In the face of another spate of police involved homicides, discussions of radical and revolutionary approaches to change the way we live and govern in America are on the minds of a lot of citizens again today. While participating in a panel discussion at the All Black National Convention in his hometown of Atlanta, Ga., Killer Mike gave a moving description of what revolution means to him, and criticizes community leaders and elders for asking their young people to put themselves in danger if they aren’t willing to put themselves in the line.
In a passionate five-minute speech, he argues that until the black community becomes economically self-sufficient, that they are not yet ready for real revolution.
“You ain’t ready to oppose nothing. You are as a part of this system as any white person gentrifying in this city. And you can’t tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about. Because I’ve lived in this neighborhood long enough to know when two out of every five yards had a garden in the back. I’m old enough to know when the Muslim community was the strongest security force and food their own force in this community. Black people I love you, and I love you enough to tell you, you ain’t ready to revolt shit.”
Mike goes on to get more detailed about what that revolution would look like to him. For those expecting violent rhetoric and an emphasis on confrontational interactions with the police, prepare to be disappointed:
“You don’t feed yourself. You don’t hunt your own animals and slaughter them. You don’t prepare your own meat. You don’t own your own land. You don’t have a seed growing in your window. So you think about revolutionary-ism, and you think about fighting and dying in the street, you ain’t shit if you can’t feed your children, you ain’t nothing if you can’t teach your children to hunt. I’ve been hearing this revolutionary talk all my life. All my life, I’ve been seeing leaders get before me and tell me how much of a strong warrior…and just like the United States Army, just like the military, I’ve seen their words send black boys off to die in the street fighting and arguing with police.[…]Don’t send these babies off to die, because you didn’t die when you was 21. Don’t you send these babies off to die, because you feel like you missed the ‘60s and the ‘70s. I want to see more black attorneys. I want to see more black law enforcement. I want to see more black people pooling their money to run their own candidates.”
Killer Mike has been a great ambassador for hip-hop for years speaking eloquently about serious issues that should concern all American citizens—particularly those in the black community—in his music and interviews for a long time now. He once again takes an unexpected approach to the problems that face this country, and he shares them in the unapologetic, fiery, manner that is his trademark.
(Via Hip-Hop Wired)
