1
BLACKER THE BERRY NEWS
If everyone would do their part, change is right around the corner- ArtiztMonique
2
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM IS DEATH
No negro leader has fought for civil rights, they have begged the white man for civil rights, they have begged the white man for freedom, and any time you beg another man to set you free, you’ll never be free. Freedom is something that you have to do for yourselves. And until the American Negro lets the white man know that we are really ready and willing to pay the price that is necessary for freedom, our people will always be walking around here second class citizens or what you call twentieth century slaves. The price of freedom is death.
- Malcolm X
3
Will Voting Save You? After 500 years, Black people are still not free. We are not free to peacefully protest, live where ever we want to, worship our God in peace, vote or even speak out against the many injustices of today. We have continued to delude ourselves throughout time, pretending that we are making progress when our conditions have gotten drastically worse. Black people have never gotten justice in America and if we choose to beg for justice in 2015, we will once again face bitter disappointment. Recently it was said that South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley signed a bill that called for Law Enforcement to wear body cameras, leaving out the fact that the Bill is NOT law and may take years for funding, that’s if law enforcement agrees to use these body cameras. Also, Gov. Haley did not mention that the bill she signed will restrict the public from seeing the video until the government wants to release it. Now do you see how we are constantly lured once again into their sick game? What is the point for demanding body cameras when the public will not be allowed to even look at the video! Many Black Carolinian's proudly stood by the governor’s side as she announced she signed the bill and called for the removal of the Confederate flag which will do nothing to eliminate racism in America. Congress wants the Black community to believe that something is being done about police brutality when it just another sick game. The media continues to feed the public with half truths meant to sell us an American dream which we are all aware has turned into a hellish nightmare. Congress can NOT and will NOT do anything about police brutality and as Americans continue to believe in falsities they will be destroyed right along with this corrupt government, which is crumbling from inside out. As much corruption there is in the police department you would think a Senator, especially a Black Senator would have come up with a bill against police brutality but even in 2015, no bill for police brutality exist. Though voting can do nothing to eliminate our miserable plight with the U.S. injustice department, we should always be informed.
4
* H.R. 1933: End Racial Profiling Act of 2015 Introduced: April 22, 2015 by Rep. John Conyers Jr. Prognosis: 0% chance of being enacted This same Bill was first introduced in Congress on Oct 6, 2011 by Rep. Benjamin Cardin as S.1670: The ‘End Racial Profiling Act of 2011’ did not pass Congress and currently has 0% of passing Congress this year as well. * H.Res. 295: Supporting local law enforcement agencies in their continued work to serve our communities, and supporting their use of body worn cameras to promote transparency to protect both citizens and officers alike. Introduced: June 3, 2015 by Rep. Al Green Status: Agreed To (Simple Resolution) on Jun 10, 2015 If this Resolution was not merely a resolution but an actual bill, then it would be a law for police officers to wear body cameras which would’ve been a benefit to the Black community but it was merely a statement that “Recognizes: (1) law enforcement agencies and officers for protecting us and making our communities safer; and (2) the potential for the use of body worn cameras...” A resolution is an opinion about something that should change and a Bill seeks to become law. The problem is, we settle for simple resolutions that will never change anything because Black people in Congress know that our conditions will never get better under this white supremacist system but they continue to lead people astray with false hope and promises when they themselves know that in Congress there is NOTHING they can do about the inhumane treatment of Black people in America.
5
Is Church Shooting a Random Act of Racial Violence or Does Massacre Speak to an ongoing Plot by the U.S. Government to Destroy Black Activism? On June 17, 2015, in Charleston, S.C., 21 year old white supremacist Dylan Roof walked into the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church and brutally murdered 9 African American people while they were praying. This terrorist act has been promoted by the media as a random act of racial hatred, all the while refusing to recognize the ongoing savagery Whites exemplified against Black Activists since slavery. Looking at the history of Charleston, S.C. and its violent racism against Black Activists at the Emanuel AME Church, It is highly probable that members in the U.S. government were behind this massacre. Emanuel AME is one of the oldest churches in the south and has a long history of being attacked by the government for its activism. According to the Washington Post, “From the beginning, the congregation was a focal point of community organizing and anti-slavery activism-provoking fears and intense distrust among the city’s white population...white Charlestonians constantly monitored the church, sometimes disrupting services and arresting worshipers.”1 Whites continuously attacked this church because the members were free Black people who were also fighting to free other Blacks from slavery. Emanuel AME church was founded by Morris Brown in 1815 and was later led by Denmark Vesey, a Black activist who preached that Black people were the New Israelites and God would lead them to freedom.2 According to a PBS website, The first recorded attack on the 1www.washingtongpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/06/18/for-charlestons-emanuel-a-m-
e-church-one-of-the-oldest-in-america-shooting-is-another-painful-chapter-in-long-history/
2
www.pbs.org/thisfarbyfaith/people/denmark_vesey.html
6
African church was in 1818, “whites authorities disrupted an AME service attended by free Black ministers from Philadelphia and arrested 140 people.”3 The key words in that statement are, “Free Black ministers” and the other key words are “White Authorities”. These two key words prove that White authorities, which are the white government of Charleston, led an attack on FREE Black ministers. Attacks from the U.S. government are always strategic, symbolic and political. According to Dylan’s “Black friend”, a week before the massacre he told him, “They all got seven days to live...and on Wednesday he shot that church up.”4 The day Dylan attacked Emanuel AME church is significant because the 17th was a day after the anniversary of the revolt planned by Black Activist Denmark Vesey. According to the Washington Post, “The revolt was planned for June 16-193 years and one day before the shooting Wednesday night...Nearly three dozen organizers-including Vesey- were put on trial and executed, while another 60 were banished from the city. Believing that “black religion” had caused the uprising, South Carolina instituted a series of draconian measures against African American churches and communities, including a ban on services conducted without a white person present. The AME congregation was dispersed and their building set ablaze.”5 The U.S. Government has always attacked Black consciousness. The fact that this massacre was carried out on such a significant date shows that this was no random shooting but a symbolic ritual. The fact that 9 people were murdered is significant as well. 9 is the highest number and have a very spiritual meaning that comes with it. 9 means born or to birth a new idea into existence. Dylan Roof murdered 9 Black people as a blood sacrifice to give power to their 3
www.pbs.org/thisfarbyfaith/people/denmark_vesey.html
4
YOUTUBE “Dylan Roof’s Black Friend”
5
www.washingtongpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/06/18/for-charlestons-emanuel-a-m-e-ch urch-one-of-the-oldest-in-america-shooting-is-another-painful-chapter-in-long-history/
7
white supremacist agenda and birth a new civil war. It is very likely that because of the group Dylan belonged to, he was in connection with members from the U.S. Government. Dylan was a member of the white supremacist hate group, “Council of Conservative Citizens”. According to The Washington Post, “the nationwide council wasn’t formed until 1985, but it has roots in the school desegregation era. It was started by officials of the White Citizens Council, a 1950s southern group that sprang up to oppose the Supreme Court- mandated desegregation of public schools.” The group that Dylan belongs to is a white supremacist hate group that uses extreme violence to gain political power. Members who belonged to this group hold prominent positions in society, “...many of the people who lead these types of neo-Confederate groups are intellectuals-lawyers, professors, pastors and community leaders-...” 6 I believe Dylan was convinced by the Council of Conservative Citizens to commit that atrocious murder and ultimately take the fall for what happened and be viewed as a martyr for the white race all the while the higher ups hid themselves and allowed their enthused guinea pig to take the fall. Members of the Council of Conservative Christians carried out a bloody ritual and sacrificed nine Black people in order to empower white supremacy who racist whites believe will one day be taken over by Black Activism. Rev. Pinckney was feared and eventually murdered not only for his brilliance but mainly because of his activism against police brutality. Before he was killed, Rev. Pinckney spoke out against police brutality. Rev. Pinckney spoke from his heart and gave the reason why he believed that these policemen should be required to wear body cameras. When Dylan came into the church he specifically asked for the pastor of the church and after a few minutes of service he opened fire on innocent people. When the police found Dylan, he was treated like a rock star. The killer was given a bulletproof jacket from his police buddies and then the police brought him Burger King. 6
www.washingtonpost.com/blog/the-fix/wp/2015/06/22/the-odd-political-success-of-the-white-supre macist-council-of-conservative-citizens-explained/
8
Given the evidence, I strongly believe that the Charleston massacre was a terrorist plot by the U.S. Government to assassinate Senator Clementa Pinckney and launch an all-out attack on Black Activism. Dylan Roof was a puppet of a much larger game. The U.S. Government has always been a racist entity aimed at attacking Black activism and misleading white people down the same road of racism, discrimination and blind hatred.
The story of Conscious Black Artists in an Artificial Age largely ignored and unsupported by the masses could have dire consequences for the human race It’s no secret that Activism in Art remains largely ignored and unsupported by the black community. Art that speaks the truth about what’s going on in the world has been largely ignored but is most needed today. Recently artist Monique Searls performed in Blacker The Berry’s one act play, “Serial Killers, The Historical Crucifixion of the Black Man in America”. Though the performance was successful, there were many obstacles leading up to the process. Serial Killers, was scheduled to make its debut at the National Juneteenth celebration in Galveston, TX but was canceled due to the weather. That evening on June 13, 2015, Blacker The Berry performed Serial Killers at Legends Sport Bar and within 10 minutes of the show our mic’s were cut off. No one invited showed up and Monique and I were left to perform for a crowd that was mostly whites. Not even 10 minutes into our performance, the mic’s were cut off. The owner ran to Monique saying that we had offended everyone in the room, including him and the Black guy. We were silenced for simply telling the truth! With zero support and a host of twisted faces, Monique and I left the bar and prepared for another showing a week later. When asked about her opinion about what happened Searls said, “I felt violated, like my civil rights had been violated. Here we were, two artists you know, that had planned this event for a specific date which
9
is Juneteenth weekend. There are plays and shows going on all week about Black history and historical events in the Black community and “we” were kicked out for trying to relay a message to our Black community. If whites were in the room so be it but “we” were talking about something that happened years ago that is still happening today and here it is, its 2015, so it’s like...yeah...I'm burnt out on that.” Activism in art is not being accepted nor given the respect that it deserves from the American public. Just like Black people’s suffering in the justice system remains ignored, so do the suffering of revolutionary artists trying to expose this faulty system that has claimed the lives of over 304 Black Men alone just last year. Will the community begin to support Artists that are activists or will true art continue to be ignored by the masses? The more we ignore the problems of today; we dig a deeper hole of racial division for the future. What we choose to support will be our karma as a human race.
Blacker The Berry Entertainment 713-305-3811 ALL DVD s $10 * DIARY OF A BASTARD CHILD * INNER CITY BLUES * TRAPPED * BLACK JESUS, A PIMP STORY *SERIAL KILLERS, THE HISTORICAL CRUCIFIXION OF THE BLACK MAN IN AMERICA
10
YOU HAVE A CALL FROM AN INMATE IN A TEXAS JAIL, TO ACCEPT, PRESS ONE… “Mama, you not gonna believe this.” “You know you callin’ ahead of time, what’s up son?” “They writin’ me up for an accident I had while I was workin’” We see the brutality of our young men out in the open, yet what you do not see is the abuse of our children in the prison system. You may say, if they are in prison they did something wrong, but we all know that once they get a case…they are in the injustice system. How many of us know someone that was taken down on a “bullshit” charge? How many of us listened to that court appointed attorney that truly messed our children up for life? Make no mistake, the “system” is designed to take our young and systematically destroy them. The same thing you see in the news is happening in the prisons, you just not going to hear about it. When your loved one is abused or killed while in prison, how long is it before you find out? We saw that in Houston with a young man that was kept in horrid conditions…then his mama found out. Yeah, the Sheriff fired some folk behind that and my question is how long and where else? That was county jail…what do you think is going on in the prisons? When our loved ones are being reviewed for parole, they are generally housed in a transition facility during the process. They may remain there depending on whether they are released or set off to be reviewed within a short period of time. Short could mean anywhere between 6 mo.- 2 yrs. While they are in the transfer facility they have the opportunity for education, job training and re-entry programs according to the site info. Those in charge of any thing, know how to have a negative effect on an inmate’s status, that’s how they play. There is an Army rising up! There is a movement making a rumble, silent and steady. Truth is being revealed every where…especially in the prisons. Organizations are active in providing support for our children and loved ones!! START HERE: tifa.org, this is the only organization that is recognized by TDCJ, and they have a wealth of community resources. Peace and Blessings!! © June 8, 2015 Mignon Zezqueaux
11
Mignon Zezqueaux is a member of TIFA, Paths to Freedom (St. John’s Downtown) and is in training with Healing Communities; she has a blog “Birthingthesebabies� on Wordpress; independent writer.
Have Cell Phones Become A Risk to our FREEDOM? Smart phones today are a convenience that many today could not imagine living without. For most Americans these devices run for 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. Smart phones are constantly collecting personal information in the form of: TXT messages, photos, online searches, photos, GPS data and much more. A loss of one of these devices can not only be a large hit to individuals who have to replace them but the risk of personal information that could be leaked. Law enforcement agencies from local police departments to the National Security Agency to the Federal Bureau of Investigation are all strong advocates that technology companies should not provide Smart phone users access to encryption technology. Mainly this is because any and all data they access on your phone can be used against you in any context they want. U.S. citizens are already being spied on by the federal government on the communications coming from their devices but this is different as encryption deals with how your device communicates with networks as well as how that data is stored on your phone. Many states do not even require a warrant to search your phone data. The government carries lofty promises that the spying, bulk data collection and other invasions of privacy are to help secure our boarders and protect against terrorists. Many even within the government will say if you are not up to anything then you have nothing to be afraid of. This however is not a position anyone needs to put themselves in. Major tech companies and the U.S. government work closely with one another in creating and policing policies around technology security. Technology companies like apple and Google create the bulk of systems used by smart phone consumers today. The key is to make sure to find out if your phone comes setup to support encryption. Phones like Apple may support encryption but many of the services that work in the cloud are not as secure and are vulnerable to attacks. Even the latest Android operating systems for phones, produced by Google, Android V 5.0 Lollipop has limitations for protecting data that previous versions of the same operating systems previously would protect. This is likely due to backlash
12
from the U.S. Government in Google’s stance that they would not back down on securing data on phones. There are a few tips to help secure your data despite all the risks and controversies. First if you absolutely feel the risk is too great, simply unplug and stop using these devices. Limit your use and when you’re not using them turn them off. Uninstall applications you do not use and force applications to ask for authorization to access any network. Make it routine to clear out your phone and other information. Make sure to set a complex pass code and passwords to all of your accounts using a variety of capital letters, numbers and symbols when supported. Change out these passwords routinely every 90 days for stronger security. These measures sound extreme and possibly even paranoid. But remember the Justice system is not set up to protect you, when they see you as a threat. Don’t put yourself into a position to ask “how could this have happened to me”. In the court of law anything you say or do, even on your mobile device, can be used against you. - Chad Mossman
Thank you for your support of Blacker The Berry News, we ask for a small donation of just $2 to keep this Newspaper going so we can continue to put out conscious uncut news. To find out about our anti-poverty bill and also to practice group economics, email us Blackertheberry7@yahoo.com If you would like to be a contributing writer, distributor or want to join our research team, email us Blackertheberry7@yahoo.com If you enjoy our work support us on Facebook and Instagram # Blackertheberryentertainment Check us out: Blackertheberryent.com