Sellassie, Come Home
A plea to not dog it

“There is something magical about finding truly wonderful things close to home.”
– David Yearsley, from http://www.counterpunch.org/yearsley11212008.html

I’ve had contact with San Francisco hip-hop singer Sellassie’s manager. I believe she functions in that capacity. Anyway, I very much like Gina, after having talked with her on the phone the other day (11/21/08)… about the possibility of a rendezvous with her and/or Sellassie and/or colleagues, like-minded souls. It was a long wait. I had given up, having attempted contact in August… and not hearing a word till this week or so. Oh,… there’s more.

But no one who hasn’t tried to organize repeatedly (along non-traditional lines) will possibly understand what’s below… so PLEASE don’t continue reading with expectations if that’s your case; you can get enough on this by glancing at a better-written piece by Marcelle Cendrars… which is me (having to hide my identity from publishers who wouldn’t otherwise post me because of petty differences)… at http://www.zcommunications.org/znet/viewArticle/17270 or http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/11/glassing-the-country/ (the latter with some interesting commentary).

Sellassie caught my attention on KPFA when he came off as somewhat informed, and definitely heartfelt. “I wanna make a livin’, not a killin’” was the line that opened up a lot for me. And, then, there was his rap about Harriet Tubman… how impressed he was that she had repeatedly returned to lead slaves out of bondage, heading south/north over and over again at great personal risk in the 19th-century.

I have been frustrated repeatedly, however, with strangers spouting left-of-center blah blah. Representing high profile groups, cutting edge projects and so on. From every conceivable progressive/radical nook and cranny. I’ve been at it for years now, trying to recruit activists and the like for a joining of hands… to stir up trouble or make advances along the lines of new paradigms. At every possible opportunity.

But nothing’s been jelling. And I’m yelling at myself daily for persisting in the same vein. I should go home, I tell myself. But where is home if it isn’t in the realm of solidarity?

Trouble is, the solidarity to be had is virtually all superficial. The desire for movement in unity is grounded in incompetence and insularity. Or territorial trauma; an insistence upon owning an idea… interferes. Or worse. The obstacles to movement in solidarity are endless. AND… I would venture to say that most “progressives” and “radicals” who read this won’t have a clue as to what I’m talking about. Let alone others. It’s not what you hear on occasion about there being no Movement to speak of. It’s much more bleak than that… if you’re looking for change along traditional lines.

Perhaps one example is in order: A scholar who wrote a recent article about there being 7000 at-risk “nuclear” locations (vulnerable to attack from so-called terrorists) didn’t get back to me when I requested a map of sorts… so that I might increase the chances of my rallying people in solidarity for good cause. He provided an email address (easy access) unlike many on the Left, but he chose not to respond… like many on the Left. The Left isn’t in disarray, it’s decimated. Lack of competency, lack of focused passion, and — worst of all — lack of imagination.

I incessantly misquote Beckett: “Habit is the great deadener.” But it’s true.

Which brings me back to Hip Hop Sellassie and a hip scholar, Professor Emeritus from the University of Vermont, Dr. James Loewen. The latter first:

In the Introduction to the Second Edition of LIES MY TEACHER TOLD ME: EVERYTHING YOUR AMERICAN HISTORY TEXTBOOK GOT WRONG, Loewen provides an intriguing footnote:

4. Dudley Lewis, “Teaching the Truth,” San Francisco Examiner & Chronicle, 11/26/1995. Lewis was the first commentator to pair Howard Zinn’s People’s History and Lies. He was far from the last. Our books are very different, partly because our politics differ, but we are equally critical of the smug boring textbooks that still dominate American history on the high school level.

Wow, how (in what way) does Loewen differ from Zinn in political outlook, went my brain. Other questions arose, but the political diff alluded to really grabbed me. I had to find out… so I emailed The Prof at the University of Vermont. I could see from references in his work that he was inclined to correspond with readers.

Check out the following, if you will. I’ve only omitted my personal address info from the exchange… which is in chronological order:
—————————————————————————————————

Differences with HOWARD ZINN
Friday, November 21, 2008 8:30 AM
From: “Richard Oxman”
To: jloewen@uvm.edu

Hi, Dr. Loewen.

Thanks for your efforts/accomplishments.

In your updated version of LIES MY TEACHER TOLD ME, in talking about differences with Howard Zinn, you say, “Our books are very different, partly because our politics differ….” I’d like to know two things:

a) How do your politics differ?

and

b) For what reason(s) other than politics do your books differ?

Thanks for your kind consideration.

Blessings in solidarity,
Richard Oxman
——————————————————————————————–

To: headburg@yahoo.com

Right, it would only take me 60 minutes to answer your question well. I must write my next book, instead!

One 10-second difference: my book has footnotes!….

–
James W. Loewen, best email address: jloewen@uvm.edu

—————————————————————————————————

TELEGRAPHIC Re: Differences with HOWARD ZINN
Friday, November 21, 2008 3:16 PM
From: “Richard Oxman”

To: “Jim Loewen”

My telegraphic response:

Thanks.

Request for a five second (second) response from you: Howard voted for Nader. You voted for _______________ (fill-in).

Seriously, a sentence on one major political difference would mean a lot to me.
I’m the fellow who you had contact with in Hawaii prior to the writing of LIES ACROSS AMERICA, almost got you invited to http://www.counterpunch.org/mickey02102004.html, and purchased many hardback copies of LIES ACROSS AMERICA from you… to hand out for free at our 2004 event.

Blessings in solidarity,
Richard

————————————————————————————————-

Re: TELEGRAPHIC Re: Differences with HOWARD ZINN
Friday, November 21, 2008 7:05 PM
From: “Jim Loewen”

To: headburg@yahoo.com
Obama

–
James W. Loewen, best email address: jloewen@uvm.edu

————————————————————————————-

Obviously, he’s busy. I know that. I knew that.

Before I underscore what the problem is here for me, I feel obliged to point out that in my contact with him while I lived in Hawaii in the early 90s I had offered to create a social studies game centered, in part, on his work. I had wanted some feedback from him, but he only seemed to be interested in whether or not I could do some research for his proposed LIES ACROSS AMERICA book. I tactfully, thankfully, respectfully said “No.”

Nevertheless, I was a big fan. And — to this day — I absolutely adore the scholar’s contribution to the study of U.S. History… and more. Truly astounding scholarship with a very practical value for teachers and others on the front lines. And as entertaining as Sellassie in his own right.

The Problem: He’s a rude sonnavabitch… with no time for anything human unless it directly connects with his professional focus of the moment. With no sense of obligation to nurture interest emanating from the Left’s subsoil, no sense that all the scholarship in the world — however beautiful in and of itself — will not culminate in satisfying change without everyone, including ivory tower scholars, joining hands… to some meaningful degree. Physical hand on hand or eyeball to eyeball… in person. No one’s work is worth much if it precludes warmth, civility, including my bad-mannered, albeit atypical, exposé here.

Nonetheless, I shouldn’t rag on Loewen’s case (or my own) ’cause what I’m addressing is a plague of sorts, ranging from my experience with such luminaries as William Blum, Angela Davis, Stan Goff, Michael Parenti, John Fogerty, Elaine Brown, Kevin Danaher, Joe Bageant, Ramsey Clark, Danny Glover, Medea Benjamin, Ralph Nader, Bill Fletcher, Jr. and many other well-meaning biggies (and innumerable little fish). Geez, the list is truly endless for all practical purposes. I’m choosing my words carefully here. No one is on the same page when it comes to long term action. I’d love to have some of those heartbeats back. Like each and every one that turned over after that 101st head smash against the proverbial wailing wall.

Directly below is my latest exchange with Gina, probably my last.

“Hi Richard, I appreciate your interest in Sellassie and in the good fight, and we did speak on meeting with you.  At this point, our schedules and agenda are so packed that we aren’t looking to take on more projects. 
Wishing all the best, remaining hopeful,
gina”

To which I replied:

Dearest Gina:

The “good fight” carries much less weight than it might… (that’s a good rhyme for Sellassie, yes?)… if it isn’t in solidarity. I have no idea what you’re thinking when it comes to the use of the word project, but I was trying to rendezvous to do something in solidarity… in keeping with Sellassie’s professed interest in making a difference. Harriet Tubman, the person who he invoked on KPFA, I’m sure, didn’t think of being involved in a project. She made time, it seems to me, to try to help others be more free, yes? I think that what might be missing here is unawareness of where our momentum is taking us, a momentum that will continue to hit hardest on minorities first. Believe me, I don’t have the heartbeats to spend either. No one does these days.

Those children that Sellassie entertains and enlightens and inspires are slated to fight the “bad fight” abroad against people who would do them no harm. Current attempts by Sellassie, Michael Franti, and others are doing nothing much to arm the kids against the powers that be that are intent on owning their behavior, if not their souls. And I don’t consider it a “project” to try to serve as a force against that.

Perhaps the problem here between us is that you don’t see the situation as dire as I do. That would be cleared up with a meeting in person. Regardless, maybe it’s enough at this point to actually send this missive to Sellassie, and have him respond to me directly one way or another. No disrespect to you. Whether he does or doesn’t, however, I think — for what it’s worth –that it’s noteworthy that concerned people like me have such difficulty in having a dialogue with him.

Blessings,

Richard Oxman

I don’t expect Sellassie to respond whatsoever; I’ll post something at the very bottom if Gina or Sellassie do respond. One is simply obliged to… attempt….

I was very excited when I learned that Sellassie had an accessible email address. Excited when his manager finally contacted me three months after the fact. In spite of having been “disappointed” repeatedly by such leads ad infinitum. My thinking was always that it would only take one person in a given community or a given area of interest to spark others out of their hypnotic state, their resigned status, the delusions concerning the efficaciousness of their particular form of activism. But day after day, year after year… friends, passionate acquaintances and those professing commitment to a cause have shown themselves to be… in a different world.

Unreachable in terms of discussion about the necessity of new paradigms for action.

Someone’s dietary injunctions, someone’s spouse, some finances on the line, something that happened last year with someone, some crazy glint in the eye, some bad feeling, some seeking a more timely moment, some insisting upon an impossible tweak, some angle unaddressed, something that can’t quite be defined which runs through human nature, some fear, some habit…. It’s always something. Life interferes inevitably.

That’s why they call it LIFE.

My mentor, George Weber, told me years ago that in spite of our organic connection with everyone and everything, IT was like each of us was inside of a box (1)… with everyone going about knocking louder and louder, repeatedly… saying, “Let me in, let me in”… with dissatisfaction guaranteed. Perhaps then — I don’t remember — he said something about the importance of art. Art? He easily could have.

The opportunity to die like the Handel or Bandy in Yearsley’s article (link above) is a blessing. Very different than the death of a murdering patriot or that of… many martyrs.

We should all go (with what’s) home. Our bliss. Unless we come from a House of Death.

Hit that high note in this operatic ecstacy called LIFE, why don’t you.

Footnote:
(1) On this note, it’s very instructive to note that KPFA… just like the highly-touted Democracy Now! show… and so many reputable others for the Left, reaching the vast majority of what can be called alternativos, undermine everything they’re supposedly about by trying to accommodate (together) incompatible… boxes. Put simply, you can’t have totally contradictory positions on fundamental angles/issues on a given program — incessantly — in the name of democracy’s demands. Is or is not the U.S. — or at least its present momentum — rotten to the core? Suicidal, with no time left to waste? Consensus on something for God’s sake!!! Oh… how sad… now that Obama’s in on that “respectable” wave… how difficult, nay impossible it will be for young minority dudes et. al. to say no to his military… and traditional, disgusting educational careers… related to the military, or otherwise. I mean don’t forget that virtually all of our major war mongerers (and commanders-in-chief) were lawyers. But people — minorities especially now — will bury deeper memory of all those deserved lawyer jokes. And it will become more of a joke than ever if a youngster (with an option) declares to her/his family that he/she has decided to become a ball player or musician instead of, say, a lawyer. Regardless of where the healthy heart resides. It’s almost as if they’ll never be able to go home again, where the heart is.