From The Beginning To The End

 

This past Monday, November 22, 2021. I received some painful news that a good spiritual brother/friend of mines died from COVID. The news was very painful because I had just talked to him a week and a half before he died. We were joking, laughing, and reminiscing on our younger days in San Diego, California.

Brother Jerry Ali Muhammad was one of the first believers I met when I started attending the Nation of Islam mosque. He and another spiritual brother/good friend of mines, Brother Dayrel Muhammad were the first ones I met because they picked me up for the Friday Study Group, mosque meeting.

I was nervous about going to the mosque because I was a gang member at that time; I was a blood from a gang called 59 Brims and the mosque was located in my arch-rival territory; West Coast Crips. By visiting the mosque, I was putting my life on the line. When I talked to the brother over the phone and told him, I wanted to visit the mosque but I was afraid that the West Coast Crips would try to kill me. The brother assured me, that, everything would be alright and if anyone mess with me in their presence; they are messing with them.

So, Brother Jerry and Brother Dayrel were sent to pick me up and they both assured me, I would be okay. Brother Dayrel knew my big Sister Valerie from high school and he also told me he was a former gang member from a gang called Skyline Piru. I told him, I was very much familiar with that gang because I have family members from that gang.

I asked Brother Dayrel what they called him (his former street name), he said Tiger, and I remembered him because he used to be a big-time gambler, he used shoot dice. Also, I saw him back in the days when he used to bang and I remembered him because he had a long Jerry curl and every function I went to; he was there in the middle of the dice game.

On the ride to the mosque, I do not remember, Brother Jerry, saying anything. It was not until I started processing class where Brother Jerry and I started talking and getting to know each other. Processing class is where (new believers learn to get their X to become a registered member of the Nation of Islam).

Brother Jerry and I became close, he is the first believer whose house I went to and we used to always talk about the teachings. Well, Brother Jerry did most of the talking and I would just listen because I was so amazed by the wisdom/knowledge he used to share with me. I always saw him as a future minister. He was humble but he was strict when it came to the Nation of Islam and its teachings. The first time, I was ever reported was by Brother Jerry. One day, he was telling me how much he loves The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. I told him, I love Minister Rahim Muhammad (may Allah be pleased with him). I could tell Brother Jerry was offended by the expression on his face. He did not say anything else he walked away….

The next day, before our processing class, I was called into a meeting with Brother Jerry and Minister Rahim; Minister Rahim said, Brother Jerry reported you to me and he said, that, you love me more than The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. I said, yes sir because I do not know Minister Farrakhan but I know you and you are the one that inspired me to join the Nation of Islam. Minister Rahim said, I told Brother Jerry one day you will love The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan more than me; you just need to study, listen to The Minister’s tapes and watch his videos, and that I did!!

Over the years, Brother Jerry and I would laugh about how stubborn and rebellious I was. How believers could tell me nothing without proof. They used to say, I was like a lawyer, I wanted evidence. He said, to see the man I am becoming and me going back to college to further my education is very surprising, especially for someone like him who saw me at the beginning.

Not knowing, the last conversation I had with Brother Jerry would be the last. There is no doubt a divine reason why Allah (God) put it on my heart to inbox him to call me because it would be our last conversation.

Atone Before It Is Too Late

 

“Used to be my homie, now you act like you don't know me.” – Ice Cube

I started off quoting a verse from Ice Cube from his diss song “No Vaseline” where he responded to his former group N. W. A. who dissed him on their second album because he left their group.

If you ever listen to No Vaseline, you would feel Ice Cube lyrics and you would sense the pain he probably had when writing it. If you saw the movie “Straight Outta Compton” you would know the reason why Ice Cube left N. W. A. and went solo.

Nevertheless, before Easy – E died, him and Ice Cube atoned. They talked about doing a third album and in hopes to atone with Dr. Dre so they could have all the original members on the album. M. C. Ren and DJ Yella was already planning to be on board. They just needed Ice Cube and Dr. Dre.

Unfortunately, the album never happened. One of the main reasons because Easy – E passed away. Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and M. C. Ren made attempts to record and possibly dropped a third N. W. A. album but they never made it happen!!

In the book Matthew chapter 18 verse 21. Peter asked Jesus how many times should he forgive his brother that sins against him? Till seven times? Verse 22. Jesus responded seventy times seven.

I know and understand it is hard to atone/forgive someone who you feel have wronged you. Jesus says, “to forgive and forget.” I have heard people say, “I can forgive but I can’t forget.” 

We don’t know how deeply we hurt someone because we can’t feel their pain…. We just know what they tell us or what we can see like their tears or their anger.

In closing: The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan give us 8 Steps of Atone to assist us to reconcile our differences. Those 8 Steps of Atonement are: 

1.  Someone must point out the wrong

2. Acknowledgement of wrong

3. Confess the fault; first to Allah (God), then to those offended

4. Repentance; a feeling of remorse or contrition or shame for the past conduct which was wrong and sinful

5. Atonement; meaning to make amends and reparations for the wrong

6. Forgiveness by the offended party; to cease to feel offense and resentment against another for the harm done

7. Reconciliation and restoration; meaning to become friendly and peaceable again

8. Perfect union with Allah (God) and with each other.

I pray and hope this blog help some of us to atone and reconcile our differences. In the spirit of The Million Man March. “LONG LIVE THE SPIRIT OF THE MILLION MAN MARCH!!”

Push It!!

 

I mentioned a while back in one of my older blogs, one of my all-time favorite writers and Ministers is a man name Jabril Muhammad who has a weekly column in The Final Call Newspaper. I used to write Mr. Jabril occasionally. He usually wrote me back and sometimes he would respond directly or he would suggest me to read a certain book or other articles.

Most times, when I wrote him it was questions on life in general or something pertaining to my personal life. I wrote him a question and sharing him the struggles I was dealing with as a young Muslim and a young father. He wrote and suggested I subscribe to his website called: “Written Testimony.” On his website there was articles and one of them I could really relate to.

It was a story about a frail/skinny man who God one day appeared to. There was a huge boulder at the edge of a cliff. God told the man to push it!! The man pushed it, faithfully day and night for years. Then one day the man got upset and called out for God. He said, “God, I need to see you, we need to talk!”

God appeared and He said, “what do you need son, my faithful servant?” The man said angrily, “God, you told me to push this boulder off the edge of the cliff and I have pushed it faithfully; Day and night for years! It was a waste of time because it would not go off the cliff!”

God said, “I did not tell you to push it off the cliff. I just said push it.” The man said, “for what?!” God said, “look at yourself, you was frail and skinny! Look at your arms, look at your chest, look at your thighs, and your legs. That is why, I told you to push it!!”

The moral of the story: God has us to do certain things in our lives that we may not understand. Just like Daniel with Mr. Miyagi from the movie Karate Kid. Daniel wanted Mr. Miyagi to teach him martial arts but he felt Mr. Miyagi was wasting his time by doing chores. Those same chores was teaching and training that Daniel did not know until Mr. Miyagi started throwing punches and kicking at him saying to Daniel, “wax on, wax off!!”

Next time, when you are going through certain things in life, call out to God through prayer or meditation and ask Him why? His response might be I just wanted you to push it!!

IT IS TIME TO SEPARATE!!!!

 

According to online dictionary separation is defined as: “ 1. the action or state of moving or being moved apart. “the damage that might arise from the separation of parents and children". 2. the division of something into constituent or distinct elements. “prose structured into short sentences with meaningful separation into paragraphs".

There is a time and a season for everything. There is a time to live and a time to die. There is a time for peace and a time for war. I believe now is the time for separation for the conscious and the consciously aware Black people not only from White people but also from Black people that want to stay with White people…. In slavery we would call it the separation from field Negroes from the house Negroes who want to stay with our former slave masters.

I honestly believe COVID-19 is exposing a lot of people hearts and minds. There are Black people promoting for Black/African Americans to get vaccinated and they feel you are wrong about not wanting to.

These same Black people act like they got amnesia on how White people gave the Native Americans smallpox, the Tuskegee experiment, and how White missionaries went to the Motherland/Africa and injected our Brothers and Sisters with HIV!!

So NO, I DO NOT want the COVID-19 vaccination!! I want to have the freedom we are supposed to have and the freedom to heal myself naturally like I do when I get a cold or the flu….

We shouldn’t be forced to take a vaccination and this why we (conscious and consciously aware Black people) need to separate ourselves from our former slave masters and their modern day house Negroes.

Even Jesus talked about separation a couples of times. I am going to close with one of them: Matthew 25: 31 – 33 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.”

IT IS TIME TO SEPARATE!!!! Again, not only from our former slave masters but also from their house Negroes.

Was Willie Lynch and His Letter A Myth?

Have you all ever read the Willie Lynch letter? When I first heard of the Willie Lynch letter and read it. It seemed so true when it comes to Black people/African Americans.

A few years ago, I heard it was a myth. I personally think it is true!!

I do not want to give you all the whole story because I want you all to read it for yourself.

Willie Lynch was said to be a British slave owner from the West Indies. He came to America as an invited guest. On his visit in the Colony of Virginia, he saw and smelled the Black slaves dead carcasses hanging from trees.

Willie Lynch said to the American slave owners that they were wasting their merchandise. He was invited to America because he was a successful and wealthy slave owner.

He taught the American slaves to turn the slaves against each other. The dark skin against the light skin, the old against the young, the male against the female, and to show favoritism to make the slaves envious and jealous of each other.

Willie Lynch supposed to had said this in 1712 and he said if his method is followed correctly it would last 300 years.

This is the year 2021 and Black people/African Americans is still divided and conquered. 309 years , Black people/African Americans still DO NOT have any UNITY, we still do not have anything to call our own.

We had and have Black millionaires, billionaires, educated men and women.

Black mayors, governors, a Black president, police chiefs, doctors, lawyers, and teachers.

But we are still divided!!

So ask yourself….

Was Willie Lynch and his letter a myth?

 

 

My Life’s Journey

 

Last week, I turned 45 years old. I am so grateful to be able to say that. Especially, since, a lot Black males in America barely get to live to see the age of 25. 

In fact, when, I was 15 years old, my school counselor told my mother in front of me, that, I wouldn’t to live to see the age of 25 because of the rate I was going.

I can remember his words like it was yesterday and he probably would had been right. He was nearly right and I had some close encounters!! I started banging when I was 13 years old.

From the age 13 until I joined the Nation of Islam when was I was 19. It looked like I was heading either two directions…. Juvenile/Prison or to that grave!!

As it is written in the Holy Qur’an, Allah (God) is the best of planners. He had and have something different in stored for me. I am truly thankful that He guided me to the right path.

Even though, I am far from perfect but I am better than I was and could had been. If…. You hear anything negative about me and it might be true (smile). Ask the person or people do they know how I was before I joined the Nation of Islam?

I was not no O-Dog or Nino Brown but I was D – Holmez and I am totally different to how I was. This is why I am so passionate about striving to help to save our youth from heading the wrong direction. Particularly our male youth because I know the direction I was heading. I know the direction that some of my homeboys, homegirls, and some of my family members took.

So, I am using my life’s journey as a testimony to help Allah (God) to guide our youth and adults to the right path so they can be thankful and grateful to celebrate another year of their lives!!

 

Know Your Worth

 

When I was little, I played Pop Warner football for Valencia Park and one of my all-time favorite coaches was coach Sharp, he used to tell us, “To Be The Best, You Have To Think You Are The Best!!” He used to run laps with us and make us say it. He installed that into our brains.

Coach Sharp, probably lead his team to the Q bowl (Quest bowl) more than any other coach from Valencia Park. Some of the best players played under him and some even went on to play in the NFL. To name two: J. J. Stokes and Terrell Davis.

He was such a great coach!! Players would stay back instead of going up to the next team. I was one of them. I lost weight on purpose to be a older but lighter and both years I played for him we went to the Q bowl. We lost both years but we still went!!

My point of sharing this story of coach Sharp, he gave us confidence, he made us believe in ourselves. In the business world, he showed us “What We Are Worth!!”

Over the years, I turned down jobs because of pay and this is before I went back college to get my degrees. I believe in myself and I know my worth!! Some jobs offered me decent pay but the workload was going to be heavy and I believe in…. “Work Smarter Not Harder.” All money is not good money and if I have to work myself to death for it, I don’t want it!!

I know people say, “You Got To Do, What You Got To Do.” True!! But, we can also do what want to do…. As, I shared previously in one of my blogs. I received my master's degree in Management. I went on a couple of interviews. Some jobs, I was very much interested but the pay wasn’t what I expected. Then there were jobs, the pay was decent but the workload wasn’t worth it.

One day, after an interview, I went to visit my spiritual father at his place of business and we were talking about the interview I had. I told him about the pay, the amount of employees that was going to be under me, and the requirements (duties/responsibilities). My spiritual father said, "it’s not worth it!!"

He said, “with all those requirements, (duties/responsibilities) you should get paid more!!” I said, I tried to tell them but since, I didn’t have experience in that position they wasn’t listening to me. He said, “if you take that position, they are still not going to listen to you.”

He went on to say, “you do have the experience and you should know your worth.” He said, “when I used to work for other people and when I went out to interviews. I didn’t allow them to tell me how much they are offering me. I told them what I wanted because I know my worth.”

So, I end up not taking that job and stayed with my current employer. I end up getting promoted with my current employer and making more than these other companies were offering me. I reminded my current employer how I been dedicated to them and I went back to college and further my education. And I deserve a promotion because I know “my worth!!”