WHAT IS THE PRICE OF YOUR FREE-DOME?

"(Malcolm X) was our pathway to revolutionary understanding. Malcolm X went through a series of rites of passage-from Malcolm Little to Detroit Red to Satan to Malcolm X to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. All this because the man never stopped trying to develop and recognize the best of himself  He was self-determined. Malcolm was saying we need to be more. And we heard that. And he said it better than anybody ever said it. He made it clear to us. So all we wanted to do was be disciples of Malcolm, in a sense, using poetry to illuminate the same values that he planted in our head" On Malcolm X's influence on the Last Poets ( 2001)

The spirit of our people is just so great! Meeting two of the conscious minds of our nation brought empowerment and pride to the City Of Rochester. I would like to give many thanks to our special guest Mr. Abiodun Oyewole and Dr.Umar Abdullah Johnson.

Could the sleeping Giant be awakening in 2013?   

Experience is our greatest teacher.  In that we must give our communities the opportunity to see the power that we truly possess, moving us from staying stagnate, and beginning the process of captivating and inspiring us as a whole to continue to push forward. 

 A double weekend of power packed messages beginning from "The Price of Freedom is Death: Black Aesthetic Art Show 2013" to The " 4th of You "lie" independence day observation"  at Western New York's premier African/African American Institution  'The Frederick Douglass Resource Center', led Rochester back to our great and vast history. 

In order to attain Free-Dome...we must begin to recognize our Africaness and do our sankofa daily. Remembering your past so that you will have accurate knowledge about your future.

The BAAS took participants back.... into the sixties to mid 70's of the Black Power Movement. Taking a even closer perspective of the messaging of Malcolm X( El Hajj El-Malik Shabazz)and how it effected and moved the majority of the Black community.

The wake up call for the entire Black community unfortunately was the assassination of Malcolm X in 1965( among many other fallen soldiers who were victims of assassinations). The divinity in this situation was the birth of The Black Arts Movement. For the Black community, this form of creative expression was used to translate not only the Black Power message of Malcolm X, but infused the importance and love for Black life, Black beauty, and self sufficiency. The Black Art Movement proved that the journey to liberation was not completely over ,so the struggle continued . 

The major icons of this time period such as LeRoi Jones( Amiri Baraka) manifested the "By any means necessary"  and "Standing on truth" through powerful poetry and theater.  Malcolm X and our ancestors gave the people the power tools to fight against oppression and continual white supremacy to be victorious in setting free the nation inside of the nation.

Observing how these young Afrikan artist transformed Malcolm's messages into a power resource to change the mental and physical paradigm of most Africans in America, The conception of the Rochester Black Arts Council was brought to fruition.  The Rochester Black Arts Council is made up of local Black artist from the City of Rochester. Ranging from emerging and established artist. Using mediums of visual arts, poetic rhythms, theater, sculptors, and musicians. Re-constructing our history is the main emphasis  and using our collective creative genius will assist in manifesting truth and justice within our communities, be it locally, nationally, or globally. 

The closing ceremonies for the BAAS took place on June 28-29 2013. 

The Frederick Douglass Resource Center screened the first viewing of "110 Morning Side" A Tribute to Abiodun. Directed by Nicholle La Vann of Flimstress Flimz. 

Our finale included the Rochester Black Arts Council along with special guest Abiodun Oyewole engaged in a in depth panel discussion: The Black Aesthetic: The search for self in the 21st century. Ending the evening with a question and answer from the audience. The panel gave the City of Rochester an idea of what they should expect from the council with regards to self determination and rejuvenation of the Black comm-UNITY in the City of Rochester.

Rolling into the month of July...many brought in their independence day in with The Frederick Douglass Resource center's annual 4th of you "LIE" weekend. The Frederick Douglass Resource Center hosted Pan-Akfrikanist Dr. Umar Abdullah Johnson. Nationally certified school psychologist and blood relative of Frederick Douglass. 

Dr. Johnson reviewed Douglass' July 5th oration and stated the facts, as it relates to the TRUE state of public "education" and that system's fatal impacts on the hearts and minds of our Black children--particularly our Black boys--not only in the City of Rochester, but all across the country!

Moving from symbolism to substance is the mission of the conscious community in the City of Rochester. 

Bringing light to our people by any means necessary is the goal and unlocking the

key to our hidden story and knowing thy-self will protect us on this journey of Free-Dome. 

We would like to thank all artist who participated: Johnnie Lee Smith, Brittany Williams, Jahaka Mindstorm, Josh Minick, Luvon Sheppard, and Ms. Myeshia. Our dedicated family/volunteers of the FDRC, and those who participated in our double weekend of EDUtainment.

Your continued support is necessary in order to move our community to the top! Please check out our Face Book page to find our how to volunteer and donate today!

Thank you and stay tuned. Creator Bless

The Frederick Douglass Resource Center

Dr. Umar Abdullah Johnson

Abiodun Oywole

BAAS

The Ten Point Plan

1. WE WANT FREEDOM. WE WANT POWER TO DETERMINE THE DESTINY OF OUR BLACK AND OPPRESSED COMMUNITIES. We believe that Black and oppressed people will not be free until we are able to determine our destinies in our own communities ourselves, by fully controlling all the institutions which exist in our communities.
   
2. WE WANT FULL EMPLOYMENT FOR OUR PEOPLE. We believe that the federal government is responsible and obligated to give every person employment or a guaranteed income. We believe that if the American businessmen will not give full employment, then the technology and means of production should be taken from the businessmen and placed in the community so that the people of the community can organize and employ all of its people and give a high standard of living.
   
3. WE WANT AN END TO THE ROBBERY BY THE CAPITALISTS OF OUR BLACK AND OPPRESSED COMMUNITIES. We believe that this racist government has robbed us and now we are demanding the overdue debt of forty acres and two mules. Forty acres and two mules were promised 100 years ago as restitution for slave labor and mass murder of Black people. We will accept the payment in currency which will be distributed to our many communities. The American racist has taken part in the slaughter of our fifty million Black people. Therefore, we feel this is a modest demand that we make.
   
4. WE WANT DECENT HOUSING, FIT FOR THE SHELTER OF HUMAN BEINGS. We believe that if the landlords will not give decent housing to our Black and oppressed communities, then housing and the land should be made into cooperatives so that the people in our communities, with government aid, can build and make decent housing for the people.
   
5. WE WANT DECENT EDUCATION FOR OUR PEOPLE THAT EXPOSES THE TRUE NATURE OF THIS DECADENT AMERICAN SOCIETY. WE WANT EDUCATION THAT TEACHES US OUR TRUE HISTORY AND OUR ROLE IN THE PRESENT-DAY SOCIETY. We believe in an educational system that will give to our people a knowledge of the self. If you do not have knowledge of yourself and your position in the society and in the world, then you will have little chance to know anything else.
   
6. WE WANT COMPLETELY FREE HEALTH CARE FOR All BLACK AND OPPRESSED PEOPLE. We believe that the government must provide, free of charge, for the people, health facilities which will not only treat our illnesses, most of which have come about as a result of our oppression, but which will also develop preventive medical programs to guarantee our future survival. We believe that mass health education and research programs must be developed to give all Black and oppressed people access to advanced scientific and medical information, so we may provide our selves with proper medical attention and care.
   
7. WE WANT AN IMMEDIATE END TO POLICE BRUTALITY AND MURDER OF BLACK PEOPLE, OTHER PEOPLE OF COLOR, All OPPRESSED PEOPLE INSIDE THE UNITED STATES. We believe that the racist and fascist government of the United States uses its domestic enforcement agencies to carry out its program of oppression against black people, other people of color and poor people inside the united States. We believe it is our right, therefore, to defend ourselves against such armed forces and that all Black and oppressed people should be armed for self defense of our homes and communities against these fascist police forces.
   
8. WE WANT AN IMMEDIATE END TO ALL WARS OF AGGRESSION. We believe that the various conflicts which exist around the world stem directly from the aggressive desire of the United States ruling circle and government to force its domination upon the oppressed people of the world. We believe that if the United States government or its lackeys do not cease these aggressive wars it is the right of the people to defend themselves by any means necessary against their aggressors.
   
9. WE WANT FREEDOM FOR ALL BLACK AND OPPRESSED PEOPLE NOW HELD IN U. S. FEDERAL, STATE, COUNTY, CITY AND MILITARY PRISONS AND JAILS. WE WANT TRIALS BY A JURY OF PEERS FOR All PERSONS CHARGED WITH SO-CALLED CRIMES UNDER THE LAWS OF THIS COUNTRY. We believe that the many Black and poor oppressed people now held in United States prisons and jails have not received fair and impartial trials under a racist and fascist judicial system and should be free from incarceration. We believe in the ultimate elimination of all wretched, inhuman penal institutions, because the masses of men and women imprisoned inside the United States or by the United States military are the victims of oppressive conditions which are the real cause of their imprisonment. We believe that when persons are brought to trial they must be guaranteed, by the United States, juries of their peers, attorneys of their choice and freedom from imprisonment while awaiting trial.
   
10. WE WANT LAND, BREAD, HOUSING, EDUCATION, CLOTHING, JUSTICE, PEACE AND PEOPLE'S COMMUNITY CONTROL OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY. When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
    
    We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that, whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and, accordingly, all experience hath shown that mankind are most disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But, when a long train of abuses and usurpation, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.

To go back into time and realize the words that are being expressed through these writing brings our realities into clear view......at least it should.

One must use these values to up lift and correct mis guided steps taken individually