Maximum Paradox: Kwame Tures Birthday and July 4 in One Week

Today, June 29th, represents what would be the 78th born day for Kwame Ture.  Formally possessing the slave name Stokely Carmichael, Ture embodied the most principled integrity of today's revolutionary Pan-African work to bring about one unified socialist Africa.  Ture, had the vision and lack of out of control ego (unlike most of us) to recognize that our people's liberation, and the salvation of the planet, were not based on his individual brand - which seems to to be the primary objective of so-called activists today.  Instead, he was focused on acknowledging his mortality and the necessity to ensure that activists were created who could duplicate his dedication, commitment, and clear understanding of the contractions we face.  His approach placed him in the position of sacrificing an overwhelming level of personal comforts, prestige, and recognition in exchange for hard, unappreciated work to build the foundation for that critical Pan-African work.  Often, I was able to observe first hand his principled approach to carrying out his work.  Routinely sleeping on people's couches, going long stretches without meals, insane hours in car travel, while being systemically disrespected by people who didn't have enough credibility to scrub his underwear.  Despite all of this, you never heard that human complain about anything.  Instead, without him even pointing it out, he was committed to providing us his shining example of dignity and discipline.  Well, on his born day I'm here to tell you I was always paying attention.  I have spent my humble time doing my absolute best to emulate his commitment and discipline.  His integrity and courage.  And, in doing so I have been able to experience my own taste of the disrespect that comes with principled work.  I have absolutely no animosity about that though.  Actually, it has served to permit me to have even greater respect for Kwame Ture and what he represented.  It has driven me to push myself even harder every day.  And, although its admittedly difficult sometimes to reconcile the ease in which people dismiss your hard fought contributions, I can always look to his example to remind myself that none of this is ever personal against me and its certainly not ever about me.  For those reasons, I'm eternally thankful to Kwame Ture for his uncompromising example of how to stand up with dignity to this oppressive system without blinking an eye.

Its in that spirit that each year we celebrate his contributions just to turn around four days later and be faced with the glaring contradiction of July 4th in the U.S. which as a day, represents every contradiction that Kwame Ture dedicated his life to stamping out.  In 2019, even school children understand that there were no founding fathers and that the so-called constitution is worth less than toilet paper.  Regardless of the pomp and circumstances that the bourgeoisie political parties put into their circus show debates and campaigns, logically thinking people - at least on some level - recognize that none of that is ever going to be about effecting any real change that will positively address the many problems that this backward system is built on sustaining.  

So, during this day and for the next several days, I'll be thinking of Kwame's glorious contribution while people all around me are wishing me a "good fourth."  So many people regurgitate this foolishness that its virtually impossible to respond to all of them in every situation, but what I am able to do is reinforce within myself that celebrating the "birthday" of a country built on theft, slavery, and murder, is like celebrating the birthday of a mass murderer.  You don't celebrate that birthday.  

Fortunately for me, I come from a tradition, created by people like Kwame Ture, which understands that in order to overcome a backward ideological foundation like July 4th, you must institute a positive ideological foundation.  So, in 2002, we came up with the concept of the "Fourth of the lie."  That first year in Miller Park, Sacramento, California, U.S., about 10 of us gathered, had food, and a lively discussion about the conditions of our people and humanity.  We left that day with such a positive feeling - we hadn't succumbed to the July 4th propaganda, we did something against it - that we decided to continue.  For the next several years we had commemorations that grew to about 75 people before I moved to Oregon where the tradition continued and still continues into next week.  I'll be at our Fourth of the Lie commemoration in New Mexico.

When July 4th comes this week I'll be thinking of several things.  First, making sure I can do everything possible to ensure the people deciding to take a principled position against U.S. imperialism are as protected as possible for making that brave decision.  Especially since we live in a society where people are determined to exhort people into supporting a system that is against the interests of humanity.  Also, I'll be thinking about my parents who never celebrated July 4th, but who did get married that day so they did celebrate their wedding anniversary.  I miss them every year on that day for that reason.  Especially their continued verbal expressions - especially my dad after he had consumed some celebratory nectar - that they were holding up their anniversary, not the hypocrisy of U.S. imperialism and a country claiming a celebration of freedom when Indigenous people were being systemically attacked and Africans were enslaved.  I'll be thinking of Kwame Ture who whether he was sitting in a classroom with 10 of us here in Sacramento at Sacramento State University, or speaking to an audience of hundreds of people at UC Davis, Berkeley, etc., never stumbled in stating clearly, proudly, and with resolute courage, that this country always has been, and always will be, the villain.  Happy born day Kwame Ture.  We continue to burn your candle of dignity and respect.  As for July 4th, the explosions of fireworks for a false holiday, and the millions who participate in it - not because of any real understanding and love of country, but because of the excitement of blowing things up - provide the emphasis for what's really in store for this society as people continue to wake up more and more each day.