Executive Overreach and The Serpents Egg

1977 film by legendary Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman

     

     On August 12th, 2025, the White House sent this letter to the Honorable Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution regarding an Executive Order to Review its Exhibitions and Materials. This Executive Review is to make sure that these Institutions focus on “Americanism” in order to “Restore Truth and Sanity to American History.” Its aim is to “ensure alignment with the President’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions.” This review will assess various aspects of the Smithsonian's operations such as its public-facing content (in-person exhibitions and online materials), curatorial processes and exhibition planning, draft plans for future shows, how collections are used to highlight American achievements, the development of narrative standards for exhibitions. Elaborating on this Executive Order, President Trump shared the below August 19th post on Truth Social regarding this federal directive:

     First and foremost, everything discussed at the Smithsonian Institute is not how horrible the country is, how bad slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been. Anyone who has visited a Smithsonian site knows that this statement is a boldfaced lie. There is a tremendous amount of success, brightness and future aspirations shown in numerous in-person exhibitions and online materials. To that point, the National Museum of African American History and Culture literally have a beautifully vibrant exhibition on Afrofuturism. It is worth noting that the term "WOKE" was first created by Black folks in 1930s and 1960s Protest Songs and recently popularized in Erykah Badu's song Master Teacher. This idea describes an awareness of racism, discrimination, prejudice and their harmful results. To be WOKE means that you possess the knowledge to identify and allude the pitfalls and traps of racism, discrimination, and prejudice. Let's be clear, whenever President Trump or any of his MAGA sympathizers dismiss, ridicule, or attack the idea of being WOKE, they are simultaneously denying that racism, discrimination, and prejudice exist against Black people. The statement, "This Country cannot be WOKE" means the U.S. cannot acknowledge that racism, discrimination, and prejudice exist against Black people because that is the perspective of poor Black people. This is the root of the attacks we have seen on Affirmative Action, DEI, Obamacare, Obama Phones, Reparations, and other initiatives impacting Black people. This is also what's behind the stereotypical claims to pathologize Black people as coming from sh*thole countries, eating dogs and cats, having toxic culture, playing the victim, playing the race card, being unmerited DEI hires, being reverse racists, poor, lazy, on welfare, looking for handouts, criminals, uneducated, and killing each other. 

  According to the White House, the initial Phase I to review the Smithsonian Institute's exhibitions and materials will focus on the following eight museums listed below. Additional museums will be reviewed in Phase II.

• National Museum of American History
• National Museum of Natural History
• National Museum of African American History and Culture
• National Museum of the American Indian
• National Air and Space Museum
• Smithsonian American Art Museum
• National Portrait Gallery
• Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

     Who is doing the reviewing? White House appointees/attorneys. Not historians, scholars, curators, or subject-area experts. This would be equivalent to someone who only has a background in sports entertainment serving as the U.S. Secretary of Education. In that position to lead the Department of Education, this person is responsible for reviewing and developing national education policies, overseeing federal education programs, supporting teachers, and ensuring equal access to quality education for all students. Whether it's former World Wrestling Entertainment executive Linda McMahon as the Secretary of Education, former Fox News Host Pete Hegseth as the Secretary of Defense, or Lee Zeldin as Administrator of the EPA with no background in environmental issues, inexperienced federal appointments like this have become the norm of the Trump Administration. Some have argued that this is not problematic. Yet these are the same people who would have a problem with someone who has no medical background reviewing their medical records and developing a health recovery plan for them or a family member. Like it or not, these appointees and others are responsible for developing a health recovery plan for America.

Submission Timeline

Below is the scheduled compliance timeline highlighted in this letter to the Smithsonian Institute.

Within 30 days of receipt of this letter, we anticipate:

• Each museum to submit all requested materials outlined in the first four bullet points above, including current exhibition descriptions, draft plans for upcoming shows, America 250 programming materials, and internal guidelines used in exhibition development.
• Review of America 250 exhibition and program planning and connect with curators and staff about their specific proposals.
• A staff liaison from each museum will be designated to serve as the primary point of contact throughout the review process.
• Our team will begin on-site observational visits, conducting walkthroughs of current exhibitions to document themes, visitor experience, and visual messaging.

Within 75 days:

• Museums are asked to submit the remaining requested documentation (items 5 through 10), including promotional literature, grant data, educational materials, and guided tour content.

• Our team will begin scheduling and conducting voluntary interviews with curators and senior staff. These conversations will help us better understand each museum’s goals and the broader curatorial vision guiding the institution.
• Each museum should finalize and submit its updated plan to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary and ensure coordination with the White House Salute to America 250 Task Force to align messaging and public engagement.

Within 120 days:

• Museums should begin implementing content corrections where necessary, replacing divisive or ideologically driven language with unifying, historically accurate, and constructive descriptions across placards, wall didactics, digital displays, and other public-facing materials.

The White House also stated, "If all benchmarks are met on schedule, we anticipate completing our review and preparing a final report for your review in early 2026. This report will include museum-specific assessments, institutional trends, and constructive recommendations for future exhibition strategy." 

Executive Branch Overreach

     President Trump is the only President in American history to call for a review of the Smithsonian Institution. According to the Organization of American Historians (OAH) who have openly condemned this order, the Smithsonian Institution was “established by Congress in 1846 as a unique and independent agency" and "is not, and has never been, under the authority of the Executive Branch." The OAH went on to state that the Smithsonian "is an independent statutory agency, led by the Secretary and governed by a bipartisan Board of Regents as established by law." In a statement by American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) it shared, "The administration’s directive ignores our field’s scholarship and the will of the American people, who have repeatedly said they want to explore the nation's history in all of its depth and complexity. The directive removes crucial context that audiences need for a fuller understanding of the past and its relevance to today. It is also an affront to the public’s right to think for itself." As congressionally chartered and independent, the Smithsonian Institute is not part of the U.S. government's Executive Branch. Thus, the White House, and any President, does not have the authority to direct the Smithsonian's internal operations, museum exhibits, or interpretive content.

     What consequence do these institutions face for not following this directive as a part ofExecutive Order 14253? Potential funding restrictions like we have seen educational institutions face via Executive Order 14238, titled "Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy." The Center for American Progress (CAP), an independent non-partisan policy institute has tracked how the White House's Executive Orders have impacted states and higher learning institutions by Mapping Federal Funding Cuts. What this order also does is set a national standard of censorship and suppression of history. The direction to remove improper ideology that does not show allegiance to the traditions, institutions, and ideals of the United States, as defined by federal government appointees, sets the stage for the rewriting of history. This also undermines the trust in institutions, especially by historians, scholars, researchers, documentarians, curators, subject-area experts, and educators who have researched, documented and teach non-revisionist history. Lastly, this attack on scholarship and academic exploration instills fear in those to not present counter narratives that will conflict with the government's review standards, or face repercussions -which may be severe. What is also important to consider is how this federal overreach sets a precedence on a state, regional, and local level. 

How does this affect everyday people? 

     The Smithsonian Institution is a national standard of excellence in museum collections, scholarship, education, and scientific exploration. What happens on the national level informs institutions on a regional and local level. This is where they receive their marching orders, especially with the added pressure of losing federal funding. In the area of WNY (Western New York) I have seen this effecting a number of institutions. As a host for the show What's Next? on BTPM (Buffalo Toronto Public Media) and which receives funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, an entity that was recently defunded by the U.S. government and is shutting down. As an Adjunct Professor at Niagara University, I have also watched extreme cuts to their programs and staff due to the changes within the federal government. Libraries, museums, educational institutions, and regional/local policy makers are all feeling the pressure to comply with the federal government's expectations, which are often not under the legal jurisdiction of the U.S. government's Executive Branch. I have also seen local institutions and business censor how they use social media for fear of losing customers, resources, and funding if they post/share content that does not align with the federal government. What do you call a far-right, authoritarian nationalist political ideology characterized by dictatorial leadership, control and standardization imposed by a central authority, and suppression of opposition? FACISM. While some have hesitated to call it what it is, the elements and tendencies of the current Administration are evidenced in past fascist governments such as Italy and Germany. In fact, the 1977 film The Serpent's Egg by legendary Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, is an excellent example of how a fascist society developed in 1920s Berlin, Germany. Check out the trailer below.

What can we do about it? 

     All marginalized people, based upon our race, gender, socioeconomic status, age, worldview, etc. have always been negatively impacted in various ways by racist, sexist, ageist, elitist. etc. policies that have set inequitable societal standards. These policies and standards have been primarily established and upheld by WASP men; White Anglo-Saxon Protestant men. Because of this, there have always existed resistance movements in every facet of society. Whether those were movements related to classism, racism, gender inequity, labor, etc., people have always strived to fight fascism. This means that there is evidence of where, when, what, and how to fight! As educators, we fought, and fight, by establishing our own institutions to teach the children how to think critically and creatively. This enabled us, and enables them, to intelligently respond to misinformation and disinformation designed to rewrite history. As one of many community members who helped establish our Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center we made it our mission to reveal authentic stories of Underground Railroad freedom seekers and abolitionists in Niagara Falls that inspire visitors to recognize modern injustices that stem from slavery and take action toward an equitable society. These means that we center the stories and agency of people of African descent and do not promote a white savior narrative. We have been firm on this, even in the face of turning down major funders whose financial support hinged upon us changing that mission and our exhibits. The same fearless stances of integrity must be made today. We also must be willing to condemn the actions of those who seek to erase our stories. So along with education must come advocacy. In April of this year at our Permanant Forum on People of African Descent (PFPAD) at the United Nations, I had an opportunity to speak against the National Parks Services temporarily removing an image/content of Harriet Tubman from their website. You can read my official statement here. As adults, parents, guardians, and caretakers, it is important for children to see us courageously challenge these policies and standards. We can also challenge these policies and standards with our dollars. I am intentional about striving to support businesses, especially locally, that are also willing to condemn the actions of those who seek to erase our stories, and support those of us who are invested in preserving those stories. Supporting local businesses like this and simultaneously boycotting businesses that support fascist policies and standards also works as important advocacy tools. The nationwide boycott of Target for rolling back their DEI initiatives resulted in decreased sales, their stock plummeting and a $12.4 billion loss in market capitalization. These are just a couple of examples that have been used by everyday people in the past and present to challenge the status quo.  

      The Executive Overreach that we are seeing with the current Administration is only going to get worse before it gets any better. This political pressure from the federal government creates pressure on state, regional, and local governments where we all live. And this will continue to affect our local institutions, law enforcement, and businesses. We are not powerless though. Power belongs to the people and that power is the truth. How could we show forth and prove this power, and that we are all wise and righteous? We amplify that power through critical thinking, courage, cooperative economics and collective work and responsibility. For the world to be better, we must commit ourselves to being better in the face of this tyranny, fanaticism, and patriotism. 

Peace,

Saladin

Knowledge of Self: Who Are You Really?

“We are actually God Beings having a human experience.” -LeVar Burton

     This coming September marks thirty years since I have had Knowledge of Self via knowing 120 Lessons. If you are unfamiliar with what 120 Lessons are here is a video that I shared about The Origin of 120 Lessons and How They Function. Yet and still, knowing this information is just part of my process of gaining Knowledge of Self, as there are many paths of enlightenment. Knowledge is more than just knowing a bunch of facts, having a lot of information, using AI to make intelligent-sounding social media statuses/comments, or posting our personal library online to look smart. Knowledge is awareness; consciousness that comes from the root word "know." When we use the phrase "Knowledge of Self" it begs the question what part of Self do we need to know? In order to do that, we need to first identify The Self. Is the Self our name? Is the Self our nationality, ethnicity, age, or gender? Is the Self our race or religious/non-religious ideas? Is the Self our language, accent, diet, or temperament? Is the Self the car that we drive, our career, income, relationship status, or the clothes that we wear? Is the Self the neighborhood that we live in, our medical and family history, hobbies, or future aspirations? Is the Self our physical body? And if we define the physical body as "ours", what is the Self that owns this physical body? These are "my hands", "my eyes", and "my brain" creating this article, yet what am I that owns these hands, eyes, and brain? Those are big questions that many people have never asked or explored. At the root of all of these parts of ourselves is awareness. Awareness, consciousness or knowledge is the essence of our identity, and it is infinite and intangible. That awareness, consciousness or knowledge is The Self that underlines these multidimensional, multilayered, and multifaceted aspects of who we are as sapient beings. LeVar Burton simply described this idea as, "We are actually God Beings having a human experience" during a recent Wild Card Interview with Rachel Martin. I would take it a step further by saying that as beings, we are also created with the same matter or star dust that created the physical universe. Our atoms, which are the building blocks of matter and everything that exists within the universe, is the same or undifferentiated. 

We Are Star Dust

     When we start to ponder the above questions about identity, we began to take ourselves to the "ledge" of what we "know" by exploring the limits of our thinking. And this thought process is often rooted in a westernized segregated thinking that betrays the wholistic thinking that classical and indigenous Black/Brown civilizations conceptualized and integrated this into our societies as first world people and the fathers and mothers of civilization. Knowing this ledge or limited thinking is the path of Knowledge [know + ledge = knowledge]. In order to ask "questions", it requires us to be on a "quest" [quest is the root of question]. The further we question and explore, this leads us to the conclusion that The Self, as infinite and intangible awareness/consciousness, it underlines the multidimensional, multilayered, and multifaceted aspects of who we are as sapient beings. It's a dichotomy because The Self is simultaneously many things while at the same time one. This is what is meant by the word individual; we are an indivisible [inseparable] duality. Knowledge of Self is a never-ending inner journey to explore the multidimensional, multilayered, and multifaceted aspects of who we are. The purpose of that exploration it is align with our infinite ability to elevate our consciousness, quality of life, sense of purpose, and relationships to others and this planet. This journey requires us to learn about our family, their stories, and how we got here on the map of human geography. It requires us to assess our diets to see what is best for us. It requires us to reexamine the things that we have embraced as principles, values, and social norms. It requires us to go places and expand our lived experiences by seeing something new. It also requires us to be studious by committing ourselves to learning about the past, what is presently happening, and considering how we can positively shape the future. It requires us to better understand the planet and our relationship to its animate/inanimate objects. These, and many other lifelong considerations, are a part of this journey of Knowledge of Self.

     In this journey of Knowledge of Self, there three things that always happen:

1. We learn new ideas.
2. We confirm some things that we always knew.
3. We learn to get rid of old ideas.

     Every single thing that we experience fall within these three categories, and every category requires change. Sometimes that change is easier than others. I remember starting to learn how to identify unhealthy ingredients in packaged foods. Not eating those ingredients was easy. The hard part was oftentimes not having a reference guide in hand to look up ingredients while standing in a grocery store aisle; cell phones and Google did not exist at this time. Some of us find it hard to change our attitudes or habits about things that we always knew were right or wrong. I've known women who had a difficult time leaving an abusive relationship even though they knew it was the right thing to do. Sometimes it is easy to get rid of old ideas, sometimes it is not so easy. This self-diagnostic process helps us elevate our consciousness, quality of life, sense of purpose, and relationships to others and this planet. It is through this journey that we become more aware and empowered to share that knowledge with others, which may include how we were able to change our attitudes and habits.

 Endogenous vs Indigenous

     Endogenous means originating within or an inward origin. Indigenous means originating in an outward place. As awareness/consciousness incarnated within a physical form, we are endogenous before being indigenous to any place. The mind [intangible] proceeds the body [tangible]. Anything that has an outward manifestation first originates within. This includes our audible voice. Before anyone can hear what we are thinking or what we are saying, it is first internally communicated through the inner voice. That voice that you are presently hearing inside of your head as you read this sentence is the inner voice. That voice, that we call the inner monologue, internal dialogue or self-talk, is the non-audible inward expression of awareness/consciousness. Where did it come from?   

     The inner voice that we hear inside of our head, that usually sounds like our voice, is not ours. We learned to claim it as ours. It’s actually a combination of ideas from different voices that we have heard throughout our lives. Some of those ideas that we claim are good, some are not. Some are louder than others. The journey of Knowledge of Self is also about processing and unpacking those ideas that we have identified with and claim as our inner voice. Because that self-talk which eventually manifests itself in how we talk about ourselves and others. A person who has low or vacant esteem, who always talk negative about themselves, has been socialized through a combination of negative ideas from different voices that they have heard throughout their lives. Children how have been told their entire lives that they are bad, ugly, or stupid, often adopt that idea as a part of their identity. That is sometimes the loudest voice that they hear inside of their head. And sometimes it requires more than religion, Supreme Mathematics, retreats, programs, psychedelics and etc. to change that. Sometimes people need therapy to help them process and unpack those negative ideas that we have identified with and claim as their voice. All of this is a part of one's journey of Knowledge of Self. Negative self-talk betrays and neutralizes the infinite potential of The Self. If our idea about who we are is limited to our career, relationship status, appearance, religion, etc., we fail to acknowledge the multidimensional, multilayered, and multifaceted aspects of who we are as sapient beings. It's like having a gift to create visual art within us and never acknowledging or exploring it. Most people have numerous gifts and abilities that they never explore(d) because they don't acknowledge that they are essentially multidimensional, multilayered, and multifaceted. They only identity with parts of who they are, not the whole.

     Now, just because we do acknowledge this and consider ourselves to be on a journey of Knowledge of Self, it does not automatically mean that we know what to do with what they are learning. That requires wisdom. It is being aware of what we now know, and having the consideration, courage, consistency to use it. There are things that we learn about ourselves, and about others, that require us to change our relationships. That is not always easy. Imagine being in a relationship for many years that you always thought was true, then one day you find out that it was a lie and you were being cheated on. Imagine that this was your relationship to yourself, and one day you discover that you've been cheating yourself. You've been cheating yourself all of these years with ideas that betray your ability to elevate your consciousness, quality of life, sense of purpose, and relationships to others and this planet. Most people are not happy when they find this out. In fact, they become angry at themselves and others who they feel/believe set them up to be cheated on. Everyone who is on the journey of Knowledge of Self experience this kind of heartache. It's traumatic, and everyone doesn't recover from it. Some people stay heartbroken and vow to never associate with certain people, places, or things that trigger this trauma. I know people who had a traumatic academic experience, and their reaction [not response] to that trauma is anti-intellectualism. As anti-intellectuals, they became obsessively skeptical of anything academic and consistently smart shame and show disdain for people whom they believe are educated. It can take people a lifetime to recognize that has not been the wisest way to address this trauma. Sometimes recognizing this lack of wisdom requires therapy. 

     Wisdom is using right discernment [judgment] to apply what we know about ourselves, others and the world around us. As sapient beings, this is one thing that separates humans from animals. With a more advanced brain architecture, we possess a consciousness that enables us to think abstractly, solve complex problems, and experience life through self-aware sensory perception. While animals can demonstrate wisdom, humans have the ability to demonstrate supreme wisdom or a higher degree of discernment. That is, humans who are on a path of enlightenment. Historically speaking, when humans have not had a path of enlightenment, we see a decline of civilization and descent into a primitive state as evidenced in The Dark Ages. You can also see this evidenced in the Information Age where we still see a decline of civil discourse, civic engagement, and civilization even though the exponential growth in technology allows people to access more information than ever before. We see people who would rather produce hours of content talking negative about people, places, and things that they don't like instead of investing that same time and finances to create positive solutions. The irony is, some of these people claim to have Knowledge of Self; which shows a clear disconnect between What We Teach [knowledge] and What We Will Achieve [wisdom]. There can be a number of reasons for this disconnect and someone's inability/unwillingness to create positive solutions. Sometimes the problem IS the actual solution. And to solve some problems it may require us to delicately walk back across a fragile bridge that we burned. I can only imagine the level of humility, courage and consideration required to do this. I also understand that there must be some lessons in this to help us become wiser. 

     All of us are on a journey in life and will face challenges, that sometimes appear insurmountable. Some of those challenges are people, places, and things along the landscape and we will need the mental fortitude [knowledge] and skills [wisdom] to address them. The stories that we tell ourselves, the stories that others tell us, the stories that we agree/disagree with and how we use them either aligns with or betrays The Self's ability to meet those challenges. Those stories either align with or betrays our ability to explore The Self's multidimensional, multilayered, and multifaceted aspects of who we are as sapient beings. Our sense of identity is a fundamental part of that self-work. In a number of Surahs within the Quran, the Arabic phrase "Kun fayakūn/Kun Faya Kun" (كن فيكون) is used which means "Be and it is!" In the book of John 1:1 we read, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." If we think and tell ourselves that we can't, we won't. Regardless of the support and encouragement that is available to us. If we think and tell ourselves that we can, we will. Regardless of the lack of support and discouragement. Each day is an opportunity for us to be better and do better for ourselves, others and the planet. How we choose to ultimately see ourselves will determine what we do. 

Peace,

Saladin

"Crack-Kim Great God Allah" and the Value of Community Partnerships

A.I. generated image of Fat Joe as "Crack-Kim Great God Allah"

     On a recent episode of the Joe and Jada Podcast, Rapper Fat Joe made this bombshell claim, "I come from a projects called Godsville. Right? So also, it was like the Mecca of the Five Percenters. I was the God Crack-Kim Great God Allah. I’m telling you what it is, right. You gotta think…" The reactions from members of the Five Percent ran the spectrum from doubled-over laughter to outright anger. While no one has confirmed the validity of that story, I can see the possibility for a variety of reasons. It's possible that some Five Percenters said it as a joke to play upon the cultural identity politics in that neighborhood. There is some unfortunate history of Boriquas and other Spanish-speaking people being "othered" within the Hip Hop community and among Five Percenters, even to this day. Fat Joe has often talked about being "the fat little Puerto Rican kid" growing up around mostly Black people. It is hard for me to imagine Five Percenters seriously calling Fat Joe by the "righteous name" of Crack-Kim Great God Allah. Because the names that we choose are supposed to be righteous. From my experience, even the most street Five Percenters still hold this culture with some level of sacredness. Also, righteous names don't exist in a vacuum. With a name comes a cultural identity, familial relationships, and active Five Percenter community engagement. Within our culture we are expected to expound upon our chosen righteous name when among other Five Percenters. If our name is Power, we are expected to show and prove the reasoning for choosing that name and what it means, sometimes in an open public forum among a body of Five Percenters. None of these Five Percenter cultural elements or social norms were mentioned by Fat Joe. This leads me to think that it's not as real or serious as he suggests. Now if he goes back on the Pod naming his enlightener, talking about parliaments/rallies that he attended, what degrees that he knows, who he taught, etc., then I think we could take his conversation more seriously. What I do think is serious, and deserves discussion, is the fact that people even associate Five Percenters with criminal behavior. 

     Since our 1960's inception within the streets of New York, Five Percenters have been labeled as a gang and classified as a STG (Security Threat Group) due to incidents of violence and gang-related activity within some correctional facilities across the United States. While there did exist and does exist those who commit crimes and simultaneously claim to be Five Percenters, that is not our cultural way. The labels of being a gang or STG has always been a point of contention by those of us who are upstanding citizens within our communities, the same way that upstanding Muslims, Christians and Jews do not condone terrorism by those who profess to be members of their group. As a globally recognized face of the Five Percenters, I have worked extremely hard to challenge those mischaracterizations by being a positive productive example. Yet in too many cases to mention, there are alleged Five Percenters who continually add credence to these negative claims by not living up to our cultural values of being civilized and teaching civilization. One such example is our recent expulsion from the second primary school within our community that allowed us to utilize their space to hold our monthly Universal Parliaments and events.           

     In an April 24th, 2024 article Anchor Institutions and the Fate of Allah School in Mecca I wrote, "While there are brothers who consistently show up in person/virtually once a week to talk for hours about our culture, there are no professional revenue-generating workshops, classes, or projects being facilitated at Allah School every day. We have no grant-funded youth advocacy/community outreach programs being offered in the neighborhood. We have no collaborative initiatives with area organizations and institutions that are available on-site or virtually. Nothing is being offered by/for women and girls; even though women represent 75% of the professional non-profit workforce in the U.S. and the Allah School is a non-profit. Additionally, according to a recent April 23rd Five Percenter Newspaper Facebook Group Post and my follow-up confirmation with School Officials, we are now in jeopardy of losing P.S. 92 Mary McLeod Bethune as the current location of our Universal Parliaments and the upcoming Show & Prove. A petition is being circulated by the surrounding school community to stop us from utilizing the space due to adult Five Percenters loitering, urinating, drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana, and being noisy on school property." As of June 2025, and confirmed by school officials, we are now banned from utilizing P.S. 92 Mary McLeod Bethune due to alleged Five Percenters loitering and the use of illegal substances near school grounds. The first school in our community that we were banned from prior to this incident is P.S. 154 Harriet Tubman. During the summer months our monthly Universal Parliaments and events are generally held outdoors in Medina (Brooklyn). As we move into the colder months, we will need to find new indoor accommodations to gather. Equally important is putting an effective policy and procedure in place that can stop us from continually losing access to community spaces and sabotaging our relationships with important community partners. That only gives credence to the negative lawless claims that people have about us. While this is definitely unfortunate, it is also an opportunity for us to do better and live up to our cultural values of being civilized and teaching civilization. 

"We don't talk about nobody.  Because religious people fight against one another.  You can’t tell 

me they don’t because they do." -Allah, The Father (November 15, 1967 Interview)

     

     When I began this website twenty years ago, my mission has been to inspire, empower, and educate my readership through my documented work about various sciences of life from "a" Five Percenter perspective, not a perspective of "THE" Five Percenter. Because of my growing digital footprint, global visibility and international work, I was thrust into a domain where I am now viewed as one of the most recognizable figures and foremost authorities on the Five Percent Nation. This has never been something that I have aspired to, yet I have learned to accept being this public figure. It took me a long time to even fully embrace social media because I was averse to the concept of 'having followers'. This so-called "celebrity" as folks call it, has also taken time getting used to. When random people recognize and stop me in airports or different cities to share how my work has positively impacted their lives, I am still caught off guard and reminded of what this really means. To me, I am simply doing my part to add more beauty to this world to help repair what I see is broken. Nothing more and nothing less. What I have struggled with getting used to are the trolls that any celebrity deals with. It's hard to understand the constant fixation people can have on someone else. It's hard to even imagine how disruptive that would be to the work that I do. When I assess my time, I don't see the value in using it to sit around and talk about people. Yes, just like anyone else I could see trolls attacking celebrities, I just never saw myself in a celebrity category so I would rationalize that it is not the same thing when it happens to me. I was clearly in denial. Once I began to honestly acknowledge it, I also began to consult with other celebrities on how they deal with it. What one particular celebrity shared with me was a game changer. They said, "People project their own insecurities on you. Sometimes people try to bait you into responding to some sh*t because your attention validates their importance. In a weird way they're looking for a cosign. They might be jealous or feel like they're less than you! You are an important person who is doing important work. I just keep it moving and don't even respond. They not on your level and don't even exist in your world for a reason, so keep it that way by not inviting them in." 

     Those within our community know that Fat Joe AKA Crack-Kim Great God Allah is not a farfetched concept. There is a reason we have the phrases Jive Percenters & Five Pretenders. I've had knowledge of self for thirty years now and have seen many versions of folks with one foot in the street and the other foot allegedly in Five Percenter culture. I have also seen those who are positive productive examples of what this culture can offer any human being. Like with any community, you have those who are striving to do better and others who are not. I also understand that we can want people to do better, yet nothing will change until they honestly want to do better for themselves. We make knowledge born and they must save themselves. Sometimes the ones who could benefit from our assistance the most are the least likely to openly receive it, for various reasons. All we can do is be there if/when people are ready and put up guardrails to prevent them from injuring us and others when they are not ready. I do not know what new indoor accommodations will be secured for our Universal Parliaments and other Nation events going forward. I also do not know what kind of effective policy and procedure can be put in place that will stop us from continually losing access to community spaces and sabotaging our relationships with important community partners. What I do know is this is an opportunity to do better. And sometimes what we see as a setback is a settlement or agreement to do something much greater! It is up to us to make that happen.

Peace,

Saladin

Are we "under" the government?

Photos: Jamel Shabazz

      Over the years I have often heard the phrase, "we are not 'under the government'" by some Five Percenters who used it as their reasoning for not participating in various aspects of American life as citizens. Sometimes it was legitimate, like when they exercise free speech, the practice of religion or right to peacefully assemble; all things that our government cannot interfere with. In other cases, that phrase has been used to support some pretty illegitimate claims. Take going to college for example. In the early days of the Five Percent Nation, the pursuit of higher education was often rejected by some Five Percenters who considered it believing in the teachings of the 10%, AKA "the white man's education" and being "under the government." Thus, the path of academic achievement was closed, equated with evil, and those who considered college were often ridiculed. It took one of our ridiculed pioneers, UM-Allah, to attend and graduate from college with a master's degree to show the real value of higher education to others. In time, others eventually began to attend college. I got knowledge of self in college from my enlightener [educator]. He got knowledge from his educator while attending college. His educator also got knowledge from his educator while he attended college in the 1970s. This rejection of higher education and apprehension about academics can still be seen among some Five Percenters today by their overt/covert attacks and snide remarks about the world of academia and those of us who successfully work in and navigate these spaces. These anti-intellectuals are obsessively skeptical of anything academic and show disdain for people whom they believe are educated or affiliated with the government. This distorted perspective has also been used to reject citizenry rights like acquiring marriage, driver's and business licenses, various forms of insurance, home mortgages, paying taxes, and anything else connected to a local, county, state or federal government. It brings to mind the concept of sovereignty, yet this "we are not under the government" mentality is far from what true independence would actually require.

     

    Through my travels, I have gotten to know some folks who are pretty serious about sovereignty. From homesteaders living in solar powered earth-shelters that you can't find on Google Maps, to remote militants stockpiling munitions and food for their fallout shelters. Fron indigenous peoples who are still getting water out of wells, to tribesman living in villages where Verizon doesn't get service. In all of these cases, they are living in rural areas. What I have yet to see is sovereignty fully actualized in large metropolitan areas such as New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, etc. where its citizenry heavily relies upon its city, county, state, and federal government services to support their way of life. This is especially true for those of us who are receiving some form of public assistance, SSI, or SSD. It is difficult to claim autonomy, self-governance, or independence while being in that position as a citizen. Allah himself, who founded the Five Percent Nation in 1964, was intimately connected to his city, county, state and federal government. It was through these government bodies that he was able to successfully assist the youth. 

     Let's start by saying that Allah was an American citizen born Clarence Smith in Dansville, Virginia in 1928 and appears in the government census records of his household during that time period. After moving to NYC in the 1950s he got legally married to Dora Smith, in accordance with the city, county, state and federal marriage laws, and paid the accompanying license filing fees. He eventually took an oath to this government by enlisting in the U.S. Army and saw combat during the Korean War. Following his discharge from the U.S. military, Allah joined the Nation of Islam where his wife Dora was a member; which is a religious tax-exempt organization according to the city, county, state and federal laws of the U.S. government. He also had children with his wife Dora Smith, and partner Willeen Jowers, who all had birth certificates and social security numbers that were registered in the city/county hospital where they were born. After leaving the Nation of Islam, Allah and some of his colleagues founded the Five Percent Nation. His entire life, just like ours, was connected to government.

     When our Five Percent Nation began to grow amongst the youth throughout the boroughs of New York, Mayor John Lindsay, a Liberal Republican, formed a relationship with Allah through his Aide Barry Gottehrer and Executive Assistant Sid Davidoff. Mayor Lindsay was a clean-cut lawyer by profession who graduated from Yale University. A former U.S. Congressman and a gunnery officer in the United States Navy, Lindsay was also affiliated with the Bush family. Lindsay ushered at the wedding of Nancy Bush, the sister of former CIA Director and POTUS George HW Bush Sr, and this is where he met his bridesmaid wife Mary Anne. Barry Gottehrer was an investigative journalist prior to becoming an Aide in the Lindsay Administration. His insightful award-winning newspaper series "New York City in Crisis" laid bare the racial and socioeconomic problems in NYC. Considered a political hatchet job, his New York Herald-Tribune series attacked the policies of current Democratic Mayor Robert Wagner II and painted an untainted picture of the Herald-Tribune's endorsed candidate Congressman John Lindsay. This compelled Lindsay to add Gottehrer, and his political narrative shaping expertise, to his Administrative Staff once he was elected Mayor. Sid Davidoff was Mayor Lindsay's troubleshooting consigliere. Another lawyer by profession and visiting lecturer at Lindsay's alma mater Yale University, Davidoff was considered one of President Nixon's worst enemies. Davidoff was named among other political opponents as part of Nixon's covert "Political Enemies Project" list that was revealed during the Senate Watergate Committee investigating the Watergate scandal. It was through these relationships that Allah became intimately connected to his city, county, state and federal government. Through these strategic partnerships, Allah was able to successfully acquire resources to produce projects, programs and initiatives that his Five Percenters used to positively transform their lives and the landscape of Harlem and NYC as a whole.

The Universal Flag and its designer, Universal Shaamgaud Allah

     Upon Allah's approval of our Five Percent Nation's Universal Flag design by Universal Shaamgaud Allah, flag lapel pins were eventually financed and created "under" the direction of the NYC government. Allah was obviously not anti-government so in collaboration with Mayor Lindsay's office, Lindsay had our lapel pins created by Eagle Regalia; a manufacturing company that was founded in NYC in 1910 that specialized in the production of banners, flags, emblematic jewelry, buttons, badges, plaques, and trophies. In addition to our flag lapel pins, Eagle Regalia also created the licensed badges of the NYPD and other government agencies in New York. According to our nation elders, young Five Percenters would be given a flag lapel pin with their righteous name inscribed on it. When a Five Percenter chose a righteous name and earned or was given a lapel pin, it was distributed at the Street Academy [Allah School]; a government property given to the Five Percenters with a ninety-nine-year lease by the Lindsay Administration in 1967. To receive a lapel pin Five Percenters were required to write down their honorable name [birth name] in a book with their righteous name beside it. Some lapel pins had names already inscribed on them. Other lapel pins were blank and were sent out to have their name inscribed on them. These lapel pins were more than just decorative symbols of our cultural identity, accomplishment, and pride. They enabled Allah, in partnership with the city government, to better organize, document, monitor, and deputize a growing youth movement into an unrivaled dynamic of political power. A powerful segment of New York's citizenry that the NY Daily News partly described as "the neighborhoods most respected." On the night of April 4th, 1968 when Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated, Mayor Lindsay contacted Sid Davidoff and Barry Gottehrer about coming to Harlem to pay his respects and offer his condolences to the people. Against their advice to not come because they could not guarantee his safety, Mayor Lindsay came to Harlem anyway and met with Gottehrer and Davidoff along with Allah and a group of his Five Percenters. As they began to walk the streets of Harlem, people began to join them and together they successfully stopped the Harlem community from rioting.

Universal Parliament, P.S. 154 Harriet Tubman elementary school 
[November 28th, 1982]

     Since our formal inception, we did not seek to be sovereign or nationalized as a government within a government. Allah was a tax paying American citizen who was invested in working with the city, county, state and federal government to help his Five Percenters become productive civic-minded members of this society. Our unique culture was, and is, a way to facilitate that process. It is through our culture that people learn to think global and live as local citizens. At the same time, Allah was not advocating blind assimilation or being a part of "the dead world." He advocated the acquisition of sociopolitical power through showing that our Nation is equal to all nations through the science of education. When Allah saw his young Five Percenters hanging out, he would tell them to go to school and/or get trade in order to make something of themselves and not become a burden to society as juvenile delinquents. He didn't just say this. As I shared, in 1967 with the assistance of city government, Allah established our Allah School in Mecca Street Academy as a brick-and-mortar institution for youth/community outreach within the Harlem community. When young Five Percenters got jammed up with the law Allah even instructed them to turn themselves in to take responsibly for the situation. It's wild to me when I hear Five Percenters trying to avoid the government when our own founder had one of the best rapports that a citizen could have with their local government.

 

     Growing up in Western New York I have had the privilege of knowing, working with and being with many members of the sovereign Six Nations; the Cayuga, Mohawk, Seneca, Oneida, Onondaga and Tuscarora. When I was a child, I invested a lot of time on the Tuscarora Reservation because my Ole Dad was friends with the Chief. In later years once I got knowledge of self and began to hear some of these Five Percenter ideas about "not being under the government", I immediately recognized that most of those folks were regurgitating something they heard, read online, or saw in YouTube videos. I could tell that they really had no clue what sovereignty and self-governance practically look like. Even though I've seen some well-intended people seeking sovereignty, most of these folks were males who were trying to avoid the government for less than noble reasons. Most of them wanted to assume a different legal identity to allude past debts like child support/arrears, taxes or to hide criminal background records that they couldn't get expunged. I also realized that most of these folks claiming that they were not "under the government" didn't consider the real responsibility that comes along with it. Self-governance, forging a court system, institution building, credentialing professionals, obtaining housing and etc. hits different when financial institutions, hospitals, county buildings, utility companies, wireless service providers, insurance agencies and automotive dealers don’t provide services in your sovereign jurisdiction. It does not mean that this idea is impossible. As I shared earlier, I know folks in non-metropolitan areas who are serious about sovereignty. What this does means that folks talking like, sitting online in the middle of some of the largest cities in America, must be willing to make serious sacrifices in order to truly live that out. Most folks aren't even built for that and this is the reason they promote what I call a quasi-dual citizenship game; having one foot in and one foot out, when it fits their narrative. In other words, we don't want to get married "under the government", but we will fight somebody at the county building if they try to cut our food stamps or HUD tries to kick us off of Section-8 housing. Some of us claim that we are not "under the government" but actively participate in lawless activities that makes us criminally subject to and under the surveillance of the government. How does that work? Some of us play this quasi-dual citizenship game to get benefits from this government as one of its citizens but then claim independence when we are expected to do something for this government in return. Some people believe that they should be able to buy property and open a business that people patronize, yet they should not have to license that entity, pay insurance, legal fees, permits, taxes, and etc. that ultimately provides the fire, police and other city, county, state, and federal services that protect that property, patrons and supports that business. Does that seem fair to you? People often want what they want, and don't think about where our public, social, emergency, city, county, state, and federal services come from, who pays for these services, and the people who perform these jobs? Historically, Black/Brown communities have often paid for these kinds of government services that support adjacent white communities without receiving them in return, so I understand that inequality. The folks that I am talking about are not people fighting for that kind of sociopolitical justice and equity. I'm talking about folks that are selfish; those who express the same Capitalistic mentality as those historical white communities who have kept/keep us apart from their own socioeconomics and enrich themselves from our labor. 

Photos: Jamel Shabazz

    Under the U.S. government are the legislative, executive, and judicial branches whose powers are granted by the Constitution in the Congress, the President, and the Federal courts, respectively. As American citizens, we are subject to the federal, state, county, and local laws where we live. Before we even open our eyes each day, we have some form of engagement with these entities. Even if we are not gainfully employed, have health or dental care, or a checking account, we are still American subjects. Some of us, probably more than others, are American subjects because we are clearly being supported by some person, people, and government entities. That's humbling to say the least and you would think that folks would be more modest when they are in that position. I definitely was when I experienced this, and still am, regardless of my station in life. Oftentimes, it is the loudest mouths among us who claim that we are not "under the government" who are usually the most reliant upon, or beholden to, our government. From my engagement with them, I can also see that they have never taken a civics class, engaged in the political process, pursued higher education, gotten therapy, or invested in any forms of professional development. These are the adults who have publicly argued that the letters in our English alphabet don't have a corresponding numerical place value, as in A =1, B =2, C= 3, etc. These are the same adults who believe that owning a federally registered trademark of their flag's elements will put their people... who are already American citizens or citizens of other Nations..., "under the government."

Peace,

Saladin

National Park Service Removes/Restores Harriet Tubman on their Website, What’s Next?

"Beacon of Hope" traveling monument by Emmy-Award winning sculptor Wesley Wofford

being installed onsite October 2024 at our Niagara Falls Underground Heritage Center.

Photo by Alana Adetola Arts Photography, LLC

     Monday morning, I awoke to emails, texts, messages and phone calls concerning the National Park Service (NPS) removing images and text of Harriet Tubman from their website. Internet Archive Wayback Machine published side-by-side screen captures of the NPS website before and after these changes. You can view them HERE. In addition to a large image of Tubman, the NPS webpage initially read, "The Underground Railroad — the resistance to enslavement through escape and flight, through the end of the Civil War — refers to the efforts of enslaved African Americans to gain their freedom by escaping bondage," boldly highlighting the agency and self-determination of people of African descent. In replacement of her image were now images of commemorative postal stamps of those who escaped or helped others to escape slavery. The webpage’s introduction also changed the description of the Underground Railroad as “one of the most significant expressions of the American civil rights movement” that “bridged the divides of race” and the phrase “enslaved African Americans” was changed to “enslaved workers.” Initially a NPS spokesperson defended their ability to remove this image and revise that content telling CNN, "The idea that a couple web edits somehow invalidate the National Park Service’s commitment to telling complex and challenging historical narratives is completely false and belies the extensive websites, social media posts, and programs we offer about Harriet Tubman specifically and Black History as a whole." In addition to trivializing this erasure as a couple of web edits, the NPS spokesperson also highlighted the two national historical parks named for Tubman stating, "The National Park Service recognizes Harriet Tubman as the Underground Railroad’s best-known conductor and we celebrate her as a deeply spiritual woman who lived her ideals and dedicated her life to freedom." All of this was whitewashed revisionist history used to propagate a false narrative of American history in the public domain. 

Niagara Falls National Heritage Area Main St. & Depot Ave. Mural "Harriet Tubman: A Light of Hope"

by Madonna Pannel. Photo by Alana Adetola Arts Photography, LLC.

     Harriet Tubman is an American hero of international acclaim. As a conductor of the Underground Railroad following the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, she led freedom seekers here to my city of Niagara Falls across the historic International Suspension Bridge to freedom on the Canadian side. Our Niagara Falls Underground Railroad heritage Center is literally at the former site of this bridge where she crossed by train. In 2024 she was commissioned posthumously as a one-star brigadier general by the Maryland National Guard; she was the first woman in the U.S. to lead an armed military operation during a war. Her brave military actions led to the emancipation of about 750 enslaved people during the Combahee River Raid in South Carolina. Queen Mother Tubman was a mother, herbalist, cook, nurse, spy, scout, suffragist, and matron saint to many. To try to eliminate her important contributions sets a dangerous precedent for the erasure of more American history and other important figures who have also contributed to this society.

     As a result of a huge public backlash, within twenty-four hours the NPS has since restored their webpage to the original image and content of Harriet Tubman issuing another public statement that the changes to the page had been made "without approval" from the agency’s leadership. This erasure by the NPS mimics the same Federal policies of government agencies, institutions and businesses across the country to change or scrub any historical references to diversity, equity, inclusion and the stories of Americans deemed unimportant and dispensable. Arlington National Cemetery website content highlighting the graves of Black and female service members have vanished or been concealed. A Defense Department website article about Jackie Robinson’s military career disappeared and then magically reappeared. Another Defense Department page featuring the biography Black Army general Maj. Gen. Charles Calvin Rogers, who received the Medal of Honor by the way, also disappeared before being restored. These are just mainstream examples that people are aware of. Seeing this erasure continually happen has given me the sense that it is calculated and deliberate; an intentional way for the Federal government to cattle prod the American people to see what they can and cannot get away with, right now. In the cases where images and/or content is restored after its removal, it most instances a copy and paste public statement is issued by the agency stating that it was done -by who knows- without leadership approval. An apology is rarely given, a person responsible is never named, and everyone just goes on with their lives until the next shock from the cattle prod. If this was done to Harriet Tubman, one of the most beloved American and International icons, who is next? Better yet, who has this already happened to?

     Prior to and during the Nazi regimes attack of villages and territories, Hitler systematically used them to confiscate art, historical records and cultural objects from homes, libraries, businesses, and etc. He would also deliberately destroy historic landmarks and cultural sites of the villages and territories he attacked.  This was all part of their larger cultural and ideological agenda of erasure, which included the Führermuseum project; a museum that was to be established in Hitler's hometown of Linz, Austria to display the cultural objects his regime stole from across Europe. By 1945, Hitler had possession of more than 5 million cultural objects and the power to interpret them to the world, in perpetuity. One reason that many Historians have been comparing what is happening today with 1930s Nazi Germany is because there are some parallels in what we are seeing in America. This erasure of American history, censorship, disinformation, propaganda, deletion of digital content, deaccessioning of historical archives, library records and art, confiscation of cultural objects, demolition of historic buildings and landmarks is based upon a historic Fascist playbook. It is a systemic attack upon the cultural identity, legacy, societal contributions, and self-determination of our citizens. These are acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, groups of people and remove them from America's map of human geography. 

Hands-Off Protest

Baltimore, Maryland City Hall

April 5th, 2025

      As a person of direct action, I always strive to share solutions. Not as some lofty goals but as jewels that I actually live by. The first thing that I would encourage you to do is RESIST, and resistance takes on many forms. Start from where you are! Protest is only one form of resistance. Resistance can be buying the books that are being banned for your own library or to gift to others, especially children. Resistance is not financially supporting businesses, product brands and institutions that have removed DEI policies and/or people. Resistance is being intentional about preserving your family history, archives, and cultural objects. Resistance is not giving your valuable time, monetized web traffic and attention to entertainment or content that does not align with your principles and values. Resistance is also supporting institutions such as our Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center by visiting our space and taking a tour to learn more of the stories of everyday people, doing the extraordinary, that are facing the threat of erasure. You can become a member of our institution, support our gift shop, make a donation. Like many other not-for-profits who have received federal grants to support our work, the current Administrations Executive Orders and DOGE have put our funding at-risk. In fact, less than 8% of philanthropic support goes towards investing in communities of color. This is systemically problematic, yet not unsolvable. Direct action such as these enable us to continue this important work and remain a beacon of light in dark times such as these. And lastly but most importantly, resistance is committing yourself to telling the complete truth, regardless to whom or what.

Peace,

Saladin