NEWARK (FinalCall.com)—In a time of political and social wailing and gnashing of teeth, a much different tone echoed through a Robert Treat Hotel meeting room as Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan closed the State of the Black World Conference organized by Dr. Ron Daniels and the Institute for the Black World 21st Century.
The election of Donald J. Trump reflects a time and spirit in America that demands a proper response and that proper response is Black unity and an unyielding spirit of self-determination, said Min. Farrakhan.
“Why would I want to vote for continued rule by my oppressor? We have to vote for freedom from the oppressor,” said Min. Farrakhan. Mr. Trump plans to put “teeth” behind Make America Great again and that means pain for Blacks, he continued.
Min. Louis Farrakhan
|
But beyond the November election of Mr. Trump to occupy the White House for the next four years, the truth is neither Democrats nor the Republicans have served Black interests well, he said. The evil of the White man has led to his utter confusion so why would you want to join that party? asked Min. Farrakhan Nov. 20.
He recited words from his teacher, the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, who warned against blind faith in American politics and Black politicians willing to sell out the interests of their people for personal benefit. The State of the Black World conference drew an impressive array of Black scholars, thinkers and activists under the theme “It’s Nation Time.” Many were active in the Black Power movement and most embraced Black nationalist, Afrocentric or Pan African philosophies. The conference was dedicated to the late longtime activist and Black Arts movement giant Amiri Baraka, a son of Newark, writer and poet. His son, Ras Baraka, is now mayor, spoke at the conference, and joined the Minister on stage at its close.
The conference was the first major Black gathering since a White voter backlash led to one of the most stunning political upsets in American history. Lifted by White turnout in states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, the billionaire, bombastic businessman defeated the highly qualified and highly distrusted former Secretary of State and senator Hillary Clinton.
The Minister described President-elect Trump as a wind blowing on the dry bones in the valley, referring to a biblical prophecy that describes the condition of Blacks in America—disunited, unable to collect themselves. But, he added, the scripture says God allowed the winds to blow on the dry bones and then the bones stood up as an exceedingly great army.
Activists and scholars attended the major conference.
|
It is time for Blacks to have a nation of their own and to separate from their former slave masters, said Min. Farrakhan. Whites were pressed through civil rights laws, demands to take down the Confederate battle flag and prosecution of those guilty of 60-year-old killings during the civil rights movement, he noted. Whites have had enough, said Min. Farrakhan.
Looking at the president-elect’s cabinet selections, Blacks are going to be pushed out of America, he said. “You don’t want to leave the White man because of the money you got in your pocket and the inference you got in the society but you’ve got to come out of this thing,” said Min. Farrakhan.
There have been 700 hate crimes reported since the election of Mr. Trump and the “onion of White civility has been pulled back,” Whites are angry and unapologetic about asserting themselves, he noted.
We want justice, equal opportunity and membership with the best in civilized society regardless of creed, class or color, he continued. If Whites are unable to deliver these rights under the American flag, we have to seize these rights for ourselves, said Min. Farrakhan. “Either you are free or you a slave masquerading as if you are free,” he said. The audience interrupted his message numerous times with applause, cheers and laughter.
“My message to Mr. Trump: Push it real good. Push it so good that Black people say I’m out of here, I can’t take it no more,” said Min. Farrakhan. “It’s only in our unity that we will have the power to beat back tyranny.”
Blacks should control all of the levers of power, the schools, the politics, the economics, in their communities, the Minister argued.
“On our level as intellectuals and scholars, what are you willing to sacrifice to see the elevation not of yourself but of the mass of our people? It’s going to take sacrifice and there will be pain and there will be suffering. Are you willing to endure it for the elevation of the masses of our people?” he asked.
“You represent the intellectual strength that can put the hands of the unlearned to building, put the feet of the unlearned to walking the pathway of free men and women. What we need now is to take the conference to a table where we develop ministries of service to our people.”
|
|
Min. Farrakhan message was applauded as he called for Black self-determination and unity as America becomes more hostile to Blacks. It is time to separate from America, he said. Photos: Andrea Muhammad
|
He pledged to give $10,000 to $100,000 to the Institute of the Black World to work on creation of ministries to serve Black needs and craft plans for Black development.
We have to rebuild the wasted cities and demand our tax dollars be placed in a national treasury to support the ministries that will serve us, the Minister said.
