blessings, as they have hitherto been permitted to share only the miseries and vices, of civilization. My efforts to aid them, in every way in my power, and to procure the aid of others for them, have been constant."

   So the next time you hear someone call someone an Uncle Tom, let them know what's real. Not knowing the actual character, contributions and courage of the man behind the fictitious name 'Tom' of Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel, is a tragedy.  

Peace,

Saladin

Sources:
*The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada, as Narrated by Himself
*The Niagara Gazette Special Supplement ('Freedom road to Niagara' August 6th, 1986)

Ms. "Jordan" Ladd

Every "Jordan" Doesn't

Play Basketball

 

Since putting out my FULL PRESS RELEASE I've monitored the various local news sources to see how they'd cover the story. Not one of them have printed my press release in its entirety. All of them took only parts of it, put their own spin on it, and gave it back to the public the way they saw fit. While I do appreciate some of the publicity, there are other things I saw that were completely inaccurate. You can read my FULL PRESS RELEASE here: Saladin Q. Allah Official Press Release

Now, The Niagara Falls Reporter printed, and I quote, "Allah is a convert to Islam and changed his name as is customary for Muslims converts."

I am not sure where they got this from. I never spoke to anyone from The Niagara Falls Reporter about the weather let alone religion. I never said that, it's not in my press release, it's not in anything I've published online, and it is completely inaccurate. I am not Muslim nor was my name change for religious reasons. The Niagara Falls Reporter did accurately state, "Allah says his ancestor was Rev. Josiah Henson, who is said to be the inspiration for the fugitive slave in 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'." Yet it's this very part of my ancestry that would have given them more insight about me, my family background, and my name change if they asked me. Since they didn't, I can tell you directly.

 

Article in the Niagara Gazette about my Grandmother Inez Frank (1986)

 When some of my ancestors were brought to America during the trans-atlantic slave trade, they were enslaved and forced to give up their cultural identity, regardless of their religious ideology. They no longer were allowed to speak their own language, use their own names, maintain the same diet, or even establish stable family units. This process continued, by law, for approximately nine generations or three hundred and ten years. So while some people of Italian descent can trace their last name to an actual village in modern day Italy, or others can trace their lineage to a Family Crest or Coat of Arms, tracing my lineage has consisted of looking at cargo logs for ships or doing DNA tracking to find out the geographic location of my ancestors. The trans-atlantic slave trade, and slavery, interrupted the cultural identity and arrested the development of an entire group people. It interrupted the cultural identity and arrested the development of the people enslaved and the slave holders.

In indigenous societies of the past and today, our birth names where a central part of our cultural identity and role we played within our societies. For example, when a child was born a name would be given to them, usually by our elders, to communicate a part of that child's purpose and destiny. This was sacred and ceremonial, not done without consideration. If the child's name meant "sincere counsel", that was an important role our elders knew our society needed to birth and cultivate. It's no different than people giving birth to a child and providing them with all the support and resources they need to become a productive member of society. Many of our ancestors wisely took it a step further by making sure this support was reinforced by a person's actual name. So instead of simply providing a child with the resources to become sincere counsel, we gave them that name to live up to as an attribute. During slavery this cultural tradition was interrupted. Slaves who were bred to produce children for labor no longer had the power to name them. These children were sold off to other plantations and given names to identify them as a master's property. So a slave named "Smith" was identified as Master Smith's slave. "Walking Henson" was known as Henson's slave who walked alot. Not only was this naming method used to track the slave masters property, but it was also used for insurance purposes. There are many wealthy companies and families today, that accumulated their wealth, from Slave Insurance.

Many present day African-Americans can trace the last names we currently have, whether it's English, French, or etc. directly to the slave masters who once owned our ancestors. Again, regardless of our ancestors religious views or how we chose to worship, this slavery system legally interrupted our cultural identity and arrested the development of us all.

 

Article in the Buffalo News and letter from African Ancestry Inc.
about my International Family Tree Project (2005)

The reason I legally changed my name was to reconnect to my ancestors cultural identity, and build upon this rich legacy that was almost entirely destroyed. In 2005 I received a grant for my L.I.F.E. Afterschool Program and partnered with the Washington DC based genetics company African Ancestry Inc. to create an International Family Tree Project. With this Project I was able to provide twenty DNA Kits, free of charge, to families in our Community, Pittsburgh, Missouri, and Canada who were interested in finding out where their maternal ancestry came from. I found out my maternal ancestors came from Cameroon and my tribal affiliation is the Tikar Tribe. Saladin, pronounced Sa-la-dean means "Honor or Righteousness of the faith". A great Muslim King popularized this Arabic name, yet the name is Arabic, not Muslim. Arabic does not equal Muslim and to assume that would be no different than assuming my nephew plays basketball just because he has the name "Jordan." My middle name Quanaah, pronounced Kwa-ni-ah means "fragrant". In honor of my indigenous american (native american) ancestry, I chose this name. It's Quahadi in origin and comes from the Last Comanche Chief Quanah Parker; who successfully made the transition from Chief to Statesman and was responsible for founding The Native American Church. My last name, Allah, is also Arabic which means "The God." Again, Arabic does not equal Muslim. There are many arabic speaking Christians and other Religions who refer to God as Allah, simply because they speak the arabic language. So my name, Saladin Quanaah Allah, means "The honorable faith and fragrance of the God." Since taking this step to change my name in 1999, I have since published a book entitled 'How To Change Your Name Without A Lawyer' and have assisted many others change their name for various reasons (cultural, religious, stage name, immigrants, and etc.)

In closing, I didn't appreciate the Niagara Falls Reporter for even citing what they believe my religion to be, making an assumption about what it is, and then printing misinformation without even asking me about my worldview or my reasoning for changing my name. That was poor reporting and prejudiced. I am a scientist of life and study all religions. I am just as much Muslim as our Commander and Chief, President Barack Hussein Obama. My perspective about any religion is that people should strive to have a personal relationship with who they worship. A relationship that's so personal, that they strive to live in such a way that others can see their creator within them.

Peace,
Saladin

 

Saladin Q. Allah for Niagara County Legislature

Twitter: @Saladin_2013

 

 Saladin Q. Allah
for
Niagara County Legislature

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

July  8th, 2013

 
Youth Mentor, Published Author, and Community Activist Saladin Q. Allah has announced his candidacy for the Fourth District Niagara County Legislature seat in the City of Niagara Falls, New York

Niagara Falls, New York -- Saladin Q. Allah said that he is seeking the seat of Fourth District County Legislator because he believes that his vision to expand youth outreach, increase community alliances and initiatives, promote neighborhood safety and crime prevention, and to develop a local living economy is what his district both wants and needs.

 
“I was born in the City of Niagara Falls into a family of seven,” he said. “My parents, Lois and Philip Frank, were pillars within the same Community that I was raised in, and that I am seeking to represent as our next Niagara County Legislator.”

 
Allah said that he knows what it is to both struggle and serve; and he believes that his parents set a great example for him in that his mother, Lois Frank, received her Bachelor’s of Arts Degree from Niagara University at the age of forty-two, majoring in psychology and a minoring in sociology. She had seven children at that time and she went on to become a case manager for both Community Missions and for Family and Children's Services. She later served as a Director of the Niagara Community Center.

 
Allah’s father, Philip Frank, served as a member of the National Guard and completed a machinist apprenticeship program during his twelve-years working at Carborundum. Philip later became a member of the Painters Union Local for another twelve years.

Just as Allah is proud of the example that his parents set, he is just as proud as the one Josiah Henson, his great-great-great grandfather, set was a forerunner of the Underground Railroad. Harriet Beecher Stowe merged elements of Henson’s life into her popular anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, which inspired the abolitionist of President Lincoln’s day to rail against slavery, setting into motion the end of that kind of America. Henson later established a community for fugitive slaves called the Dawn Settlement, and he founded the British-American Institute in Dresden, ON.

 
Allah said that it is through those members of his family that he learned the value of education, a strong work ethic, sacrifice, and teamwork. He believes those to be the same vital building blocks of any successful community.

 
“I attended Central State University in Wilberforce OH,” Allah said, “as a therapeutic recreation major, and since returning to WNY, I've been invested in our community from the grassroots level, working particularly with our youth.

 
Allah said that he has been doing youth outreach by creating successful mentorship programs and assisting with other community youth projects for over fifteen years.

 
“I've shown my commitment to our youth and my confidences are in their ability to one day lead our communities when given the continual support and guidance they need.” That’s why he said that he is a strong advocated for the reopening of the Niagara Community Center in the city’s north end and instituting anti-bullying campaigns.

 
Allah, a published author, added, “Professionally, I've self-published ten books that explores various social issues, and have worked as a program consultant for an episode on the History Channel’s show, Gangland.

 
But it was not enough that he is published, he sponsors young writers programs to help others to do so, too. Some people, he said, may know him from his National Prison Correspondence and Book Donation Program, or have heard him as a guest speaker at several national colleges.

 

As his forbearers have instilled values in him, he has likewise instilled similar values in his two daughters. One is a recent high school graduate who has earned a lacrosse scholarship to Howard University; and the other is an eleventh grade honor student, whose goal is to become a local business owner.

 
Allah believes that as the next Fourth District County Legislator that he will have a larger platform to better serve our community. “We need leadership that understands that a seat and a voice is still not enough at the table. We need leadership with an activist spirit, someone with an actual agenda and work ethic to help transform our collective quality of life. Together, the community and I, are that kind of leadership.”

 
Allah further said that crime prevention starts with us. He said that, “The crimes in our neighborhoods are primarily committed by relatives or people we know, not people who are unknown. We need members who are willing to protect our most vulnerable members: children, women, seniors, and the handicapped.”

Allah concluded, “As our next county legislator I will remain transparent, accessible, and responsive to our district, because I am for the people. You will still see me utilizing our resources at our local public library, playing basketball with our youth at Legends Park, and proactively involved in community functions. I will also hold local community circles; forums designed to keep people informed about community and legislative issues, and I will seek input on issues related to our city and county. For the future of our youth, community, and the City of Niagara Falls, I look forward to speaking with you in the coming months, and I will fully earn your vote of conscience, and confidence.

Saladin Q. Allah
Email: Saladin2013@yahoo.com

Twitter: @Saladin_2013
Facebook: Saladin for Niagara County Legislature

Campaign Fund: Saladin 2013 Campaign Fund



The Black Church

When it comes to GOD, my Cultural Worldview is what I choose to subscribe to. As a Person who is a part of a Group of People who subscribe to this Perspective, we are not in the business of converting, convincing, or coercing People to cee things our way. We are not Religious nor are we Missionaries. We are Civilized People who encourage eachother and others to be studious, discover answers for themselves and take nothing on face value -including what we share and know to be an actual fact. We respect and teach tolerance for other People’s Religious/Cultural Worldviews and we won’t allow/accept other People using their Religious/Cultural Worldviews to disrespect or be intolerant of us. This, of course, is the more “mature” way in which our Culture is expressed when we’re dealing with People who have different Religious/Cultural Worldviews. Keep in Mind that this “mature” expression of our Culture IS NOT a reflection of everyone who considers themselves a part of our Group (The NGE). While some People are growing/developing at their own rate there are others who aren’t and have no intention to grow or develop. I’m sure anyone can understand and appreciate this; ceeing that these same immature elements also exist in their own Religious/Cultural Community.

When I was young, unsure, and still striving to solidify my Cultural Worldview, I did quite a bit of debating and challenging others Religious/Cultural Worldviews. It was an exercise of Egocentricity and not much came out of those encounters. These weren’t “dialogues” or “intellectual discourses” between People sharing Perspectives to learn from one another. These were battles to prove who’s right, who’s wrong and to show who had superior Knowledge; immature behavior you expect to cee from children, NOT Adults… -smh- Even to this day, People still strive to bait me into one these “Us vs Them”, “Me vs You” Jousting Matches, b.u.t. I’m much wiser about involving myself in these Games nowaday. While speaking on the subject of Jousting, one of the biggest targets I’m ceeing within the so-called Conscious Community continues to be The Black Church and Christianity as a whole. I definitely understand and can appreciate the "Theological" concerns many People -particulary Black/Non-White People- have about Christianity, b.u.t. the outright disrespect for The Black Church itself, and someone's Belief System, I do not support or agree with. This is why…


Historically speaking, The Black Church has been and continues to be “The First”, “The Oldest” and one of the only Black Institutions Black People still have here in America. During the Reconstruction Period in this Country AFTER Black People were legally freed from Slavery, The Black Church served as a Socioeconomic ‘Sawmill’ that helped us establish, build, and rebuild our Communities. One such example of this rebuilding process was the central role the Mt. Zion Baptist Church played after the May 31st, 1921 Tulsa Race Riot burnt our Historic Black Wallstreet down to the ground. Even though this newly erected Institution was completed only a year earlier, after being destroyed by Whites during the Riot, the Congregation came together to rebuild it from the smoldering ashes it was left in. The Black Church was central to all of our people activities and reinforced our Ethics, Principles/Values, Social Norms/Mores, and Codes of Conduct. When Segregation was imposed upon us as a People, it was through The Black Church that we established a Support System/Network to produce Cultural Think Tanks, Educational Institutions, Businesses, Sports/Entertainment, Social Organizations, Social Clubs, Civil Rights Groups, and etc.. These Socioeconomic Entities did more than help us survive, they helped us THRIVE as a Group of People! When it comes to Social Norms/Mores, many of us wouldn’t even know what ‘Courting’ is/was if it wasn’t for our Church-going Elders down South! It was through the Black Church that we first learned forms of social responsibility/etiquette: like tending to the needs of the most vulnerable among us (our children, the mentally/physically disabled and our elders). In the Black Church we learned the importance of fairness, collective work and responsibility, respect for Family, chastity, and simply looking out for one another as a People. During these perilous times when America legally relegated our People to Second Class Citizenship and the Klu Klux Klan's Membership hovered around 3 million, it was The Black Church that became the Proverbial “Village” it took to protect and raise (grow & develop) the children who birthed the future generations of our People who are here today! It’s a huge oversight for any of our People to minimize, criticize, or satirize this long-standing Legacy of our People and the undeniable contributions The Black Church has made to produce many of the privileges we enjoy today. ANY PROGRESS (Morally/Ethically, Entrepreneurism, Community Activism and etc..) that we’ve ever made as a Group of People in America either directly involves or has some indirect association with The Black Church. There is no way to get around this fact.

The biggest issue we cee with The Black Church today is, generally speaking and with some exceptions, it no longer functions as the Socioeconomic nucleus of the Black Community. When "legal" Segregation ended in the 1965, many Black People started to “believe” we had all of these options and began to Integrate into a Society that never wanted us to be a part of it, by Law, for the last 189 years. Integration meant the Disintegration of many of our Black Think Tanks, Educational Institutions, Businesses, Sports/Entertainment, Social Organizations, Social Clubs, Civil Rights Groups and ultimately the Socioeconomic Influence/Integrity of The Black Church. Today, in 2011, when we’re looking at the variety of Black Churches around this Country, whether storefronts or mega churches, we’re looking at shadows of it’s former self... In my estimation, the dissatisfaction that alot of my People have with The Black Church today is a form of ‘Transference’ that’s often expressed as a Theological issue. The true source of much of our dissatisfaction is the lack of love, respect, comradery, and support we have for eachother today. So beneath the dissatisfaction, there's a general sense of disappointment, sadness, and even depression because we’re missing eachother and the sense of Community we once shared as a Group of People; a sense of Community that once revolved around The Black Church. Is this entirely the fault of The Black Church? I hardly believe that! As a matter of fact, there’s a reason many People in Church, especially our Elders who remember the times when we depended on eachother, say, “Sweety when you coming back to Church?” If you take the opportunity to actually listen to them, and their experiences, I’m sure you’ll find out that it's not a "Theological" request… It’s much more than that.

In conclusion, THIS IS NOT an Article about encouraging our People who no longer go to Church to go back to Church. This is an Article to address the ignorance and oftentimes blatant disrespect I cee that many of my People have for our own Legacy! Recognizing the Legacy and Socioeconomic Function of The Black Church in America is a very important part of our past, present and future. Because many of The Black Churches today, no longer function as the nucleus of our Community, many People have lost their faith and support in this Institution. Many Black Churches often reinforce these sentiments because instead of functioning as the great luminary that was once central to our Community, they promote elitism, materialism, individuality, and separatism from anyone who doesn’t believe as they do. Since my Ole Dad is friends with many Pastors/Deacons from different Churches within my City, at one point he approached them with the idea of them all utilizing the same Banking Institution to centralize/maximize our Economic strength as a People. Through this simple move, he said we could demand better Mortgage Rates, Business Loans, and etc… to help support our Interests and Building of our own Communities. This was many years ago and still hasn’t happened.

This Article is about the importance of building bridges, working together as a People, and advocating for the same common cause; Socioeconomic Empowerment. Although we all may not share the same Theological Views, one thing we have in common is our Legacy as a People. Just because I'm not at a Church, Mosque, Synagogue, or etc… every Week DOES NOT MEAN that I’m totally against the Religious/Cultural Worldview some of my People subscribe to. I’m actually for the best of whatever these Religious/Cultural Worldviews have to offer in regards to empowering us as a People. When it comes to the Religion of Christianity, some not all, of it’s core Teachings/Customs are derived from our Classical Civilizations -particularly Hebrew Culture. Many of our People have a misconception that Christianity was beat into "ALL" of our People as slaves and that's historically untrue! While some were definitely coerced/forced to accept a Christian Theology, many of our People were wise enough to recognize that many of Christianity’s core Teachings/Customs derived from our Classical Civilizations, and they openly embraced it. One such Man was Henry Highland Garnet; a 27 year old Presbyterian Pastor who delivered a fiery 1843 Speech Calling for a Slave Rebellion. Another such Christian Man was my Great-Great-Great Grandfather, a Minister, Josiah Henson; who escaped Slavery by taking his Family along the Underground Railroad up into Dresden Ontario Canada. In Dresden, Rev. Josiah Henson went on to survey and negotiate for the land to help found an entire Community, teach Financial Literacy, the Bible and establish a Educational/Vocational School called The British-American Institute. Here’s his Self Written Biography. Another unsung Hero amongst the many Men and Women who came out of the Church to fight for the rights of our People was Dr. Vernon Johns; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's Predecessor, Civil Right Leader and Brainchild of the Bus Boycott.

I, like any Civilized Person, am against the slandering, petty debating, and mud slinging antics I cee many of my People engaging in because of our various Perspectives of GOD -especially Adults who consider themselves Conscious who should know a lot better than that! Instead of actually Building (relationships) many of us are more interested in and even take pride in Destroying (relationships) by making mockery of someone else’s Religious/Cultural Worldviews. There is nothing Righteous, Glorious, or Supreme about that; it’s actually uncivil and oftentimes barbaric! The bottom line to all of this is that we need eachother, always have and always will. We need eachother today, just like we needed eachother yesterday, and WE CANNOT ALLOW petty differences to keep getting in the way and stopping us from serving eachother’s needs; our survival and prosperity depends upon it. Regardless what Perspective we have of GOD (Divinity), it means nothing if we lack the will/ability to share that Perspective of GOD (Divinity) through how we treat one another. So I encourage all of us to refrain from all of this American Gladiator Mentality and begin thinking about ways we can work together to help bring an end to the crime, alcohol/drug addiction, amorality, homelessness, hunger, mis-education, poverty, family dysfunction, juvenile delinquency, and etc.. that continues to plague our Communities REGARDLESS what Perspective of GOD we have! It wasn’t The Black Church that put us in this condition, b.u.t. it’s the sense of Unity/Community, which The Black Church successfully demonstrated, that kept many of us out of that condition.

Peace,
Saladin