The Revolution Will Not Be Televised!!

“The Revolution Will Not be Televised” famous words spoken by a revolutionary poet and lived by an actual revolutionary. In the span of a week we lost Gill Scott Heron and Geronimo Ji Jaga aka Geronimo Pratt. Some would say that Gil Scott was a sort of Godfather of Hip Hop. He himself often said in interviews numerous times that he was a “bluesologist,” drawing on the traditions of blues, jazz and Harlem renaissance poetics. He along with The Last Poets, a group of black nationalist poets who emerged with him in the late 60s and early ’70s were the forefathers to the Public Enemy’s, BDP's and pre family friendly Ice Cube. Chuck D told The New Yorker just last year “You can go into Ginsberg and the Beat poets and Dylan, but Gil Scott-Heron is the manifestation of the modern word, he and the Last Poets set the stage for everyone else." The Revolution will not be televised, was a seminal performance of spoken word that was both funny and enlightening in its audacity.

"The Revolution will not be televised". Truer words were never spoken, especially about brother Geronimo Ji Jaga , one of my personal heroes. He didn't write "Soul on Ice”,"Soledad Brother" or any of the other books by former Black Nationalists. He didn't have too; he lived in the belly of the beast for 27 years, 8 in solitary confinement. Geronimo was wrongfully convicted for the 1968 murder of Caroline Olsen on a Santa Monica tennis court. He was the Minister of Defense for The Black Panther Party, but never an official Black Panther. He was a decorated Vietnam veteran, and a victim of Cointelpro. The pet project of former FBI director and infamous cross dresser, J Edgar Hoover. The program was designed to infiltrate and disrupt The Black Nationalist movement of the 60's and 70's. It worked like a charm. The Panthers ended up being the number one priority, after Hoover called the group 'the most dangerous threat to American national security.' When his wrongful conviction was overturned, Geronimo settled a lawsuit with the city of Los Angeles and the FBI for $4.5 million. He settled in Tanzania Africa. That is where his life came to an end last week, but not his legacy. People don't realize the resilience of Geronimo, he could have been released from prison long before those 27 years were up, but he always maintained his innocence and dignity. He came from the lineage of Hannibal, Shaka Zulu , Nat Turner and Marcus Garvey. His contemporaries were Bunchy Carter, Eldrige Cleaver, Bobby Seale and Huey Newton. If you don't know those names, don't wait until February to find out who they are. Read 'Last Man Standing' by Jack Olsen to learn more about Geronimo Ji Jaga. There is much more to his story.

"The Revolution will not be Televised”. Unfortunately The Revolution has been packaged and sold for mass consumption through television, radio and the internet. We once fought the Power with Black Steel, in The Hour of Chaos. We didn't believe the Hype, because our Uzis Weighed a Ton. We asked Why is that? We were told You Must Learn. Now we do the Dougie and make it rain at strip clubs. Revolutions need revolutionaries, but there is no money in Revolution. Not that it matters because" Niggers are scared of revolution, but niggers shouldn't be scared of revolution because revolution is nothing but change." In an interview with Eye Weekly a Canadian website in 2008, KRS One stated "There comes a time where you have to become the president that you are protesting against if you want to make some change. And my time has come. The revolution only works for those who participate in it." The Revolution was sold a long time ago, before KRS and Nike deemed it basketball. The revolutionary spirit of these two extraordinary brothers will live on. Who will pick up the mantel, will it be you? A revolution doesn't have to mean overthrowing the government. It could mean changing the garbage spewing from the radio or changing the programs on TV. It could mean kidnapping Flava Flav and holding him hostage for Chuck and the S1W's. There is nothing wrong with wanting the American Dream. What is your dream for America? Is it revolutionary ?