Lauryn Hill and YG Marley surprised the ASCAP employees in New York with a special performance

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

 A response to the Last Poets' “When the Revolution Comes,” “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” is a rhythmic jam that served as an unapologetic wake-up call to anyone, especially African Americans, who thought they could gain their freedom by sitting on the sidelines. In a series of bold statements, Scott-Heron is essentially saying that freedom is not a spectator sport: you will not be able to sit at home and expect progress to come knocking, you will not see progress in the mainstream media, and you will not be able to rely on social or political leaders to give you your freedom. Instead, you will have to be strong, courageous, hopeful, and most importantly, educated, to finally earn your freedom from the racism running rampant amongst all of the institutions in the United States. It was as true in the 60s/70s as it is today: the revolution will not be televised.

Gil Scott-Heron - Brother

 

There are a lot of comments about who's blacker than you are, and who's blacker than she is, blacker than thou

In other words, it's a sort of trend
And, in looking on various street corners in Harlem, I'm sure you seen it yourself
Standing on a soapbox on the corner, is an alleged brother
Dressed in blue and black dashikis or green, red and black dashikis
And spouting the news that the revolution is coming and you'd better get ready
Sorta-like the end of the world is coming
I saw recent commercials that said:
"Unfortunately, the world is just going to drag on and on"
And we have a poem that we've written particularly for the brothers on the street corners
And it's called just that, "Brother"

We deal in too many externals, brother.
Always afros, handshakes, and dashikis.

Never can a man build a working structure for black capitalism.
Always does the man read Mao or Fanon.

I think I know you would-be black revolutionaries too well.
Standing on a box on a corner, talking about blowing the white boy away.
That's not where it's at, yet, brother.

Calling this man an Uncle Tom,
And telling this woman to get an afro,
But you won't speak to her if she looks like hell, will you, brother?

Some of us been checking you act out kinda close.
And by now it's looking kinda shaky, the way you been rushing people with your super-black bag.
Jumping down on some black men with both feet because they are after their B.A.
But you're never around when your B.A. is in danger.
I mean your black ass.

I think it was a little too easy for you to forget that you were a negro before Malcolm.
You drove your white girl through the village every Friday night,
While the grass roots stared in envy and drank wine.
Do you remember?

You need get your memory banks organized, brother.
Show that man you call an Uncle Tom just where he is wrong.
Show that woman that you are a sincere black man.

All we need to do is see you shut up and be black.
Help that woman.
Help that man.
That's what brothers are for, brother.

Order out of chaos

 

21TH OF MARCH WMCJLTV PRODUCTION TRAILER

 

Artist: Eureka Gold Feat. Afrika Bambaataa Title: Gimme Wha' cha Got b boy & b girl Olympic anthem

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...You will never look at a

cup of coffee the same way again.

 

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and

how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going

to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and

struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

 

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with

water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil.

In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and

in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and

boil, without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off

the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl.

She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled

the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter,

she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?"

 

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. Her mother brought her

closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that

they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg

and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard

boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the

coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The

daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

 

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same

adversity - boiling water - each reacted differently. The carrot

went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being

subjected to the

boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had

been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid

interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside

became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however.

After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

 

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on

your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a

coffee bean?" Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems

strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and

lose my strength?

 

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with

the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup,a

financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and

stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter

and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

 

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot

water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water

gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the

bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the

situation around you.

 

When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you

elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity?

Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean? Count your blessings,

not your problems..... Putting others first makes relationships

last. You might want to send this message to those people who mean

something to you (I JUST DID); to those who have touched your life

in one way or another; to those who make you smile when you really

need it; to those who make you see the brighter side of things when

you are really down; to those whose friendship you appreciate; to

those who are so meaningful in your life.

 

If you don't send it, you will just miss out on the opportunity to

brighten someone's day with this message!!!

 

Don't count the years-count the memories...........

 

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take; but by the

moments that take our breath away!