by C5Damani (old head of the movement)
“How refreshing to consume words that have meaning and depth. In the great and honored tradition of wisdom literature and if there is anything that could be called instant wisdom, ‘nigga notes & quotes’ fills that void. This book may be the finest book of quotes, anecdotes, sayings and sage bromides any people struggling for human dignity and liberation will ever read.”
Tanomar Akili Muumba
Black Poet Activist (Rest in Power)
when describing “nigga notes & quotes”*
– day ten –
Comedy. Laughter. Levity.
Juxtaposed against…
Tragedy. Despair. Oppression.
How could one, living moment by moment, in deplorable conditions, conditions that swallow entire families up via redlining, police brutality, orchestrated high unemployment, environmental hazards, and other dangers spurred by racism and white supremacy… find anything worthy of laughter? This is the dilemma that Black folks face each and every day of their life.
“…every Black person in America dies, first of all, from being Black… any other cause of death is hardly worth putting on the death certificate.”
Ossie Davis
How do a people striving to conquer all the racist societal, systemic, historical and institutional barriers placed in front of them encounter periods of levity and be fully present in that? The ability to indulge in well-timed frolic is a dynamic that the great Black comedians such as Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Redd Foxx, Lenny Bruce, Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Cedric the Entertainer, Damon Wayans, Jamie Foxx, Bernie Mac, D.L. Hughley, and others understood well. The…
“…the willingness to laugh in the face of misfortune without denying the seriousness of adverse reality is part of the survival equipment of Afro-Americans. Humor grounded in reality is psychologically refreshing.”
author unknown
Hence… A Favorite Joke!:
Three men of questionable character, one white, one Asian, one Black, died and went to heaven’s pearly gates. St. Peter, looking at their records on earth, frowned and turned them away. The men pleaded for a 2nd chance. “OK” said St. Peter, “you will be allowed to enter, if and only if, you can ask God a question that he couldn’t answer. (St. Peter knew that was impossible, so he smiled and rang for God.)
First to ask his question was the white man. “God”, he said, “how many snowflakes fall on the snowiest day on the snowiest place on earth?” “10 billion, 150 million, 325 thousand, six hundred and twenty-two” answered God. “That’s right” laughed St. Peter. And down went the white man. Next, the Asian man asked, “how many raindrops fell in the rain forest in it’s rainiest year?” “100 trillion, 550 billion, 270 million, 422 thousand, one hundred and one” said God. Once again, St. Peter chuckled, “that’s right” and down went the Asian man. Finally, it was the Black man’s turn. He asked God could he whisper his question. God nodded OK. After the Black man finished whispering, God turned to St. Peter and told him to let the brother in.
St. Peter was shocked and perplexed. How could this be?! What question couldn’t God answer?! He had to know. “God”, St. Peter pleaded, “what did he ask you, that you couldn’t answer. God turned to St. Peter and with a smile said, “he asked me…
WHEN WILL NIGGAS GET THEIR SHIT TOGETHER!!!”
*Since most of these quotes were collected prior to 1985 it means some of the authors of these quotes, I have simply forgotten… blame old age! (Ha) When the author is known, I will indicate it. When an author is not indicated, please forgive me and understand. Furthermore, this collection of quotes was first started as a personal endeavor never meant to be shared publicly thus the reason why some authors may not be indicated.