﷽ Photo by Alexey Demidov on Unsplash How every good Bahamian story begins: “Once upon a time and a good old time "Have ya’ heard of B’rabbi and Br’fox? ‘Vell, B’rabbi is a rascal and his biggest nemesis is Br’fox. No two characters ever did hate each other like those two. I blame B’rabbi the most though—now hear me out. A fox is doing just what foxes do; why now B’rabbi think he can just harass Br’fox all day every day and not think a fox will come for him? What kinda thinking is that? That rascal was just bored, I think. Bored and maybe a bit jealous? ‘Cause Br’fox came up with some real clever tricks to trap him. Who can forget the ‘Ta’ Baby’ incident of ‘31? Ya never heard of the ‘Ta’ Baby’ incident? ‘Vell chile! Br’fox made a tar baby to catch and vex B’rabbi. And it almost work too...but unfortunately B’Boukee has a weakness too; he too greedy! You want me to tell you about the ‘Ta’ Baby’ incident, ya say? I ‘ain gat time today but it’s very famous ‘round here. Ol’ Mrs. Pratt down the road, she gat time, ask her, but make sure ya gat time because the Lawd is my witness, that woman can run on!" Storytelling saves lives.
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 "The Storyteller" - Thierry Lamare ❝ I am the Black girl that crossed the dark sea Carrying in my body the seed of the Free Now home on Native land I am the woman who worked on the field Bringing the cotton and the cane to yield I am the one who laboured as a slave Beaten and mistreated for the work that I gave Children sold away from me, husband auctioned off, mamas voided too No safety, no love, no respect was I due A prey to white violence, a slave to white lust No value, low-priced Back then I sucked salt and bit the dust Four hundred years deep in the South But God put a song and a prayer in my mouth God put a dream like a steel drum in my soul Freedom gave fire to this body turned cold Now, through my children, I'm watching the seed grow, Post up like the Fruit, Now, through my children, I'm hitting the goal. Realize child the blessings denied to me I couldn't read then, I couldn't write I had nothing back then, not even the night Some days the road was hot with sun But I had to keep on till my work was done I had to keep on! No stopping for me-- I was the seed of the coming Free I nourished and nursed the dream, the struggle That nothing can smother Deep in my breast-- The Black mother I had only one hope then, but now through you, Black children of today, my wildest dreams must come true All you dark children in the world today out there, Remember my blood, my sweat, my tears Remember my years, heavy with sorrow- And make of those years a torch for tomorrow. Make of my past a road to the light, A revolutionary path Out of the darkness, the ignorance, the night. ❞ * Written by Zaakirah Rose ﷽ "I think that in order to struggle you have to be creative. In my life, creativity has been something that has sustained me; it awoke my spiritual struggle." A few weeks ago we heard of the death of Assata Shakur, who chose to be called, ‘she who struggles for community and is thankful’. She was a daughter, sister, mother and revolutionary fighter, a woman who saw injustices and wanted to fight against it. She died free in Cuba but in exile from her birth nation of the United States of America. This is the outcome of those that are true, those that stand up against tyranny and oppression. They are mocked and vilified - and if those tactics do not work, then they face imprisonment, torture, exile or death. We have seen the tyrannical techniques played out against people like Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela and many other freedom fighters and revolutionaries. If we want to know who is on the right side of history, see who their enemies are. The entire United States government, both left and right, demonized and hunted our sister Assata Shakur, branding her a terrorist - the first American woman to be put on the terrorist watchlist...even though all charges against her were either dropped or acquitted. Yet she remains on the list to this day. This is the price of making true change, of speaking the truth, of actively standing for truth. We honour our sister, her sacrifice, her commitment to her people, and her solidarity with all oppressed people in the world. May Allah have mercy on Assata Olugbala Shakur.  "A woman’s place is in the struggle."
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