Posted By: Ras Marcus
Date: Sunday, 29 August 2004, at 4:58 p.m.

In Response To: Re: Black Male Patriarchy a Threat to Willie Lynch (Bantu-Kelani)

When I was a very young man, I was exposed to the teachings of Africa for the Africans at home and abroad. I was fortunate enough to have been very close, to some of people who were great advocates, for the true liberation of African people everywhere. I have been involved in many African liberation movements, including the Ethiopian World Federation. I did not get involved in the Ethiopian Orthodox church, because it was quite amazing to me, that if a brother which to be a Priest, or to hold any official position in that church, they would have to trim their dreadlocks, which I consider to be product of Mother Nature and Father Time, and which could not get into the way of good behavior, or attitudes of a Priest or any other position which is consideerd to be sacred.

Most of what I believe about Ras Tafari Makenon, is what I have learned from those Elders who were before me, I sat in their presence and listened well to what they were teaching. All of this teaching was, and still is based on the European's bible, I do not know who can deny that. We also got a lot of information, from amagazines, one of which was called the Ethiopian Observer, which was printed and distributed, by a European, who lived in Ethiopia, by the name of Sylvia Pankhurst. I think she was also responsible, for a little magazine, about size our the regular Jet magazine, which was called WAR CRIMES COMMITTED IN ETHIOPIA, bv Benito Musolene.

We were very committed to the liberation causes of African people everywhere, and so we would hunt down any books are information, which was related to any kind of struggles, for the freedom and total liberation, of African people everywhere. We made the great liberation sacrifices, of leaving our parents homes, to live in those shanty towns, like unto those which were in Azania, during the brutal rule, of the international Aparthied system of Government, which ruled in Azania, and which is still ruling the world as we speak. I had no regrets about the sacrifices which we all made, because we were able to attend, the great University of Adversity, and have learned so much, and have remain as students in this University of Adversity for the rest of our lives.

There is really no good and honest reason to deny, that we made the connection of believing, that Ras Tafari Makenon, is the omnipotent, as a result, of HIM being Crowned as the Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and the fact that this is also written in the book of revelation, in the Europeans bible, there is no good and honest reason to deny that, as a result of it being written in the bible, that Conquering Lion shall brak every chain, and that his name shall be dreadful and terrible among the Nations, so there we have it, it is written in the bible, and Ras Tafari Makenon has the same title, and therefore we believe that he is the Creator. There are many other sciptures, which will also be quoted to back up this belief, which we have as Rastafari people. All of this I have learned from my elders who were before me.

You see at that stage of my life, we were reading the bible every day, and making our own interpetations, to please the doctrine which we were teaching, and to tell you the truth, we took what ever we think would go well, for what we were teaching, and change words around as much as were possible and necessary, to make our teachings as positive as was possible. To tell the naked truth, we were students of the King James version of the bible at that time, and most if not all Rastafari people were, and not only Rastafari people, Christians and every kind of people, the world over at that time, would consider the bible as a book of Authority and truth.

While we were preaching and teaching in the Market places, especially Coronation Market, along Spanish Town road, we were most times verbally abused, and called all kinds of dirty names, nasty stinking dog, dirty John Crow, which is a scavenger bird which eats dead bodies, we were called criminals, worthless, disgraceful and verious other names. They also said very bad things about Ras Tafari Makenon, but we were not short of patients and intellect, and so we continue to be kind to them and taught them, and many of them became our friends, although their opinion about the Creator, were different from ours. IYOUNGO IYOCKY(Bongo Rocky ) who have been living in Ethiopia for many years now, was one of our great Street Teachers.

As the years go by, and I was able to drink in many oceans of experience, I came to the great realization, that the Creator which all the people in this world seek to serve and worship, is not far away as most people in this world may think, I realized that the great Creator, is living right inside of me, and is my great internal teacher, who instructs me, as to what task to carry out as I live from day to day. So when I speak of the Creator, I just think of him as being everywhere, he is right here with me, as I write this article, he is right there with you as you read this post, he is inside of us all, and he is also in the fishes in the Sea, as well as the birds in the air, and is in all living Creatures, as far as our eyes can behold, and our imaagination can imagine.

I also think that people should be allowed to be at peace with the Creator, who ever are whatever, they concieve him to be, and that others should not try to act, as if they are some authority over others, as it relates to the conception of who the Creator really is, since it appears that no one really knows this, people do have there beliefs, and people are entitle to have their beliefs, as long as they are not concieted enough, to tell others that their beliefs are knowledge, when in fact they cannot prove that their beliefs are true. Beliefs are beliefs, knowledge is knoledge, two different qualities. We must respect each others beliefs and try to get along as an African race of people.

I have worked with many of the African Scholars who have come to my area, to speak about the conditions of African People, and to tell us what they think are the solutions to our problems. I have opened for Dr John Henry Clark, Dr Patricia Newton, Dr Ben- Jochannan, Dr Africa, Dr Leonard Jefferies, Dr Frances Cress Welsing, and many other African Scholars, who are spending their lives in the defence, and total upliftment of African people, as it relates to our African Heritage Culture and Legacy.

So what I do at these lectures, is to observe and listen well, and take what ever I consider to be reasonble for myself, without causing an interruption. I have heard some things said that I did not agree with, but since I do have my own mind, I did not cause an interruption. I consider myself to be an African liberator,as well as a student of life. I have great respect for all my African Scholars, whether I agree with everything which they say or not.

I have great respect and admiration, for Ras Tafari Makenon, for walking in the great footsteps of his Father Ras Makenon, and for blazing the trail for Reformation in Ethiopia, and for bringing modern development to the Country, thereby improving the living conditions of our people, as much as he could, while he was being used, as an instrument of the Power of the Trinity, Heat Air and Water.

I also have great respect for all those African liberators who were before me, and who have done there work and have past on, but is not gone anywhwere, they are right thereJ in the atmosphere. People like KWAME NKUMAH, PATRICE LUMUMBA, SEKU TURE, KWAME TURE, JOMO KENYATTA, STEVE BIKO, QUEEN NYIABINGHI, THE CHILDREN OF SOWETO, , Julius Nyrere, Harriet Tubman, Paul Bogle, Samuel Sharpe Kunte Kinte and so many others, including our African Mothers of Creation, too many to be written here. And on this forum of reasoning, I would also like to pay respect to all our African liberators, who stand up for truth and rights, by consistently resisting, false teachings and deceptions, which are being used, to try to take away the minds of our African people. We will and must continue to do as Steve Biko said, take back the minds of our people, and as African Dignitaries at home and abroad, please do not forget to remember: To Say It Loud, We Are Black And We Are Proud.
Again I send many oceans of blessings to African people every where, with vast amount of self determination.
ONE BLACK LOVE ONE BLACK HEART
Baba Ras Marcus.