FROM EATING MEAT TO...WHAT KIND OF "VEGETARIAN" AM I?

Peace and pardon the delay!

For many moons throughout my life, I ate lots of meat, namely the usual around these parts...chicken, beef , fish and other seafoods, and yes...quite a bit of swine (minus chitlins, pig feet, pig lip and other pork delicacies that my Plaqmine, Louisiana side of the family enjoys). As I grew in my level of awareness of the filth of the pig and our historical connection to it ("because the devil taught us how to eat the wrong foods"-10:36), I decided to stop eating pork, aside from an occasional bowl of wonton soup or potstickers (guess I fully didn't stop, but more so cut back 95% of my intake...so I thought). I was proud to proclaim that I did not eat pork! However, I was totally unschooled about pork by-products. I continued to happily munch on jello, ho-hos, skittles, starburst, bleu cheese, provolone cheese and other foods with pork by-products.

After getting the knowledge of myself, and completing the arduous task of cutting the by-products, I made the decision to stop eating any meat aside from some fish. Our culture dictates that we should not eat fish over 50 pounds, and scavengers/bottom feeders/the roaches of the sea (which I thoroughly enjoyed), namely lobster, shrimp, clams, crab (used to be my favorite food), oysters, and others, due to the level of toxins and feces that these particular seafoods intake due to being closer to or on the floor of the ocean. You know the old adage "you are what you eat" so whatever the food you eat intakes, goes into your body as well.

Giving up my favorite foods was an especially difficult transition which took quite a bit of discipline. Dealing with knowledge and wisdom and intelligence over emotion regarding food required a lot of will power because the food did not stop looking appetizing for a while (and some foods still look and smell good...fried chicken and garlic butter crab!), but it's all a part of keeping your desires and wants in check because everything that is good and tasty to you is not good for you.

Changing my eating habits has been an adjustment to my personal culture (the foods I eat, where I shop, how often I eat), but once I saw clearly the foundation for why I ate the wrong foods, I had to do what would be life-changing and consistent. And this is one way I am learning to Master Allah's Rules to Cee Her (MARCH) because as I eat better, I am growing closer to being the earth, an environment for growth that produces healthy fruit. I still have a ways to go in this area (specifically my sweet tooth, and making sure I consume enough colorful vegetables, drinking enough water, and getting enough grains, protein and raw foods), but it's a process that I'm working through diligently, and that's what growth and development is about...continuing to grow and change for the better, adding on and taking away when you need to.

I prided myself on being a "vegetarian," and aside from the occasional annoyance of taking longer for grocery shopping due to having to read every single label to check for pork by-products, or having to ask, "What kind of renet is your cheese made with,"I have found it to be beneficial. I have noticed the changes in my body regarding digestion and I don't feel as heavy after eating (ever notice how after consuming a substantial portion of meat after a meal, it can feel like it's sitting in your stomach?). Of course, it's not just about not eating meat (don't want to overdose on carbohydrates to feel full), but eating enough of the right foods to make your system flow better.

After a couple of conversations and coming across the book, New Vegetarian Baby, by Sharon K. Yntema and Christine H. Beard, I realized that I, technically am not a "vegetarian." Calling oneself a vegetarian has become somewhat trendy these days, and many people, including myself do not fully live out what that means. Some folks who use the label only eat meat occasionally, or they only eat chicken, or they only eat organic meat, etc. I hate to say it but if you ascribe to the aforementioned eating habits, then technically, you are not a full out vegetarian. Either you eat meat or you don't, no matter how often or infrequent.

So if I eat some fish, some dairy, and egg products, along with other parts of the food groups, where does that place me?

Below, are some of the main types of "vegetarians" and explanations listed in the book New Vegetarian Baby and a basic online source. This is not an exhaustive list as there are several other categories, and some people may agree or disagree with the categories and explanations. However, I've found these to be rather consistent across sources:

Vegetarian
Vegetarians do not eat meat or meat by-products of any kind. All vegetarians, therefore, eshew red meats, poultry, fish, seafood, gelatin, lard, animal-based broth, and similar foods.

Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian
"Lacto" refers to milk and other dairy products, while "ovo" (or more properly, "ova") refers to eggs and egg products. Some people are either lacto-vegetarians or ovo-vegetarians, but most include both eggs and dairy products in their otherwise non meat diet.

Vegan
Vegans eat no meat, meat-by products, dairy products, or eggs. Some people prefer to use the term "strict vegetarian" to distinguish such dietary vegans from ethical vegans who also avoid eating other animal products, such as honey, and seek cruelty-free clothing, household products, cosmetics, medicines, and entertainment.

Pisco Pollarian
Many people who consider themselves to be vegetarian actually are pisco-pollarians, meaning they avoid mammalian ("red") meats but still eat poultry ("pollo") and fish ("pisco") or other seafoods. In common parlance, they are often referred to as near-vegetarians, semi-vegetarians, or partial vegetarians. If meat only constitutes a small part of the diet, it can more accurately be called a plant-based diet. This diet is incresingly being adopted by those meat-eaters who are concerned with their health, and it is well accepted by the medical and nutritional communities, but it should not be confused with a truly vegetarian diet.

Pescetarian
Occasionally used to describe those who abstain from eating all meat and animal flesh with the exception of fish. Although the word is not commonly used, more and more people are adopting this kind of diet, usually for health reasons or as a stepping stone to a fully vegetarian diet. Pescetarians often believe that moderate consumption of fish or fish oils, which are high in Omega-3 fatty acids, is necessary for optimum health. (vegetarian.about.com)

Raw Vegan/ Raw Food Diet
A raw vegan diet consists of unprocessed vegan foods that have not been heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius). “Raw foodists” believe that foods cooked above this temperature have lost a significant amount of their nutritional value and are harmful to the body. (vegetarian.about.com)

Macrobiotic
The macrobiotic diet, revered by some for its healthy and healing qualities, includes unprocessed vegan foods, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and allows the occasional consumption of fish. Sugar and refined oils are avoided. Perhaps the most unique qualifier of the macrobiotic diet is its emphasis on the consumption of Asian vegetables, such as daikon, and sea vegetables, such as seaweed. (vegetarian.about.com)

Flexitarian/ Semi-Vegeterian (this one is new to me)
“Flexitarian” is a term recently coined to describe those who eat a mostly vegetarian diet, but occasionally eat meat. (vegetarian.about.com)


Understanding is seeing something as it is, not what it appears to be and to describe myself accurately, my eating habits don't necessarily just apply to one term, but I seem to be between a Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian and Pescatarian.

I build that you find where you fit, and wherever that may be, call it what it is!

P.E.A.C.E.
(Proper Education Always Corrects Errors)

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING CLEAR

Peace!

I see todays' mathematics as wisdom understanding, all being born to power. Today, I'm thinking of the importance of being clear, through wise words, ways, and actions. Those you are communicating with should be able to comprehend how you see the world (your perspective or worldview). If people do not understand what you are saying, then you may have to continue to utilize different methods and strategies to effectively communicate so they can see the vision. If you can't communicate your vision to the point where it reaches people, then you've had little to no effect. With no effect, you don't have much power. By being able to convey your vision to others, you are able to build a power base, and one has to be able to speak different languages to do that. You have to know your audience, and the best ways to get a point across in order for them to have a crystal clear picture of what your're saying. By being clear, they can apply what you're saying to their own lives, and others, producing positive change.

For example, at my job, during our weekly staff meetings, the executive director (a former Black Panther and community organizer and activist) consistently pushes his perspective of self-reliance, self-sufficiency and empowerment. Through this "political education" as he would say, he is trying to inspire people to become dedicated to the mission of empowerment through some of the organizational initiatives he strives to implement to empower families and communities in Power Born (Pittsburgh).

In order to hold the attention for an hour (and that's just the political education part!) of some drowsy folks at 9am in the morning, he has to use a variety of methods...tellin' jokes, stories, affirmations, quotes from books, force (as in, I want it done now!), psychology, personalized statements directed at one individual, nurturing, etc. He uses many different roads to get to the same destination and obtain the same results. Sometimes the words move us, we "get it" and we move to action swiftly, other times, he needs to show forth and prove his power by leading by example (him, doing what he's asking us to do so we can better comprehend what he's saying, so that we can do it). You have power when you can get others to move off your/ a mission. Of course, you can look at Allah the Father as an example, who shared his understanding and taught the babies who they are. We're still experiencing his power because we are here, over 40 years later, as Gods and Earths, striving to live out Allah World Manifest each and every day, each and every way. Or you can look at cats like Larry Hoover. He is kept under the jail because he can put out a directive, and have hundreds, if not thousands of people doing what he needs them to do. .

I'm learning the importance of being clear, especially working with children. On a day to day basis, I see the intelligence (wisdom) of the Black child (understanding) and their ability to positively or negatively influence one another (power). Positive and negative peer pressure is no joke, and I've seen them use their words to hurt and to heal.

23:36 "I can hardly believe that unless they were blind, deaf, and dumb"

When a person can't see, hear, or comprehend the truth because they don't know who they are and have been fed so many lies about themselves, their origin, and their environment, they may have trouble at first, grasping what we say when we manifest our perspective and worldview that the Black man is God, the Black woman is the Earth,the babies are the best part and there is no mystery god. Just think about it...those statements are deep! Just think of what you thought or your expression when you first heard that, or something like it! It definitely shook up my world. That might be some shit they ain't neva heard before and that may totally challenge, upset, and flip whatever it was they believed in, and at that first moment, there may be a look of utter confusion (blind) and they may not be tryin' to hear you (deaf). But by further manifesting the understanding in a clear way (at times through a variety of methods...more talking, seeing what you do and them doing the knowledge to you) a person can be moved to change their lives and live out this way of life or at least change a few things over time (i.e stop eating pork). And scientifically, that's what power is...work over time. Sometimes people need time to digest and process what you've told them, so they can develop their own understanding cuz you can't give somebody their understanding, you can only manifest yours.

Peace!

EARTH APPRECIATION...3/4THS IN THE PHYSICAL

Peace! In the vein of Women's month and Earth Appreciation Month in the Nation of Gods and Earths, I chose to post a jewel on Earth History, specifically the way of dress of women in the Nation, that Queen Shamika Lakia Earth, our beautiful, wise, intelligent, and on-point elder sister here in Power Born posted on a list-serve last year. Below that jewel is my reflection on my transition into gaining knowledge of self, changing my mind, and changing my wardrobe. Like I said in my first post, being refined is fly and the following jewel shows you why! Teach!


"Pause Exhale And Cherish Everyday,

From the time I came into this Nation 3 decades age the women built with each other in forums of MGT. The Gods would go to one area of the school the women in another area and we discussed those issues that were important to us as women. This also helped young queens who were new in this Nation gain an understanding of the traditions, values and morays of women with knowledge of self.

Here we go .........walk with me once again. The sisters wore short dresses to the knees and sometimes wore kemars (like the muslim sisters did) and called each other sister not Earths at that time. Later during the year of the first Show and Prove the Sisters came together and talked about how we could distinguish ourselves from all of our other "soul sisters" like our cousins the muslims and others.

So we the women of this Nation determined how we would dress. It was not decided by any God. One of the women instrumental in this determination was Empress who was once named Allah Most Precious Jewel and received many of her jewels directly from Allah and was the first Queen to be able to quote 120 degrees which she learned when she was put in a mental institution for declaring that "The Blackman is God". Speak with her whenever you get the chance. She still attends parliaments in Mecca. And may have on a "PROM GOWN with sequins" I love my sister Empress. She might even wear a wig and tell you "Hey I'm in 3/4ths" (smile)

Anyway, the sisters wanted to be colorful. So the muslim queens wore solids like blues, tans etc; my soul sisters the Black Israelites wore white as did my Yoruba Priestess sisters, the PanAfricanist Sisters wore mostly liberation colors and NOW for US. We decided we would wear long skirts with army boots, multiple prints with head wraps. Our style would set the trends for each decade. So we decided that refinement would be determined by several methods. If you did not wrap your hair you should at least cover all "hills and mountains" especially so that your "diameter" or diamond could not be seen. So for most of us, if pants were worn wrapped; if your arms or legs were exposed wrapped; if skirts were floor length and arms not exposed could wear our hair out. We looked glorious. For Parliments you wore your "Sunday Best". We set the trends in New York style and was FABULOUS. We had fashion designers in the Nation such as Nature Divine who now resides in Toronto. Man of our day we was the Savior He Eye Square. (LOL)

Now every June during Earth Jacqueen Asia's physical degree day we marched to 110th street to the beginning of Central Park and gather as women with defined culture. We start the walk from Allah School as the Earths. MAN we was sharp in our refinement in bright greens, oranges, reds, head dress high in all the colors of the rainbow spectrum; then we walk past my cousins the Black Israelites who would join on in their whites and the sister who followed Marcus Garvey, pan africanists in their liberation colors… keeps walking with me Queens. Then we got midway to central park and our cousins the muslims would walk in with us in their tans, blues and solids. By the time we got to central park it was SPARKED WITH REFINEMENT. We marched like this every year in the decade of 1970 to central park. Me, Earth Jacqueen Asia, Mecca, Servena Earth, Queen Kameeya, Asia Now Eden, Ageamean, Cipher, Earthly Paradise, Queen Eye Bear Witness, Black Arabia, Nature Divine, Queen Earth, Arabia, Born Queen, Eye Queen, Makeeba, Monica, Carmen, Eluna, Lazell, Tuniqua Earth, I Alasia Earth, Wisdom Understanding, Divine Understanding, Understanding, Queen Gemisa, Perfect Cipher................and more and more and more. And we set the style trends for ourselves and for the world. The world did not set the style and trends for us. We determined back then that 3/4's does start with a mental interpretation however we all know what must follow the mental to be complete ......just like where water goes salt will follow .....mental, physical and universal it all encompasses one. Subsequently 3/4ths could not possibly be only mental. 75% represents Gods Power which borns out to love, hell or right and in turn leads to peace which is the absence of chaos. This is what helps relationships last for many many years ...32 to be exact. I always teach don't blame 3/4ths on a God wandering off to sisters who wear less. You just don’t know how to ROCK 3/4THS. Man in my day.....at y'alls ages I would come around the corner with the wind blowing my beautiful skirt, my skin tight, smelling like the best of oils, wrapped in material that made my blackman say AHHHHHHHHHHHHH damn!!!!! she's mine 2 new york city blocks away. That's how I received my diamonds and gold.

I left Mecca in 1983 to reside in Power Born, born universal truth every time I flew into another city were Queens resided I got off the plane I could distinguish who was the Earth picking me up from all other women based on refinement. I'd look around and spot them out colorful, headwrapped high or refinement that covered hills and mountains, rivers and valleys."




That was a wonderful jewel, as this is all of our history, those of us who are striving to be or consider ourselves true and living earths (it's a journey, not a destination), and knowledge me when I say that it has taken a minute for me to gain proper understanding within my own self of this jewel and history, and I'm still workin' at it cause the growin' don't stop. But this history cannot be denied in my own mind. She was there from damn near the beginning and helped build this nation and culture, especially in regards to sister's protocol, and her building how she does and lovingly sharing her understanding shows and proves the importance of the preservation of our culture.

Many, and I would like to say most sisters throughout the world are refined and it is the devil's civilization and western attire that is the minority (although it has been spreading) and I have to constantly keep this in mind as a woman who strives to be the true and living Earth...not just a positive Black woman, but the Earth, the mother of civilization, who is 3/4ths covered (not hidden), as the only life bearing planet Earth is ( and please understand me when I say in the beginning, I heavily argued, challenged and resisted, so what I am saying now is a reflection of my gradual growth and development over the past year and a half). If I chose this and acknowledge this as my nature, I have to strive to manifest it in as many ways as possible, through breath and depth, from the surface to the core.

So many of our people don't have a culture with principles that serve as a foundation to live out. A lot of cultural people don't live out a culture with identifiable principles that can be taught. But this is the gift that Allah, the Father gave us, and countless others have built, and without a foundation, we are lost in this wilderness and are more vulnerable to being influenced by the culture of America in the mental and physical (and it is powerful!). And I realized that as much as I spoke against America, as much as I detested the United Snakes, I was very American in my personal choices, and unconsciously at the time wanted to continue to reflect that culture, especially through my way of dress. And that's part of that schizophrenia or double consciousness that so many of us are conflicted with. I wanted to be that sexy, revolutionary sista who could speak at rallies, rhyme, spit poetry and rock a J. Lo catsuit at the club with the twins out, 1) because that's how I liked to dress at the time (unaware of the foundation of that), and 2) because I wanted people to see a different representation of a sista with cultural awareness (that you can still be "cute" and don't have to wear a mumu to have some semblance of cultural and political awareness). And I still don't wear mumus (no disrespect to those who do). But I was caught up in that 6 or limitation, thinking every sista had to look the same.

I can now take pride in knowing that I am striving to live out a culture which manifests itself in the mental and the physical. I can speak of cultural awareness and knowledge of self, knowing that I am a part of a living, breathing culture, and am engaged in getting true KOS and have an avenue to live it out wholistically. I can pride myself in knowing that I am a part of a culture that has its' own use of language and family system and that I do not look like everyone else does (although the "Earthy" look has been co-opted over the years to where nowadays, you can't visibly tell who is an earth and who is not). I have to remember that a lot of what is "in style' is dictated by gay white men! And rockin' 3/4ths does not have to separate me from other sisters (this is something I worried about...looking so different, that I would repel). But today, I get much positive acknowledgement from young sisters (who are my largest concern at this point) who know who I am and what I represent and have seen my change, because of how I wear it and the foundation it is built upon. You attract through your knowledge and wisdom, which can bring forth the understanding that my Allah Self Savior doesn't have to be out to be acknowledged, and if it needs to be, then I don't need that kind of attention (and this has been a struggle since middle school...Conscious and unconscious!)

This is our culture and history. It is what we do and how we distinguish ourselves, and I definitely strive to keep it funky. And I feel regal, whether I'm wearing a long skirt made out of some jeans and fabric with my adidas, a fly leather skirt below the knee with some boots, or a skirt with thin breathable fabric that blows in the wind with some sandals. And the response is definitely different, and I am acknowledged as a queen because I look and carry myself like one. First impressions give someone an entry into how they should address you. So what I project is what I will get. And I still have to fight within myself to take the devil off my planet cause those clothes still attract, when I know according to Supreme Mathematics and our history, they are not a right and exact physical representation of the planet Earth as it is seen and lived out within this culture that I advocate. What light am I trying to reflect? What world am I striving to manifest? The Devil's or Allah's? Can I live out Allah World Manifest as the Earth, which is 70% covered with water, with a halter top and a miniskirt? The two didn't add up, and my physical had to reflect more of my mental.

I had to get to the root and really ask myself why I wanted to wear clothing that flaunted my hills and mountains. What part of my self-esteem was that serving and was it healthy? Was I objectifying myself and covering it up with shallow reasoning like, "I wear this because it's cute." I had to realize that the point was to be different, and to provide a different representation of a woman for the girls who are around me daily that look up to me. I had to realize that I could not let the Devil's civilization control me, and that I had to master and control my relationship to it.

What I had to come to after questioning and debating was, this is what we do and how we represent ourselves and I can either accept it or reject it, and I grew in to it. I thought I would have to sacrifice my sense of "style," but every thing that I wear is clothing that I choose, that I see as right and exact and fly! Every day, when I choose what to wear, it is a conscious decision to not let the colored man's laws or civilization colonize my mind and body. And I know there are sisters who are more refined or covered than me (i.e. showing no arms or skin at all) and I am thankful that there is diversity within 3/4ths so that every sister does not have to rock it in the same way. I am seeing that wearing 3/4ths represents the beauty of an original woman respecting her mental and her physical and distinguishing herself by being a physical representation of a queen, an Earth.

Ever notice that in movies or pictures or representations of queens back in the day, they wore beautiful flowing long dresses with crowns? Those who dressed scantily were courtesans, concubines, or common. So I am now seeing the beauty in the historical correlation between past and present.

Peace!

PEACE TO MY SISTAS...KNOWLEDGE YOUR EQUALITY!


What is the role of sisters in the struggle for freedom, justice, and equality in 2006? It will be what it has been throughout history, for this is a continuum and we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. Energy is neither created nor destroyed. It only changes form. So what is here, has always been here, and will always be here, just in different manifestations. Sisters will do what we have always done, which is a variety of useful and valuable things, for there is no movement and no nation without the woman.

We’ve been organizers, activists, speakers, warriors, empresses, queens, planners, strategists, earth mothers, artists, housewives, scholars, educators, leaders, supporters, letter writers, campaigners and champions of freedom. From the Civil Rights Movement to the Black Power Movement and back to the root of civilization, when empires and kingdoms were defending their people, their land, and their right to be themselves…to exist...sisters have always been there. The Black Panthers, the Brown Berets, the Young Lords, the students in the Soweto uprisings in South Africa, the Zapitistas in Chiapas, Mexico and their struggle for the rights of indigenous women, to the Parents in Action in Pittsburgh, and Save Our Sons and Daughters (SOSAD) …sisters have always been there.

We are mothers of civilization, mothers in our homes, mothers to our blocks and neighborhoods, and mothers to children who are not our own physical seeds. And it is imperative to acknowledge and recognize the importance of mothers, as this role continues to be de-emphasized in American society. We are the first teachers of children, from the womb to the grave, and without this vital role being fulfilled and appreciated, we have no future movement or nation.

Ella Baker, Fannie Lou Hamer, Lolita within the Puerto Rican struggle for liberation, Queen Mother Moore, Assata Shakur, Angela Davis, Hapshepsut, Queen Nanny of the Maroons, Nefertiti, Queen Nzinga, my elder sisters in the Nation of Gods and Earths, my own mother (who was the first Black clerical worker at U.C. Berkeley and a damn good mother if I should say so myself), sisters today blazing the trail like Dericka Blackman in the Bay Area, and so many others, recognized and unrecognized. We’ve been on the front lines of many different fronts because we’ve had to be. The issues that effect brothers affect us too and we are also targets for destruction so we have to be involved in our salvation. We have to make the choice to save ourselves and put that energy in motion.


A people must have a goal, and we have to work toward making it as specific as possible. We know that life is a journey, not a destination, but you have to know what road you are on. Knowledge is the foundation to everything in life and knowing where you’re headed because everything starts with a thought, with information, and education. So sisters, we have to be scientists! We have to investigate why we have so many liquor stores in our neighborhoods or why our schools don’t have the resources to properly teach our children or why our neighborhoods have trash everywhere or why children are killing each other because there is a reason! We have been oppressed through an intentional institutional process for hundreds of years so its' no mystery why we got issues!

We have to know and understand the power of the Black, Brown, Yellow, and Red people across the planet and the tricknowledge that this wilderness teaches in order to emphasize our differences so we won’t work toward solving a common problem. Once we find the why, then we can move to the what…meaning what are we going to do about it…knowledge and wisdom…knowing and then doing. If you don’t know anything, you won’t do anything, and you won’t be anything. Then we must work to be consistent, to not be a flash in the pan or an initiative that comes and goes, because we, our people need stability. So whatever your value system, school of thought, culture or religion, be a scientist, set a goal, and work to see your goal manifested in your community.

A popular word that is often used within liberation struggles and community organizing is "empowerment." Empowerment comes through education, mentoring, and being amongst the people. You can’t empower anybody if you can’t break bread with them because it takes more than programs and events. It takes being there consistently and people seeing you have a stake in what happens in their lives. People have to see your face. Most women who have made positive contributions to humanity were right there with everyone else marching, speaking, fighting, and teaching. Empowerment is emphasizing self-sufficiency and institution building so that people have the ability to control their own destiny…to make decisions that are in the best interest of self, family, community, and nation. To be empowered you have to have the knowledge of yourself. You have to know the reality of who you are and why you are here. Once you empower yourself, you can teach and empower others.

We can't just keep talking about the issues of our Community. We can't just keep having symposiums or conferences with people who already"get it." We can't continue to just engage in intellectual meandering just to show how many books we've read or our credentials. We can't continue to have forums where the people we are speaking about are not present because at that point, who is growing and learning from the conversation? We can't just keep writing books. A lot of these things are necessary, but we can't just stop there and think that we have accomplished the end goal, because as we get our accolades and add experience to our resume, people are dying and distressed!

As the Black woman grows less present in the home (physically, mentally, emotionally) due to stress, fatigue, the effects of the psychological legacy of slavery, and systemic depravity, young girls are growing up without the consistent influence of their primary role model: their mothers. If there is no one there to show them how to be, can you really blame them for learning through trial and error?There are practical ways that you can impact young sisters. You can start by spending time with one, two or three young girls who can benefit from your positive influence. Nature, is Supreme Mathematics taking place on the planet so just how you may acknowledge and study the process of how a tree grows from fertile soil, if I identify myself and strive to live out being the Earth, young sisters need to be able see how I live out Supreme Mathematics by being an example of womanhood, not just lecturing or talking at them.

Whatever skill that you have...teach it! Whatever love, energy and strength you have...share it! Whether you say that you want to start a coalition or run a program for children, deal with international relations, or if you want to make sure that those marching at that rally are properly fed or you want to be the best mother you can be so you can cultivate and teach your seeds, your children, to change the world, all roles are vital. But whatever role you choose, know that you have one, and you have to use whatever knowledge, skills, and talents you have to move us forward.

Peace!

P.S. Although the date for the post states March 15, it was actually posted on the 16th, the knowledge equality day.

YAY AREA!! WHAT IT DO!!!!




Have you ever heard of the following terms?


"Hyphy," "Go Stupid," "Go Dumb," "Thiz Face, "Stunna Shades," "Ghostride the Whip"


Are you drawing a blank?


How about: "Hella," "Playboy," "You Smell Me?" and "Wassup Pimpin?"

Still no dice?

The abovementioned phrases originated from where I'm from...the Bay Area, CA. A lot of people still think that the Bay Area is just a place for hippies, and there are still some around. When I tell people that I'm from South Berkeley (if they have heard of Berkeley at all), they automatically assume that I live near the campus, or the infamous Telegraph Avenue where you'll find a lot of, I'll say, unique people, and yes, some hippies, tie dye, vendors, smoke shops, college students, rockers, and naked folks (and yes, I have seen them...not pretty).

But the part of Berkeley that I am from is closer to North Oakland, where there is more of a significant Black, and now Mexican and Asian population, who live out more of an "urban" way of life (this seperation of sorts was due to boundaries being placed on the African American population in the mid-20th century which prohibited them from moving beyond a certain point, hence a concentrated Black population residing away from the campus area...not so utopian and liberal is it?). This is the part of the Bay Area that many people don't see due to their overarching ideas of what they've heard about Oakland (isn't that where the Oakland A's are from?), the Castro in San Francisco (a predominantly homosexual area), or U.C. Berkeley (the renowned institution of higher learning). The Bay Area has the hood just like many other places, that is just not the image that is projected across America.

But there's a movement goin' on, and I ain't talkin' bout Niagra or Black Power. I'm talkin' bout the Hyphy Movement. Rapper E-40 (from Vallejo, CA) breaks it down like this:

"Hyphy music is like Crunk, but in a more up-tempo way. The culture is a way of life for Bay kids. We got the side shows, the muscle cars, we ghost ride the whip, we got the invisible driving, the music, the go dumb get stupid dances, we just actin' a fool expressing ourselves...We were smokin' up the block, turning donuts and figure 8's. We had the hyphy train crackin'. Just imagine 300 cars riding back to back after a party with every car, van, camper or truck with all they doors open, shakin' their dreads, showing their grill, sporting stunna shade glasses, dancing on top of the roofs and hoods of the whip, campaigning like the president, like a big parade. It's just a whole bunch of super energy. You gotta see it."

And when you hear the music, it can be infectious. You might get extra agressive or drive your whip a little faster and bend some corners, so I can see the similarities to crunk in that sense. And it can be fun, depending on your interests and how you grew up. "Hyphy, in my white T, and my Black jeans, and my Nikes," is part of the hook in a song called "Hyphy," by newcomers, the Federation, who helped usher in this movement. That one phrase tells you just how people, particularly young males, act and dress, which is important when looking at the identity of a group of people and how they represent themselves.

Now, am I an advocate of goin' dumb? No. It doesn't send the best message to the babies and being amongst a whole lotta people goin' dumb can be dangerous or just wild as hell, depending on what's going on. And it ain't just Black folks (although we're leading the way)...White people are goin' dumb, Mexicans, Chinese, Vietnamese...the hyphy movement is not bound by ethnicity, and if that way of life is applicable to you and your experience, you go for it, no matter what you are. However, I gotta give it up to my folks in the Bay for creativity and style. We have a lot of flavor in the Bay (partly due to the influence of a heavy pimp culture), and unfortunately, a lot of people have not been exposed to Bay Area music (besides, Hieroglyphics, Goapole, Too Short, E-40). And finally, we have Keyshia Cole, who is from East Oakland, CA.

The Bay is also a space where you can really eat off of having a local fan base. If 50,000 people buy your album, and you're selling it independently, you're not struggling, and a lot of Bay Area artists who have been out for a decade plus are living off of their music, without national exposure, i.e. Mac Mall, San Quinn, C-Bo, and Mac Dre (R.I.P.). Truthfully, I am not sure if the hyphy music translates to the rest of the country (although much slang has come from the left coast) because the culture is so insolated. You almost have to grow up out there to really get it and appreciate it. However, a new song out by E-40, featuring Keak da Sneak called, "Tell Me When to Go," seeks to take the Hyphy Movement nationwide. When one of my students in my program came in singing, "Tell Me When to Go" (as in, "Tell Me When to Go Dumb"), I had mixed feelings. First, I was elated that a song fromthe Bay Area with Bay Area artists is getting some national airtime in 2006. Then, I thought, is it a good thing for kids who already are not into knowledge for knowledge's sake to repeat that affirmation? It's tricky, especially for me, cuz I love my people and am loyal to where I'm from (still have my accent after 4 and 1/2 years in Power Born). But for all that it is and all that it is not, this video provides a clear representation of the Hyphy Movement, and how a lotta folks kick it in the Bay.

Let your myths and previous ideas about the Bay Area, CA fall by the wayside...

http://www.vibe.com/music/video/2006/02/07/e40_feat_
keak_da_sneak_tell_me_when_to_go/

P.S. You may not be able to understand Keak da Sneak; just try to feel him :-)

R.I.P to Mac Dre. He would be proud.

G.O.D.


Peace. Todays' mathematics is God. Todays' degree in the alphabet is God. God is recognized in our culture as the 1) Black man who has the knowledge of himself and 2) the orderly system of Supreme Mathematics itself (as I was taught). An order, is a process of sequential steps in getting things done. Everyone has a process for how they do things (completing projects, cooking, taking a shower, studying, etc.). In Supreme Mathematics, the order should entail the best way to do things to to achieve maximum productivity and efficiency so that when it's born, or complete, you achieved the best results because you explored all available options and have chosen for yourself the best way to execute the plan. It's about having an orderly system where everyone knows their role (equality) and each person is operating at maximum levels so that the system moves as one unit, at its' highest level...like a well oiled machine.

In mainstream society, God has represented people's attempt to understand their relationship with their environment, to understand the origin of things. Because we are complex beings who are conscious of our own existence, we strive to understand the complexities of life and all that exists around us. Due to the order in which things were made and the order of life taking place (Supreme Mathematics), many people attribute the process of how all things came to be to a mystery God; a grand architect, a designer. This is essentially the argument of intelligent design. But there is no way to prove this argument true. If there is a designer, where are they, and who designed them? How do you know there is one and not many? Do they speak all the different languages of the world? What was the process of design? If no concrete examples are given, then one must simply "believe" this being exists, but believing does not bring you any closer to the truth.

In Genesis, in the bible, a seven day process of creation is referenced as how life came into existence. Some think it was 7 actual days, others think each day spanned millions of years and the word "day" is somewhat metaphorical. How do you prove any of this? This mystery god is a figment of our collective imagination, like a chip that has been inserted in our brains by society through our conditioning. You hear the idea so much in households, school, media, and other societal discourse that you automatically assume it is true without question.

Some religious scientists try to support arguments for intelligent design and evolution by stating that God created the process of evolution. By believing in this magician of sorts, you consistently remove power and responsibility from yourself (and fail to acknowledge the wonders and beauty of the natural process of life) and assign it to an entity outside of yourself that we have assigned anthropomorphic qualities that you cannot prove exists. Some religions think God interacts within our daily affairs, while some others think God is what sparked life, or put a blueprint for life in motion, but does not interfere with the trivial daily affairs of people (that may be left to smaller Gods or intermediaries). This, however, can not be shown and proven. We have only begun to understand the depths of the capabilities of what the mind can produce, let alone a supernatural being that supposedly exists somewhere in the heavens.

Many people think that if you identify yourself as God, you are some sort of magician (i.e. Make money appear out of thin air! Make it rain!) but that is due to a misunderstanding of what being God in this culture means. The original Asiatic Black man who is God is not a magician. He strives to continue to know the origin of all things, and those who have the information can use it to guide and direct people, places, and things in his environment. In the family, he holds himself ultimately accountable and responsible for how the cipher functions. He is connected in the mind and body, the mental and the physical, so that his level of consciousness and intelligence controls his actions and he is able to take things from mind to matter (mental to physical). He provides Good Orderly Direction by knowing all of the ways, but implements the best way. This is how he is the author of change. He writes his own history by living out Supreme Mathematics and being in tune with himself...his nature. He shows and proves there is no mystery God by being a scientist and investigating the science of everything in life and reveals this truth to others. He strives to embody the qualities of what people attribute to a mystery God so you know that the makers and owners and authors of change are in the flesh, that can be seen and heard. For example, many Egyptian Pharoahs were referenced as and considered Gods...and they were people, but they did things that shaped and molded their environment and pushed that civilization forward. Being God is a responsibility, not just a title, and you have to do very real things that impact people in very real ways.

Allah, the Father (the founder of our Nation) was a true and living God because he investigated the origin of things and gave us access to this information so that we would see our own divinity. He guided, directed, and empowered. He used his intelligence to identify a system that represents the natural order of life so that we could have a culture that allows us to shape and mold our environment. That is creativity. That is what moves the world. People have mistakenly created a mystery God (by far, probably the most interesting and compelling concept invented of all time), when the origin of creativity among human beings lies within oneself.

7:10 "How much useful land is used by the original man? The original man uses 23 million square miles."

Simply stated, God uses land or resources and tools he has access to to show and prove his power to shape and mold his environment. God has to be wise, meaning he has to know what to do with what he has access to so that he can create the reality he wants to see. He has to know how to take care of his garden to produce the best fruit. This is what ABG #7 did for example. He took the knowledge he had and created a cipher in Medina by teaching others the truth about themselves. Nothing appears out of thin air. You take what you have and make something meaningful of it. Mind to matter.

7:36 "Why does he like the Devil?"

A Black man must destroy any aspect of devilishment inside of himself in order to be God. The more God accepts the Devils' (we are not pro-black or anti-white, so this implies anybody who exhibits devilish behavior), way of life, the more he imlpements it and grafts it into himself, the more he will lose sight of his nature as God. God must not like the Devil, he must love himself and be diligent and disciplined enough within himself to create that which is in his own image, not the Devils.' Easier said than done.

7:14 " Why does the Devil call our people Africans? To make our people of North America believe that the people on that continent are the only people they have and that they are all savages. The Devil built a trading post in the jungles of that continent. The original people live on that continent. They're the ones who strayed away from civilization and are living a jungle life. The original people call this continent Asia, but the Devil calls it Africa to try and divide them. He wants us to think that we're all different."

This degree is telling of using words and labels to manipulate and control others so that you can use them to serve your wants and needs to make your reality born. God uses the truth to positively impact people so that they become in tune with themselves, which will create a harmonious environment. The Devil, in this sense, uses lies and deception by "making our people of North America" believe and buy in to a concept that we did not create. This speaks to our lack of self-definition, and for so long as a people, foreign invaders have taken over land and the people in it, and named it as they saw fit. In this case, the name given to a Roman province in so-called North Africa has come to define an entire continent. Wikipedia.org, an online encyclopedia that summarizes research and resources from many different online sources states:

"The name Africa came into Western use through the Romans, who used the name Africa terra — "land of the Afri" (plural, or "Afer" singular) — for the northern part of the continent, as the province of Africa with its capital Carthage, corresponding to modern-day Tunisia.
The Afri were a tribe — possibly Berber — who dwelt in North Africa in the Carthage area. The origin of Afer may be connected with Phoenician `afar, dust (also found in most other Semitic languages)... Ancient Africa extended into what is now known as Asia. There was no line drawn between the two continents until the geographer Ptolemy (85 - 165 AD), accepted Alexandria as Prime Meridian and made the isthmus of Suez and the Red Sea the boundary between Asia and Africa. As Europeans came to understand the real extent of the continent, the idea of Africa expanded with their knowledge."


So as we see, this is another example of other people defining who we are based on their limited worldview. By only identifying ourselves as African, this does not take us to the origin of things. One may say that the oldest known bones were found in Africa, hence we're all Africans! However, you cannot disregard all of the activity, migrations, inter-mingling, civilizations, and cultures that developed between then and now. For example, people from China or Korea, may not have always identified themselves as Asian, they may have identified themselves as Korean or Chinese or possibly another term used prior to those (i.e. Benin, was formerly called Dahomey, an ancient kingdom, or Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) is a name referenced by European traders due to the abundance of Ivory Tusks in that region). That is why I love that we as a nation use the term "original people," because it is a general term, that links us with people, cultures, and experiences across the planet.

I understand the reclaiming of the word "African" as a means to identify oneself (as i used to) because that is the continent that my ancestors were most likely brought from through the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade (but because I have not completed a geneological search, I am not 100%sure). However, I am not acknowledging my great great grandfather who was a Blackfoot Indian/ Indigenous peson, or the likely interaction that one of my ancestors had with somebody white, and anything else in between pre-slavery to the present. What if my ancestors came from another continent or area of the world, prior to coming to Africa? What if my ancestors were from Haiti by way of Benin? I cannot disregard the French influences no more than I can disregard the West African influence. Both have to be investigated to have the knowledge of myself in that sense and assume an identity.

The continents were once one, which is symbolic of all original people. We are all one...not the same, but one (many of us may have similar makeup due to colonization, just different specific invaders...a great point my brother Sha King brought up...Puerto Ricans and so-called African Americans...both have in a general sense, African, Indigenous, and White lineage). We are all connected becasue our history is connected. We've learned things from each other which creates a collective creativity. Original people across the planet have bartered and traded with each other for thousands of years (and in some cases, stole ideas and people), and unless you live in a vacuum, one's way of life is open to be influenced or impacted by anothers.' When looking at the history of a people, you cannot ignore the importance of polyculturalism (the concept that all of the worlds' cultures are inter-related). At times, this has proven to be successful, and at times it has caused cultural dilution or outright destruction. However, the truth remains that original people have consistently interacted with and impacted other original people for thousands of years. By not acknowledging this, we continue to remain divided and limit our ability to manifest our collective power. "He wants us to think that we're all different" so that we won't come together, which leaves him opportunity to extend his civilization through world domination.

PEACE...WHAT'S THE SCIENCE?

Todays' mathematics is understanding, which represents the result of theory and practice, your perspective and worldview, the babies, the fruit, the best part! It is a necessity for children to be able to comprehend the world around them, based on knowledge and wisdom, not belief, myths, or fairy tales.

Science is a system of acquiring knowledge or the organized body of knowledge based on study and research aimed at finding out the truth (wikipedia.org). In our culture, we are taught the importance of being a scientist...to study how and why all things come into existence. There are no mysteries, just happenings and phenomenon that we may not understand yet, due to a variety of reasons, such as, the technological resources have not been developed yet, or we may have the tools but are not clear how to use them or know the span of what they apply to.

Growing up in school, I didn't really enjoy science because the teaching methods and tools used to convey the information did not attract me. Frankly, I was bored. Then, when I was in maybe the fourth or fifth grade, my Old Earth (Peace Mommy!) bought me a chemistry set. I had a ball! I would come home after school and basketball or volleyball practice and before I even broke out my homework, I would break out the set and be at the table for hours combining colors and chemicals, measuring and exploring, feeding my curiousity. I made an absolute mess at times, but it was worth it to find the scientist inside of me.

After working with children of different age groups with many different learning styles and attention spans, I acknowledge the importance of being swift and changeable in teaching information by utilizing different methods to convey the same point. And kids love to work with their hands and build things! They enjoy seeing the process of how something is made. So to counter the aversion that many original children have to science, I am an advocate of experiential learning, adventure education and experiments. The following is a list of some web-sites with tons of fun science experiments and kid-friendly scientific facts and info. that you can use at home, in your classes, in an after-school program, or wherever you'd like. Enjoy!

www.ScienceBuddies.org
www.fatlion.com/science/
www.homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/directory/Sciences.htm
www.sciencemadesimple.com
www.nationalgeographic.com/kids/activities/
www.scienceforfamilies.allinfo-about.com/subjects/experiments.html
www.surfnetkids.com
www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/science/index.html
www.pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/
www.geocities.com/heartland/hills/1825/pages53.html
www.scitoys.com
www.spartechsoftware.com/reekol
www.scienceclub.org/
www.sunkist.com
www.SensoryEdge.com
www.FreePhysicsLab.Toy-Offer.com
www.lessonplanet.com/science
www.kidzone.ws/science/index.htm
www.funology.com
www.eskimo.com/~billb/amasci.html
www.creativekidsathome.com/kids_science.html
www.all-science-fair-projects.com/
www.educationindex.com/gensci
www.eduplace.com/science/profdev/science_fair/
www.tufts.edu/as/wright_center/svl/posters/posts.html

P.E.A.C.E
(Please Educate All Chilldren Everyday)

PEACE to all the human families of the planet Earth...and that means YOU! My name is I Medina Peaceful Earth and I come to you as a citizen of the Nation of Gods and Earths (formerly known as the 5% Nation, if you're unfamiliar), reflecting the radiant light of I Majestic Allah. I am originally from Berkeley, California (what it do!), and am now proud to rest in Power Born, Power Allah (Pittsburgh, PA).

This space will consist of reflections, articles, rants, questions, answers and affirmations about how I see things, my way of life, and jewels I've learned along my journey in this complex world.

So...why Refined and Fly?

Hmmm...

According to the American Heritage College Dictionary (3rd Edition), to refine is to: tr. 1. to reduce to a pure state; 2. purify; to remove by purifying; 3. To free from course, unsuitable, or immoral characteristics. intr. 1. to become free from impurities. 2. to acquire polish or elegance. 3. to use precise distinctions and subltety in thought or speech.

This is indeed a process, and through the journey of getting the knowledge of myself, I am learning how to refine my way of thinking and destroy the thoughts that are negative or poisonous; refine my words ways and actions so that they are wise and communicate exactly what I am intending (that don't mean you won't hear an expletive now and then, but my will is to keep that to a minimum); and refine how I physically present myself so that others see a strong, beautiful, modest woman who walks with her head up high because she loves herself, inside and out.

According to the Meriam -Webster Online Dictionary, fly, as an adjective, means keen and artful.

I also see "fly" in relation to myself as being confident in how I present myself, which is a combination of my internal and external characteristics: having a positive attitude, intelligence, distinctive, unique, stylish, artistic, creative, and modest (hell yeah, 3/4ths is fly...more on that later).

So, the phrase "refined and fly" are two ways in which I see myself, and my posts will be reflections of me.

I also think that it's mighty fly to be refined.

I build you take the best part.

PEACE