We throw the word revolution around a lot and use the term revolutionary to refer to many historical figures as well as activists in the community, but do we really know what it means to be revolutionary?

What does revolution mean to you?
What does it mean to be a revolutionary?

Here is the definition that i found:

"Pronunciation: "re-v&-'lü-sh&n
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English revolucioun, from Middle French revolution, from Late Latin revolution-, revolutio, from Latin revolvere to revolve
Date: 14th century"

*THIS PART OF THE DEFINITION MAY SEEM IRRELEVANT TO THE TOPIC, HOWEVER IT MAY SHED SOME LIGHT ON THE TRUE MEANING OF REVOLUTION*

"1 a (1) : the action by a celestial body of going round in an orbit or elliptical
course; also : apparent movement of such a body round the earth (2) : the
time taken by a celestial body to make a complete round in its orbit (3) : the
rotation of a celestial body on its axis b : completion of a course (as of years);
also : the period made by the regular succession of a measure of time or by a
succession of similar events c (1) : a progressive motion of a body round an
axis so that any line of the body parallel to the axis returns to its initial position
while remaining parallel to the axis in transit and usually at a constant
distance from it (2) : motion of any figure about a center or axis <revolution of
a right triangle about one of its legs generates a cone> (3) : ROTATION 1b"

*THIS IS THE PART THAT IS PERHAPS MOST RELEVANT*

"2 a : a sudden, radical, or complete change b : a fundamental change in
political organization; especially : the overthrow or renunciation of one
government or ruler and the substitution of another by the governed c : activity
or movement designed to effect fundamental changes in the socioeconomic
situation d : a fundamental change in the way of thinking about or visualizing
something : a change of paradigm <the Copernican revolution> e : a
changeover in use or preference especially in technology <the computer revolution> <the foreign car revolution>"


so tell me people, what would actual REVOLUTION look like in our society and are any of us really ready for it?



"So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth."
--Baha'u'llah

You know, it's funny...................
I hear a well defined number of people ranting this term, but yet, if they were ever approached with the actual inconveiniencies that are a result of the consequencies of being a revolutionary, more than half of these "conscious rap"-lovin fanatics would step down from the plate and shut real quick.

Most of these people have no clue as to what is involved in being a revolutionary.
I bet if I tell these people "you can't eat at Burger King", they'd have a heart attack.
When you're a revolutionary, you have to be ready to endure even a jail sentence.

Peace

excellent point...i guess that's why you're called wise :-)

i agree that most headz are not ready to step up to the plate of what being a real revolutionary is. thank you for the reply. i was beginning to think that no one knew what revolution means...



"So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth."
--Baha'u'llah

Thanx, Unity, that's true!
A lot of people don't know what revolutionary means.
Tell these people that the revolution will only happen if you stop watching MTV and stop ording Pizza Hut, and they'll all have a heart attack.

Revamp, redo, totally change.
For example MLK was a reformist, he wanted to work within the system to change things.
Revolutionaries want to totally uproot the existing system and create a new one. I am not quick to say that Malcolm was a revolutionary but I think he was more of one than Martin. I also think that to be a revolutionary you must first know and understand the existing system in and out.
Nappiness is next to Godliness!!!
"To thy ownself be true"
Ms. Nappiness

Hold on miss! Before we go gettin teary eyed about MLK and "what he was about"...

www.daghettotymz.com/Depts/rkyvz/Summer98/Articles/Boule%27series/BCover.html

Sorry this didn't link right, but this tells ALL about the Boule', You wont be pleased to find who and just how many BLACKS have been selling out the masses of Black people in America!!

www.daghettotymz.com go to R KYVZ. go to SUMMER 98. Go to BOULE' files. then you'll find out about the NAACP, United Negro College fund, etc... It's heavy! No wonder we can't make progress as a people...

i have purposely not gone to the site (yet)
i am aware that there are "house niggas" eveywhere (for lack of a better adjective)i would like to think that there is away to turn all of this around see the mind is the most powerful thing we have!....so a man thinketh...so is he!if burgerking sold halal,vegan,kosher...you get mypoint but it is so much deeper then that we live in a system where 85% of the wealth is distributed aong 15% of the people.this economic perversion by the oppression has made the way for a lot of other conflicts.(question)if you could aford to pay everyone 20 times over the poverty level would you do it?...before you answere think ...who would wash old peoples ass for 6.00 an hour who would do all the jobs that poor people do because everyonr would eventualy have the financial means to run there own shit!they couls even over take you position.the system has a heavily thought out plan to maintain power.
to me revolution means responsibility the rastas have asong that goes,"nobody want to plant the corn everybody want to raid the barn.Who are you gonna blame it on when theres a next man you are depending on."if the grocery store should close and the electric company desides to only supply juice to certin zipcodes the way some insurance carriers do with health care what would happen?think mypeople we are being controled by someone we have never seen!and it looks to me like its ok.i cant yell to loudly cause i also am a victim less then some but more then others.if you dont plant corn you shouldnt eat it.globalization is killing us we must take a stand for our liberation...evryonr not just blacks because trust me plenty of babies dont eat!!!!its not about black or white its about rich and poor!!we need to take responsibility for our selves!!!

di ank djeed!

"So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth."
--Baha'u'llah

revolution DOES sound like a whisper, cuz not many of us are speaking up...

perhaps understanding my reason for asking this question will inspire folks to respond, or perhaps not, cuz maybe no one cares, and maybe i am the only one reading this post anymore, but i posed this question because i am writing on revolution for a show in Boston on July 4th and i am hoping to write with input and understanding from intelligent headz...so any contributions will be most appreciated.


"So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth."
--Baha'u'llah

unity, think about it. it may seem like a whisper. but the only reason it resembles a whisper...is because there's such a huge amount of effed up gov't actions...that people aren't uniting for one particular cause. not to mention...the numerous hoops you have to get through to even be heard. the gov't has set up huge ass walls for the people to get around that it's almost impossible to make a significant change. the gov't has always been madd dificult for the people...and not just for the minorities or poor. the gov't speaks of democracy...but shit is so hard for any one movement to have an impact. and right now...there are so many problems that it winds up spliting our constituency for a move. in smaller countries...it's easier to revolt because the govt is one large unity with usually one main general problem. so just like in the 60s civil rights movement here...and revolutions in other countries, the people were more able to join hands with one general cause in mind. now granted, the civil rights movement wasn't TOTALLY "revolutionary." but it had it's moments and it had it's particular groups like the black panther party and the brown berets that just so happened to turn militant due to our people being disrespected by the pigs. and that's another concern about a revolution that worries people. this govt is so effen strong and has such huge ass military forces that it would be stupid to try to overturn this entire system. it would just be one huge blood bath with our people losing once again. so people here are taking up different means for change than certain leaders did in the past like che, huey, or even comandante marcos in chiapas today.

revolution, in this society and this time period, takes on a completely different message. what does this nation need most?: a change of mainstream thinking and brainwashing. so why not push some sort of spiritual revolution? mike ladd and many other poets, including many emcees, are putting the pen to paper because they know our people will listen to music instead of reading books. so why not a musical/knowledge of self revolution? many others are pushing for gay rights, for environmental issues, against international banking bullshit, and of course the always fun civil rights movement. and a big push goin on is just a sense of kindness and love. theres' so much tension and hate in the world that the act of love to your neighbor is trully revolutionary. yo..there's alot of shit goin down. it may not all be unified...but somethin IS brewin. maybe it is a whisper. but the key to a possible change in governmental power is to always educate. it's all about thinking differently than the mainstream concerns of now. push your concerns by word of mouth and always drop knowledge. mainstream society in america seems to only be worried with money...but we need to change that by always teaching others. only then, when we have the numbers, will a true "revolution" occur. but until then...allow people to use the term freely. even though it may not still apply to being a militant, shit is gettin changed. slowly but surely...and in with different means all over this country...a revolution is brewin. we just need to educate one another so that it will be easier to unite as one later on down the line. what good would a revolution be now...when all of our people aren't educated. and isn't social concern a revolution in it's own? media, tv, movies, materialism, and propaganda have seemed to put this country into a trance; leaving only a small minority to be concerned about social issues. so isn't activism a form of ethical revolution? we're gonna come up. just give it some time. people are finally realizing that we DO have some sort of play. we just need to get the numbers and systematic support so that our voice is actually heard and represented.

but yo...that's my political platform. you can write me in on the ballot. but of course you should really vote nader. eff bush! eff gore! sorry that shit's so long. it was just flowin off my head. but, unity, i want you to email me. tell me about this ish you're writin for. i wanna hear your views on this. but until then, peace and humptiness forever.

move.rwk

========================================
"mentally I live lavishly/I cherish the heredity/That's preparin me to be a/ REVOLUTIONARY TILL THEY BURY ME" - talib kweli

"and let your light keep shinin and remember the past/ BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY, WE'LL BE FREE AT LAST!" - gift of gab

"cuz my street style/ and intelligence level/ make me more than just an angry rebel" - guru

"i just want to innovate and stimulate minds/travel the world and penetrate the times/ESCAPE THROUGH RHYTHMS IN SEARCH OF PEACE AND WISDOM" - common

"can i get a response from all the REVOLUTIONARIES up in this piece?" - talib kweli
========================================

thank you SO MUCH for your response!

it's funny, but much of what you said is EXACTLY what i was trying to get at--especially the part about spiritual revolution.

"revolution, in this society and this time period, takes on a completely different message. what does this nation need most?: a change of mainstream thinking and brainwashing. so why not push some sort of spiritual revolution?"

That is what i believe in and using music and the arts to do this is key i believe as well.

"mike ladd and many other poets, including many emcees, are putting the pen to paper because they know our people will listen to music instead of reading books. so why not a musical/knowledge of self revolution?"

YES YES YES!!! WORD! this is what i'm talkin bout! i sometimes wonder why there is not more discussion of this arena of artistic expression and social change on okayplayer, but i have not started m/any threads on this, so i shouldn't complain...

i will definitely email you, but i just wanted to put up here that everyone should take the time to read your reply cuz it's dope.

i would still like to hear thoughts on this issue from more folks too...



"theres' so much tension and hate in the world that the act of love to your neighbor is trully revolutionary...it's all about thinking differently than the mainstream concerns of now. "

you might make me have to add to my signature... ;-)

"So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth."
--Baha'u'llah

beautiful words, for real. Revolution is not a net to keep all the rocks form falling on your head. Revolution is the day that we start to fight the source of the rocks and it is vanquished. Let us never ocnfuse revolution with reactionism. Defense sells tickets. Offense wins games.



keep ur third eye on the sparrow-common

"flesh is full of holes
It is made to breathe
secrate receive
it is nothing against bombs and bullets
It is not meant to be a barrier against anything
But this dark flesh will resist you
flee you who believe
you are not made of the same skin and bones"--Cherrie Moraga

Who gave u/permission 2 rearrange me?/ certianly not me!--e. badu

Well behaved women rarely make HISstory.

http://www.homestead.com/waxrevolutionz/getup.html

....i must first preface my response by saying i am sorta new to okayplayer, so this is one of my first posts.....my mind flows with the stream of consciousness....meaning, i sometimes ramble, so please bear with me......that being said....my thoughts:

...when i speak of the revolution, i refer to both revolting against the system and revolutionizing the way i think.....in terms of the former, it should be obvious that a physical fight with the govnt., at this time, would be absurd because of the superior physical weapons they possess....but the pen is mightier than the sword.....yet self defense is common sense.....okay, player......now, in terms of the latter, i site personal experience and na'im akbar's book "community of self" and other related books.....revolutionize thinking through proper knowledge of self......k.o.s. through nature => GOD......so in this sense, being a revolutionary is a sorta misnomer b/c we strive to help people think in a natural, intended way....through nature, we observe the will of GOD......GOD gives humans choices.....we can seek positivity, negativity or just sleepwalk through life.....it's our choice.....but the govnt. denies the people the freedom of choice on so many things.....abortion, smoking ganja, etc....furthermore, big business uses its mouthpieces (the govnt., mass media, etc.) to disseminate propaganda (on nearly every aspect of life) and steals our freedom b/c one cannot make healthy choices for oneself, given fallacious facts.....but true k.o.s. helps one properly act....and react.....k.o.s. can be a quasi-silver bullet for many "monsters" (self-doubt, deception, etc.) b/c a truely activated person acts on knowledge and responsibiity, which go hand in hand.....it's a way of life.....a natural manifestation of this "new" way of life is serious participation in the struggle for true freedom.....in daily operations, i internalize positivity.....in the context of music, i internalize conscious, positive lyrics and reject others......the revolution is a way of life......it's activism, helping others, volunteering, your job, the company you keep, etc.....it's your thing, but, more importantly, yet not exclusively, it is what you explemlify and do when no one is watching, sincere self-evaluation and a commitment to positive change......it's a way of life.....not compartmentalized.......constant elevation of self directly nourishs constant elevation of community (again, see "community of self").....the foundation of unity is individual responsibility and loyalty to self and community....but the number of cats united is hardly the most important factor.....for example, it can cojently be argued that the 10% of rich americans that control big business rule the world.....why?......b/c they control the way people think.....let's revolutionize the thinking of the people!!!......true, some are sooooo brainwashed, they don't see the REAL problem, let alone the solution.....not to say that i have absolutely the only way, but i am ardently proactive in my search.....and not being pessimistic, but with ALL that's going on nowadays, i seriously doubt that the revolution will be won in my lifetime.......YET, "we know we shall win.....we are confident......in the victory.....of good over evil"......so let's revolutinize our thinking with k.o.s.......i know of the transformative power we possess; i am a living example.......the revolution is here......and has been for a while......let's rock!!!!

....i apologize for the length and all the etc.'s....i tried to be as brief and effective as possible.....but my heart is filled when it comes to this topic and all it emcompasses.....and out of an abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks....

......comments appreciated......

......peace&blessings.........ukaa......the small axe.......giving you true thoughts sense........and still.....

I would say "welcome to OKplayer," but every other board on this site is garbage (except Lesson).
Yeah, I definitely feel your sentiments.
Revolutionize the thought, indeed.
There is a spell going on, now some call it the spell of sleep, some call it Kingu, some call it Leviathan,......but there is truly a spell of dumness and motionless complacent people.

You are the revolution,.....don't wait to see it on the 6 o'clock news. Bear witness to yourself.


"not until you've listened to Rakim on a rocky mountain hilltop, have you heard Hip Hop........ the city slums mute our drums"- Saul Williams

>I would say "welcome to OKplayer,"
>but every other board on
>this site is garbage (except
>Lesson).

why is that?

>Yeah, I definitely feel your sentiments.
>
>Revolutionize the thought, indeed.

>You are the revolution,.....don't wait to
>see it on the 6
>o'clock news. Bear
>witness to yourself.

...couldn't have said it better myself.........i am so relieved someone else is SERIOUSLY filling me......thanks for the welcome........i am really diggin' the positive vibrations......

......peace&blessings.........ukaa......the small axe.......giving you true thoughts sense........and still.....

word.


*********
"You are the revolution,.....don't wait to see it on the 6 o'clock news. Bear witness to yourself."
--Wise_7

"theres' so much tension and hate in the world that the act of love to your neighbor is trully revolutionary...it's all about thinking differently than the mainstream concerns of now. "
--mayhem

"SO POWERFUL IS THE LIGHT OF UNITY THAT IT CAN ILLUMINATE THE WHOLE EARTH."
--Baha'u'llah

>I would say "welcome to OKplayer,"
>but every other board on
>this site is garbage (except
>Lesson).

This is the INTERNET...it's all garbage unless we take ACTION in our real lives. Whether I choose to play in General, or discuss in Activist, all the boards on here are the same. Just because we're talking and typing in Activist don't mean shit unless we DO IT. So get off that stupid elitist "this board is the best and all others are wack" crap...

Damali

CELEBRATING JULY AS FAKE QUOTE MONTH-The Okaystaff/Artist Edition
***********************************

"So, uhm Rakaa and Iriscience aren't the same person...wonder which one I've been sleeping with?
Hate when that happens." -Angieee

"My next single will be a Beastie Boys cover"- D'Angelo

"How the fuck did that bitch get those naked photos of us?" -Rakaa and Iriscience (see the Okayartist board for clarity)

"Tomorrow is Register Multiple Names Day on Okayplayer!" - Shawn Gee

"Drumming is so last century..I'm turning in my sticks for a pair of moroccas" - ?uestlove

"Moderating was the best thing that ever happened to me" - Improv

"Help! I just recovered from my hangover and I'm locked in my room in Philly at the Holiday Inn!" - Steve

"We're only in this business for the money." - The JazzyFatNastees

"Got dammit! I got cornbread stuck in my teeth again!" - Common

"Jay-Z writes all my rhymes" - Oracle

Some people have already said that I was gonna say so I won't make a long, repetitive reply.

Basically I was gonna say that there can be no true "revolution" in society without each human being doing a "revolution" within his or herself. A great human revolution in the life of one person can change the destiny of humankind and the planet.

Ever drop a pebble into a pond? What happens? Rings extend out from where the pebble dropped..getting larger and larger continuing until the entire pond is affected. This is the effect each person (pebble) can have until all the rings intersect.

Damali

CELEBRATING JULY AS FAKE QUOTE MONTH-The Okaystaff/Artist Edition
***********************************

"So, uhm Rakaa and Iriscience aren't the same person...wonder which one I've been sleeping with?
Hate when that happens." -Angieee

"My next single will be a Beastie Boys cover"- D'Angelo

"How the fuck did that bitch get those naked photos of us?" -Rakaa and Iriscience (see the Okayartist board for clarity)

"Tomorrow is Register Multiple Names Day on Okayplayer!" - Shawn Gee

"Drumming is so last century..I'm turning in my sticks for a pair of moroccas" - ?uestlove

"Moderating was the best thing that ever happened to me" - Improv

"Help! I just recovered from my hangover and I'm locked in my room in Philly at the Holiday Inn!" - Steve

"We're only in this business for the money." - The JazzyFatNastees

"Got dammit! I got cornbread stuck in my teeth again!" - Common

"Jay-Z writes all my rhymes" - Oracle

i was agreeing with the part about:

>"Revolutionize the thought, indeed.
>There is a spell going on, now some call it the spell of sleep, some call it Kingu, >>>some call it Leviathan,......but there is truly a spell of dumness and motionless >>>>complacent people.

>You are the revolution,.....don't wait to see it on the 6 o'clock news. Bear witness to >yourself."

which is why i put it in my signature, but i also just wanted to comment that it is every okayplayers right to think some aspect of the site is garbage, just as it is every okp's right to think that headz should "get off that stupid elitist "this board is the best and all others are wack" crap..."

Damali brings up an excellent point which is actually the next point i was hoping this discussion would get to--ACTION. We can talk for days about the Revolution, but without action it's just revelation--and not even Divine Revelation at that. Thanks for bringing that point out sis.


*********
"You are the revolution,.....don't wait to see it on the 6 o'clock news. Bear witness to yourself."
--Wise_7

"theres' so much tension and hate in the world that the act of love to your neighbor is trully revolutionary...it's all about thinking differently than the mainstream concerns of now. "
--mayhem

"SO POWERFUL IS THE LIGHT OF UNITY THAT IT CAN ILLUMINATE THE WHOLE EARTH."
--Baha'u'llah

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
*shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!*

this is dope stuff right here...i'm really glad you joint the discussion.

i really liked the part where you said:

"revolutionize thinking through proper knowledge of self......k.o.s. through nature => GOD......so in this sense, being a revolutionary is a sorta misnomer b/c we strive to help people think in a natural, intended way....through nature, we observe the will of GOD......GOD gives humans choices.....we can seek positivity, negativity or just sleepwalk through life.....it's our choice..."

it's funny how little we sometimes choose to do with the free will that has been bestowed upon us...

"So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth."
--Baha'u'llah

What's up ya'll this is my first posting on the board. I hope ya'll fell me in my response.

What does revolution mean and what does it mean to be a revolutionary? Well here's my answer, I hope it makes sense. (Forgive me I can be long-winded). In our history we have a great number of revolutionaries. The first man or woman to spark a revolt on the slave ships, Joseph Cinque, Harriet Tubman, Denmark Vessey, Nat Turner, John Brown, Sojouner Truth, Marcus Garvey, Ida B. Wells, Malcolm X, Huey P. Newton, Bobby Seale, Fred Hampton, and hundreds and thousands more, some we know by name and others we don't. These people are all 'big name' examples of revolutionaries. I've named them to give insight as to who I believe falls into the category of a revolutionary.

I believe revolutionaries make changes, long lasting, never to be reversed or questioned changes. They start something and put it into motion. Just like a small snowball rolling down a mountainside, as it continues to move it collects more snow and gains more power & momentum. That's what revolutionaries do, they leave behind something that can be built off of: a foundation for more work. We have to understand that their work is not done, we have to understand that just because the battles that they fought in the past may have been intercepted or stamped out the war is not lost. It is still going on and we are still fighting the same evils that they fought.

In my mind, the issues that black people face, are not that much different from those of our ancestors. We are still being lynched (Shaka Sankofa), we are still being enslaved (privatization of prisons by corporations, inmates are a lot cheaper than employees), black men & women still can't walk the streets (Amadou Diallo, and Coach Rodney Byrdsong), we are still less educated (city public schools), we are still used as medical guinea pigs (AIDS epidemic), we are still underpaid (the disparity of compensation for the same jobs), and complete lack of justice (Assata & Mumia). And the list goes on. As you can see the problems are very much the same, but they are now institutionalized and less blatant. What has changed is that as we have been "allowed" to move up in social status in this country, our attention to the social/political ills have been divided. No longer are the rich & poor of our community forced to live next door to each other. So no longer are "your problems my problems" since they don't directly affect me. We are straying away from the community ideology (people with a common unity), and becoming individuals (I got mine, who cares about yours).

But revolution is about us & we and not about I or me. The work of a revolutionary is based on the NEEDS of the people they are working for. (this is why the Panthers started breakfast programs in Chicago for black school children and why Harriet left her husband & the luxuries of living as a free woman to make those 19 trips.) The work of a revolutionary is not about rewards, status or personal gain. (this is why Malcolm X died poor, with nothing of his own). The work of a revolutionary is about much more than jail time, it can mean death. (Malcolm X, Fred Hampton, Mark Clark, Nat Turner, Harriet Tubman wanted dead or alive, and the list goes on even to this day). The work of revolutionaries is one without luxuries or concern for material things. Hopefully this comparison doesn't take away from my argument. (If you've seen the Matrix, the life outside of the Matrix "the real world" held few if any comforts.) Revolutionaries also have the understanding that they may never live to see the glory of their labor. But because they have left a legacy through their work by teaching and educating those coming after them the richness of our history, being forthright with their slip ups & mistakes, and enabling them to dream of a future in which we are free, the revolution will continue.

I honestly believe with all that goes into being a revolutionary, very few are willing to step up and take on that type of responsibility. Maybe the Last Poets were right "Niggas are Scared of Revolution". Why? Because though the physical chains are gone, the mental ones have yet to be broken.

I'll holla.


So don't sit there & look at me as though you have time to contemplate what your next action will be
Chains can't bind your mind
Uh-uh, ya'll this is war time
Black people, I don't think you understand
We Are At War

-taken from WAR - me

That was truly a mouthful (or should I say, a keyboard full).
Everything you said was just about on point.
My only problem is that most of us "African Americans" (it stil doesn't make sense to me) can only go back as far as slavery whenever they are asked to recall their past.

Well, I hope you enjoy yourself in Okayland.
Watch your step, some parts are deep and you might trip up over some lazy bodies.
Don't be disagreeable, but it's okay to disagree.
Have fun, and I hope you learn something.


"See, this means that I should stop fuckin with this OKplayer shit. I need to get out and fly a kite, or grab some fine-ass girl's booty or sumthin."- me (after the boards crashed again)

yo...word. to both ukaa and maxey7...welcome to the boards. i know i'm not the mediator or any ish like that...but i'ma say "welcome" cuz ya'll are very deserving of it, comin out with some phat ass posts for your first times. props. the only thing i really have to say in response to all the posts is that revolution is more than just an "african american" issue. i'm chicano and i'm makin a strong push here. and i can completely understand frustrations from racial tensions. but...it's not even a "chicano revolution". what people need to realize is a revolution today concerns everyone. for real...there's so much shit out that social issues affect everyone....every race, every culture, every economic group, every being. a revolution shouldn't be for a particular categorized people. a revolution these days represents a spiritual awakening for all. sure...there are issues that touch us differently for each group...but certain issues like WTO, zapatismo, civil rights, pigs, and materialism touch everyone. it isn't just a color issue anymore...it's about education. the only way change will occur is if all are informed. whether black, latino (chicano/ hispanic/ puerto riqueño/ cubano...damn these labels...etc.), white, asian, poor, middle class, or just flat out pissed off...change will occure with knowledge. so keep droppin that info and continue to educate. and i don't mean educate like institutionalized school work...cuz God knows that's where some ignorance develops. but i mean...just spread love and communicate. ya'll remember Mr. Wendal, right? some of the most wise people you'll get to know never finished school. it's about knowledge of self and street wisdom. just drop knowledge on people. cuz it's the only door to empowerment.

move.rwk...also known as mayhem


"...At exactly which point do you start to realize/ That life without knowledge is, death in disguise?/ That's why, Knowledge Of Self is like life after death/ Apply it, to your life, let destiny manifest/ Different day, same confusion, we're gonna take this/ hip-hop shit and keep it movin, shed a little light/ Now y'all bloomin like a flower with the power of the evident/ Voices and drums original instruments/ In the flesh presently presentin my representation..." - mos def

========words i live by day after day===========
"mentally I live lavishly/I cherish the heredity/That's preparin me to be a/ REVOLUTIONARY TILL THEY BURY ME" - talib kweli

"and let your light keep shinin and remember the past/ BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY, WE'LL BE FREE AT LAST!" - gift of gab

"cuz my street style/ and intelligence level/ make me more than just an angry rebel" - guru

"i just want to innovate and stimulate minds/travel the world and penetrate the times/ESCAPE THROUGH RHYTHMS IN SEARCH OF PEACE AND WISDOM" - common

"can i get a response from all the REVOLUTIONARIES up in this piece?" - talib kweli
================end quotes here===================

>My only problem is that most
>of us "African Americans" (it
>stil doesn't make sense to
>me) can only go back
>as far as slavery whenever
>they are asked to recall
>their past.

I can appreciate your point on that. Although I realize that the spirit of revolution started when the first Arab (sorry to anyone this may offend, but this is our history) tried to oppress our people in Northern Africa, I was just speaking on the terms of the fights that we have faced against America. But you are absolutely right, our history of greatness and resistance doesn't begin on those slaveships and Black people's revolution isn't confined within the boundaries of the US borders.

Thanks for welcoming me to the fam.

I'll holla.

word. yea...i wasn't tryin to disprove any of your contributions. i just wanna push that it's more than a racial or color issue. some of my closest boys try to push only a strong chicano representation. i get on their ass about it too. i'm not callin you out or anything like that. cuz...just as you may know...chicanos were hit pretty damn bad in the past. now...granted it wasn't institutionalized slavery in a technical sense. but stealing of our ancestors land, making many natives into slaves, raping and killing many of the women and children, and evolving to making my people work for a nickel a day...not to mention the ish jobs they were put through all throughout the early 20th century...just isn't coo either. ya know...chicano history is put aside in EVERY classroom and people don't even know there WAS a chicano movement in hand with the many movements thrown down at the same time. i could go on and on about how my people were oppressed just as you can. it's pretty much the same instances...only a lighter shade and a different language. so i feel you on the frustration. but...i can say that it doesn't even need to be racial revolution. it goes into more than that. it about education and spiritualization. check it...in TX, my people will be the majority in 2010. but wtf does that matter if the youth still carry a 40% drop out rate in high school? ya feel? we just gotta push knowledge. ish...i'm sorry...i'm just goin on and on. i'm sure you get my pic. but speakin of education...i got a paper to finish before 6:30. so...i just need to get off these badass boards. it's gonna be hard...but i'll manage...peace and humptiness forever...


move.rwk...also known as mayhem


========words i live by day after day===========
"mentally I live lavishly/I cherish the heredity/That's preparin me to be a/ REVOLUTIONARY TILL THEY BURY ME" - talib kweli

"and let your light keep shinin and remember the past/ BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY, WE'LL BE FREE AT LAST!" - gift of gab

"cuz my street style/ and intelligence level/ make me more than just an angry rebel" - guru

"i just want to innovate and stimulate minds/travel the world and penetrate the times/ESCAPE THROUGH RHYTHMS IN SEARCH OF PEACE AND WISDOM" - common

"can i get a response from all the REVOLUTIONARIES up in this piece?" - talib kweli
================end quotes here===================

yeah, what he said...


*********
"You are the revolution,.....don't wait to see it on the 6 o'clock news. Bear witness to yourself."
--Wise_7

"theres' so much tension and hate in the world that the act of love to your neighbor is trully revolutionary...it's all about thinking differently than the mainstream concerns of now. "
--mayhem

"SO POWERFUL IS THE LIGHT OF UNITY THAT IT CAN ILLUMINATE THE WHOLE EARTH."
--Baha'u'llah

Check my quote on Rebellion...

Blowin the doors off shit like bricks of C-4,

Mil

AIM: Milspectah Deck
E-Mail: Mil@thejawn.com
http://www.thejawn.com

"Mixed race is the place/ It feels good to be neither/Its a relief to deny racial purity/We're amused as America slowly comes to see/The beauty of negritude and Native American attitude/We've been living it day-to-day since 1492"-Ed Morales, "Rebirth of the New Rican"

"...But Rebellion is the circle of a lover's hands, that must keep moving, always weaving."-Martin Espada, "Rebellion is the Circle of a Lover's Hands (Pellín and Nina)"

When most hip hop heads talk about revolution, they are really talking about reforming the current political/social/economic system so that more of the oppressed can take part in the game.

You know the mantra, no police profiling, better schools, guaranteed education, education that guarantees good jobs, housing, walking the streets in peace, buying goods and services without the attitude..

In essence, most "revolutionaries" just want their own versions of white suburbia, but with more colored faces. You know black managers and employees, Latino business owners and professionals, Asian professors and tv stars et cetera.

The other set of revolutionaries want some kind of pie in the sky classless society in which we all work for the common good.

So the educated hip hopper (and I mean formally educated in terms of school, not necessarily the ways of the world), gets stuck. He can basically eliminate white privilege and end up doing the same kind of thing to other people in the world,or he can pursue something, that even it's perfection would not be a great goal anyway.

The true revolutionary sees something other than the choices we have before us. Most of our modern day revolutionaries have pretty much sought to intergrate ourselves into this system. Gahndi didn't want the Brits to run things, he wanted Indians to run India, but in essence pursue the same goal as Britain. Farrakhan wants us to have our own land, minerals, and institutions, in essence be our own little version of America looking to compete via business and industry. Martin didn't want us to pull up anchor, he wanted us to stay on the ship. Maybe be the first mate at first, but eventually be captain, and it not be an issue with the other sailors.

Revolutionaries are prisoners of their own time, their own culture. Sub-cultures come and go, but in essence they reaffirm what is going on with the over culture. Bling Bling affirms the baseness of American culture, and Black Star/coffee shop hip hop speaks to the idealistic nature of the culture.

There is no 3rd choice. We can't even imagine a 3rd choice. The closest we ever get is realizing that there are only 2 choices. Life is always binary..... at least for us.

peace
k. orr