Nov. 28 - Dec. 4 1993 MICHIGAN CITIZEN P 7
By Mumia Abu-damal
come here for joke!
When I leave I wanna
people dem dreadlock, say
I'm Rasta, and get the whole
thing rebelliou , dat, we
kyan live, ya know, we
�aan continue going thru
dis same t'ing over, over and
over again, when the prob­
lem is, our people must be
united. And then all problem
solve, and then every prob­
lem solve. 'Cause if the Black
mon check it - him don't
like unite, but him ruler of
earth. .. him have the knowl­
edge, wisdom and under­
standingenufftodo it, seen?
While the next one get the
gift. of technology, and the
next one get the gift of dis
and dat, Black mon getta
rootical gift - him maintain
the God business, dat pur­
pose why earth was created.
I and I haffa maintain date '
Q: One of the songs that
you do, Brother ... that
touches me, and I'm sure it
touches most Africans glob­
ally.is the song that comes
from the words of His Impe­
rial Majesty, speaking to the
United Nations, WdH!
Marl y: That the truth,
you know? You see, what
His Majesty say is the truth.
Now when. we listen, when
His Majesty say that, we
look out 'pon the earth, and
we know dat, when alla
th e people who say dem is
1 ders, for people 'pon th
earth, agree to what His
Majesty say, then 'til today,
you have no more war, and
no more problem. Because,
what him say is true "Until
the philosophy that hold one
people higher than the other
one i no more, then ifit eon­
tinue, ya gwanna have war!
When it done, prob­
lem over, seen? .,"
Q: What's your
hope, Brother, for tM
future of Black people
inAmerica, andBlack
people in the world?
Marley: Way I see,
ya seen? It looks sim­
ple but it's true. Rasta
for the people! RAS­
TAFARI! for the peo­
ple, seen capitalism
and communism are
finished, it's Rasta
now! The Blackmon
way of life. That's
what we a say now,
dread We a say, give
the Black mon fe him
way of life now. Mek
him show you how
government run and
how people care for
people. Who you t'ink
have the love? Who
sing the tune inn
church? Black people
a sing dem, ya know?
Who's the spiritual
people 'pon earth?
The Black people!
Dem a deal wit God.
And God naw let dem
down. '
And God y dem
fe unite. Because
when you unite, that
is the power of God.
You know, God love
love, which is unity.
So when you unite,
you get the whole
power of God. That's
what IllM want.
Words from the
man, the mind, from
the late Ras Bob
N taMarley.
For a brief, shining mo­
ment his star shone world­
wide - Robert Nesta Marley
(1945-1981).
Part, prophet, part Sha­
man-Jahman, the musical
griot known as Bob Marley
touched African and rebel­
lious spirits across this vast
planet with a loving, lilting
song of liberation from
"downpression." '
In the fall of 1979, I had
the genuine pleasure to sit
with him, along with his fel­
low Rastas and members of
my family, as he spoke with
warmth and sincerity of the
Ras Tafari faith. As he
spoke, he toked from a mas:
sive, sweet spliff of sen­
similla that framed his
leonine head in a grey
mist ... ;
Q: What kind offeeling do
you get when you come' thrti
a-city like Philadelphia, with
almost a million Black eo­
pie?
Marley: When I come
into this city here, in Phila­
delphia ... sometime, I won­
der if I am on time, ya
unnerstand? 'Cause the t'ing
is to be on time. When I
come 'ere I want, I really de­
sire, for really, get thru to
the people - I don't, wanna
.'
I