Financial Literacy
By James G. Muham-
mad Special to the
NNPA from
The Final Call
WA S H I N G TO N — T h e
power of hip hop and the
Black economy were the
topics of discussion during
a press conference at the
National Press Club Oct. 9,
kicking off the day’s events
for the Justice Or Else week-
end here.
Real Hip Hop Network
chairman Atonn Muham-
mad called for an end to
community violence and the
murders of Blacks by police,
adding that rap artists play a
key role in the solution.
“Hip hop is a means to
not just influencing Black
people, but influencing the
world. Our job is to chal-
lenge these negative images
in hip-hop culture. We’re
here to make a change,” he
said.
Mr. Muhammad acknowl-
edged the choices many art-
ists make in order to main-
tain access to the powerful
in the industry. He described
a “hidden hand” of those
who control the industry
that hamper artists – as rap-
pers like Jay Z have admit-
ted in songs — from saying
what’s in their hearts.
Featured speaker Nuri
liberation of our people,” he
said.
Min. Nuri said the Million
Man March was a “glimpse
of heaven” experienced by
nearly 2 million men and
there has been a yearning
among those men to have
“another moment in time”
where their wives and fam-
ilies can experience heaven.
“10-10-15 is important,”
Min. Nuri said, “but 10-11 is
critical. We’re gathering on
the mall to get our marching
orders.”
Millionaire entrepreneur
Rodney P. Hunt described
Dr. Martin Luther King and
Min. Farrakhan as “change
agents” and expressed sup-
port for the Justice Or Else
movement. The co-founder
of RS Information Systems,
which he sold for hundreds
of millions of dollars, said
he admires the Minister’s
ability to reach people
where they are.
He said that African
American men and women
must show solidarity and
courage to build our com-
munities despite our differ-
ences.
Panelist Maurice Rashid
Hood of The Money Club
and GMG Enterprises, both
hip-hop oriented compa-
nies, commended the Min-
ister for reaching out to the
youth and advised others to
PHOTO BY MONICA MORGAN/THE FINAL CALL NEWSPAPER
Making a New Rap about Unity and the Black Dollar
Russell Simmons (second from right) has built a business empire based on hip-hop culture and is an exam-
ple of the power of the hip-hop economy.
‘Hip hop is a means to not just
influencing Black people, but
influencing the world. Our job
is to challenge these negative
images in hip-hop culture. We’re
here to make a change’
Muhammad of Indianap-
olis Muhammad Mosque
#74 referred to the criticism
that the Honorable Minister
Louis Farrakhan has faced
as he has sought to meet hip
hop artists during the mo-
bilization of the Justice Or
Else gathering. To that crit-
icism, Min. Farrakhan has
said rappers are the leaders
in our communities and that
one good rap song is worth
more than 1,000 of his lec-
tures, Student Minister Nuri
said.
“When you look at any
fruit of Louis Farrakhan …
you are looking at the fruit
of less than 1,000 lectures.
When a hip-hop artist has
the right idea in their mu-
sic, you can, with one song,
make soldiers better than
Malcolm X. You can pro-
duce, with one song, sol-
diers better than Farrakhan.
With one song.
“We hope that as those
artists have heard from the
Minister, that you will go
home and renegotiate your
script for your lyrics. If
you’re gonna rap, make it
a revolutionary rap. Make
songs about the struggle for
hear the raw pain of people
talking about their lives in
their rap.
“Some people can’t relate
to the way things are said,
but this is raw pain. Every
song has a message,” Mr.
Hood told The Final Call.
“I thank the Minister for
accepting the path that was
chosen for him which has
given me a platform to stand
on. Any enlightenment or
inspiration that would raise
Black people will be op-
posed by the power struc-
ture,” he said.
Atonn Muhammad said
he invited panelist Robby
Wells, who aspires to be
the Democratic nominee
for president, because as a
white candidate he’s speak-
ing forcefully about Black
issues.
“It’s time to stare down
the fear of our differences
with the face of courage,”
Mr. Wells said. “We need
leaders with a plan to restore
the damage done to the Afri-
can American community.”
For more information on
the Justice…Or Else! Move-
ment, visit http://www.justi-
ceorelse.com.
October 14, 2015 The Portland and Seattle Skanner Page 13