Setting The Record Strait: Allah & Justice, Five Percenters Square!!

"Clarence 13X was the level of understanding he [Allah, The Father] had when he was in the mosque. As his understanding grew he took on the name Allah. We honor Allah as the man who founded the Five Percenters, not Clarence 13X who was a Muslim at that time." 

Mal'akiy 17 Allah 

[Responding to a Community Board Member who asked, "Why not name it Clarence 13X Way?"]

On Saturday March 30th the Official Street Naming of 126th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard to Allah & Justice, Five Percenters Square set the record in commemorating our community. Through the vision of our brother Mal'akiy 17 Allah [K.O.S. 5 Allah], support of our community members and local government, this permanent landmark was established to honor our cultural heritage, preserve and perpetuate our legacy. 

Traditionally, the naming of streets were done for a practical purpose. That purpose has been to create a sense of spatial orientation in order to minimize confusion where people travel, to give them a clear sense of direction and to help them easily navigate an environment. A street named Oakwood Street was typically in an area where there were oak woods. River Road is a road by a river. Clearmount Drive is often a road you drive on that gives you a clear view of the local mountain. Commemorative street names of people or historic events move beyond just a practical purpose. Here are just 7 things to understand about commemorative street names and their potential power in transforming communities:

• Commemorative street names of people and historic events are landmarks that establish a sense of permanence and public visibility that is acknowledged, legitimized and celebrated by a municipality [locally] and reinforced regionally, nationally and globally. 
• The renaming of a street changes maps, tourist guide books, GPS coordinates, spatial orientation, residential and/or commercial addresses, geography and social landscapes. It is a reorientation of public space and the people in it.
• Commemorative street names of people and historic events highlight an official narrative that is attached to that landmark. That official narrative establishes "identity politics" that are also attached to a municipality [locally] and reinforced regionally, nationally and globally. It is the location where asphalt meets identity, giving concrete meaning to the culture, chronology and social context of the people this landmark represents.
• The official narrative representing a person, people or historic event can rise or fall in the eyes of the public, based upon who creates, controls and communicates that content. That official narrative publicly highlights the character, reputation and legacy of the person or people [community] who are associated with that landmark. 
• Commemorative street names of people and historic events can build civic pride and change the power dynamics [geopolitics and socioeconomics] of a community. 
• Commemorative street names of people and historic events create cultural [heritage] tourism and other economic opportunities for its community members, AND potential.. outsiders... 
• Commemorative street names of people and historic events serve as a cultural barometer; an indicator that forecasts the potential conditions and elevation of a community and the politics surrounding its collective identity. That collective identity is its cultural capital.

These are just some of the things I have considered and what some of our Universal Family discussed during the Community Engagement class I facilitated at the Allah School In Mecca CommonUnity Center following the Official Unveiling of our street sign. As one of the representatives of our glorious Nation I give all that I have and do all within my power to see that we manifest our power locally, regionally, nationally and globally. The significance of our street being a 'square' puts anyone on square who claims to be about this culture.

Mal'akiy 17 Allah who spearheaded this Landmark initiative

This landmark commemoration of Allah & Justice, Five Percenters Square is equally a "decommemoration" of those people, places and things that are not us. With this symbolic event we publicly honor, observe and recognize who we are and put to rest any confusion about who we are not. Some of that confusion is the result of misinformation or poor guidance. Some of that confusion has been deliberate propaganda people have used to try and hijack or change our official narrative. People have incorrectly and disrespectfully called Allah, our founder, by his registered Muslim name Clarence 13X, even though he was not a Muslim or a registered member of the NOI [Nation of Islam] when he founded the Five Percent Nation. During one of the Community Board Presentations for the street naming Mal'akiy 17 Allah was asked by a Community Board Member, "Why not name it Clarence 13X Way?" to which he responded, "Clarence 13X was the level of understanding he [Allah, The Father] had when he was in the mosque. As his understanding grew he took on the name Allah. We honor Allah as the man who founded the Five Percenters, not Clarence 13X who was a Muslim at that time." 

Shamel Allah [Allah's Grandsun] and Law Student Starmel Allah with Allah's Military Medals

Over the years, outside onlookers and Five Percenter defectors have incorrectly called us a religion, Muslims, a NOI splinter group, Muslim Gods, a Gang and a variety of other false narratives that fundamentally contradict who Allah & Justice was and what a Five Percenter's square represents. March 30th, 2019 is another major victory in putting that confusion to rest. It is another positive step in the right direction of protecting our cultural identity, preserving and perpetuating our legacy as a unique group or people with our own language, social norms and worldview. This also emplaces [positions] our members in a public space of local, regional, national and global visibility that some of us may have never thought about and professionally prepared for. Because of this, some of us must begin reconsidering how we represent ourselves as citizens of our Nation and what we can do to add-on to the cipher. I am one of many who have anticipated this day and today we set the record strait! 

Peace,

Saladin

Arkansas Dept. of Corrections Sued By Muslims To Recognize Difference Between Five Percenters

According to a public statement issued by CAIR [Council on American-Islamic Relations], a grassroots civil rights and advocacy group:

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/1/2019) -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today announced the filing of a lawsuit challenging the Arkansas Department of Correction’s (ADC) forced combination of religious services for Islam, the Nation of Islam, and the Nation of Gods and Earths. 

[NOTE: Nation of Gods and Earths is sometimes referred to as Five-Percent Nation or the Five Percenters.]

The CAIR Legal Defense Fund, joined by Professor Douglas Laycock of the University of Texas at Austin, filed the lawsuit on behalf of Gregory Houston Holt a/k/a Abdul Maalik Muhammad. 

Holt, joined in the suit by Muslim inmates Rodney Martin and Wayde Stewart, believes that attending Friday prayer services alongside and led by other adherents of Islam is a spiritual requirement. The current ADC policy, which forces adherents of Islam, the Nation of Islam, and Nation of Gods and Earths to attend a combined religious service, does not meet that requirement because the three groups represent different religious groups with distinct beliefs and practices.

The suit alleges that Arkansas’s combined services policy violates the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.

Under ADC policy, Muslims risk losing their designation as Muslim if they skip or refuse to attend the combined Friday prayer services. Losing that designation in turn threatens the loss of their other religious accommodations, including meals during Ramadan.

LINK TO LAWSUIT

“Religious freedom protects everyone’s ability to worship with those who share their faith,” said CAIR National Litigation Director Lena Masri. “Followers of Islam, Nation of Islam and the Nation of Gods and Earths should be permitted to worship separately in a manner of their choice, just as Arkansas currently offers such accommodations for Catholic, Baptist, Jewish, and Buddhist worship services.”

She noted that Holt previously prevailed 9-0 before the U.S. Supreme Court in a case which required Arkansas to permit Holt to grow a beard, in accordance with his sincerely-held Islamic beliefs.

“Mr. Muhammad won the right to practice his Muslim faith in Arkansas prisons four years ago, and should win again here,” said Professor Douglas Laycock, who argued Holt’s earlier case before the U.S. Supreme Court.  “The Arkansas Department of Correction needs to join the Federal Bureau of Prisons and several large state prison systems in recognizing that Islam and the Nation of Islam are completely different faith traditions.” The suit also asks for the Nation of Gods and Earths to be recognized as a separate faith.

“It is unacceptable that Arkansas thinks it may define who is a Muslim based on whether or not they attend Friday services, all while refusing to provide spiritually-valid Friday services,” said CAIR National Trial Attorney Carolyn Homer. “No one checks how often Christians in the facilities attend Sunday services before letting them celebrate Christmas.”

This case is the latest in a series of lawsuits CAIR has brought to defend the rights of inmates to practice their faith inside jails and prisons across the country.  Last, year, CAIR filed lawsuits on behalf of Muslim inmates in Alaska and Washington state. 

CONCLUSION

According to this CAIR lawsuit against the Arkansas Department of Correction’s (ADC):

• "ADOC is forcing Plaintiffs and other Muslims to hold a combined religious service (in addition to religious study groups and other religious programming) with other religious faith groups – namely, Nation of Islam (“NOI”) and Five-Percent Nation/Nation of Gods and Earths (“NGE”)." 
• "All three Plaintiffs sincerely believe that attending a religious service led by a different faith group is a violation of their core religious principles."
• "The Defendants’ deliberate indifference and failure to respect the religious differences between Islam, Nation of Islam (“NOI”), and the Nation of Gods and Earths (“NGE”) has forced Plaintiffs and other Muslim inmates similarly situated to violate their core religious beliefs. Instead, ADOC has unlawfully forced Plaintiffs and other Muslim inmates to choose between attending a combined religious service led by adherents of NOI and/or NGE, or not attending any religious services at all, although the Blue consent decree explicitly requires ADOC to provide separate religious services for these separate religious faith groups. Neither attending services led by another faith nor skipping services fulfills Plaintiffs’ religious obligations. The act of attending a religious service led by a different faith tradition is a violation of each Plaintiff’s core religious 14 principles." 
• "ADOC’s deliberate and willful failure to recognize the religious differences between Islam, NOI, and NGE has caused significant tension and discord among inmate populations that adhere to Islam, NOI, and NGE across ADOC’s facilities. 

In addition to the lawsuit asking for the Five Percenters [Nation of Gods and Earths] to be recognized as separate from [Orthodox] Islam and the NOI, it was noted that requiring Muslims to attend religious services led by adherents of the NOI or NGE is akin to requiring Christians to attend religious services led by a Jewish rabbi, or Jews to attend religious services led by a Christian priest. Although some of the definitive language describing who we [the Five Percent] are as a culture is lacking within this lawsuit, the legal move to distinguish our Nation from religious bodies such as Orthodox Islam and the various Nation's of Islam is a positive step in the right direction of continuing the preservation of our distinct cultural identity, integrity and autonomy as Allah's Five Percent. 

Peace,

Saladin

"The True History of W.D. Fard" Animation Series

In 2018 I launched my Atlantis School For Gifted Youngsters Animation Series that is now globally available in Volume 1, 2 and 3 on Amazon Direct in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Japan [incl. closed captions]. This Animation Series is designed to globally inspire, empower and educate people, especially our youth, to think creatively and critically about the world around them. 

This recent episode entitled "The True History of W.D. Fard" is the first time W.D. Fard's narrative that chronicles his family dynamics, relationship to Elijah Muhammad, creation of the Supreme Wisdom book and the development of the Nation of Islam has been animated. Enjoy!

The True History of W.D. Fard

Peace,

Saladin

In Celebration Of Us!

   A God Brother of mine recently got married and he is one of a number of people around the world who have utilized a non-religious Divine Union Rite I created to celebrate this bond. Most recently with the incarnation of my new Queen Anusha I held a private Naming Ceremony to announce her arrival. The Divine Union Rite was created over a decade ago when considering how I could help develop customs to ‘demarcate’ Five Percenter life cycle celebrations that express important transitions in our life. Thus was born a very intricate document that articulated everything from the seasonal symbolism, colors, regalia, structure, officiate dialogue and vows of a Divine Union. Although it was created to express and celebrate core principles and values of the Five Percent I crafted it as a universal template for any couple to use who desired a culturally based non-religious ceremony. The Naming Ceremony was done with the same intention and emphasized our notion that "the babies are the greatest."

   When I came into Knowledge Of Self [KOS] one of the main things I became aware of is what Life Justice calls "the clash of culture." All of us who come into KOS experience this. It is challenging because we have been indoctrinated into Western society and its traditions. This requires us to invest every waking hour of our lives striving to differentiate between what is culturally acceptable or in line with what we call Allah World Manifest [AWM] from what is unacceptable or a part of Yacub's Society [the devil's civilization]. This does not mean that everything about Western Society is wrong; indoctrinated people have a hard time even knowing the difference. When an indoctrinated person descends from an enslaved or colonized people, they are born immersed in the enslavers or colonizers point of view. This is all that they know, and learn to believe, until they learn something different from an outside perspective. An outside perspective is not primarily taught in school or throughout the media because it does not represent the cultural norm or status quo. Even if it appears  to be taught, you often discover that even that perspective is the enslavers and colonizers narrative. This creates a dilemma because KOS exposes you to many irreconcilable differences. Some things, such as dietary habits may be fairly easy to discontinue. Other things, such as practicing certain Western traditions or breaking certain habits may be difficult to break. 

   A custom is a tradition, procedure or form that is specific to a society or group or people. Its goal is the reinforce and perpetuate principles and values for the present and future generations. While some people might believe that certain traditional foods are simply passed on from one generation to the next because of its flavor, a close examination of that dish, its ingredients, its preparation, the time it was shared and under what conditions will reveal something much deeper than tantalizing taste buds. This is custom, and a custom demarcates or distinguishes important events along the life cycle of a people. All people possess them and this is the purpose of celebrations like Passover, National Days for Countries, St. Patrick's Day and others. Even so-called primitive tribes had customs to demarcate or distinguish important events along the life cycle of a people, especially in relation to changes in the natural environment and in sync with celestial events. These events of significance, sometimes shrouded in legends or myths, serve as psychological and social landmarks along a people's cultural landscape. Why? To insure that a people do not lose their way in order to stay the course of reinforcing and perpetuating principles and values for the present and future generations. In one of our lessons about 85% of the population, we learn that they "do not know their origin in this world and worship what they know not" and are "easily led in the wrong direction but hard to be led in the right direction." When a person does not know their origin or place where their people began, it creates a sense of cultural disorientation; having no sense of direction. When a person or people have no sense of direction they become easily led.

   Customs is also the place at a port, boarder or airport where a person and their luggage is checked for taxable goods coming in and out of different territories. As an official department, Customs governs and levies traffic. Consider for a moment how cultural customs serve the purpose of supporting the institutions, resources and economy where people live. Consider when people practice cultural customs that are not theirs, yet still support the institutions, resources and economy where they live but do not control. Also consider when a people do have their customs; they operate like Customs and effectively tax anyone coming into their territory. When you look at many black communities around the United States you are looking at territories without cultural customs or Customs, saturated with foreign and religious trading posts.

   Gaining KOS is not the same as being WOKE. WOKE folks are just walking up, are usually still immersed in Western tradition and typically trade customary insults for injury. In other words, they may not practice Christmas anymore but they will buy everything they need for Kwanzaa from Family Dollar and practice that. While the thought of giving credit to a fat white man coming down a chimney they don't have is insulting, the real injury is the black dollar is still not circulating once in their community. 

   When a person comes into KOS and starts to differentiate between what is culturally acceptable and what is not, we learn that there are certain Western customs that we must no longer participate in. Some of us struggle with this because these customs may be more than just a habit; they may be intimately tied to our family tradition, work culture or our relationships. Our non participation is a break from practicing certain social norms that we no longer agree with. And as a person who no longer participates in certain dietary choices, holidays or other people activities it leaves a void. A void that some of us have tried to replace by "not really" participating in dietary choices, holidays or other people activities or trying to substitute them with a watered down version of the same Westernization. Seeing this void, where people gaining KOS went from having their life structured and defined by Western landmarks, we now are faced with the challenge of restructuring systems with psychological and social landmarks along a newly defined cultural landscape. Customs, as a traditions, are a part of this. This is the reason I saw the importance of crafting a Divine Union Rite and Naming Ceremony. Celebrating the unity of our family, the arrival of our children, and etc. are important. In Western society people typically acknowledge points along one's life cycle based upon driving age, the age of consent, drinking age, the age one can join the military and other arbitrary things. 

   I had private Naming Ceremony for my youngest Queen Anusha on the Winter Solstice which I briefly explain the significance of in the video above. She was born at home with a Midwife, my God Brother Divine's Earth was her Doula and she is not vaccinated. Her full name is Anusha Adjua Quanaah meaning "a bright and morning star of peace and great vision." I did not want to bring her into this world in foreign hands, in a foreign environment or sharing pictures to memorialize that foreign moment like I see so many of my people do, including those of us with KOS. If we don't have customs to define significant events along our life cycle, what are we using, whose interest will that serve and where does that leave our cultural legacy?

Peace,
Saladin

9 Ways To Master 2019!!

Reflecting upon how positive and progressive 2018 has been for me and looking towards 2019, I just wanted to take a moment to share some of my thoughts with all of you. First I want to THANK all of you who invested time in reading these articles, researching the links/information I share via my Facebook Page, checked out and subscribed to my Youtube Channel (A.S.I.A. TV) and Radio Show (Atlantis Build Talk Radio), purchased my literature/music (Quanaah Publishing) and connected with me in whatever capacity we were able to. It is very much appreciated!! The numerous dialogues, testimonials, emails, messages, questions and constructive advice I receive on the daily lets me know that what I do is not in vain. It is serving my intended purpose; inspiring, empowering and educating people. There are some of you I had the pleasure of meeting for the first time this year and others I’ve had the opportunity to build/rebuild relationships from all over the world. None of us are in each others lives by chance and I look forward to what these bonds continue to positively produce for the future. I also want to THANK all of you for staying in tune with the renovation of the Atlantis School For Gifted Youngsters, the creation of my Animation Series that is now available worldwide on Amazon Direct and Boys As Allies Rights of Passage Program!! As far as Resolutions are concerned, I don’t have any. I am a work in progress so I am always exploring ways to improve myself so that I can be a greater resource to others. Living a way of life that includes the phrase ‘striving for perfection’ as a part of its fundamental principles is the essence of any/all Resolutions. Therefore, I will continue being as resolute as I have been.

Atlantis School For Gifted Youngsters Animation Series

   For those of you who making Resolutions for 2019, here are 9 Ways To Master this upcoming year:

1. Although it is your personal Resolution, your Resolution 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 Resolution 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...

2. Make sure your Resolution is real and obtainable. It is less likely that we are going to change EVERYTHING at once so it is important to work on what we can change, one goal at a time. Also, take things one day at a time... It took a while to create habits/routines and it is going to take time to change them. The smaller goals we accomplish serve as stepping stones; helping us build confidence and gain the tools and experience that are necessary to forge our larger goals. And with any goal, one of the first and most important steps we need to take, and habits we need to create, is to "get our day underway with a positive, productive attitude." That attitude sets the stage for our altitude.

3. Make your goals specific. Instead of saying something murky like, "I’m going to read more" say something more specific like, "I am going to read one book every month." This is called Specificity. This helps you better focus on your goals and encourages you to be more responsible and committed to those goals. If you were to say, "I want to be healthier in 2019" there is no sense of ambition or plan of action to achieve that goal. Now if you said, "I am going to only eat baked chicken once a week and go to the gym three times a week for 1 ½ hours" that has a sense of ambition and provides part of a plan of action to achieve your goal of being healthier in 2019. If it's not clear, our path won't be cleared. 

4. Set a projected time/date for your goals. Setting a time/date creates a sense of urgency, responsibility and accountability to meet your goals. If you don’t meet your time/date then set another one. Without setting a time/date then we are saying that our goals are not really a priority (important) -because under these circumstances they can happen any time and any day. That is not resolute, and if you don't have a time/date, there will probably never be a time/date. Keep in mind that "one day" or "someday" are not days on a calendar.

5. Write down your Resolutions. I have known people who had challenges with organizing their day, appropriating their time and focusing on achieving their goals. One of the solutions I shared with them was writing down their goals on index cards or signs and posting them in visible places around their home. This helped reinforce/remind them of their goals so they would not allow themselves to get lost in the hustle & bustle of each day.

6. Only share your Resolutions with those who have shown themselves to be supportive of you fulfilling them. If they are not there to help you, they are only going to hinder you. If they are not an asset, they are a liability. If they are not in your life to build, they will destroy. This includes the nice folks with the pleasant attitudes also. Just because they have a happy disposition it does not mean that they can automatically help. As cool as some people are, without sharing your vision they can become a cool obstruction.

7. Look into networking with people/organizations that will help you fulfill your physical and mental health goals. If you want to cut back on the substances you’ve been using like drugs/alcohol, or have some mental health issues going on, reach out to any local, regional, national organizations that specifically deal with drug/alcohol abuse and mental health. There are no Resolutions when we don't have your health!

8. Keep a positive outlook! Some days it will be easy to maintain a level of positivity and other days you need ‘social equality’ (fellowship) with others who share the same goals and are just as resolute as you are about positivity. This means, whatever religious, cultural, or secular organization you are a member of or affiliated with, invest the time to be there and learn as much as you can about the positive principles/values they are sharing with you. This is part of your foundational network and will help you maintain a positive outlook when you need the support, which we all do.

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

PLUS DEGREES: 
*"Be a shark, not a peacock" as one of my homegirl's would say. When a peacock walks into a room with its feathers fanned out everyone can see it. It's not necessary to be showy and strive to get attention. You also attract predators that way. Sharks move in silence and by the time you see their fin it's too late. In many cases staying below the radar and not revealing what you're doing until it's actually done is a sure way to be successful in your undertaking. When we talk a lot we're also subject to the expectations of others which are usually unrealistic. If you tell people you're writing a book and you know you don't even have a manuscript yet, they may assume you're going to be publishing a 300 page book next week and expect it. Now when you obviously don't deliver, people begin to look at you like the boy/girl who cried wolf. Always remember that light travels 186,000 miles per second and sound only travels 1,200 feet per second. People will see what you're doing before they can hear what you're saying so your reputation proceeds you. So talk less in 2019 and let your work speak for you!

*Just say "NO." Sometimes we put too much on our plate because we don't know how to tell people "NO" and we feel guilty about it when we do. Here's the thing, if you literally don't have the time, you don't have to agree to do it. Let time be the reason that you are literally not able to commit to something. It's unreasonable for someone to expect you to create more than twenty-four hours in a day. Just. Say. NO.

   In closing, I want to will every one of you and our families a very safe, happy, healthy and productive 2019! I also will that while reflecting on this past year, we consider those negative things we have held fast to that has not only destroyed our ability to unify with others but undermined our ability to accomplish anything significant on our own. Begin your new Gregorian calendar year with the right mindset, on the right foot and making the right decision to move forward. We’ve all had challenges within ourselves, and with others, this past year, and I will that 2019 is much more positive and progressive for us all!

Peace,
Saladin

1-36: What is English Lesson No. C1?

     As a follow-up to my popular Five Percenter Table Talks Interview with Paul L. Guthrie I recently had a build with him regarding language and other topics. You can listen to it HERE. During that build we discussed 120 Lessons, the Supreme Wisdom book and I wanted to take a moment to expound upon that, particularly a part of 120 Lessons known as the 1-36.

   Along with the chronology highlighting the English involvement in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, the segment of 120 Lessons known as the 1-36 [English Lesson No. C1/English C Lesson] exposes us to what is known as an Advanced English or a C1 Competency Level. According to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL) that defines and explains the different competency levels of oral and written expression and comprehension, a person with a C1 Competency Level is able to:

*Understand a wide range of more demanding, longer texts, and recognize implicit meaning in them.

*Express themselves fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for the right expression.

*Use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes.

   In considering the information contained within the 1-36, this was the first time many black people learned about this part of our chronology in North America, its implications and how to effectively express it in different social, academic and professional arenas. Developing this cultural competency and insight into the power dynamics in North America, this is one of the reasons COPYING/RECITING THE LESSONS, READING, SPELLING and SPEAKING THE LANGUAGE was emphasized in The Instructions Given To The Laborers within the Supreme Wisdom Book compiled by W.D. Fard and Elijah Muhammad. Problem No. 13 in this book also states, "There are twenty-six letters in the Language and if a Student learns one letter per day, then how long will it take him to learn the twenty-six letters? There are ten numbers in the Mathematical Language. Then how long will it take a Student to learn the whole ten numbers (at the above rate)? The average man speaks four hundred words - considered well." We also learn in one of our lessons in the 1-14 that the devil teaches and keeps our people illiterate [ignorant]. Why? To keep us blind to ourselves, mastered and used as a tool and also as a slave. There is a relationship between this conversation called the 1-36 and cultural competency.

     When it comes to a competent vocabulary and literacy, did you know that children 6 years old and under from impoverished communities may hear up to 30 million fewer words than their privileged counterparts? Did you also know that this vocabulary gap sets a cognitive, social emotional and economic trajectory that widens between impoverished and privileged children as they grow? Scientists in the area of Neurocognition, Psychology, Neonatology, Biostatistics and others have only recently concluded in their research that there is a direct link between potential mental and physical health outcomes and a child's language development, including disparities between communities and their access to resources. Research such as this informs us that a preschoolers vocabulary predicts 3rd grade language and reading skills. Thus these reading scores at the ages 9-10 are strong predictors of high school graduation rates, soft skills, employability, future earning potential, susceptibility to crime and other indicators. So by speaking to our children and introducing them to words that expand their vocabulary we also change the above trajectory. Through a data driven study that determines the size of Rap artists vocabulary the Wu-Tang Clan and Wu-Affiliate Killah Priest were at the top of the class. Ironically, some people thought Ol Dirty Bastard of the Wu-Tang Clan was crazy for interrupting the 1998 Grammys and announcing, "I don't know how ya'll see it but when it comes to the children, Wu-Tang is for the children. We teach the children, know what I mean? Puffy is good, but Wu-Tang is the best. O.K.? I want ya'll to know that this is O.D.B. and I love you all. Peace!" after losing in the Best Rap album category to Puff Daddy & The Family. As we recently celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the Wu-Tang Clan's classic album Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers, we also celebrated Ol Dirty Bastard who released Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version and returned [died] at 36 years of age, as Clan member Ghostface Killah reminded us in their new documentary For The Children: 25 Years of Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). In our language of Allah's Five Percent, the segment of 120 Lessons known as the 1-36 or English Lesson No. C1 means, "our knowledge (1) to understanding (3) equality (6)" according to our Supreme Mathematics. Thirty six (36) is understanding equality and that equals the #9 which means born or completion. The 9th letter in our Supreme Alphabet corresponds to the letter "I" which means "I Self Lord And Master" and "In Self Lay All Mathematics." Is all of this coincidental and was O.D.B. just crazy or did he and other perceptive people intimately understand what these Scientists and Rap Reporters had to verify about lyricism, access to vocabulary and trajectories related to Advanced English or a C1 Competency Level? Are the Five Percenter's Supreme Mathematics, Supreme Alphabet and 120 Lessons of the Five Percent a true manifestation of the Mathematical Language that is mentioned in Problem No. 13?

     The 1-36 reads like a conversation between W.D. Fard and his student Elijah Muhammad. Conversations are a part of serve and return social transactions that support cognitive and social emotional development, especially for children. As a C1 Competency Level it means a person is a proficient user of "the language" and is able to take part in lengthy conversations. Although the 1-36 and our other Lessons are written in English, "the language" being communicated consists of words and expressions used and understood by a specific group of people with a similar experience in North America as Elijah Muhammad; descendants of people who were enslaved. This does not mean that others cannot learn or relate. It means that the 1-36 is a unique narrative that references us, black people in North America, as W.D. Fard's uncle; his father's brother. It is from that vantage point of view that we learn more about W.D. Fard's purpose, the backstory of how some of our people arrived here in North America and how this impacted our growth and development. Anyone who does not share this unique experience must ask themselves, "What would be my 1-36? and "Is it also an English lesson or is it Spanish, Portuguese, Belgium or etc.?" As I have mentioned, the 1-36 is the knowledge to understanding equality and a partial means to change our cognitive, social emotional and economic trajectory as a people. 

Interview with Paul L. Guthrie discussing Language

     There has often been a debate on the order of 120 Lessons. Some Five Percenters received their 1-36 first and then their 1-14 while others received their 1-14 first and then their 1-36. The order I received 120 Lessons is as follows: 1-10, 1-14, 1-36, 1-40, Actual Facts, Solar Facts and I was also given the Twelve Jewels. Because the 1-40 was given to Elijah Muhammad on February 20th, 1934, this along with the text within our Lessons are chronological markers that inform us about what year each segment of our Lessons were written and in what order. Here are some of those markers and their corresponding Asiatic and Gregorian Calendar Years that explains their order:

Lessons 1-10

Asiatic 15,019 --- Gregorian 1933 

"Christianity 551 years old" (10/1-10)

1933 - 551 = 1382: John Wycliffe "Earthquake of Synod"

Lessons 1-14

Asiatic 15,019 --- Gregorian 1933 

"It was 6,019 years ago" (4/1-14)

"In the year 1, 15,019 years ago" (4/1-14) 

15,019 - 6,019 = 9,000 (Yacub was said to born in the year 8,400 and it took 600 years to make a devil)

"We took this city from the devil about 750 years ago"

1933 - 750 = 1,183. Jerusalem was taken by Saladin on 1187, 754 years from 1933

Lessons 1-36

Asiatic 15,020 --- Gregorian 1934

"My uncle was brought over here by the Trader 379 years ago" (3/1-36)

25,000 - 379 = 14,641 (1555 is said to be the year the Transatlantic Slave Trade began, not 1619)

Lessons 1-40

Asiatic 15,020 --- Gregorian 1934

"Koran will expire in the year 25,000, 9,980 years from the date of this writing" (1/1-40)

25,000 - 9,980 = 15,020 (1934)

     I don't debate the order that Five Percenters received 120 Lessons. My interest is our cultural competence; how well we know and understand the principles and values that defines our way of life. Are we proficient users of the language that supports these principles and values or are we using? Regardless of the order, are we utilizing these Lessons and language to order righteous steps? Are the 1-36 like conversations we have, especially with our youth, an investment in becoming more culturally competent?

Peace,

Saladin

PUBLIC STATEMENT: 21 Savage Wearing The Five Percent Nation Universal Flag

Re: 21 Savage Wearing The Five Percent Universal Flag

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

On Sunday October 28th in Atlanta Rapper 21 Savage held a Halloween/26th Birthday Party at a mansion designed to look a Brooklyn corner store. Savage wore a replica of the custom designed Dapper Dan jacket the artist Rakim Allah wore on the cover of classic his 1988 album Follow The Leader. While some were impressed with this display some took offense, particularly some members of the Five Percent Nation, because Savage's jacket also displayed the Universal Flag of the Five Percenters.

In a Facebook/Instagram post on Tuesday October 30th I communicated the following points:

"Although this isn't the best display of our culture via the Universal Flag on 21 Savage's jacket, I also think that some rap artists who have worn this flag, claim our culture, or borrow some of its cultural elements, have not best displayed our culture either. What can we do about it? Teach, particularly our youth. 21 Savage's actions create a great teachable moment for our Millennials who may have no clue what symbol he is displaying on his jacket and what he is essentially paying homage to. It is also a teachable moment for some of my peers and elder Generation to learn who 21 Savage and other Millennial artists are... Some of us are out of tune with what is currently going on and have no real time relationships with our youth. Use this opportunity as a positive teachable moment."

I further elaborated on these points in the Vlog below:

In summary, I understand and appreciate the concern that some of my Five Percent family have with 21 Savage wearing our Universal Flag, even if it was paying homage to the artist Rakim. 21 Savage may or may not know what our Universal Flag means and the personal responsibility that comes along with its public display. Over the years there have been other Rappers who have also worn our flag and they have not always been the most dignified displays as well. That has been a concern of some of the Five Percent since Allah was presented with and accepted the Universal Flag that was designed by Universal Shaamgaud Allah. It is sacred, to many of us. Willfully this and other Five Percenter content about this subject will reach 21 Savage that shares this perspective and welcomes him to learn more about our way of life. As I've mentioned, this is a teachable and learning moment.

Peace,
Saladin