“The Capitol is Being Stormed!” -Q.Patterson

Brilliance’s annual ode to black history has me checking the archives again for a bit of Hov. We are two years post wake of the January 6th Riot, and Jay Z’s take on the event still strikes every part of me that remains utterly disgusted with what took place that day…

“You let these crack-ahs storm ya capitol and put they feet up on ya desk/ and you talking tough to me? I lost all my lil respect.”- Jay-Z

“What It Feels Like” is the title of the track Jay featured on with the late great Nipsey Hussle. Here is where Jay felt the need to address the government and there handling of the January 6th riot compared to how the country continues to treat its black citizens with blatant injustice, violence, and death.

Some could easily take this statement as anti-government, but I see it as a patriot’s expression of great disappointment in it’s country. Most of America and the rest of the world witnessed America under siege.

Most cannot disregard, though they won’t to be forthcoming enough to admit it, the reality that if the insurrectionists had been predominantly of another race, the classification of a riot would have had to take a backseat to what would have been a race massacre… Now the problem isn’t with the potential of a massacre actually happening, but the fact that race holds such a stranglehold on our country’s mind. Race holds such a stranglehold on the minds of Black Americans.

As a Black American Man, I feel as if I could see it unfolding right before my eyes– minorities being violently subdued and put to death on the spot for having the sheer audacity to storm the capitol of the united states. Heinous, but sadly, it is something black people actually fear would have happened.

Jay-Z raises a voice in defiance of such fears, while pointing out the unfair treatment that continues to eat away at the integrity of this country. Jay uses his immense platform to rally the Black populace to demand the respect of its government.

I, for one, feel that Black Americans do not do enough to hold the government accountable. Jay looks to lead that way for others who may feel a little dejected by January 6th, but he doesn’t invoke despair or an increased awareness of white supremacy. He ask for anger and assertiveness. He wants Black Americans to know that they are worthy of just as much respect as any other race in America…

I agree.

-Q. Patterson

It Would Forever Unfit Him To Be a Slave

“….A nigger should know nothing but to obey his master – to do as he is told. Learning would spoil the best nigger in the world. Now,” he said, “if you teach that nigger (speaking of myself) how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it could do him no good, but a great deal of harm. It would make him discontent and unhappy.” – (The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas)

Within the above quote, Frederick Douglas recounts the moment his slave master admonished his wife for teaching him (Frederick Douglas) the alphabet. According to Frederick Douglas, his enslaver was fearful that an education would make him unfit to be a slave. After witnessing this exchange Douglas was certain that the words his master spoke were true. He now understood that Whites greatest power over Blacks was their ability to keep them blinded through their ignorance. From this moment on, Douglas became obsessed with learning to read and write. But since his mistress now forbade him to learn, Douglas had to devise clever ways to get around the social barriers that made it unlawful for him to learn.

This quote is relevant today, because we now live in an era where the White power structure once again has erected new barriers that prohibit Black children from learning. Groups like Moms For Liberty have lobbied for, and Republican leaders like Florida’s Governor Desantis, have passed laws outlawing Critical Race Theory and banning books by Black authors that address race issues in America. The deprivation of a quality education for Black children remains a prominent agenda of White supremacy in America.

If Blacks living in America today hope to overcome the education barriers of our era, then we must adopt the resolve of Frederick Douglas. We must adopt the mentality that any where we are at can be transformed into a classroom and we must use every conceivable opportunity and resource at our disposal to educate ourselves and our children. As a race, we cannot allow our ability to learn to be limited by our group’s inability to receive a quality education inside of the White power structures public schoolhouse.

I once heard a story about this ancient philosopher. It is said one day one of his students came to him requesting additional education. The philosopher looked as his pupil and said, “You want to know what else I have to teach you?” The pupil replied, “Yes!” The philosopher told his pupil, “Follow me.” The two men walked to the coastline and the philosopher enter the water where it was waste deep and gestured for his pupil to follow. When they both were submerged waste deep in the water the philosopher said, “Now I will show you what else I have to teach you.” The philosopher grabs his pupil’s head and pushes it down into the water. The two struggle as the philosopher continues to hold the pupil’s head beneath the water. Finally, the philosopher relents and the pupil comes up from the water gasping for breath. The philosopher looks at him and says, “This is what I have to teach you. You should want knowledge the same way you wanted air.”

Ensuring that Black children in America are receiving a quality education is something that we have taken for granted. But when we are deprived of it, or it under threat to be taken away. We quickly realize just how important it is to our overall survival as a race of people. This should naturally produce resistance within us and create a power struggle where we fight now begin the fight for power, we now understand why it important for us alone to control our own education the same way the drowning man understands why he needs to fight for control over his right to breathe independently.

Lord Serious Hakim Allah
#1404741

Lord Serious is an author, artist, activist, blogger, and representative of the Nation of Gods and Earths and the Director of Umoja Nation. His latest children book “Squirrels, Beavers, And Everyone Else” is scheduled to be released in March as an eBook on LuLu, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and most major distributors where ebooks are sold. Work Release (The Mixtape), Vol. 1 is available on his social media pages @ Lord Serious Speaks. Lord Serious is the co-author of the “10 TOES DOWN” drug rehabilitation program and interactive facilitator of this program and the “My Next Step” program at Lawrenceville Correctional Center.

Black America Inside Out ’23

Words from Q:
It has been 3 years since the team at BrillianceBehindBars.com set out to show the world that there are living, breathing, intelligent men and women incarcerated and worthy of a voice.

In this short time, Brilliance has gained a multitude of incarcerated contributors spanning several prisons and correctional centers across Virginia. Brilliance has continued to provide a unique platform for incarcerated voices to sound off on current events affecting their lives and the lives of their families. We have even gained the attention of several Virginia state legislators! To top it all off, a group of our contributors have been actually able to meet with state officials!

Brilliance continues to build with the hearts and minds of the incarcerated at its center. We are being noticed. We are being heard. We are here because of all the work of our team and incarcerated contributors. I’m proud of what our community has been able to accomplish, but the struggle never stops, so neither can we. Let’s keep it going!

Please continue to encourage your loved ones to get active and support the efforts of our freedom fighters who keep our voices and faces front and center of the media, the public, and VA lawmakers. They ensure that we are not forgotten…

Continue to spread the love for your fellow incarcerated. None of us want to be here, but since we have to, let’s be creative, constructive, and uplifting. Do the time, don’t let the time do you.

I have great love for all of you and your families.

Love, Light, and Godspeed,
Q.

BlackAmericaInsideOut ’23 Assignment – 3rd Year

Participants are asked to take a quote from a prominent Black American figure, past or present, and write a short essay, compose a poem, or any type of written creative work explaining what that quote means to you and its relevance to our current situation in this country…

Remember: Add your name, number, and where you are from. People may see your submissions, so let em’ know who you are.

The Black History Made This Black History Month

by Lord Serious

Judge Regina Chu sentenced former officer Kim Potter to serve two-thirds of a 2 year sentenced in the custody of the Department of Corrections for the manslaughter of Daunte Wright. Mr. Wright was pulled over for expired tags and having an air freshener hanging from his windshield mirror. Typically a minor traffic violation would result in nothing more than a fine. But after running his name, it was revealed that Mr. Wright had a bench warrant out for his arrest. Upon learning that he was being placed under arrest, Mr. Wright jumped back into his car and tried to drive off. At this point officer Potter, a 26-year vet claims that she mistook her firearm for her taser and Mr. Wright was fatally shot.

A jury of her peers found Mrs. Potter guilty and the guidlines called for her to receive a sentence that ranged from 6 years to 15 years in prison.

Usually, in police involved shootings of unarmed Black men our ability to prosecute the offending officer has been impeded by Grand Juries that have refused to indict. But in this case, not only did the Grand Jury determine that enough evidence existed to prosecute Kim Potter for manslaughter, but at the conclusion of Kim Potter’s trial 12 jurors were convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that she was guilty of all charges.

What makes this case stand out from all others in my mind is that, this time it was the judge and not the Grand Jury who undermined our ability to impose a sentence that would deter other officers from displaying this same predatory behavior towards unarmed Blacks. Even after a verdict has been reached, the criminal justice system still fails to dispense justice equally.

While making her ruling Judge Chu became emotional at times and made judicial comments to stave off criticism of her extremely light sentence. Judge Chu’s perspective can be summed up as this: 1) The officer should have never been indicted and charged for carrying out her lawful duties, and 2) Black people need to get over their feelings of distrust and anger toward the criminal justice system because we have the duty to keep peace. Judge Chu also quoted former President Obama out of context, suggesting that Blacks stop identifying with the pain felt by Mr. Wright’s family, and instead identify with Mrs. Potter by placing ourselves in her shoes. Kim Potter would receive a 16 month sentence, which is a substantial deviation from the 6 year to 15 year sentence recommended by the sentencing guidelines.

Minnesota police have a long history of killing unarmed Black people and I have been highlighting their corrupt police practice for years. In Apotheosis, Lord Serious Hakim Allah’s Habeas Corpus Appeal I predicted that if Blacks didn’t find new ways to fight back against this system the problem of mass incarceration and police brutality would persist:

“Before I get into what we must do to change course, I will first tell you what you can expect to happen in the next 12 months in the aftermath of the Alton Sterling and Philando Castile “murders”:

1) There will be protest with people of all races;
2) There will be a host of political debates composed of multiracial panels;
3) There will be Black leadership who calls for calm;
4) There will be Black attorneys who swear up and down a Civil Rights violation has occurred, and they will sound so convincing you will have little doubt that these police officers will finally be held accountable;
5) The state or Feds will investigate;
6) A Grand Jury will be held, and most likely, no indictments will be brought against the police officers who both were practically caught on camera;
7) You probably won’t believe me until it actually happens;

When things do go exactly as I predicted this will prove:

1) Protesting and marching alone will never be enough to change the White power structure’s perception on why #BlackLivesMatter;

2) That, the debates and panels are shams. Those panels are not all inclusive and until they begin routinely inviting grassroots leaders and allow these community leaders to express their views, the conversations are purely intellectual. Negotiations cannot occur until they start inviting the real leadership to the table;

3) That, the White power structure has always appointed Black leadership for the sole purpose of maintaining their control over our people;

4) That, just like those leaders (above) these attorneys have an invested interest in maintaining the current system; if these attorneys really wanted to bring these atrocities to a stop they would aid us in bringing the U.S. before the International Courts for their human rights violations;

5) Both state and Federal law enforcement agencies know that a conviction for police misconduct is easier to get in the state, because state legislation gives prosecutors more variety in the amount of charges they can bring against the police. However, many states’ penal codes are ambiguous (unclear) on what extent deadly force is authorized, and unless the police department has a policy to clarify these ambiguities it becomes even more difficult to secure a Grand Jury indictment against an offending officer. But if the Feds do pick up the case the wording of the Civil Rights Act basically makes it unenforceable. It must be shown beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer had a “specific intent” to violate the deceased person’s constitutional rights;

6) …When this happens in the case of Mr. Sterling and Mr. Castile, it will prove that the political analyst, Black political leaders, and the Black attorneys LIED to you when they told you that placing body cameras on White rogue police officers would deter them from continuing to shoot unarmed or cooperating Black people;
7) By the time we reach this point more innocent Black lives will be lost due to this same problem.” (pp. 20-22)

To purchase this book and learn more about Lord Serious visit his website www.Lordseriousspeaks.com.

Integration

“And if the word integration means anything, this is what it means: that we, with love, shall force our brothers to see themselves as they are, to cease fleeing from reality and begin to change it.” – James Baldwin

This quote spoke volumes to my heart because it clarifies the dilemma that we face in our country today and it encourages us not only to make change where it is needed, but to accept each other for who we are. So many mistakes were made in the past that we continue to perpetuate today through hidden (not so hidden) emotional conflict. It’s very difficult, and pretty much impossible to fix any problem while you persist in creating more. If we choose to judge others for their shortcomings, it takes our focus off of ourselves and puts an even heavier burden on them. There is no love in that, just conflict and eventually the line that separates right from wrong becomes non existent. Change is needed and everyone plays a part in that transformation. By dealing with others in love – not only are we acting in our true nature, but we become a light that reveals what’s in the hearts of others; giving them an opportunity to be a part of that much needed change that transforms a divided nation into a whole one. External peace means nothing when we still have animosity under the surface. But when we can see the lives of others as nothing separate from our own lives, integration becomes not only possible but inevitable.

-Shareek Pittman

A Trick

“…it’s a trick… thinking its a right of passage for a black male, ain’t real n!##@ til you enter that jail…”

-Royce Da 5’9″, “Tricked”- The Allegory

That line hits home hard. As a black man who, as a child, knew nothing of racial conflict and black stereotypes, as I look back, I see my preteen childhood as a testament to that truth–we’ve seen prison as a right of passage for us.

It’s an unspoken tradition– a vile trick that has effected, to this day, the lives of many young black men and boys. When confronted with great adversity, children normally look to their heroes for guidance on how to handle life’s issues. But many black boys suffer from America’s increasing culture of fatherlessness. What is a little black boy to do then?

Due to the struggles of black men to provide for their families in the overtly racist America of the very recent past, they found themselves faced with a life threatening dilemma– make their own way with any means available to them, or suffer the sight of a family deprived. In a country that blatantly disapproved of them solely because of their appearance, black men expressed their anger with American society by disregarding the laws – the same laws, that legally ostracized them. Therefore, the black rebel became a symbol of heroism for black Americans across the country– strong black men who stared into the face of overwhelming odds and chose survival. This became the definition of a black man. But this is also where the trick began…

It’s not a secret – for a time, America was all but inhospitable to black people. Sadly but understandably, what it has meant to be black has become an embrace of anti-establishment ideology. Why? Well, we have to understand that every prominent black American hero, at the hands of white people, have been harassed, beaten, imprisoned, and/or killed! We think if we are bold like our heroes, who had to brave the violence and strife brought on by racism and the government leaders who either participated or enabled it, only then are we strong enough to be black men in this country.

If the world of American racism is symbolized as a battleground, then the prison system would be behind enemy lines. The jails became a place where survivors of the struggle were held. The same way we honor prisoners of war, we honor the ex-convict black man who survived the extent of white oppression.

As the world evolves, so too should the mindset and model of the black American male. But I fear that if there is always a going to be a battlefield (societal racism), there are always going to be fighters, and prisoners of war (black men behind bars).

This Black History Month, let’s take some time to reflect on how we can change this for future generations.

-Q. Patterson

Slavery

We are slaves in the midst of freedom, waiting patiently and unconcernedly, indifferently, and stupidly, for masters to come and lay claim to us, trusting their generosity, whether or not they will own us and carry us into endless bondage.

Martin Delaney (1812-1885 United States)

My name is Antoinne Pitt I am from Portsmouth, Virginia. This profound statement can be related to today’s time because slavery still exists but is done more intelligently. The Constitution of the United States abolished slavery, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party has been duly convicted.

Prison warehousing is modern day slavery and the convicted are the subjects. A system has been put in place that is designed for people of the lower class to fail. Projects and section 8 housing were built to house individuals with a low income. In these environments, the lower class people become susceptible to the things that go on, because the things that we see and hear are planted in our subconscious mind and stored as sensory data. This is where the term ‘product of my environment’ takes rise. We begin to adapt to these environments and begin to engage in some of the activities in what we call a will to survive. Adapting to this survival-of-the-fittest mentality has lead to the mass incarceration of the olive people.

Prison is a billion dollar industry and is truly legalized slavery. A system was put in place and designed for us to fail, but that does not mean we have to fail. Self government relinquishes the power of those that govern. This legalized slavery can be combated by governing yourself – if not, you are consenting to be governed. This is done by living a righteous life, right thought, right action and adhering to the universal law of cause and effect that governs all events. A person who didn’t teach you right has no intentions of treating you right.

You are only as free as your thoughts. Stop waiting for your master to give you direction, but direct the course of your life by mastering yourself. Peace and love.

– Antoinne Pitt, From Portsmouth / LVCC

Progress

A few hundred year old monuments get taken down and we celebrate… yet the systems, the people and mindset that allowed those monuments to remain in place as a constant reminder of what this nation was built on and the oppressed position we were supposed to stay in; continue to teach our children, patrol our communities, sentence our youth, and block or pass legislation that directly effects US.

Remove the robes from a clansman and he’s still a clansman! I say keep the monuments and instead get rid of the systems and people that maintain what those monuments stand for… because we know that latter will not be done as long as we are distracted by the optics of the former.

– Sincere Born Allah, #1131459, Nottoway Correctional Center

Power

“The Black Man is oppressed because he has not developed the power to prevent his oppression.” -Amos Wilson

Usually Black History Month is a time to celebrate Black achievements and Black excellence, while we all spend this month sharing our knowledge about the greatness of the Black race. It is my opinion that the above quote perfectly sums up the experience of Blacks living in America. Despite our race’s numerous contributions to this society as a whole, Black people remain the most oppressed group in the United States. The purpose of Black History Month is not to give us a false sense of security. Black people cannot afford to rest on the laurels of our ancestors. None of their accomplishments have yet to liberate us from White supremacy. Therefore, the true purpose of Black History Month is to inspire new generations to surpass those who came before them. And as noteworthy as our individual achievements may be, our primary goal should be gaining the independence of our race from White domination.

In his book “Blueprint for Black Power”, Amos Wilson provides the blueprint needed to reverse engineer the structural racism within America, which was designed by White elite males, to keep Blacks permanently trapped in a subordinate position. In closing, I encourage you all to learn all that you can about the illustrious history of our race. But under no circumstances must we ever become content, because there is still so much work to be done.

Lord Serious is the author of “Apotheosis Lord Serious Hakim Allah’s Habeas Corpus Appeal” and the childrens book “The Powerless Pinky.” He is featured on the podcast “For The Culture,” which airs every Friday at 7pm EST. You can follow him on Facebook and Instagram @Lord Serious Speaks. To learn more about him visit his website www.LordSeriousSpeaks.com.

Financial Freedom

The words of the multi-platinum selling billionaire rapper and American icon point to a very factual solution to the problems Black Americans face today.

Black American’s ancestors, slaves ripped from their home country, were poor, destitute, and forced into servitude unwillingly, and were unpaid workforce and the backbone of the American economy for centuries. The physical shackles have been long released, but substituted for more subtle forms of bondage. Today, Black Americans as a whole are still experiencing the economical oppression that echoes from times pre/post/antebellum.

In a capitalist society such as America, poverty may be as good (if not worse than) death – at least death to any hope of the American dream. White Americans from back then realized the importance of economical wellness as a means to greater participation in the American dream. Through legislation, intimidation, and physical force (such as the burning down of Black Wall St. in Tulsa, Oklahoma), they were successful in stagnating the development of Black wealth, but not achieving it’s death. Those times have changed for the most part, but not entirely. The presence of systemic racism has recently been widely accepted as fact, barring a majority of Black Americans from obtaining a grip on basic livelihood, let alone equitable wealth.

Surely these are the facts, but another fact remains… to obtain true freedom in our capitalist society, it is not enough to be only physically free… you must also be free financially. That takes cooperation, persistence, and fortitude of an entire people. In addition to those characteristics, a greater perspective must be gained. A perspective encompassing generational wealth- beyond day to day, or even year to year… not only for your children, but your children’s children. Don’t think in decades, garner a perspective that equates to millennia. Rich is for the moment, true wealth is forever – accompanied with the knowledge and wisdom not only to survive, but thrive…

– Q. Patterson, #1392272