We Don't Want Your War Mr. Bush!

War should be a necessary evil for the protection of a people, and a nation. We have been forced to swallow down the destruction of lives and families for the personal gain of a few. The Iraq war is a war for Halliburton and her associates. So then, why would anyone of their right mind participate in such a demise for the everyday people of the United States and Iraq and the rest of the world? Black people are not going for it. We are not an immoral people, we are not a war mongering people, and we are a sensible people that know right from wrong. This war is just wrong; therefore the military is seeing a decline in recruits for its illegal war for money and oil. In 2001 there were 51,500 new recruits for the military by 2006 only 32,000 which represents a 38 percent decline since 2001. This should be no surprise. The late Kwame Toure told us that this is not a “volunteer” army but an “unemployed” army. It may not be that Black employment has risen as its still hovering around 11 percent; we have offset this by increasing the amount of small businesses we own. The military is putting out that the that the Hispanics are making up the difference, this too is more BS. The people that are participating in this wicked mess are Europeans that identify themselves as Spaniards or Portuguese or some other European nation. It is certainly there war.

Let us be mindful of calling for the draft. The wealthy elite in the U.S. have always been able to legally or illegally dodge the draft. Draft boards are not made up of everyday people but much of the connected business men and women in a community. The wealthy have been able to influence these boards in years past when the draft was in operation and get their sons out of serving in the military or getting them assigned to some comfy duty station in St. Kitts. The draft will not work to level the military service playing field. Our people should continue this quiet protest against the war by not participating.

Begin to invest in your future part II

Villa Limbo, Tobago WI

“…Ye are gods, but ye shall die like men…Arise o’gods…”

Psalms 82-6

You can purchase a home.  Buying a home adds to your own personal investing, renting, you invest in someone else's future.

There is nothing that you cannot do. But you must begin to first believe and know in your mind, who you are. As one beautiful poet says “Who do you think you are not?” There is a divide growing in the United States much like many of the countries around the world. A gulf between the haves and have-nots, one of the partians between the haves and the have nots are those that are homeowners and those that are not. As I stated before in the post Begin Investing in Your future, I advised that you send for your credit report. The credit system has become a tool much like having money in the bank. Your credit history will determine how much you will pay when you borrow money. Your credit history is determining whether you will get a job, whether you will get auto insurance and the amount you will pay on it. Your credit history is determining your present and your future all in one swoop. Its important to know what’s on your credit history and gain understanding about what’s on your report.

Once you receive your credit report, one of the first things you will notice is your current address and social security number. Make sure this information is correct. If its not correct you can make the correction either on the internet, as you will receive a confirmation number on your credit report that allows you 30 days to access your report online or by filling out the “dispute” section of your report and send it back via the mail. The process of correcting an error is called “disputing” the item. You will follow the instructions on your credit report to dispute the incorrect information. You also have the option of simply writing a letter to the credit agency holding the incorrect information, this may require sending a copy of your social security card and a copy of your state or federally issued ID. In turn the credit agencies will conduct an investigation to determine if the information contained on your credit report is valid or not. The credit reporting must make this determination within 30 days and respond back to you.

As you continue reading your credit file you will reach an area that contains your payment history. This area contains the date the credit was opened, the highest balance, late and on time payments, whether or not the account is open or closed, the date of last activity and the balance due at the time of reporting. Understand, not all companies report to the credit reporting agencies at the same time. The time period can range from 30-45 days and some as long as 90 days depending on the company’s policy. Your credit report can contain bogus information about your payment history, possibly credit files that are not your accounts or accounts that are still showing a balance owed when you have paid it off or a file that is not yours at all. Again, you would use the disputing process to have this information updated or removed from your credit history.

All to often consumers make some common errors based on bad information. One of the common misconceptions is a negative file will be deleted simply by disputing the item with the credit reporting agency. This is untrue. The credit reporting agency will launch an investigation with the original credit company reporting the information to ascertain whether you actually submitted an application or if in fact you did not. Within 30 days by law, the credit reporting agency will submit its findings to you. If in fact it is not your credit file it will be deleted from your report, if it is your file you will be notified of the findings and it will remain on your report. If there is a delinquent file on your report you should seek to make arrangements to pay the balance off. Often, companies are willing to take a reduced amount in order to have the balance paid off. The next misconception is the belief that delinquent accounts will be removed after seven years. In fact they are removed seven years from the time they went delinquent. For instance, if you opened an account in 2000, however your account became delinquent in 2006. This negative information will remain on your credit report until 2013, which represents seven years from the time it went delinquent.

Another common mistake is closing or deleting closed accounts from your credit report. When you have information on your credit report and you know you have paid the account off and have always made on time payment, yet you no longer have the credit account or the credit card DO NOT close or delete these accounts. Should you close these accounts or have the closed accounts that show a good history deleted you will lower your credit score, you also want to be careful about deleting poor credit history that is paid off. Paid off accounts that may have had a slow or poor payment history can aide in keeping your credit score in the higher digits. Do Not close credit accounts that are open but you may not use anymore, this shows a good credit history and keeps your score high. Lastly, if you have a good credit history with a company and they see fit to increase your credit line, do not ask the company to reduce your credit limit. This shows you are worthy of more credit and will also increase your credit score, just be strong enough to not us the available credit to the limit. Your FICO score is what you want to increase and there are ways to make this happen. Look out for coming changes in the credit scoring process.

To be continued

Emancipation Vs Liberation!

This is a post located on The Trinidad Express blog, and I found it quite timely and informative.  I have long known the difference in being EMANCIPATED and LIBERATED. Yet, our people fail to have true comprehension concerning freedom versus bondage.  This post written by Dr. Kwame Nantambu will give you insight as to what we really need to be focusing on in our quest for liberation.  Dr. Nantambu wrote this in light of Emancipation Day (August 1st) in Trinidad and Tobago however, I feel its scope reaches a wider range of Afrikan, Moor and Indigenous Black people of the western hemisphere since we in the U.S. embrace June Teenth as a way of attempting to disassociate ourselves from the 4th Of July (some say the 4th of You Lie) U.S Independence from Britain, but many of our ancestors were still enslaved.  Please enjoy and learn.

Emancipation versus Liberation

Published at July 20, 2007 in General T&T.

By Dr. Kwame Nantambu
July 20, 2007

One of the most perplexing, disturbing and still yet unresolved perennial reality-check dilemmas that afflict Afrikan-Trinbagonians is their supremely blurred vision to clearly ascertain the intrinsic, historical differences between emancipation versus liberation.

In this regard, Malcolm X is perfectly correct when he concludes: “The major problem with Black people is that we left our minds in Africa.”

However, the sad tragedy/legacy of this historical dilemma is that the internalization of Afrikanness by Afrikan-Trinbagonians will “remain a fleeting illusion to be pursued but never attained” as long as they continue to celebrate emancipation instead of seeking total liberation, by any and all means necessary.

The annual celebration of Emancipation Day (1st August) speaks volumes as to the tragic truism that Afrikan-Trinbagonians are exhibiting the symptoms of the deadly diseases of Afrikan dyslexia, amnesia, sclerosis, paralysis and atrophy.

They are in serious denial of their inherited Afrikan self.

The fact of the matter is that Afrikan-Trinbagonians must realize that the most potent weapon to challenge European supremacy is for Afrikans to come out as a powerful people from Mother Afrika in ancient Kemet/Egypt in the B.C. era.

This period represents 99.9 percent of the history of Afrikan people on this planet; most importantly, during this period, Afrikans were a free, spiritual, independent, liberated and powerful people. They were also the world’s original teachers and master-thinkers.

The fact of the matter is that Afrikan peoples cannot challenge European supremacy as powerless, defenseless and nothing slaves coming out of the plantations in the Diaspora/Caribbean in the A.D. era.

This period represents only .01 per cent of the history of Afrikan people on this planet; during this period, Afrikans were enslaved, colonized, dependent, powerless, religious-Christian, expendable, nothing, “infidel” peoples.

Now is the time for Afrikan-Trinbagonians to delete/expunge the ubiquitous, asinine Carnival-bacchanal mentality/atmosphere that embodies Emancipation Day. Moreover, this day represents a total, utter mockery and bastardization of and insult to, the torturous, dehumanizing conditions our forefathers had to endure during their prolonged period of enslavement.

The bottom-line is very simple: Emancipation is the problem; liberation is the only solution. Emancipation represents historical dislocation; liberation represents historical location, location, location.

Emancipation focuses on Afrikan Nationality; liberation zeroes in on Afrikan Originality. Emancipation deals with Afrikan history from 1516 A.D.; liberation deals with Afrikan history from 1516 B.C.

Emancipation focuses on the Afrikan connection with Father Europe; liberation focuses on the existence/potency of Afrikans in Mother Afrika before there was a Father Europe. The philosophical construct of liberation suggests that Afrikan peoples do not need a European connection to make them legit.

The fact of the matter is that there would not be a Europe of today if there were not an Afrika of yesterday. Indeed, the continent of Europe is named after Princess Europa of Mother Afrika.

In addition, Emancipation represents a period in their history when powerless Afrikan slaves (our forefathers) picked cotton, sugarcane, tobacco, cocoa, etc, for powerful Europeans; liberation, on the other hand, represents a period in history when powerful Afrikans (our ancestors) civilized, humanized and educated the powerless Greeks (world’s first Europeans).

The fact of the matter is that Europeans do not celebrate any period that manifests/exposes their historical powerlessness.

For example, Europeans do not celebrate their powerless/lethargic experience during the Middle/Dark Ages when they were people poor, land poor and resource poor. Europeans do not celebrate their Bubonic plague experience when Europe lost one-third of its population or 20 million people.

Europeans do not celebrate their period of enslavement from the middle of the 7th century - a period known in history as their “thousand year fear of Islam.” This represents a period during which these European slaves referred to their slave-masters as “Infidel Arabs.”

Afrikans are the only people on this planet who celebrate their history from a position of powerlessness. This is the overt dysfunctional nature of Emancipation.

The fact of the matter is that a capitalist is a capitalist 24/7/365; he is not a capitalist only at Christmas time.

Likewise, an Indian-Trinbagonian is an Indian 24/7/365; he/she is not an Indian only on Indian Arrival Day, Divali and Eid-ul-Fitr. He/she is also proud of Mother India.

Similarly, a Chinese-Trinbagonian is Chinese 24/7/365; he/she is not Chinese only on 18 October. He/she is proud of Mother China, and so on, and on and on, for all ethnic groups in TnT. Afrikan-Trinbagonians are the only exception - the only motherless group.

The stark reality is that on their national days, Indian-Trinbagonian performers always sing in the tongue of Mother India and on Chinese Arrival Day 2006, Chinese-Trinbagonian performers sang in the tongue of Mother China at Queen’s Hall. In addition, Chinese-Trinbagonians speak in their Mother tongue 24/7/365 - liberation cum historical location.

Thus, the crucial question that immediately comes to the fore is: In what tongue do Afrikan-Trinbagonian performers sing during shows on Emancipation Day? - emancipation cum historical dislocation.

It is indeed this ominous, scary historical differential that has compelled social commentator Morel Peters (Luta) to ask in song: “How free, how free are we?”

Indeed, the Afrikans who celebrate Emancipation Day are just One-Ah-Day, feeling-good Afrikans. The more fundamental questions that must be faced are: Who are they from 2nd August to 31 July?; what’s their mind-set, worldview and modus vivendi during this period?; what clothes are they wearing, what foods are they eating and what Gods are they worshipping during this period?

The reality is that Afrikan-Trinbagonians are powerless on Carnival Monday and Tuesday; they are also powerless on carnival Emancipation Day.

The celebration of Emancipation Day is a myopic, micro, truncated, divisive, albeit Euro-centric interpretation of the totality of Afrikan history; the celebration of total liberation under the rubric/banner of Afrika Year is a holistic, unifying, macro, linkage, albeit Africentric interpretation of the totality of Afrikan history.

This all-inclusive concept of Afrika Year embraces such Afrikan milestones as Afrikan Liberation Day (25 May), independence of Ghana (6 March), Emancipation/slave resistance (August), Haitian revolution (1st January), Kwanzaa (26 December-1st January), Pan Africanism (July), just to name a few.

Most importantly, Afrika Year seeks to re-connect, re-locate and re-vitalize the umbilical cord that was deliberately and purposely severed, dislocated and emasculated between Afrikan-Trinbagonians and Mother Afrika. It seeks to re-unite Afrikan children with their mother.

Liberation emphatically postulates that there is a Mother Afrika and that Afrika is our Home, TnT is our Destination. Afrikan-Trinbagonians must be Afrikans in mind, spirit and action, 24/7/365 and not just on 1st August.

In the final analysis, whereas Emancipation gives Afrikan-Trinbagonians a fish to feed themselves for one day (1st August), liberation teaches Afrikan-Trinbagonians how to fish so that they can feed themselves for the rest of their lives.

Dr. Kwame Nantambu is a part-time lecturer at Cipriani College of Labour and Co-operative Studies and University of the West Indies.

http://trinicenter.com/kwame/2007/2007.htm

Begin to invest in your future

We all to often spend quite a bit of time lamenting about our situation in these United States of America and the lamenting is well warranted. Yet, we have to realize there are ways we can prosper in this society. We have to begin to learn that the power that is within us will overcome any situation, even slavery in its many forms. I just learned that in 1886, just 21 short years after the Civil War, the first Black law firm in the United States was opened in Charleston, SC by three Black men, William Whipper, Macon Allen, and Robert Brown Elliot. Robert Brown Elliot came to Charleston from Jamaica and later became the editor of the oldest Black newspaper in the U.S. I am giving this background as a platform, as a foundation to show that no matter how negatively we have been and are treated we can still overcome. Now, I don’t know if these men were ever slaves, but I do know that to practice law, to do anything, especially under the harsh conditions of slavery or the conditions of the time shows we can do and have done great things no matter the conditions. In fact the mindset or the conception for this law firm and newspaper were being developed long before the Civil War began, as all things that come to light began in the hearts and minds of the people.

The financial health of our people at this time is at a crucial juncture. Black people have the spending power of 631 to 688 billion dollars, greater than some small nations. However, its important that we begin to invest our money and one of the best ways to invest is in real property. I have met many people that feel they cannot invest in a home, but this comes from not knowing. I am going to start here by giving you a few things you can do to get started.

Pull your credit report and learn your FICO score. You can pull your credit report at least once per year at no cost however, there may be a small cost to get your FICO score. There are three credit reporting agencies.

Equifax 1-800-685-1111

Experian 1-888-397-3742

TransUnion 1-800-888-4213

Once you get your credit report you can see how you have been paying, who is on your credit report and if there is a company that you have paid completely and it is not showing paid in full or you never have done business with a company you can dispute these items.

This is to be continued

Are we as Black people a lost cause?

We have come from a long way to go. In this I mean we have worked to free ourselves from the legal restraints that kept us from being discriminated against from an apartheid level. However, the mental state of Black people around the world is fractured, broken and lost. Lost in a maze of not knowing who we really are. I fully comprehend people know they are from Brazil, Bahamas, Tanzania, United States, Zimbabwe, Jamaica or Canada. But, these labels should not become a badge that creates a riff to divide us or a banner to wave other Black people off with disdain, because they don’t fall under your flag. We all must remember and never forget that the borders as they exist today, the borders that define our particular nations were created and recreated by the white European for domination and control over you and your resources.

It is a shame in 2007 that we Black people have not overcome the illusion of borders, nations and flags. In no way am I advocating that any of us denounce our individual cultures as this is the richness of our people, but to dismiss other Black people on the basis of your given nationality. This brings me to the issue at hand.

While listening to Real Talk with Jeffery Lloyd on More 94 FM, out of Nassau, Bahamas, I listened to the venom spewed about people that are of Haitian parentage living in the Bahamas now. The Bahamian people are upset about the migration of Haitians to the islands much as the population of the U.S. are about the Guatemalan, Salvadoran and Mexican migration northward. Three guest were on the program, born and raised in the Bahamas spoke of the discrimination by the Bahamian people against them and each and every one of the guests says they have been discriminated against by Black Bahamians many times to the point of violence!! Violence, not in the course of self defense, but violence based on nationality against another Black man or woman. And, yet I am told there are some places that are still “whites only” in the Bahamas.  This is where the fight should be. 

Black on Black violence of any kind is destroying us, however mental violence can be just as terrible. This form of national bias that’s occurring in Black people is mental violence. Now I have a friend visiting me as I write this. She was born and raised most of her life in Zimbabwe, later attending college here in the U.S. Upon graduation, she attained a job working in Ethiopia in East Africa. She has experienced a type of national prejudice, in that she being from Zimbabwe, considers herself to be a Black woman, however the Ethiopians don’t consider themselves to be Black.  So she is treated with the same national disdain as the Haitians face in the Bahamas. A big factor in this “so called” national pride is the fact, that Ethiopia was never colonized like many other African countries. The Ethiopians love things that are NOT made in their country yet make beautiful products they will not wear and should an outsider wear their products they are castigated for “trying to be Ethiopian when you’re not.” This is one of the many symptoms the Ethiopians don’t recognize as colonization of the mind!

It’s a sad shame that we as Black people have not learned to see beyond the veil cast by governments, big business and other entities. With all the access to information, knowledge and wisdom we still persecute ourselves for those forces wishing to compromise us. Never think they want to destroy us, only to subjugate us as their pawns. In a conversation over at the Charcoal Link blog, Aulelia advised that to speak English rather than the native language, shows one is educated. How can this be in 2007? Until we can light a path we will continue to be lost in a maze.