October End-of-Month Wrap-up....

Damn...the month is almost OVER!!!!!  :-O

Trying to end the month on a strong note.  One good thing...my oldest nephew's birthday is next Monday!!!!  YAAAAAAY!!!  He'll be turning 21.  TWENTY-ONE!!!  I remember when his mother was pregnant with him. MAN, time sure does fly.  Happy birthday to you, Romello!!!!  :-)

Halloween is next week.  I used to love this holiday when I was a kid.  Once I got older, it kinda lost it's appeal...besides getting involved with the cultural activist community.  I kinda miss those days of playing dress-up, and going trick-or-treating.  I could use a good costume party....or, maybe a cosplay party instead, making it more cultural....?

Speaking of Halloween/All Hallow's Eve, I posted the latest episode of "The Rough Draft" (episode FOUR!!!) in honor of the holiday.  I profiled my novel (now series) "The Chronicles of The Black Fist" (CreateSpace, 2015).  You can check out the link for it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HELrV1ipchE&feature=youtu.be

The book is STILL available for purchase in paperback AND eBook formats.  Not to mention, the sequel in the series "The Chronicles of the Black Fist: F.U.R.I. of the People" (KDP, 2019), is also available.  Would be nice to get some support for it......

Other than all of that, I'm still considering my options for a DUAL book release for 2020.  Both books are ready to go, and I FINALLY completed the cover for Suicide Amy.  It's an interesting idea for me to do, but the lack of support that I get for my books, smdh.....

Aaaaaaaaanyway.......

I'll let you guys know what I finally decide in November.  I should start doing any necessary promotions for it by then, if I decide to go forward with the dual release.  I'll keep you guys updated on it.

Uhuru sase, y paz.  Keep the fist raised. 

Celebrating Latino Heritage Month--eBook Release

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

Brooklyn, Ny--Celebrating Latino Heritage Month, author/activist Kevin Alberto Sabio celebrates the digital release of his first two seminal works; "Raise Your Brown Black Fist: The Political Shouts of an Angry Afro Latino" (Authorhouse, 2010), and the followup sequel "Raise Your Brown Black Fist 2: MORE Political Shouts of an Angry Afro Latino" (Outskirts Press, 2011), now available in digital eBook format.  Representing for the unspoken of, and the unrepresented/underrepresented "Third Root" of Latino culture, author/activist Kevin Alberto Sabio speaks on the issues of race, history, politics/political ideology, and Afro Latino issues and affairs.

Raise Your Brown Black Fist is published through Authorhouse [Book 1] and Outskirts Press [Book 2], and are available in paperback format through their publisher's website(s), Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million.  The books are also available now in eBook format through carriers such as Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iTunes, Page Foundry, Scribd, and 24Symbols.

Representando para mi gente Latino, Negro, y Afro Latino.  Feliz el mes de la herencia de los Latinos.

KEVIN ALBERTO SABIO is an author and activist born and raised in Brooklyn, NY.  He is the youngest child of Honduran Garifuna parents.  His is the founder and organizer of the Universal African Literary Arts Movement.  He is the author of SEVEN books of fiction, and nonfiction.

Keep the fist raised,

Kevin Alberto Sabio

Author/activist
www.facebook.com/AuthorKevinSabio

Ujamaa Effect: Putting "El Negro" in Viernes Negro [Holiday Hustle]

It's that time of year again for me, and other indie creative content creators....

The holidays are coming up, and it's time for all of us indies to fight for your dollars along side the big industry behemoths of the world that have all of the marketing power at their disposal.  In recent years, they've tried to expand it beyond the usual confines of just "Black Friday".  It is now Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and more recently added, Cyber Sunday.  My usual plan is to constantly promote my published works from November, all the way up to February, taking advantage of not only "Black Friday" after Thanksgiving, but also Christmas, Kwanzaa, MLK's Birthday, and Black History Month.

I think that people need to work harder at supporting our entrepreneurs and indie artists, and not just give our money away to these big conglomerates and box stores.  I know too many of my fellow content creators who are struggling to get supported by the consumer community, especially our own people.  Our people like to complain a lot, but don't really back up a lot of their complaints with any real concrete action.  There are too many of us that are promoting the heck out of our works online, and not getting any type of support.

Let's try to really support our Black/Brown entrepreneurs.  Speaking for myself, my works are all available online at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble [www.bn.com], and Books-A-Million [www.booksamillion.com].  You can also go to the publisher's site for each book, to purchase a copy during the holidays.

So...lets REALLY try to put the 'black' into Black Friday.  Let's talk with our dollars, and really show some financial 'black/brown power'.  If we really do have TRILLIONS in disposable income, then lets spend that money wisely, and with our own.

Raise Your Brown Black Fist: The Political Shouts of an Angry Afro Latino
Publisher: Authorhouse
www.authorhouse.com

Raise Your Brown Black Fist 2: MORE Political Shouts of an Angry Afro Latino
Publisher: Outskirts Press
www.outskirtspress.com

In My Lifetime: funny Stories of Life Lessions
Publisher: Outskirts Press
www.outskirtspress.com

The Chronicles of The Black Fist
Publisher: Createspace
www.createspace.com

Demure Nights
Publisher; CreateSpace
www.createspace.com

Taller de Identidad Afroperuana

Share by my sister at Lundu, Monica Carrillo....

TALLER DE IDENTIDAD AFROPERUANA
February 7-8, 2015
Universidad Peruana de Ciencias e Informatica

Organized by:  Ashanti Peru
www.ashantiperu.org

An event celebrating the International Decade of the Afrodescendant!!!

Rant Session: Fuck The Police

I'm really getting tired of this crap....

First you had the Grand Jury in Ferguson, MO let off the killer of Michael Brown, and now recently in my hometown of NYC, they let yet another cop walk for killing an unarmed brother on the street, Eric Gardner.

I'm also sick of the hashtagging and street protests.  Gathering and marching isn't going to change a DAMN thing!  The marches don't scare, nor intimidate them.  They see it as a nuisance...nothing more.  As I said before, marching worked back in the day because it was something that was unexpected of us.  They thought that we would remain docile and compliant, so when we did march, it was unprecedented.

FUCK MARCHING!!!!

I'm not going to march on Washington, City Hall, or wherever, and beg the government to do anything!  They won't do anything...they never have!  Even the Civil Rights Bills was ridiculously watered down and stripped of it's bite when it was finally passed.  What we really need to do is organize, and FIGHT BACK!!!!

We need to bring back a lot of these fighting formations from our past.  They won't stop wantonly shooting us down, and disrespecting our communities until we make some consequences for their actions.  Hell...even the ANC (African National Congress) had their military wing, the Umkhonto WeSiswe (MK), so that they could fight on both fronts.  We NEED to bring back the BLA (Black Liberation Army) and Deacons for Defense, and let the powers that be know that this WON'T be further tolerated.  You can keep your nonviolent bullshit, and shove it where the sun don't shine!

"To be practicing nonviolence against a violent enemy is doing a disservice to your community"--Malcolm X

We NEED to start practicing self defense!  Start forming RBG Fit & Training Clubs, organize ourselves, arm ourselves with political education, history, and military tacitcs, and FIGHT BACK!!!

In my 40 years of existence, I've been harassed and profiled by the cops.  I've known other associates who have been brutalized by the police.  This is systemic, it always has been.  Cut the crap!  If you're too much of a punk to stand up and fight, then sit down, STFU...and get the flying fuck out of the way, and let those of us that are willing to fight, fight.  If you're too busy looking out for your own self interest because you benefit from this bullshit system, they you are as much a part of the problem as they are, and you also need to be dealt with.

The time is NOW!!!!!!

STAND UP!!!!!

   

Word! Caribbean Book Fest

Word! "Islands in the City"
Caribbean Book Fest

Medgar Evers College
1650 Bedford Aveneue
Brooklyn, NY

2pm-8pm
$10 adults/$5 children

Brought to you by the Caribbean Cultural Theatre

Spread the word, and please support!!!!

Nuestra Herencia: Alonso De Illescas

Alonso de Illescas, the African slave from Senegal that regained his freedom and established a kingdom of Esmeraldas in Ecuador in 1553 at the age of 25. The Spanish had to fight and beg him. in fact the Spanish priest and negotiator Miguel Cabello de Balboa openly acknowledges that Alonso de Illescas was a man of superior qualities. 

(click here for more: http://kwekudee-tripdownmemorylane.blogspot.com/2012/10/african-descendants-in-ecuador-afro.html)
 
Alonso de Illescas was born about 1528, in Africa in the region of Senegal. At the age of about 10 years, he was captured by slave traders and taken as a slave to Spain. He was baptized and confirmed in Seville with the name of Enrique. He later took the name of his master, the merchant Alonso de Illescas.
 
He had the opportunity to learn the language of the Spanish, their way of living, raising children, engaging in war and even entertainment. He became proficient in the use of weapons and musical instruments typical of the great families of the time.
 
Around 25 years or so, he was brought to America by the family of Illescas, who managed a sort of joint enterprise between Seville and Lima. In October 1553, sailing from Panama to Lima, the merchant ship that carried Alonso de Illescas, had great difficulty by currents and adverse weather and ran out of supplies.
 
After passing through the rough whether and getting to the Cape of San Francisco, at the height of Portete Cove, in the province of Esmeraldas, the ship that had on board 17 black slaves and six 6 black free men, was pushed to the reef where it ran aground due to the strong wind and turbulent waves. This helped blacks including Allonso to flee into the jungle. The Spanish tried to recapture them, but had no success. From there Alonso and other escaped slaves went to Portoviejo to enjoy their free lives.

On the death of Anton, after overcoming some internal rivalries, Alonso de Illescas, was recognized as the new leader.
Account by Miguel Cabello de Balboa has it that Alonso who once invited to a great feast with the chief Chilianduli with Indians in the village of Dobe, surprisingly at the apex of the party killed 500 Indians, and became the new lord of the people.
They made forays into a vast area reaching Portoviejo instilling fear to the Spanish, who vainly tried to subdue the multiple attacks.
 
Allonso was a skilled negotiator and knew how to win the friendship of the Indians, making appropriate partnerships, particularly with the tribe of the chiggers. For the Indians there was no choice but to agree and accept the newcomers.They therefore supported Alonso and his free blacks in the fight against enemy tribes, especially the dreaded Campaces. As a sign of alliance the Indians awarded their women as a trophy to the black warriors of Allonso to marry, giving rise to a new breed in of people in South America "the Sambo of Esmeraldas." Later in 1599 the painter Andrés Sánchez Gallque, by order of Judge Juan del Barrio, painted the "Chiefs of Esmeraldas Blacks" and sent the large portrait of the King of Spain, Philip II.
 
Alonso was cunning, brave in war, with his quite literary abilities in Spanish language also quickly learned the local languages. With the Spanish colonizers he maintained a relationship that could define as "hate and love," in order to preserve their autonomy while leveraging their friendship.
He established his people in the headwaters of Atacames, called San Martin de la Campaces, the mouth of which was the historic meeting with the priest Miguel Cabello de Balboa, in the month of September 1577.
 
Alonso de Illescas was told by the catholic priest that he had the king's (king of Spain) pardon and has been appointed as Governor of Esmeraldas. Alonso took appointment appointment letter from Balboa and told him he appreciated the King`s offer but added that before he accepts, "I had to talk to my people."
In fact he left with his entourage. Later he came with all his people, promising nothing because the Spanish ship appeared in the bay, from Portmore, causing distrust. They thought it would be another betrayal of their people to the Spanish. Alonso and his black followers did not show up anymore. The Spanish left.
 
When Miguel Cabello de Balboa returned to Atacames River again, he found rafts shattered and plants uprooted, a clear sign that the relationship was broken and he could be danger.
The priest Miguel Cabello de Balboa, along with his colleagues, decided to take the road along the coast to Bahia de Caráquez, as he constantly watched from afar by the Indian pals of Alonso. There were follow up Portoviejo help, then finally reached Guayaquil and Quito on February 10, 1578.
The blacks were indeed free in their new land and resisted any attempt to subjugate them to the Spanish.
 
Miguel Cabello de Balboa openly acknowledges that Alonso de Illescas was a man of superior qualities. He wrote to King telling him that it was not so easy to subdue a man who was well prepared and knows how to defend in all fields.
 
Alonso, married a daughter of Chief Chilianduli and had other women. The children were educated along Spanish families, were taught the use of weapon and also in the manufacturing of weapons. Three of his famous children were Enrique Alonso, Alonso Sebastian, Balthazar. One of his daughters was captured by Captain Andrew Contero, made a slave, sent to Guayaquil and married to a slave of the same Captain. Another daughter named Mary got married to Gonzalo de Avila, they had a daughter, Magdalena.

Spanish People In Control--The Remix

The following is an excerpt from my article/essay entitled "Hip Hopistas: Requiem for a Second Verse", from Raise Your Brown Black Fist 2.  The excerpt will be followed by the song lyrics for the remix version of the song "S.P.I.C. (Spanish People In Control)".

"In the late 90s (around 1998 or so), there was an underground movement of (conscious) emcees rising up throughout Latin America, specifically among Afro Latinos.  They weren't focused on the materialism or misogyny of their American-born counterparts; they spoke about issues affecting them in their country(ies) of origin.  They spoke to issues of racism that they faced in their home country, the dire poverty that affects their communities, and of oppression that they faced from their respective governments.  There were several articles written about this movement in such periodicals as Stress Magazine, and Urban Latino Magazine.  Apparently, this was also happening around the time of the so-called 'Latin Explosion' here in the United States.  As I had stated in the article subtitled "Reflections of Me":

"....Afro Latinos were relegated to the status of persona non grata.  You never saw us during the whole explosion, not unless you dug around really deep in the underground circles..." 

Our voices went unheard, and our opinions were left unexpressed.   So in that sense, we had to create our own voices, and find alternative ways for us to be heard.  Inspired by the conscious artists here in the States, our brethren throughout Latin America decided to lift their voices, and put their thoughts to wax (or tape, or CDs, or any other means that were available to them).

...Hip Hop can be used as a tool to help instill social change in our communities.  It can be a tool; not be considered an end all and be all.  It can be used as a way to help politicized the youth of our communities, but cannot be seen as the only answer or ultimate solution."

Spanish People In Control  (Remix)

[emcee collaboration]

Verse (Knowledge As Supreme)

Well, it don't matter...Boricua, Chicano, or whatever...

We just gotta cease the warring, and we gotta stick together...

Watch our backs, we gotta watch out for the racists,

Cause you know they're all around us wearing too many faces,

They hate this...

They see us all around, and get scared,

And they're always talking shit when their dirty laundry get aired,

They say we're all the same, and they say that it's legit,

But then they show their real faces, and try to feed us some bullshit...

Won't take this no more, you wanna act muy malo?

So come get in my face, I'll kick your ass with my zapatos...

 S-P-I-C is Spanish People In Control...my main goal,

This ain't just how I'm livin', this how my squad rolls...

Raiding our countries, lootin' the land just like a felon,

But when I speak my own language, you wanna do Prop 187?

Listen here...that disrespectful bullshit ain't how we go,

And lettin' some punk ass honkey diss my people on the radio?

That showed no respect for any person that had died,

And then I would be wrong to beat the shit out your hide...

The time for tongues is reminiscent and dismissin',

So it's time to give punks like Howard Stern and ass wuppin' (Selena!)

The Aboriginals have suffered massive genocide,

And now we suffer tales of our lives that are falsified...

Unbelieveable myths of our nature are nationwide,

And some are proving it true by being out there on the homicide...

You have some out that fall to mis-education,

and commit assassinations just to gain a reputation...

You see the picture is much broader than the brush,

And yes, you do have some ills, but commit to judgements that rush...

I'm kickin' knowledge just so all you will know,

That this how we roll, with Spanish People In Control

The following excerpt can be found in Raise Your Brown Black Fist 2: MORE Political Shouts of an Angry Afro Latino.  For copies of the book, please contact your local bookstore to order copies, or order it online through Amazon.com, Barnes & Nobles, or my publisher Outskirts Press website.     

S.P.I.C. (Spanish People In Control)--The Concept

The following is an excerpt from the essay/article titled "Word Power" of the Black Thoughts series.  The excerpt is followed by the song lyrics written in conjunction with the concept of the acronym.  The article/essay "Word Power" is included in both books.  The song lyrics are specifically listed in Book 2: MORE Political Shouts of an Angry Afro Latino.


"People understand very little the power of words...

I remember one incident in my youth, during my late teens/early twenties, when I was hanging out with some friends of mine (at the time) from high school, in which I was supposed to be forming a musical group with (they were the singers of the group, and I was to be the emcee).  We were having a conversation one time about group matters when one of my friends/groupmates replied in a jovial fashion, "I'm a Spic, and proud of it."  His response caused me to raise a surprised eyebrow at him, considering that I was the angry militant of the group.  In  response, he dared me to ask him why he would refer to himself in such a manner.  After a few seconds of contemplation, I bit.

"Okay...why are you proud to be a Spic?"

"...Because we're Spanish People In Control!  Get it?"

I have to admit that at the time I laughed at the response, thinking that it was on the clever side; taking a word of negative connotation, and turning it into a positive.  As the emcee of the group (and secondary song writer),  I had actually penned a few songs (two actually; the original song with rhyme verse, and rap remix) in response to this witty acronym, turning it into our political statement.  Since I was the radical of the group, I had always tried to express my political beliefs through my art, using it as a tool to 'edu-tain' the masses.  It's been many moons since I even thought about picking up the mic; it just wasn't in me to be an emcee.  It's been even longer since I had a falling out with my ex-groupmates/former friends to do the music thing, and revolutionize the music industry and the masses.  But...that particular memory has always stuck with me."

S.P.I.C. (Spanish People In Control)

Chorus:

S-P-I-C...Spanish People In Control

S-P-I-C...Spanish People In Control

S-P-I-C...Spanish People In Control

S-P-I-C...Spanish People In Control

Verse 1: (Knowledge As Supreme)

Well, it's the K-A-S' rise, and I'm coming as no surprise,

And as I'm kickin' my flava, it's my theory you must surmise...

Teachin' you all with my political flow,

S-P-I-C, Spanish People In Control...

On the culture tip, give me respect for the props I'm earnin',

(Why...?) Cause I'm the Phunkee Honduran...

I'm a darker skinned brother, with the mad Latin flava,

Representin' my peoples, and kickin' issues that can save ya...

Born wit a street heart, down to be book smart,

Hope to be a leader that you read in your history csparts...

Learn from my knowledge, all the sermons that you hear me speak,

Speakin' and preachin', reachin' and teachin' truths you know you can't defeat...

We gotta hype ourselves, fuck these political groupies,

Cause they're always dissin' us, even in these wack ass movies...

We get played by Caucasians, we get portrayed like we're heathens,

We're always getting disrespected, no one's there when we need them...

We get blamed for the welfare, get blamed for the drug flow,

They disrespect our language and our culture as a whole...

We ain't all dealers, and ain't all alcoholics,

Don't try to label me, so son, back up off it...

You lied to us in school and tried to program our minds,

But then when you want somethin', you start to act kind...?

(Fuck it!) Latter for y'all, cause I'm livin' Latincentric,

Don't try to keep me down, don't think you can suppress it...

Word to my Phunkness, to the next flow,

S-P-I-C...Spanish People In Control!

Chorus: 2X

Verse 2: [verse omitted]

Chorus: 2X

Verse 3: (Knowledge As Supreme)

Talkin', movin', flowin', showin' this packed jam,

The speakin' and preachin' mental emcee is who I am...

P-H-U-N-K-Double E,

And at the end put 'Honduran' and you know that's me...

I dress in baggies, and I talk wit the street slang,

You know I'm straight up street, but not down wit the gang thing...

Mental correctness, selfless, testless, I'm also restless,

Not some fake-ass fool thinkin' I'm the bestest...

Stick wit my peeps cause there is no petty jealousy,

Fake being friends, and then you wanna challenge me...?

I don't think so, look for help from your savior,

Cause when you challenge K-A-S, that shit ends in failure...

I know where I'm from, so I'm gonna stay true,

Representin' my peoples, I gotta do what I must do...

S-P-I-C ain't a song, it's a given,

It's a way to represent, it's the way that we livin'...

They try to keepyou down, leave you all by you lone,

But if we stay correct, we can bring up our own...

Combine the strengths of the entire Latin nation,

We can work for our own, handle any situation...

Word to god, heed my word, hear what I'm sayin',

We gotta go for ours, you know I ain't playin'...

Not by buck wildin', bullets flyin', people dyin',

Ya gotta use ya brain when ya fightin'...

They play these fucked up games all the time with us,

Just take up a position, and get ready to bust...

We gotta watch our own, cause nobody else will,

We gotta do what we must, even have to get ill...

Me and my peoples, we all live like this,

And soon we gonna arise, and it's something you won't miss...

That's how we livin', here just to let you know,

S-P-I-C...Spanish People In Control!

Chorus: 3X

The remix to Spanish People In Control will be posted soon as a follow-up to this post.  For those interested in reading more of the article/essay "Word Power", or sampling other songs and poetry that I have written, please purchase a copy of Raise Your Brown Black Fist: The Political Shouts of an Angry Afro Latino, book one and two, at your local bookstore.

Cultural Expression

Okay, this one is a bit of a rant session....

As you all know, I am a card carrying member of the Nationalist/Pan Africanist movement.  I espouse the Afrocentric ideology, not only in my own writings, but in my everyday mode of living.  I will be RBG until my last day on this physical plane.

At the same time, BECAUSE I am a part of this movement/community, it gives me more of a standing to critique and/or criticize some of the things that we do within this movement/community.  As an alternative to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, there are those in the "conscious" community that came up with a holiday of their own called the "Umoja Karamu" (loosely translated to Unity Feast in KiSwahili).

????????

No disrespect meant to my fellow activists and revolutionaries, but...are you shitting me?!?!

Look...we know that the way the holiday is presented and propagandized today is totally contrary to what really happened historically.  I get the fact that we need to celebrate our own cultural holidays as an alternative to this wicked societal system that we live in.  But come ON!  WHY are we making up holidays?!?!  If we were really culturally aware, we would realize that we don't have to make up our own holidays; there are plenty for us to celebrate.  If you are involved in the Kemetic spiritual systems, there are a number of holidays that are expressed through that faith.  There are probably a few others if you follow the belief systems of the Akan, Yoruba, Dogon, Vodun, Lucumi, and other African faiths.  We don't need Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, or Christmas, or to make up 'black' versions of those holidays.

There are a number of groups and organizations that create African-centered/afrocentric calendars to distribute to the community.  Some are historically based, some are culturally based.  If I were ever to create my own cultural calender, I would list the following holidays:

All of Black History Month
Veneral (Spring) Equinox
African Liberation Day
Juneteenth
Summer Solstice
Black August/African Liberation Month
Autumnal Equinox
Black Solidarity Day
Winter Solstice
Kwanzaa

I would also include the birthdays of iconic ancestors and freedom fighters, and also include the independence days of various African and Diasporic countries into the mix.   

National Black United Front---Black Power Hip Hop Conference

Representing for the National Black United Front

Black Power Hip Hop Conference
November 2-4, 2012
Howard University
Washington, DC

Raise Your Brown Black Fist 2: MORE Political Shouts of an Angry Afro Latino

"Once again...IT'S ON!! Back with a fresh set of essays and verses, this second volume of RAISE YOUR BROWN BLACK FIST continues to help bridge the gap between the Black and Brown communities, and gives voice to the little known "Third Root" of Latino culture.  Extending the "Black Thoughts" article series into one complete volume, a new perspective is now given.  Whether still breaking it down in layman's terms, or still spittin' it in a Hip Hop vernacular, this second volume continues to deal with these issues from a different perspective.  Keep the fist raised!"

  http://outskirtspress.com/brownblackfist2

ISBN #: 978-1-4327-8354-9

Available for sale now at Outskirts Press, Amazon.com, and Barnes & Nobles