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 seventeen –
Today is a sad day.
We lost a giant… a stalwart for our democracy… a champion for all peoples.
As our liberties and rights were under attack in the age of racist Trump (as well as black ventriloquists parroting white racists and supremacists talking points – I will get back to these folks, shortly), few people have stood firmer in the straight line wind assaults on our democracy than the US Congressman from Baltimore. When Latino children, young as 6mos old, were being separated from their parents at the border due to Trump’s despicable child separation policy, the elder statesman from Maryland’s 7th congressional district boldly proclaimed that “these are children! We would not want our won children sitting in the own feces and not being allowed to shower. C’mon man!” If the measure of a man was how he stood up for the most vulnerable of us, then Elijah Cummings was the greatest of us all.
The House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairman implored us, as a nation, to be better than this. In concluding the Michael Cohen hearing into Trump’s illegal dealings, Cummings spoke to a nation and posed the moral question of our time…
“When we’re dancing with the angels, the question we’ll be asked: In 2019, what did we do to make sure we kept our democracy intact? Did we stand on the sidelines and say nothing? …”
Elijah Cummings
Elijah Cummings… you didn’t stand on the sidelines. You rose in brilliant defiance against facism, racism, and Trumpism.
Brother Cummings… REST IN POWER!!
BUT some, mostly black trumpers, didn’t wish this brother a safe passage to the other side to the great “I AM”. They didn’t send their deepest sympathies and condolences to his surviving family and friends. They didn’t pass on thoughts and prayers for strength for those he left behind to continue the fight for our democracy.
These black trumpers did the exact opposite… they carried out a deplorable attack on his character, on his Black district, and on his role in improving Black America. Matter of fact, they repeated many of the same racist attacks used against Cummings by white supremacist-in-charge, Donald Trump, when Cummings held the Michael Cohen hearings. Trump, apoplectic that Cummings didn’t cower to his bully pulpit tactics, hurled numerous racist insults about Cummings’ congressional district. These black trumpers embodied the following quotes…
“…there’s always a glee on the part of the white population (and their negro lackeys) upon seeing some “uppity” or impudent black male get his comeuppance. Small minds are never in short supply.”
author forgotten
“…some people have a particular vile and lip-smacking approach to human indiscretion. They thrive on bad news as if human fallibility, scandal and bad luck were commodities of preference and priority.”
author forgotten
I cannot tell you how much I am disappointed in my black brothers and sisters who support Trump AND due to that, feel it is a necessary show of allegiance to denigrate other black folks… even in death, despair, and sadness. Their pettiness in the aftermath of us losing a moral behemoth is deeply disheartening.
“…in the midst of a hostile racist nation whose hidden racism is rising to the surface at a phenomenal speed, we are still so blind to our critical fight for our very survival that we are continuing to function in petty futile ways.”
author forgotten
Brother Elijah Cummings is now “dancing with the angels” but we, those left behind, continue to wrestle with demons… seemingly elusive demons of decency in the midst of unforeseen tragedy.
*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.