Part 13 (1/2)
”Insha Allah, I be dealing with some of your older homeboys Rayford, Bacot, X-con You know them?”
”Yeah, them my OG homies,” I said with pride
”Was all theht Tray, too?”
”Yeah, enty-three deep here”
”Why y'all brothas fall to the services like that?”
”Huh?” I said, as if I didn't overstand his question I didn't know if I should tell hiht feel that we really were disrespecting his services
”You know, like as y'all so thick? Soot killed on the bricks?”
He saw that I was perplexed and didn't want to say too much, so he talked on
”You brothas looked unified and strong Insha Allah, why don't you coht?”
”Naw, I ain't into no religion or nothin'”
”Well here, read this And if you ever feel like checking us out, cohteous,” I replied, looking down at the pae to the Oppressed
We shook hands and parted coan with a quote by Malcol people have reached the point of no return We no longer endorse patience and turning the other cheek We assert the right of self-defense by whatever ht of ainst our racist oppressors, no ainst us are
It went on to list food, clothing, and shelter as the ile, and land and independence as the sought-after objectives The paht it would be I had been so conditioned to believe that religion was synonys to people of color-that I siranted that Islaht The material ended with another quote by Malcolhting back and ill not die alone We intend to see that our racist oppressors also get a taste of death
The language was heavy, and I was iure out how to fit e, for the word ”oppressor” had little h I was, like every other person of color on this planet, oppressed, I didn't know it I told o and see just as happening over there
During the days before the services I read and reread the pale,” ”revolutionary,” ”jihad,” and ”colonialis, a slight tingle, and a longing sense of curiosity Finally, the next week fell and I founddown the ramp off the Rock and over toward the chapel that held Islareeted by a brother named LC, as also a prisoner who lived on coether After they went through their prayers, Muhammad read a short sura frohtfully for a htly in his beard, and then, as suddenly as thunder, he began a sharp tirade about the US government
”Brothas, it is incuation to the oppressed overnment of the United States of America They already know of your potential to smash them, so they have deliberately locked you up in this concentration cath of the church
”Insha Allah, you will not be sidetracked fro warriors who are destined to be free! But you must be prepared to jihad till death!”
I was totally awestruck by his strength and language, not to overnment's deliberate efforts to rid the world of people of color-black ht over rasp slapped oose bumps damn, this shi+t must be real It seems too heavy to beabout, hoas he able to explain what I had been through in home, in school, in the streets, and with the law? No, this had to be real
When the services were over I lifted h on Muha the service, I e to the Oppressed thirty ti Muha news Crazy Keith from Harlem came for a visit and told me that Tray Ball was dead
”What?” I said in utter disbelief
”Yeah, Li'l Tray Ball just toldRussian roulette”
”Where Li'l Tray Ball at?” I asked
”I seen cuz on a visit”
”damn!”
I felt at a total loss I wasn't ready to hear that Not Tray Ball I had dealt with other deaths in one piece, getting solace out of being able to strike back But here, on the Rock, there was no striking back No drugs, no loudof the sort Just me and myself It was alone, never to be seen again All the good ti up on my mental screen Tist the ho his influence tohis persuasion to recruit yet another hoht, and a deepseated feeling of righteous worth I couldn't iht Ball, and now Tray Ball Syht Tray-had been castrated by the reht and the Three
I cried like a baby for hours Not just for Tray Ball, but for the set The 'hood was dying, didn't people see it like that? Our synificance of this My nerves were in total disarray What do you do when your homie commits suicide? Who do you strike at? Who is to blaae Fortunately, our cha of the hammer But for Tray Ball, it was a full cha with two or three other hoirls and two members of the Co high Tray Ball started playing roulette with a 38 snub-nose One round in the chamber, a quick spin, put the barrel to the temple, and click or boom After several successful atte on the players' disposition, and I don't knohat Tray Ball's ame He exited the shack and went into the house While he was gone, thinking he was through with roulette, someone put five more rounds in the chamber When Trayball re-entered the shack, he iun, put it to his head, squeezed the trigger and BOOM! No one had time to tell hiedy has no ht was of foul play My initial instinct was to kill everybody as there, including those from Compton Later, I knew this was an irrational call based on emotionalism I remained bitter the rest of the week
When Tamu and my sister, Kendis, came to visit my brother and me on Sunday, I told them about Muhammad and the way he talked I asked Bro to accoreed to
On Monday Muhammad did as he had the week before, only this time he spoke more about the Black Panther party and its threat to the US govern me and Li'l Monster there, he intentionally expounded on the lives of George and Jonathan Jackson, both members of the party Jonathan was murdered in a heroic atte the Soledad Brothers-of which his Brother-Coe was assassinated the following year in a bungled attempt to escape from San Quentin
”How old are you?” Muha at Li'l Monster
”Seventeen,” replied Li'l Bro
”Jonathan Jackson was seventeen when he walked into the Marin County Courthouse and took the judge and DA hostage”
He paused a minute for effect
”What set you froster,” I replied
”George Jackson was the field hteen when he was captured He was given one year to life for a seventy-dollar gas station robbery He served eleven years before he was killed by pigs He enty-nine years old”
He turned to Li'l Monster ”What you in here for?”
”For murder”
”Who you kill?”
”Some Sixties-”
”Black people!” Muhae Jackson corrected, not killed, corrected three pigs and two nazis before he himself was murdered!”
Muha to tell you As you kill each other, the real eneeneration has totally turned inward and is now self-destructive You are less of a threat when you fight one another, you dig?”
We sat upright, clinging to his words
”Jonathan knew chemistry, demolition, and martial arts He was a man-child, a revolutionary He felt responsible for the future of his people”