What is the future of Allah Youth Center in Mecca?

     For the last twenty years, I have had the opportunity to learn along the landscape of community building through successfully creating a variety of projects, programs, and initiatives and working in partnership with various organizations, institutions, and municipalities. I also ran for public office, have helped folks get elected, work as a machine inspector with the Board of Elections and I am a Human Rights Commissioner in my city who wrote its bylaws. It is important that I lead with this so that you know where my insights are coming from.

     Recently there was an update shared by a couple of brothers, Beloved and Bilal, regarding the status of our Allah School in Mecca. They met with Sid Davidoff on October 19th, 2022 in preparation for their meeting with Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development Marie Torres-Springer on October 20th, 2022. The highlights of those meetings are as follows:

*The City of New York possesses the title to 2122 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd, the location of Allah Youth Center in Mecca. 

*Sid Davidoff asked those present at the meeting did they have a copy of the 99-year lease for 2122 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd that Five Percenters have historically said Allah was given by the Lindsay Administration. They did not have this document, nor did New York City Government, and there is no record of its existence. 

*The only documentation that was found regarding 2122 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd was an outdated month-to-month lease dated July 1967.

*Beloved said that Sid Davidoff, not New York City Government, stated that the 99-year lease did not matter and that the Five Percenters were the "defacto owners" because it has always been everyone's vision and understanding that you would hold that site as a school. So Davidoff advised the group to go into the meeting with the Mayor's Office and tell the city what we wanted and request a transfer of land as a part of the development deal.

*Davidoff also shared that there were other Five Percenters with different plans for the site and encouraged us to all be on one page.

*The group shared a presentation with the Mayor's Office regarding the history of the Five Percenters and their idea for developing the site.

     As Five Percenters we are supposed to live according to our word is bond, and bond is life. That is not a City Government's policy nor its legal department's policy. So while the presentation sounded excellent, it legally means nothing to a municipality. Even if you were to get a signed MOA from a City Government, its legal department can still find a way to maneuver around it if it conflicts with a department's policy or a new administration comes into office. That new administration is not required to honor that. A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) is a written document describing a cooperative relationship between two parties wishing to work together on a project or to meet an agreed-upon objective. This serves as a legal document and describes the terms and details of the partnership agreement. Nothing was shared in this update about an MOA, just hope that we can rely on our history and that the current New York City Government will leave this prime real estate that they possess, alone. Another important part that was not discussed in detail was the actual budget for the development plan and the actual CAPITAL we have in our account to complete this project. However, it was shared that there will be a fundraising initiative spearheaded by Black Just, the brother of Carmelo Anthony. 

     While I commend the Gods for their will and concern to move us collectively forward, I think that it was premature to engage City Government with an idea, no economic development plan, and no CAPITAL to develop the city's prime real estate that we have no legal rights to. This meeting has now set into motion a timeline for the Five Percenters to demonstrate to the current New York City Government our commitment to completing a proposed development plan that doesn't even have a blueprint or CAPITAL. This also establishes a justification for the current New York City Government to remove us Five Percenters from their property if they feel as though we are not committed to developing this prime real estate. If some corporation, institution, or organization has a better development plan and the CAPITAL to complete that project, the current or future New York City Government has no legal obligation to the Five Percent. 

     From here it is important to understand that we, as the Five Percent, have officially put the current New York City Government on notice regarding our intention and the timeline that they expect us to establish. Here are a few things that I would suggest moving forward:

*Create an actual development plan and secure CAPITAL investors in 2023. 

*As Five Percenters, we are now officially on the city's economic and workforce development radar. Remove and do not post any Universal Parliaments online. The arguments that broke out, and the disorganization that was captured, after Beloved and Bilal shared their update should not be available to the public, which includes New York City Government. From this point forward it must be understood that the current New York City Government, and its partners, have a vested interest in developing the prime real estate located at 2122 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd. Anything that Five Percenters say or do will be held against us as evidence of incompetence, not as adults trying to work it out.  

*According to public records, the total assessed value of 2122 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd is only $186,300 -which is a steal for a major development company. The value of the building [Youth Center], which measures 1,200 square feet, is $69,300. The value of its land, which measures 12,490 square feet, is $117,000. Its current market value, or the actual price someone is willing to pay for this property, is $414,000. These figures help set a reasonable CAPITAL investment goal. Taking a development plan to the current New York City Government with CAPITAL investments that are less than the property's market value does not make business sense to that municipality. A multi-million-dollar project from a major development company does make business sense.

*Build a relationship with the current New York City Government. That requires more than having one meeting sharing an idea with no money. Be consistent about attending city meetings, functions, and initiatives. Be consistent about participating in meetings, functions, and initiatives. Learn the pulse and heartbeat of this administration.

*Strive to get the current New York City Government to establish a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Five Percenters use and outlined development plan of 2122 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd. If the current New York City Government is unwilling to establish a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), that is your indication that they do not intend on honoring the Five Percenters' future use and development of 2122 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd. The current New York City Government's unwillingness to establish a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) also nullifies a "de facto" rule. In other words, someone could "de facto" be a parent because they behave like that... until someone has a court order.

     The only way forward is progress, and the only way to be progressive is to work together. A year ago I invested in an IP and strived to gift it to our nation. This not only enabled us to protect our cultural identity in the public domain but was a legal means to successfully secure immediate CAPITAL through license agreements and infringement suits against its illegal use. While some understood its value, some publicly spoke out against it. I took the initiative to secure this IP for us knowing that a day such as this would ultimately come; a time when our vision for a sustainable future and financial vulnerability would be completely exposed. Although I was disappointed that some of our nation members did not see the value of this gift, I remain hopeful that this will be realized in time. I just will that those who spoke the loudest, and had the most to say, will be the same ones to step forward and answer the call to legally secure the economic development future of Allah Youth Center for our nation. 

Peace,

Saladin

Exploring the link between Social Media, Social Comparison, and Mental Health

'Nosedive' (Black Mirror Series 3, Episode 1), October 21, 2016

   

   Most recently I have been checking out the research of various organizations and institutions around the idea of social media and social comparison. Not to my surprise, there is emerging evidence that links social media and social comparison with mental health problems and how increased virtual opportunities to make virtual comparisons contribute to these problems. In other words, some of the psychological issues that we see broadcast across social media, and within our communities, are directly tied to folks comparing themselves to others on social media. According to one source, "Social media undoubtedly offers huge benefits for society by providing access and connection to people, services, information and opportunities that would previously not have been possible. However, evidence is growing, particularly in adolescent mental health, of an association between greater social media use and higher depressive and anxiety scores, poor sleep, low self-esteem and body image concerns." (Kelly et al, 2018; Royal Society for Public Health 2017). I mentioned that this is not surprising to me because I have witnessed this increase in mental health issues linked to social comparisons, especially during the 2020 Shutdown and Global Pandemic, and I have engaged it directly on multiple occasions. 

   Sean Parker, the former President of Facebook, once described the App as a "social-validation feedback loop." When people are coming from a place of low or vacant self-esteem, they don't know their value and often use social media to be acknowledged and seek approval. In the world of social media, getting a "LIKE", being liked, and receiving a comment is often enough for people who have low or vacant self-esteem. Thus, these social interactions, and the billions of potential social interactions, become a quantifiable measurement that folks use to determine their value. A value that they are sometimes financially rewarded for with sponsorships, product placement, brand ambassadorships, cross promotions, etc. by sharing the most vulgar, controversial, click-bait content. Think about the numerous people who became celebrities based on sex, violence, and other dysfunctional social media content. This is to say that people can become, and do become, anyone online and literally make a living for themselves. In my sixth-grade class a couple of years ago I had a quiet student who only wore black whom I will call Aiden. When I say quiet, I mean this dude may have spoken one sentence the entire school year. Aiden only nodded and gestured to basically communicate. One day a group of my students came excitedly into class sharing with me in confidence some information about Aiden that floored me. They told me to take out my cell phone and proceeded to show me Aiden's TikTok profile. This dude, posing as a Russian-based Influencer, had almost a half-a-million followers! Long gone are the days of selling youth the idea of going to college, getting a trade, doing manual labor, or going to the military as career choices. Why should they if they can become a celebrity making ASMR videos eating Takis?

  Biochemically speaking, the dopamine people get rewarded with from these social media interactions is a driving force that keeps them seeking validation. Dopamine is a type of 'feel-good' neurotransmitter that plays a role in many important body functions, including motivation and pleasurable reward. Produced in our brain, dopamine is a chemical messenger between our neurons; released when our brain is expecting a reward. On a psychological level, even the anticipation of certain activities associated with pleasure can raise our dopamine levels. Activities such as smelling food, anticipating sex, hearing about a promotion, getting a "LIKE", or receiving an encouraging comment on social media... High or low levels of dopamine are also associated with several mental health and neurological diseases. Having high levels of dopamine has been linked to a person being more aggressive, competitive, volatile, manic, and having poor impulse control. Having low levels of dopamine has been linked to a lack of motivation, apathy, moodiness, obesity, and depression. While all of these symptoms are visible in the everyday world, they are also visible across social media as evidenced by what people share, and how they react/respond to what other people share. What we may write off as people "trolling", being extra, smart-shaming, and soliciting for pity may be real biochemical imbalances. 

   For many, social media becomes a dopamine addiction. According to a Nursing.com article, "The number of hours worldwide internet users spend on social media is increasing and in 2018 averaged 136 minutes a day (Clement, 2019). Social media has been described as more addictive than cigarettes and alcohol (Royal Society for Public Health, 2017), but the nature of addiction is complex and the idea of it being more addictive may relate to the fact that it is available without restriction and is accessible and socially acceptable." In considering this growing social media use, that is often driven by a dopamine addiction, these social interactions amplify social comparisons. 

   Social comparison is defined as a form of sociological self-esteem, where people derive their sense of self through comparing themselves with others. These are comparisons that people make when they begin to measure themselves against unrealistic social media standards of financial success, beauty, health, family, happiness, intelligence, influence, and every other aspect of life that other social media users often LIE about. Comparisons that are virtually impossible to live up to that can impair a person's mental health. While social comparisons in our everyday world involve a limited number of folks that we come into contact with, social media gives us infinite opportunities to compare ourselves to billions of people who we don't even know. If we are insecure about our appearance or body type, there are countless examples on social media to help magnify that insecurity. If we are financially challenged, there are an infinite number of pseudo-entrepreneurs on social media to show us just how broke and unsuccessful we are. Regardless of how beautiful our vacation was, there are millions of folks going places more exotic and extravagant and they look better than us in an unfiltered bathing suit photo. For any person who is already coming from a place of low or vacant self-esteem, who is struggling with their identity and finding their life purpose, the social comparisons they encounter on social media are not healthy for their mental state. In many instances, it can be seen as masochistic for folks to constantly subject themselves to such humiliation; like the people who consistently read these articles, watch my videos, check out my social media posts, etc. but always has something negative to say. 

    So here is the problem: folks are being algorithmically hardwired and biochemically attracted to watch something, and someone, on social media that is impossible to be, and processing this virtual reality negatively affects their mental health. This is no different than an alcoholic, or drug/sex addict who is constantly looking for a fix that cannot fix anything. Some of you who are reading this are social media immigrants. We were born into a pre-cellphone society where there was no internet or social media. Now consider this problem through the lens of children who are born into this landscape as social media natives. They only know of a world with the internet. Imagine the degree of social comparison they are subjected to 24/7 in an already vulnerable developmental state. Now ask yourself the question, does our youth's growing virtual exposure intersect with the increased diagnosis of children between the ages of 3-17 with anxiety and depression, and the increase in substance abuse, sexual activity, and suicide among 12-17-year-old's? From a global citizen perspective, has China, the inventor of TikTok, done this research, and has created countrywide limits on youth social media exposure and gaming because of the potential mental health risks? 

    In closing, this is not a doomsday message. There are many positive applications for social media use and social comparison can be inspirational. We have to be very intentional with its use in order to maximize these social interactions. What I strongly caution people to do, especially with our youth, is to limit our internet screen time. As I shared, it is algorithmically hardwiring  us on a cognitive level. In my article Is Social Media The Digital "Turn on, Tune in, Drop out"? I wrote, "All social media formats use a scroll screen model. This enables users to easily scroll through pages without the cumbersome task of reading anything. If reading was not considered cumbersome, social media Apps would not limit the character count to convey a thought. Consider the following character count limits and ideal character count: Instagram = 2,200 characters max (144 ideal); Twitter = 280 characters max (71-100, 85 ideal); Facebook = 63,206 (40-80, 60 ideal); LinkedIn = 700 (50-100, 75 ideal). While some people have learned and are learning to use these limited/ideal character counts to refine concise truncated thought, many others have found themselves becoming less and less equipped to communicate, online and offline." 

     This society and its technology are not going backward; the internet, and social media, is here to stay in some form or fashion. Thus we must always explore ways to use it in a positive, progressive way, and not allow it to use us, our children, and compromise our mental health. The high propensity of social media use, especially by our children, means that adults need to stay aware of this growing evidence tying mental health problems to social media use. I cannot stress enough the importance of limiting our screen time, and investing more time in everyday life unplugged from our devices; engaging in activities that help build a positive self-image and sense of self-esteem. And if and when we do choose to use our devices, we must be deliberate about willfully engaging in progressive content that reinforces our positive self-image and sense of self-esteem. 

Peace,

Saladin

Two Wars: The Road to Integration Airs November 2022!!

Two Wars: The Road to Integration is a new film I am featured in and co-producing with Steven Tedesco of the Buffalo and Erie County Naval Park & Military Park. In 1948, President Truman signed Executive Order 9981, integrating the U.S. Armed Forces. Through the lens of service members, historians, and family members, Two Wars explores the untold journeys of Black service members before and after integration. According to Niagara Frontier Publications, "Two Wars: The Road to Integration will highlight key moments during the mid-20th century that led to the integration of the armed forces." This film was inspired by a new exhibit by the same name that is located on the second floor of the Naval Park’s museum building. The opening day for this Naval Park exhibit was March 26 which included a ribbon-cutting ceremony with 99-year-old World War II Army veteran Paul Woods. Woods earned three Bronze Stars and a Philippine Liberation Medal for his military service in the Pacific Theater. For the remainder of the 2022 season, the Naval Park will be open from 10am to 5pm daily with the last ticket sold at 4pm.

The film Two Wars: The Road to Integration comes out in November 2022

     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Peace,

Saladin 

Saladin Allah Appears in United Nations World Campaign

November 30th to December 2nd, 2021 I had an opportunity to film a video feature with the United Nations Department of Global Communications as a contributor of their #FightRacism Campaign. This Campaign is in conjunction with the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade on March 25th, 2022. The #FightRacism Campaign marks the 20th-anniversary celebration of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA). The Durban Declaration was a document adopted by consensus at the 2001 World Conference against Racism (WCAR) in Durban, South Africa. This document proposes concrete measures to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance globally.

On August 9th, the United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution establishing a Permanent Forum of People of African Descent to provide expert advice on addressing the challenges of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and intolerance. The resolution adopted by consensus by the 193-member world body also called for the forum to serve as “a platform for improving the safety and quality of life and livelihoods of people of African descent” and their full inclusion in the societies where they live.

     In regards to this video feature the United Nations states:

 "Our lead character is educator, author and human rights advocate Saladin Allah, a descendent of Underground Railroad forerunner Josiah Henson, whose life was the inspiration for Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin. As a visitor experience specialist at the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center, Saladin is an expert storyteller who takes us on an unforgettable journey through African American history and reminds us that we all play a role in shaping the next generation. Only through education and historical truth-telling can we achieve recognition of past wrongdoing, and work toward a more just world."

Peace,

Saladin

The Political Science of our Universal Flag

#AtlantisBuild #FivePercenter #KnowledgeOfSelf

  

     According to Universal Shaamgaud Allah, the architect of the Five Percent Nation's Universal Flag, it was the best of three that he completed in May of 1966. Upon completion, he along with two colleagues [Black Seed and Gykee], went to visit Allah in Matteawan State Hospital to present it to him. Allah was in Matteawan because in May of 1965 he was arrested along with several other men for unlawful assembly and disorderly conduct at a rally in front of the Hotel Theresa in Harlem, NY. Allah was arraigned in criminal court before Judge Francis X. O'Brien and held on a $9,500 bond. Four months later he was shipped off to the Psychiatric Unit at Bellevue Hospital and would remain there until a final psychiatric report submitted to Judge O'Brien stated that "he did not understand the charges against him." Thus Allah was remanded to the NYS Department of Mental Hygiene for indefinite confinement and remained in these institutions, Bellevue and Matteawan State Hospital, for two years.

     When Shammgaud, Black Seed and Gykee arrived at Matteawan State Hospital to present the Universal Flag to Allah, the hospital administration would not allow them to bring it inside. Thus Allah did not receive it until he was released from Matteawan in April of 1967. Our Five Percent Nation’s flag, Shaamgaud gave us this explanation of its symbols:

The Universal Flag and its architect Universal Shaamgaud Allah

"The five-pointed star symbolizes Knowledge, the Seed, the Child with the power, the Supreme Knowledge that was manifested by W.F. Muhammad and revealed to us by Almighty God ALLAH, it is solid Black! The Crescent Moon symbolizes Wisdom, the Women (without child); it shows reflected light (Truth or Knowledge) and is not yet at its fullest equality. It also symbolizes the Divine Wisdom that was manifested by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, and revealed to us by Almighty God ALLAH, it is solid yellow! Together the Star and Crescent stand for Knowledge and Wisdom, which is the unity of knowing it and speaking it! (Teaching) It also symbolizes the Earth (woman with child); a planet that has life, and the dominance the Woman has over the Seed (the child or the Knowledge) while it is young, and it has been the symbol of Freedom Justice and Equality since the awaking of Islam in the West of North America.

The 7 has seven sides. It symbolizes the Original Man, the True and Living God, the Supreme Being, Almighty God ALLAH. Since the very creation of mathematics 7 has been the mathematical terminology for the Creator of the Universe. It is solid Black. Together this stands for the Supreme Understanding that was revealed to us by Almighty God ALLAH himself, it shows a unification of Knowledge Wisdom and Understanding, Man, Woman, Child and shows the authority of ALLAH over the Planets and Stars and the proper order of the Universe. The seven symbolizes the male seed in full bloom, it shows that God must be the Most High, the Master of Wisdom, Culture and Equality at all times, because they are six, and can never dominate ALLAH, so they must remain in six or distill back to whence it came! This no part of the crescent moon should ever show over the top of the seven!

The white background symbolizes the white clouds of deception that have drowned our people in a sea of ignorance, and the feeble attempts of the wicked to conceal the true and living God which is the Son of Man! The Cipher (circle) around the Allah Crescent Star is Black, the Original Color of the Sun (anything that burns that hot and that long can't be yellow!) This symbolizes the Sun, the Universal symbol of Truth and Light, and whose power can evaporate all clouds of deception (lies).

The Eight Points are the symbol of the ever-expanding Universe, and symbolizes the rays of the Sun, and the speed and distance that the Truth is capable of traveling. There are two shades to each point, the Left is Black. The left represents the Original Black man, the Right side is Gold. The Gold represents Brown and Yellow seeds (from the first of the Brown to the last of the Yellow). Just as Jacob separated the seeds, 200 years from Black to Brown, 200 years from Brown to Yellow and 200 years from Yellow to Caucasian, ALLAH taught us that each brother should have a seed thus he reunited the seeds, united they are one! The eight points are a sign of He who is the Master builder of Rain, Snow, Hail and Earthquakes! The sixteen sections of the points, one for each year and degree that our seeds (child) must master before he is at the age of self-responsibility and required to teach civilization." -Universal Shaamgaud Allah

(L to R) Mayor John Lindsay, Barry Gottehrer, Sid Davidoff

     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; he ushered at the wedding for Nancy Bush where he met his bridesmaid wife Mary Anne. Nancy Bush is the sister of former CIA Director and POTUS George HW Bush Sr.

     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, this 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 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; 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. 

     With Allah's street knowledge and cultural worldview, he along with Lindsay, Gottehrer, and Davidoff were able to successfully produce projects and initiatives that Five Percenters used to positively transform the landscape of Harlem and NYC as a whole.

     Upon Allah's approval of our Universal Flag design by Universal Shaamgaud, the image was given to Mayor Lindsay to create flag lapel pins. Allah was 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 New York City in 1910, specializing in the production of banners, flags, emblematic jewelry, buttons, badges, plaques, and trophies. In addition to our 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 Universal 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 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 and 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 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.

     During those early years of the Five Percent Nation our Universal Flag was protected and functioned like closed-source software or informal intellectual property that was not made available to the general public. Anybody could not just get it or wear it. Times have since changed with the growth of the internet and social media. Up until the mid-2000s, it was rare for people to casually wear or use our Universal Flag. If vendors in New York City were selling items bearing the Universal Flag it was common for those products to be destroyed, taken and/or the vendor accosted by Five Percenters. 

     Nowadays, with the expansion of the internet, social media, and e-commerce, our Universal Flag has taken on more of an open-source expression. Thus it is freely available, redistributed, and modified in the public domain and across digital space by people who are not a part of the Five Percent Nation. This has become problematic because these outsiders are using our Universal Flag to sell merchandise, provide services, edit Wikipedia content, publish articles, create/monetize content, make social media profiles/pages, create/manage websites and share disinformation about our Five Percent Nation. One of the solutions that I have suggested over the years is for us [Five Percenters] to invest in creating such a large digital footprint of positive, accurate, authentic content that it drowns out the disinformation and cultural appropriation. This is no easy task and requires the same or even greater level of commitment to content creation than me -and I have been helping consistently expand our Five Percent digital footprint for more than two decades. We are not quite there yet and as we continue to push our culture forward into this Blockchain Age, it is important that we give all that we have and do all within our power to protect and control our narrative online and offline, or outsiders will continue to...

   Our Universal Flag has done more than exemplify our righteous names, reputation, and overall culture of the Five Percent. During the night of MLK's assassination, other instances throughout the Lindsay Administration, and the years that followed, our Universal Flag lapel pins became symbols of empowerment. They became emblems connected to our ability to teach, resolve conflicts, and address issues of truancy and juvenile delinquency in the place of law enforcement and other government agencies. In addition to Shaamgaud's important meaning of our Universal Flag, it was and will always be, a badge of honor. 

Peace,

Saladin

Intellectual Property: How Protected Are We?

**This original article appears in the Culture Is Free publication HERE**

     It is an actual fact that the United States is the most "litigious society" in the world. Litigious means 'prone to engage in legal maneuvers or lawsuits.' Our disagreement with that statement does not change that actual fact nor does it prepare us to do something about it. This actual fact is especially important to understand in this digital age of content harvesting, online marketplace expansion, blockchain technology, cryptocurrency, and a 552.17% increase in NFT trademark submissions between August 2021 and January 2022. In my article The Content Era: 2022 is the Year of Creatives and Entrepreneurs I explained, "we are now in a Content Era. Streaming services are in global competition over it, Podcasters and Bloggers need it to survive every week and it's like that Frank Lucas [American Gangster] blue magic to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube users. For THAT Economy to sustain itself Content must be consistently harvested from Creatives and Entrepreneurs who are sometimes trafficked through digital internet rings..." Content is another name for intellectual property [IP] or legal assets; the basis of this article. 

     During the COVID-19 shutdown, many people took advantage of that time to learn new things and develop new skills. I've known folks who completed Herbology courses, Music Engineering programs, and apprenticeships in different industries. While I had already studied the subject, I invested my time in learning how to file provisional patents, utility patents, and trademarks. One of the things that I immediately learned is the small number of patent and trademark lawyers, especially black lawyers, in this specialized area and the increasing demand for their services. By learning this skill I became more proficient in this specialized field of law. Even more proficient than lawyers who worked in other areas of law. My reasoning for learning this skill was to ultimately provide this service to folks who had no knowledge and/or capital to file a trademark or patent; which costs about $400 to trademark something and about $18,000 to patent an idea. In addition to the various projects that I was already involved in, and my peripheral research, this investment began my direct experience with securing legal assets or intellectual property.  None of this article is based upon a casual Google search, a Wikipedia scan, or hearsay from folks on YouTube talking about what they have never done and do not own. 

     Before we go any further let me first define what a legal asset or intellectual property is. A legal asset is defined as “real or personal property that has value.” Intellectual property [IP] refers to “valuable assets that we legally own such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; symbols, names, and images.” The value or worth of a legal asset or intellectual property is inherent. Meaning, that it is essential or built in its creation. It is not an asset because someone acknowledges or likes it or not. It is an asset because its nature is valuable. It is sort of like when we say the Black folks are divine. Our value is not because someone acknowledges or likes it or not. We are divine, or an asset, because our nature is valuable. When we create inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; symbols, names, and images they are also valuable. 

     If you have been following the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, in response to the United States sanctions on Russia, Russia has stripped away legal asset/intellectual property rights from U.S. companies doing business in Russia, along with foreign companies from 23 other “unfriendly” territories. According to the high-profile trademark attorney Josh Gerben, “companies like McDonald's and Starbucks that have left Russia to protest its invasion of Ukraine can do little when Russian businesses steal their trademarks. In fact, trademark applications were filed in Russia this week that bore a striking resemblance to marks belonging to Ikea, Instagram (FB), McDonald's, and Starbucks. These companies can't immediately fight back because challenges for unauthorized use are largely limited to Russian courts.” For those of us who have carelessly looked at legal assets/intellectual property as insignificant and unimportant, this political power move by Russia to shift the global economic landscape should make us reconsider our stance on the value of legal assets/intellectual property. When we do recognize this value, the questions we need to ask ourselves are what can we do to legally protect ourselves and our assets in a litigious society? Do we have health and dental insurance? Do we own property? Do we have a Last Will and Testament? Do we own any patents or trademarks? Do we have any life insurance policies? Do we have a marriage license? These and various other legal protections are just some things to seriously think about, especially for our families and future generations. 

CONFIDENTIALITY

     With this knowledge of legal assets/intellectual property, I was able to successfully file a provisional and utility patent for a unique fuel cell technology. Before my business partner and I even discuss this patent with companies we ensure that a three-year NDA [Non-Disclosure Agreement] is signed and notarized first. Because of our invention's inherent value, an NDA is a standard legal document that is used to protect the value and confidentiality of legal assets/intellectual property before you discuss them. This is the reason why we should not openly discuss specific matters related to a trademark filing, a patent, or any legal assets/intellectual property in the public domain. It compromises the security of those legal assets/intellectual property.

     When the Washington [now "Commanders"] football organization sought to rename their team they never had public discussions about the potential name of the team. In fact, they went as far as filing the original trademark in a foreign country whose trademark databases are difficult to search online. Months later the organization then filed an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office [USPTO]. Knowing that this trademark information would be publicly available and published with the USPTO, their filing was protected because the trademark application was based upon the earlier filing date in the foreign country. See, once a trademark is filed, there is a 30-day window to oppose/challenge its registration after the USPTO publishes the application for opposition. Following the above method of filing in a foreign jurisdiction is a workaround to limit the public's capacity to oppose a registration. If Lebron James has received legal guidance from a patent and trademark law firm then I am sure that he used this method before it was recently announced that he filed 4 new USPTO trademarks in the names of LEBRON JAMES, LEBRON, KING JAMES and CHOSEN1 related to the metaverse. Understanding this, when people openly discuss the specifics of a legal asset/intellectual property in a public forum it only informs the public of two more facts related to our litigious society: 

1.) Those people do not actually understand or own any digital assets/intellectual property. 

2.) Those people are legally vulnerable, and a liability to others, because of their ignorance of law and tech illiteracy. 

3.) Those people are actively promoting "IP Squatting" where someone other than the original owner(s) can acquire that legal asset/intellectual property and sell it back for a profit.

     I was once involved in confidential discussions regarding a unique legal asset/intellectual property that I personally secured in order to transfer ownership to a collective body of people. While I did not have those who participated in these confidential discussions sign an NDA, I did emphasize the importance of privacy and requested that they not share the specific details of those confidential discussions in the public domain. A short time after, I was disappointed to learn that some of the participants were sharing those specifics, and misinformation regarding this unique legal asset/intellectual property, in the public domain. While I did cover a great deal of legal territory using a power-point presentation that included an extensive FAQ segment, it was unfortunate to learn that some of those who participated in those discussions did not understand the importance of confidentiality or simply did not care. Either way, lacking that carelessness is a liability in an expanding litigious society. So I ask again, what can we do to legally protect ourselves and our assets in a litigious society? Do we have health and dental insurance? Do we own property? Do we have a Last Will and Testament? Do we own any patents or trademarks? Do we have any life insurance policies? Do we have a marriage license? These and various other legal protections are just some things to seriously think about, especially for our families and future generations. 

     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. As a Five Percenter, with our Allah Youth Center's 99-year lease quickly approaching, the gentrification of Harlem, the constant threat of our property being taken through eminent domain, no permanent location to hold our monthly gatherings, no legal control of our Universal Flag in the public domain, and no economic blueprint in an expanding litigious society, there are serious confidential discussions we need to have regarding protecting and preserving our cultural legacy. If we don't get it together we will be talking about these days, like our nation elders reminisce about the old days, with no visible evidence that these days ever even existed. Except for a street sign, of course, to mark what once was.

Peace,

Saladin