President Elect of US a culmination of the Legacy of Malcolm X ?

There is palpable change in the air as you come into the United States. I swear the immigration officers at Mcmarran Airport in Las Vegas were almost welcoming. The one thing that the Bush Administration and it Fear Factor presidency has achieved is to turn this great nation into an insecure and fearful place. In any case the new President is on nearly all newsstands, the media using every opportunity to exploit his photogenic qualities and his hopeful disposition to fill the gaps in their post election circulation fatigue.

Everyone claims Obama including a Bedioun clan who recognise his smile (yes smile) in their lineage. The one name that is rarely ever mentioned in the Obama connection is that of El Hajj Malik Shabazz or Malcolm X aside from the psychic halitosis by Al Qaeda second in command Al Zhawairi . It is shocking even in that case that none in the media bothered to claim Barack as a culmination of Malcolm even then. As for me I have hesitated because there has always been a gross over-simplification of who Malcolm was or became especially at the time of his death. There is a tendency to caricature him as a darker spirit of the African American fight for Equal Opportunities and Civil rights. To many he was nothing other than a radical militant , to others an angry black man exemplified. The truth is that Malcolm was that and more, President elect Barack Obama has more in common with Malcolm than any other Black leader in the United States past or present. People better deal with it.

It is true that the then Senator Obama's post partisan, post racial message on the face of it is the realisation of the Marin Luther King message. It is also true that the media can embrace his meritocratic electoral success as finally judging by the content of character rather than colour of skin. On the other side of the equation President elect Obama represents things phenomenally in line with Malcolm X including the almost uncanny similarity in characteristics, ideology especially a truly African American world view. Lets examine these things.

The similarity in characteristic starts with a fierce intellect which engages and asserts the primacy of human dignity that emerged from an adventurous youth full of experimentation and self discovery. An almost uncanny physical similarity both being tall and lanky on the edge of being skinny. Their approach to speaking are extremely similar with an appeal to reason whilst Malcolm was a lot more eloquent and far more quick witted , the cadence and accent are quite similar if not identical.

Then there is the worldview which was manifested in different ways even though both are made from the same ingredients, the pragmatic radicalism captured by Malcolm's by 'any means necessary'. This is often reduced by the misunderstanding of others as a call to violent revolution only, in fact it meant any means that effectively delivered transformation. They were both community organizers, Malcolm in the Nation of Islam especially his work in the Mosque and neighbourhood of Harlem, NY and Barack in the South Side of Chicago. Unlike the rest of the civil rights leaders Malcolm was the first literal African american leader whose travels and interaction was not only inclusive but engaged the continent of Africa directly in his evolution quite like Senator Obama and his engagement of his father's continent. Both defined themselves with an authenticity on the issue of Race that is captured by Malcolm's 'I am the man you think you are' and updated in Obama's response to the Pastor Wright controversy. They both exude an authentic warmth and assertiveness that rarely needs to escalate to prove manhood. Both share an exposure too and understanding of Islam to prove a common humanity and engagement. Unlike most American leaders black or white they where both open enough to redefine themselves and their environment in eclectic ways including living and uprooting into new places and communities in which they developed deep and meaningful roots. In short they share an adaptive leadership.

This is a cursory exposition of an aspect of the Obama persona that most are blinded too and the mistake of the Al Qaeda second in command is similar to the blindness of his enemies on the American side the tendency not to see from many perspective or accommodate nuances. Maybe if both sides actually followed the true Jihad which is the internal battle for evolution and growth that both Malcolm and Barack seem to have embraced they would entertain possibilities that exemplify life and abundance rather that death as well as scarcity.

The burial

My friend and muse Lelethu 'Leza' Lumkwana was sent to the home of homes last saturday. Here is what our connection was about this was one of my last Instant messages to her. This the result of what we both called walethu our creative force and connection.

"We live to die we need not fear just walk our path. So live like there is no tomorrow. Love dies and becomes peace, peace sleeps and become simplicity and she comes back as passion. Circles and cycles. the night is the father to the morning light and rain is the child from the womb of the sea. The powers that make life come forth is the belly of our choices as well as the sigh of finality. As I move on I invoke the night to be your friend so that you awake to the powers of your tomorrows without the concern of what you might eat because the fish opens its mouth so the master can pay his taxes. You will never want for that which will nourish your boy or grow your soul. Gnight" Wale 11.00am July2008

Admiral's Escort Beats Woman

If only you knew Leeza

1984-2008



Yesterday a star stopped lighting up the sky, She was 24. Even at such an early stage she had branded the hearts of all she met as if in haste to lay a map of her trajectory. Lelethu Lumkwana at 24 was a courageous and loving mother to Zenande who is 3 years old. Lelethu is the only child of Ma Lumkwana.

She had such an hunger for life that she became the Editor of True Love Babe, South Africa at an age when many would be exploring their options. She wrote as she lived as if to capture every minute of her presence here. I hope many remember her evoking prose about her visit to Lagos that was posted on these pages. She was my friend , my protege, my running mate. Infuriating, exquisite, exasperating, exciting, she fully understood that complexity is not complication. She was complex and quite driven to express it.

Lelethu, God has been forgiving, life exciting and love fully expressed. Sleep well lovely Zim. You are now part of the wind that travels the world, the blazing rays of the sun, the gentleness of the morning dew, the depth of the late night. You my friend are now beyond the mundane, the pedestrian, the daily grind of averageness. You my friend are now part of the great oneness that is GOD.

Sun re!

What if Obama loses? The Genius of the groundgame.

I write this with my heart in my mouth. I have just watched my team Arsenal lose twice this week. Once losing a seeming impressive lead to our failing neighbours and now to lowly Stoke City. I worry this is an omen for Tuesday because there are many similarity such as talent, eloquence and capacity which have not delivered close to any expected results. Granted Arsenal is b no means the favoured team in the Premiership neither are they quite as organised as the Obama campaign has been. If on Tuesday Senator Obama loses unlike most I will not put it down to racism or any such like thing but say that in spite of the odds he came so far and completely rewrote the rules of organising a political enterprise or to be precise ' a start up political machine. He has literarily created a political machine that has vanquished most challenges before him in a little under two years. lets review:

1) The Challenges

These were forever a moving feast such as during the primaries, he was not black enough so African Americans would not vote for him; he was not capable of passing Super Tuesday since Iowa was a fluke and North Carolina was too black; he could not succeed in primaries like he did in caucuses; he could not overcome competition between African Americans and Hispanics; he could not win over blue collar white voters; He will not win white women's vote. In all cases he met and exceeded the challenges and the press moved on to the next set of hurdles for the National elections, he cannot heal the wounds from the primaries or win over the Clinton supporters; we should all watch out for the Bradley effect; Small town voters will never warm to him not after the 'bitter' remark; Reverend Wright will undo him; he can never close the deal. The focus, discipline and dignity with which the Senator met each challenge is a testament for those who say 'it is all small stuff, don't sweat it.

2) The Funding

Much has been said about his record breaking fundraising of over $640 million . The phenom is over 3 million contributors that form a large and significant part of the overall purse. It is quite a transformational process full of possibilities for the future. It started with Governor Dean but it is perfected by the good Senator redefining the capacity of the small contributor to empower candidates and reduce dependency on a few powerful individuals.

3) The Volunteers

Another record breaking model which uses the enthusiasm and networks of the multitudes to deliver a personalised marketing strategy ably supported by a phenomenal database of people and their interest in the Campaign. From all over national and international and not unlike the freedom riders people young and old are working to the mantra of 'Change we can believe in' . It is their movement but yet they do it with the discipline and focus that is unreal when one considers how tough it is to get a 15 people on message. There are 20,000 team leaders in the Obama machine overseeing 5.1 million volunteers ( that has to be a record).

4) The net- relations itself is mindboggling on Facebook alone there are over 2 million directly signed off 'friends'

5) The ground game includes another set of records which are 700 offices across 50 states with 13.3 million solid contacts and registering 1.9 million new voters. For the first time a Democratic candidate competes with his own evangelical team and volunteers. The same is true with Native Americans.

6) The Mediums there is a lot said about the 30 minute informercial but advertising on digital games is itself quite an innovation.

Senator Obama has confirmed an abiding mantra for those whose journey over adversity has been aborted by the expectation of fairness and justice. Simply the only answer to vilification, racism, sexism, unfair competition et al is excellence. There is no space for sentiment but time for the extraordinary. Whatever happens no one can take that away from Senator Barack Hussein Obama. He has answered all the doubters with extraordinary genius of his organisation.

Wassuup 2008

New African trading bloc

Three regional African blocs merge for a trade free zone from Cape to Darfur with 26 countries this might at last be the basis of a surge in Intra-Africa trade. here is the link :

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7684903.stm