Unity: Together, We Are Stronger As One

A belated Happy Thanksgiving to everybody in the United States. It is approaching that time of year when tempers all across the Christian world are stretched to breaking point (and sometimes beyond) as parents search for presents for their young ones; as families uneasily come together; and as the financial cost of celebrating the birth of the Lord our saviour Jesus Christ is counted.

Within my own family, there has always been a sense that these were only minor problems. The respect and the love which we held for one another could overcome all these problems. It struck me as quite socialist that the only way we could find our way through these issues was if we all came together: the love form us all could be channeled in to everybody enjoying a pleasant Christmas.

But Christmas is cancelled this year.

Well, not quite cancelled -- just postponed until twelve months time. We are almost a month away now from December 25, and the materialism of the capitalist system is coming out in full force once more. Once more the shops are full of over-priced tack. Once more the consumers are conned by the retailers into spending money they do not have. And once more the true meaning of Christmas is submerged by a thick, black ocean of material well-being.

This year my family is unable to spend the usual unnecessary pounds on on having a materialistic Christmas. I, as a student, have an overdraft limit of £1,000 and, over a month before, I'm £980.00 O.D. with no job and thus no income (the things I do for my education!). So this year, we will not be purchasing lavish gifts for each other. We will not be splashing out on the tack.

But that's alright because we have each other. Everybody who matters to me is going to be at my house this December 25. Everybody I have the utmost respect for will be there, and those who think they now mean nothing to me are welcome to come and ask for repentance. My favourite biblical quote: If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says 'I repent', forgive him. [Luke 17:3,4] The same goes for sisters.

Yours, wherever you may be,
Daniel C. Wright

Lymm Guinea Pig Rescue

As of today. Lymm Guinea Pig Rescue has, due to unforeseen circumstances, ceased all operations with immediate effect. While this rescue has died a terrible death, the problem of abused guinea pigs has not. Animal abuse in general is still in existence; sadly the R.S.P.C.A. is as busy as ever dealing with the gross mistreatment of animals.

Yours, wherever you may be,
Daniel C. Wright

Tom Lantos For President

What follows is the opening statement of Congressman Dr. Tom Lantos at the hearing with General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker. I agree entirely with every word.

Two of our nation’s most capable public servants have come before us today to assess the situation in Iraq. General Petraeus, Ambassador Crocker, every single one of us wants you to succeed in your efforts to the maximum possible extent. We admire the heroism and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform and the dedication of our diplomatic corps in Iraq, and we fully understand the terrible burden on their families.

Our witnesses have been sent here this morning to restore credibility to a discredited policy. We and the American people already know that the situation in Iraq is grim, and a growing majority of this Congress and of the American people want our troops out.

In October of 2003 I flew in a helicopter with you, General Petraeus, over Northern Iraq around Mosul. As we passed over the countryside, you pointed out to me several ammunition dumps that had once belonged to the army of Saddam Hussein. “I don’t have enough troops to guard these places,” you said. “Someday, this might come back to haunt us.”

Well, General Petraeus, you saw it coming. Those unguarded ammo dumps became the arsenals of insurgency. Those weapons have been turned against us. How very typical of this war.

The Administration’s myopic policies in Iraq have created a fiasco. Is it any wonder that on the subject of Iraq, more and more Americans have little confidence in this Administration? We can not take ANY of this Administration’s assertions on Iraq at face value anymore, and no amount of charts or statistics will improve its credibility.

This is not a knock on you, General Petraeus, or on you, Ambassador Crocker. But the fact remains, gentlemen, that the Administration has sent you here today to convince the members of these two Committees and the Congress that victory is at hand.

With all due respect to you, I must say … I don’t buy it. And neither does the independent Government Accountability Office or the Commission headed by General Jones. Both recently issued deeply pessimistic reports.

The current escalation in our military presence in Iraq may have produced some tactical successes. But strategically, the escalation has failed. It was intended to buy time for Prime Minister Maliki and the other Iraqi political leaders to find ways to move toward the one thing that may end this terrible civil conflict – and that, of course, is a political settlement. As best we can see, that time has been utterly squandered.

Prime Minister Maliki has not shown the slightest inclination to move in the direction of compromise. Instead of working to build national institutions – a truly Iraqi army, a competent bureaucracy, a non-sectarian police force – Maliki has moved in the opposite direction. The so-called “Unity Accord” announced with such fanfare a couple of weeks ago, is just another in a long list of empty promises.

Instead of acting as a leader for Iraq as a whole, Maliki has functioned as the front man for Shiite partisans. And he has presided over a Shiite coalition that includes some of the most notorious militias, death squads, and sectarian thugs in Iraq.

This is not what the American people had in mind. And when Mr. Maliki states, as he recently did, that if the Americans leave, he can find, quote, “new friends,” we are reminded most forcefully of his and his Party’s intimate ties to Iran.

In his recent visit to Anbar Province, the President made much of our cooperation in the fight against Al Qaeda with Sunni tribal militias. This alliance may in the short run be a positive development – but it also raises some serious and profound questions.

Anbar, of course, includes just five per cent of the population of Iraq – an important five per cent, but still only five. What’s more, by arming, training and funding the Sunni militias in that province, we are working against our own strategy of building national Iraqi institutions.

America should not be in the business of arming, training and funding both sides of a religious civil war in Iraq. Did the Administration learn nothing from our country’s actions in Afghanistan two decades ago, when by supporting Islamist militants against the Soviet Union, we helped pave the way for the rise of the Taliban? Why are we now repeating the short-sighted patterns of the past?

In Iraq today, we are wrecking our military, forcing their families to suffer needlessly, sacrificing the lives of our brave young men and women in uniform. And the enormous financial cost of this war is limiting our ability to address our global security needs, as well as pressing domestic problems such as health care, crumbling infrastructure and public education. The cost of this war in Iraq will be passed along to our grandchildren and beyond.

In the last few days, General Petraeus, media have reported that you are prepared to support a slow drawdown of our forces in Iraq – beginning with a brigade or two, perhaps at the end of this year.
This clearly is nowhere near enough.

We need to send Maliki’s government a strong message, loud and clear. Removing a brigade is nothing but a political whisper – and it is unacceptable to the American people and to the majority of the Congress.

As long as American troops are doing the heavy lifting in Iraq, there is no reason – none at all – for the Iraqis themselves to step up. Military progress without political progress is meaningless.

It is their country – and it is their turn. Prime Minister Maliki and the Iraqi politicians need to know that the free ride is over and that American troops will not be party to their civil war.

The situation in Iraq cries out for a dramatic change of course. We need to get out of Iraq, for that country’s sake and for our own. It is time to go – and to go now.

Yours, wherever you may be,
Daniel C. Wright

This Week According to BBC News

Ever since it became known that rock stars in Europe die faster than there American counterparts, I've been trying to listen to my mp3 player a little quieter (I don't suppose, by the way, that that research will be of much comfort to the Fossetts.). I'm beginning to wonder why I should bother. I mean, Luciano Pavarotti didn't die from anything like this, and neither did Jane Tomlinson. And anyway, it seems like nothing a good pint of Guinness can't sort out. It's all getting me down a bit. I just try and remember that things could be worse (I haven't, for example, carried out a crime and then left person details on a wall).

Yours, wherever you may be,
Daniel C. Wright

Personally, I Need To Free Myself

At the moment, I feel I don't quite know where I am or where I'm supposed to be. I know what I did today, but I don't know what I'll be doing tomorrow. It scares me (just a little bit), but I think that's what I want. I don't want to live in anything like a routine -- not just at the moment, anyway. I'm moving to Liverpool soon, and I think that's going to be situation where everyday is different. Everyday will (hopefully) bring with it new challenges and new pleasures, new emotions and new feelings. I want to live closer to the realm of spontaneity than to the realm of routine.

I think this can only be achieved by the acceptance that any coercive lifestyle must have a certain amount of routine to it. I'm a unique person and I'm coming to terms with that by forging a closer perspective with bohemianism. I'm going to try and govern the next few weeks of my life by some famous lyrics:

We're not bad people,
We're not dirty we're not mean,
We love everybody but we do as we please,
We're always happy,
Life's for livin', yeah, that's our philosophy.

Where do I want to be in five years time?

I don't know. I want to have had as many positive, worldly, experiences as possible. If, in five years time I've achieved a good degree, an M.A. (as I want to do) and I have a healthy bank balance, then that's alright. There's nothing wrong with that. But if, in five years time, I've got a degree, and an M.A., but I have less than no money because I went round New York on a budget three week trip and saw baseball in Yankee stadium and a play on Broadway and got absolutely completely lost on the subway system and ended up walking thirty blocks in the pouring New York rain with no coat, then I would prefer the latter of the two.

I'm a free spirit, and this summer I failed my goal of making it back to New York in the warm weather. I paid over £1,000 to have work done on my teeth. This hasn't been a wasted experience. I found out being in debt isn't that bigger problem. Well, not when you're a student. And I suppose that's why I want to make the most of the forthcoming 12 months.

Yours, wherever you may be,
Daniel C. Wright

Obituary: Jane Tomlinson

Though terminally-ill with cancer, Jane Tomlinson raised more than £1.5 million for charity by running in three London Marathons, several triathlons and The Great North Run. Together with her brother she also cycled from John O'Groats to Land's End and from Rome to Leeds.

Jane Tomlinson's life changed forever when, in 1991, she was first diagnosed as having breast cancer. Though she underwent a mastectomy, the cancer returned and in 2000 she was told that it was terminal. Even though her cancer was incurable, Jane Tomlinson refused to give in, preferring instead to undertake a series of challenges which would normally tax even the most physically fit person.

2002 saw the mother of three, from Rothwell near Leeds, complete three major sporting events. Even though she was in great pain - especially in her bones, neck, hips, back and shoulders - she took part in the London Marathon in April, a triathlon in August and, along with her husband, the Great North Run in October. After the Great North Run, Jane Tomlinson announced that she would not be running any more races. She said that she would be concentrating on her medical treatment, and spending time with her husband Mike and children Suzanne, Rebecca and Steven. But, in March 2003, she set out, together with her brother Luke, on a 1060 mile bike ride from John O'Groats to Land's End, stopping twice en route to receive chemotherapy. Arriving at the finish, Jane Tomlinson could not contain her delight. It has been brilliant, " she said. "I am absolutely thrilled. I can't believe we are actually here. There have been some tricky moments on the way but we have just enjoyed it all."

And, almost unbelievably, days after finishing the journey, she completed a second London Marathon before returning to work as a paediatric radiographer. But more was to come. She completed the gruelling UK Half Ironman triathlon competition in the autumn before collecting her MBE from the Queen at Buckingham Palace in October. All in all, she raised more than £1.5 million for Cancer Research UK and other charities. In recognition of her efforts, the laboratory at Cancer Research UK's Clinical Centre at St James's Hospital in Leeds, was re-named the Jane Tomlinson Laboratory in May 2003. Speaking at the time, Jane Tomlinson said, "I know that my situation means that there is little to benefit me from research, but I thought if I could raise some money, I could help other people in the future. "It's great to know that all this research is taking place in my home city and I am especially pleased to be associated with this particular lab." Mrs Tomlinson also won a number of high profile awards, including The Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year and BBC Sports Personality of the Year's Helen Rollason Award. She was also voted the UK's most inspirational woman in 2003. In November 2004, she became the only cancer patient to complete a full Ironman triathlon, a daunting feat comprising a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile cycle ride followed by a 26 mile marathon. And in the summer of 2006, she crossed the United States, from San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge to Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. On finishing the ride, she admitted, "I thought it was going to be a bit of an adventure but it turned out to be a bit of an ordeal." But, despite her smiles at the end of her journey, the mammoth feat - 63 days on a bike, covering 3,700 miles - had left her seriously ill. She was also disappointed that a lack of interest from the US media meant she only raised £100,000, well short of her expectations. Early in 2007 it was announced that Jane was now too ill to undertake any further challenges but she did organise and wave off a 10km road race in Leeds. She was awarded the CBE in the Queen's Birthday honours in June 2007. Jane Tomlinson always looked upon herself as just an ordinary woman with cancer but her extraordinary tenacity touched the lives of people around the world.

Yours, wherever you may be,
Daniel C. Wright

Will Richard Wrights Please Make Themselves Known To Black Boy

This morning BBC Radio Four's Today programme reported that a Reach investigation concluded black boys needed more black role models within their own communities. (Read how the BBC website reported this here.)

What I think is needed is a wider range of people to look up to from a variety of fields. It is okay to have entertainers as role models. The number of rappers who openly glamorise gun crime is very small. Recently, some rappers have even rapped for peace and equality. In Brazil, the only tangible way to escape the slums is to become a professional footballer (football just happens to be enjoyable). Well, in Britain, while a lot of global rappers would like to believe that hip hop is the only way to escape the ghetto, this is not actually the case. Going to school, getting an education and getting a good job is the most viable way to make something of one's life. Role models are needed within the black community to make this appear to be the reality that it is.

Even back in Claude Brown's Harlem, there were local heroes, but they were most usually the biggest hustlers and the guys who could stake a viable claim to have killed the most men and had sex with the most women. But it is worth remembering that the places in question are Moss Side, Brixton &c. in the 21st Century and not Harlem in the 1930's. But the example of Claude Brown is an important one to bare in mind. The fact that he emphasised that crime was the only way out of poverty is a paradox because he made a success of his life through writing.

For the black middle classes to become more involved at a local level, I think the first step has to be taken on a national level with regard to this issue. People like Benjamin Zephaniah must first make themselves known nationally, then maybe something might happen at local levels in black communities throughout Britain.

As the authorities would like to believe:
There's a big town 'cross the whiskey line
And if we turn the right cards up
They make us boss the devil pays off
And them folks that are real hard up
They get their local hero
Somebody with the right style
They get their local hero
Somebody with just the right smile
(c) Bruce Springsteen (ASCAP)

Yours, wherever you may be,
Daniel C. Wright.

The Low Wages Of The West

Two years after I first opened it, I re-read Barbara Ehrenreich's chilling 'Nickel and Dimed' last week.

Reading from a British perspective, the differences between the two workforces were stark. Three issues arise and still seem relevent almost 10 years later: housing; healthcare; and unionism. On each issure, low wage workers (or 'unskilled', as they are often referred to) in the United Kingdom seem to me to be better off than there American counterparts.

Though house prices in the UK seem to be at an all-time high and increasing exponentially still, it is still possible to earn the minimum wage and live in 'comfortable' surroundings. For Ehrenreich, the trailer park was home. In some situations, living was only made financially viable by having two 'unskilled' jobs on the go at once.

The health of her co-workers was a big concern for Ehrenreich in the second chapter. The crippling financial situation meant turning up to work unfit to work was the norm for two reasons: first, no one could afford health insurance; second, taking a day off work would mean losing the pay for that day. Healthcare is not so much of a concern for Britons working for the minimum wage, on account of the NHS being free at the point of consumption for all. After reading Ehrenreich's experiences, I feel genuinely proud to be part of the political party which championed the creation of the NHS against Conservative scepticism.

(On a separate but slightly related issue, I also feel genuinely proud that it was Labour who foresaw the need for a minimum wage in the UK. Again, the Conservative party spun lies about damages to small businesses, and again they were proved wrong!)

Whilst dealling with the political side of the issue, I should move on to the third major divide between low wage workers in the United Kingdom and the United States: unionism. Right from its 1901 creation, the Labour party embraced Britain's unions and made them an integral part of the party. More than a century later, they are still an important part of the currernt governing party. Since 1901, Labour has grown to be one of the two big parties in the UK. As a consequence, the unions simply cannot be ignored. They cannot be trodden on. They cannot be crushed. They cannot be manipulated. And the workers who are part of the unions? The workers cannot be ignored. The workers cannot be trodden on. The workers cannot be crushed. The workers cannot be manipulated. The Labour Party motto applies also to union membership: by the strength of our common endeavour, we achieve more than we achieve alone. It is this which scare WalMart. This is the reason WalMart closes unionised stores. Now, WalMart is so big, it is impossible for the workers of a to unionise, because if it comes to it, WalMart can afford to close the store. I would never want to do a low wage job in the United States. Not after reading 'Nickel and Dimed'

Through chapter three of ‘Nickel & Dimed’, Ehrenreich finds her spirit and will-to-work slowly crushed by the monotonous repetition of replacing cart-loads of women’s clothing to the rails of Wal-Mart; all is done for a pitiful wage which ultimately brings Ehrenreich’s experiment to a seemingly premature end. After going through the apps-interview-drug test rigmarole of finding a job, she battles to survive on an hourly wage of $7, whilst, at one point, paying $45.95 a night for temporary accommodation. After hearing about strikes elsewhere in the state, Ehrenreich gets a taste for rebellion and proposes a union, or at least a strike of Wal-mart staff, though this itself was scuppered by Wal-mart’s low wages: “I still think we could have done something … if I could’ve afforded to work at Wal-Mart a little longer.”

Yours, wherever you may be,
Daniel C. Wright.

Congratulations!

Just a quick congratulations to Rachel, who completed a 5k run for 'race for life' in what was a personal best!
While Rachel was running for our Auntie Jen, an extraordinarily large field took part at Arley Hall, and all in the name of raising money for Cancer Research. Bring on the 10k, then, hey, girl? Everyone who took part deserves credit, but Rachel should get a special mention, doing this at the same time as running Lymm Guinea Pig Rescue (no easy task, believe me!), revising for August exams, and putting in the hours at work! That sure is a busy schedule...!

Yours, wherever you may be,
Daniel C. Wright

Some Thoughts on Equality, Truth, and the Car Bombs in Britain

Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois devoted his entire life to establishing one notion: the notion of Truth. Only once the Truth is laid bare for all to see, can there be equality and any hope of freedom. The ignorant may still try and tarnish the truth through their continuing believing in old and dated lies, but the truth will still be set free.

Here follows some truth. Persons arrested regarding the two unexploded bombs in London, found this time last week (June 29, 2007), and the flaming jeep sat in the doors of Glasgow's terminal 1 building the day after, were of Asian origin. [Former] friends gave details of their lives to news agencies, and it became clear they were Muslims. This is all Truth.

But this is all Truth as well: these people were extremist believers in the Muslim faith.Their beliefs are not typical of every Muslim. The Muslim Council of Great Britain knows this, rational thinking people of all faiths and creeds realise this, and yet there is animosity towards Muslims in British communities.

In 1897, Dr. Du Bois established that, in Philadelphia, the African-American community around Philadelphia's Seventh Ward, was, indeed, in no way monolithic. He determined that, within the black community, there was racialised stratification. Why is it that, now, in 2007, many Caucasian people are unable to realise that the same is certainly true of the modern Muslim community in Britain. What will it take for such a Truth to be realised? How long before such a Truth is universally accepted in what would a momentous forward step? For too long, decent respectable Muslims have been tarred with the same brush as those who plot to blow up trains and cause mass panic.


Yours, wherever you may be,
Daniel C. Wright

The Music Of Bruce Springsteen

For thirty-four years now, Bruce Springsteen has been making and releasing original music, the style of which has, in my opinion, never been bettered. His themes are based around "everyday" day life, whatever you define that to be. His lyrics reflect the harshness of the ordinary life and portray a sense of empathy to the listener. Through his music, Bruce Springsteen is a power of strength to those who are often finding life tough and wearing.

For me, his songs fall into two catagories, defined by the tempo of the music: the fast rousing songs can be gathered together as one; the slow, reflectful songs can also be grouped together. Of his most well-known songs, Born to Run, Badlands, Hungry Heart, Dancing in the Dark, Glory Days, Better Days, and of course, Born in the U.S.A. all fall into the first catagory. When I need a song to pick me up, it is usually one of these. Each of these songs is different, though. The lyrics of Hungry Heart are perhaps closer to those of his slower songs. Born in the U.S.A. is possibly the most misunderstood record ever released, and it's lyrical content is far from positive. Better Days is, on the other hand, wholely positive. Like Glory Days, it's about being happy with what you've got. Born to Run is about individualism; everybody is running from something, everybody is running towards something, and everybody is running, for the most part, alone.

The second catagory of song I mentioned earlier is the slower, often more reflective song. The River, Atlantic City, My Hometown, Streets of Philadelphia. Success is not a constant theme in these songs. They deal with the distinct possibility of failure: failing to support a family in The River; failing to find happiness in marriage in the same song; failing to get out of the red financially and having to head out of town in Atlantic City; the failing of the economy in My Hometown; the failure of integration in the same song, and the failure to escape a terrible place; and the failure to support even oneself in the Streets of Philadelphia. Each song deals with the harshness of the urban landscape in Reagan's America. The true failure of these sorrow songs, though, is the failing of the United States. The U.S.A. fails Bruce in all these songs. The dead man's town (Born in the U.S.A.) devourers him. The American Dream is just that: a dream of success, and nothing more. Is a dream a lie if it doesn't come true, or is it something worse? (The River) The songs in the first catagory keep the spirits of the listener up, but these songs balance them out.

Thunder Road is the only well-known Springsteen record which bridges the gap between the two groups. The tempo of Thunder Road starts slow, but picks up halfway through. Perhaps the second catagory of song is just Bruce hiding beneath the covers and studying his pain (Thunder Road). The second part of the song emphasises that all one has to do is show a little faith, there's magic in the night (Thunder Road). In this song, Springsteen contemplates defeat, and falling into the second catagory of song, but then becomes a winner. He recognises his one last chance to make it real (Thunder Road) and dares to mention the promised land. Live versions of Thunder Road, however, add another meaning. More often than not, Springsteen sings the entire song slowly. The most famous release of this is on the entirely live album Hammersmith Odeon, London '75. Perhaps the promised land isn't actually all it might seem to be. I particularly like the line "Well I got this guitar and I leaned how to make it talk," and the seconds of silence that follows it. Think about it.

In a world where it is all too easy to feel small, insignificant, lonely and powerless, it is important to draw strength and confidence from people who feel the same way. Strength in numbers.

In the day we sweat it out in the streets of a runaway American dream
At night we ride through mansions of glory in suicide machines
Sprung from cages out on highway 9,
Chrome wheeled, fuel injected
and steppin' out over the line
Baby this town rips the bones from your back
It's a death trap, it's a suicide rap
We gotta get out while we're young
`Cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run

Wendy let me in I wanna be your friend
I want to guard your dreams and visions
Just wrap your legs 'round these velvet rims
and strap your hands across my engines
Together we could break this trap
We'll run till we drop, baby we'll never go back
Will you walk with me out on the wire
`Cause baby I'm just a scared and lonely rider
But I gotta find out how it feels
I want to know if love is wild
girl I want to know if love is real

Beyond the Palace hemi-powered drones scream down the boulevard
The girls comb their hair in rearview mirrors
And the boys try to look so hard
The amusement park rises bold and stark
Kids are huddled on the beach in a mist
I wanna die with you Wendy on the streets tonight
In an everlasting kiss

The highway's jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive
Everybody's out on the run tonight
but there's no place left to hide
Together Wendy we'll live with the sadness
I'll love you with all the madness in my soul
Someday girl I don't know when
we're gonna get to that place
Where we really want to go
and we'll walk in the sun
But till then tramps like us
baby we were born to run

The screen door slams
Marys dress sways
Like a vision she dances across the porch
As the radio plays
Roy orbison singing for the lonely
Hey thats me and I want you only
Dont turn me home again
I just cant face myself alone again
Dont run back inside
Darling you know just what Im here for
So youre scared and youre thinking
That maybe we aint that young anymore
Show a little faith, theres magic in the night
You aint a beauty, but hey youre alright
Oh and thats alright with me

You can hide `neath your covers
And study your pain
Make crosses from your lovers
Throw roses in the rain
Waste your summer praying in vain
For a savior to rise from these streets
Well now Im no hero
Thats understood
All the redemption I can offer, girl
Is beneath this dirty hood
With a chance to make it good somehow
Hey what else can we do now?
Except roll down the window
And let the wind blow
Back your hair
Well the nights busting open
These two lanes will take us anywhere
We got one last chance to make it real
To trade in these wings on some wheels
Climb in back
Heavens waiting on down the tracks
Oh-oh come take my hand
Riding out tonight to case the promised land
Oh-oh thunder road, oh thunder road oh thunder road
Lying out there like a killer in the sun
Hey I know its late we can make it if we run
Oh thunder road, sit tight take hold
Thunder road

Well I got this guitar
And I learned how to make it talk
And my cars out back
If youre ready to take that long walk
From your front porch to my front seat
The doors open but the ride it aint free
And I know youre lonely
For words that I aint spoken
But tonight well be free
All the promisesll be broken
There were ghosts in the eyes
Of all the boys you sent away
They haunt this dusty beach road
In the skeleton frames of burned out chevrolets

They scream your name at night in the street
Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet
And in the lonely cool before dawn
You hear their engines roaring on
But when you get to the porch theyre gone
On the wind, so mary climb in
Its a town full of losers
And Im pulling out of here to win.

Lights out tonight, trouble in the heartland.
Got a head-on collision, smashin in my guts man.
Im caught in a crossfire that I dont understand.
But theres one thing I know for sure girl:
I dont give a damn for the same old played out scenes
I dont give a damn for just the in-betweens.
Honey I want the heart, I want the soul, I want control right now.
You better listen to me baby:
Talk about a dream; try to make it real.
You wake up in the night with a fear so real.
You spend your life waiting for a moment that just dont come.
Well dont waste your time waiting

Badlands you gotta live it every day
Let the broken hearts stand
As the price youve gotta pay
Well keep pushin till its understood
And these badlands start treating us good

Workin in the field till you get your back burned
Workin `neath the wheels till you get your facts learned.
Baby I got my facts learned real good right now.
You better get it straight darling:
Poor men wanna be rich, rich men wanna be kings,
And a king aint satisfied till he rules everything.
I wanna go out tonight, I wanna find out what I got.
Now I believe in the love that you gave me.
I believe in the faith that could save me.
I believe in the hope and I pray that some day it
Will raise me above these

Badlands you gotta live it every day
Let the broken hearts stand
As the price youve gotta pay
Well keep pushin till its understood
And these badlands start treating us good

For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it aint no sin to be glad youre alive.
I wanna find one face that aint looking through me
I wanna find one place, I wanna spit in the face of these

I come from down in the valley where mister when youre young
They bring you up to do like your daddy done
Me and mary we met in high school when she was just seventeen
Wed ride out of that valley down to where the fields were green

Wed go down to the river
And into the river wed dive
Oh down to the river wed ride

Then I got mary pregnant and man that was all she wrote
And for my nineteen birthday I got a union card and a wedding coat
We went down to the courthouse and the judge put it all to rest
No wedding day smiles no walk down the aisle
No flowers no wedding dress
That night we went down to the river
And into the river wed dive
On down to the river we did ride

I got a job working construction for the johnstown company
But lately there aint been much work on account of the economy
Now all them things that seemed so important
Well mister they vanished right into the air
Now I just act like I dont remember, mary acts like she dont care
But I remember us riding in my brothers car
Her body tan and wet down at the reservoir
At night on them banks Id lie awake
And pull her close just to feel each breath shed take
Now those memories come back to haunt me, they haunt me like a curse
Is a dream a lie if it dont come true
Or is it something worse that sends me
Down to the river though I know the river is dry
Down to the river, my baby and i
Oh down to the river we ride

Well, they blew up the chicken man in philly last night
Now, they blew up his house, too
Down on the boardwalk theyre gettin ready for a fight
Gonna see what them racket boys can do

Now, theres trouble bustin in from outta state
And the d.a. cant get no relief
Gonna be a rumble out on the promenade
And the gamblin commissions hangin on by the skin of his teeth

Well now, everything dies, baby, thats a fact
But maybe everything that dies someday comes back
Put your makeup on, fix your hair up pretty
And meet me tonight in atlantic city

Well, I got a job and tried to put my money away
But I got debts that no honest man can pay
So I drew what I had from the central trust
And I bought us two tickets on that coast city bus

Now, baby, everything dies, honey, thats a fact
But maybe everything that dies someday comes back
Put your makeup on, fix your hair up pretty
And meet me tonight in atlantic city

Now our luck may have died and our love may be cold
But with you forever Ill stay
Were goin out where the sands turnin to gold
Put on your stockins baby, `cause the nights getting cold
And maybe evrything dies, baby, thats a fact
But maybe evrything that dies someday comes back

Now, I been lookin for a job, but its hard to find
Down here its just winners and losers and dont
Get caught on the wrong side of that line
Well, Im tired of comin out on the losin end
So, honey, last night I met this guy and Im gonna
Do a little favor for him

I was eight years old and running with a dime in my hand
Into the bus stop to pick up a paper for my old man
Id sit on his lap in that big old buick and steer as we drove through town
Hed tousle my hair and say son take a good look around
This is your hometown, this is your hometown
This is your hometown, this is your hometown

In `65 tension was running high at my high school
There was a lot of fights between the black and white
There was nothing you could do
Two cars at a light on a saturday night in the back seat there was a gun
Words were passed in a shotgun blast
Troubled times had come to my hometown
My hometown, my hometown, my hometown

Now main streets whitewashed windows and vacant stores
Seems like there aint nobody wants to come down here no more
Theyre closing down the textile mill across the railroad tracks
Foreman says these jobs are going boys and they aint coming back to
Your hometown, your hometown, your hometown, your hometown

Last night me and kate we laid in bed talking about getting out
Packing up our bags maybe heading south
Im thirty-five we got a boy of our own now
Last night I sat him up behind the wheel and said son take a good
Look around
This is your hometown

Yours, wherever you may be,
Daniel C. Wright

The Talented Tenth: Why It Is Necessary For A Comprehensive Understanding From A Comprehensive Study

Since the start of this month (June), I have been reading many scholarly articles regarding the life, philosophy and work of W.E.B. Du Bois. Much has been written of him, and a great deal of it concerns his 'Talented Tenth' concept.

The fundamentals of Du Bois's idea are simple:educated African Americans should sacrifice personal interests in favour of community leadership, designed to improve the condition of the race. Before I broadly define the Talented Tenth, it is necessary to immediately deal withe the biggest criticism. The single criticism which has dogged the concept right from its publication is still part of the debate today: elitism. But the Talented Tenth was never designed to be an exclusionary group! The concept was originally designed to promote self-sacrifice.

It is important to distinguish between the Talented Tenth and the black middle classes of both now and of Du Bois's era, something Juan Battle has done in the past. Juan's defining characteristic of the black middle class is elitism: they are the ones who are dong nothing for poor blacks and they are the ones who are concerned solely with individual accomplishments. Juan also concludes the Talented Tenth are currently fulfilling Du Bois's original charge to uplift the African American race from the top, down.

An in-depth public study going beyond the boundaries of academia of Du Bois's Talented Tenth concept is crucial to understanding how far American society has come in the last one hundred years. The study should be done along Du Boisian lines, split into four divisions: historical study; statistical investigation; anthropological measurement and sociological interpretation.

I am wondering whether or not it is still necessary to have a group 'leading the way' for the race. Du Bois altered and modified his definition of the group as times and circumstances changed. What would he have as the defining characteristics today? Would a college education still be central to it?

Also, what can British society take from his work with regard to the Muslim community of the twenty-first century? The history of Muslims in Britain is very different to the history of Africans in the United States. The key difference is of course, Britons never enslaved the Muslims. So is the Talented Tenth of Du Bois still valid for Muslims or does it need to be modified in some way or does it need scrapping altogether?

Yours, wherever you may be,
Daniel C. Wright.

He Was Deaf But I Was Dumb

We had been sat down for about twenty minutes, contemplating the ways of the world and debating the issues of the week with friendly light hearted talk. It was more busy than the last time, but it was still only about half full.

A gentleman walked in and strolled around carrying a drink and something else. He walked up to the top: he caught my eye when he came back down. There was plenty of room to sit up there, but he came back down and walked past both of us. I saw that Rick kept his eye on him all the way down to the bottom. Not long later, this sole gentleman reappeared in my eyeline before he finally sat down. He sat down at the table next to us. By this time, we had both 'clocked' that something was odd about this man. The fact he was tightly clutching a large A4 writing pad and making strange sounding noises put us on edge.

Rick got up and went to the toilet. I had only about one fifth of my pint left. (Thwaites Bomber; the only place I have ever seen it on tap) As I took a drink, he came over to me and tapped me on te shoulder. He thrust his pad in front of me. On it, he had written some thing along the lines of "Hello, my full name is Roger ------ ------. I am from Manchester." As I am sure can be appreciated, this is a highly unusual occurance in a pub. Shaking a little, I wrote a scruffy reply, replacing his details with mine. As I did so, a text came on my phone and Rick reappeared back from the toilet. He looked quite shocked as he sat down, and, as a trigger movement, had a sip of his drink. His glass was emtpy. As I handed him my reply, I wondered why I couldn't talk to him. I read the text on my phone. It was from Rick, and read something along the lines of "Man, that guy is really freaking me out. Let's make a move."

He thrust the pad in my face again, this time asking me where I lived. "Right here in Lymm," I replied. Then it got really wierd. He drew a map, a big 'X' marking the pub and asking me to finish it off. I was a little worried by this. Who was this guy? And what did he want?! Rick saw what this man was asking me to do, and, being more assertive than I, he grabbed the pad and wrote something. I later found out he wrote what I call a 'put-down exit': "We're going now. Bye." and walked out, making eyes at me to leave. I hurried off, shaking hands with the man as I went. By the time we got to the car, I was well shaken, most perplexed by what had just happened. I could not think straight. What was wrong with that man?

He was deaf.

He had been deaf all his life and so couldn't talk. I didn't realise that at the time, and the experience scared me.

Yours, wherever you may be,
Daniel C. Wright.

Dubai Ruler In Vast Charity Gift

I came across this story on the BBC as well as the other dominant news agencies:

"The ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, says he is giving $10bn ($5bn) to set up an educational foundation in the Middle East.

The money is meant to improve the standard of education and research in the region, and aims to stimulate job creation, Sheikh Mohammed said.

It is thought to be one of the largest charitable donations in history.

The announcement was made to widespread applause at the World Economic Forum, which is being held in Jordan.

Sheikh Mohammed, known as a successful racehorse owner as well as ruler of Dubai, said his personal initiative was aimed at creating what he called "a knowledge-based society" in the Middle East.

At the moment, he explained, there was high illiteracy in the region - where more than 40% of Arab women cannot read or write.

The whole Arab world publishes fewer books than the country of Turkey.

And spending on scientific research is only a tiny fraction of that in developed countries.

"There is a wide knowledge gap between us and the developed world in the West and in Asia. Our only choice is to bridge this gap as quickly as possible, because our age is defined by knowledge," the sheikh said.

While there may be less learning in the region, there is high unemployment, and it is likely to get higher with a rapidly growing population.

"Our region needs at this moment 15 million job opportunities, and our Arab world will need in the next 20 years between 74 to 85 million job opportunities," the sheikh told the conference.
"We need to develop the infrastructure so we can create jobs."

Sheikh Mohammed hopes to increase education and research, and also to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship throughout the region.

"In order to realise these objectives, I have decided to establish the Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum Foundation to focus on human development, and have I decided to endow a fund of $10bn to finance its projects," he said.

As ruler of Dubai, he can share the success of his principality, which is known the world over as the economic success story of the Middle East."

From a personal philanthropic point-of-view, it's nice to see top politicians pin pointing education as a fundamental concern for the general uplift of society. I know of people who would argue that simply throwing money at the situation is unlikely to solve anything, and that pouring money into the problem is a Western (thus capitalist) solution to an Eastern problem. I, however, disagree. I think Sheikh Mohammad's money will have a big impact on illiteracy, for example, and I think his generous donation will also draw attention to the problem.

Yours, wherever you may be,
Daniel C. Wright.

Winning In The Ghetto: Explaining Harlem Through The Life And Times Of Malcolm X

The complexities and paradoxes of Harlem can be partially understood through the kaleidoscope of the life and work of (Mr.) Malcolm X, with close reference to James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time and Claude Brown’s Manchild In The Promised Land. It is my intention to demonstrate this by dividing the characteristics of Harlem into explaining four fundamental concepts: Harlem as a place with a pre-determined destiny due to geographical elements; Harlem as a space for change under the umbrella of democracy in the United States, being itself a microcosm of a black metropolis for the world’s black people; Harlem as a space where forces of good and evil co-exist and collide in a ghettoised prism, resulting in the notion of ‘good’ being heavily distorted; and finally Harlem as the white man’s ‘sleaze pit’ where white persons go to indulge in illicit customs. In the following essay it is my intention to illustrate how Harlem, when considered in these guises, and contextualised historically from 1940 through the 1960’s, changed Malcolm X from a naïve Michigan boy to a hustling, street-talking Harlemite, and then to a leader for the black community. Throughout, I will draw upon specific details given in the above texts.

GEOGRAPHICS

To begin, it is important to understand the significance of the geography of Harlem. In broad terms, this means placing the neighbourhood in relation to the rest of Manhattan. Harlem is located directly north of Central Park, with 110^th street being the southern ‘dividing line’. Malcolm X noted in his autobiography that “when we left Central Park at the upper end, at 110^th street, the people’s complexion began to change[1].” Indeed, 110^th street was, during Malcolm X’s lifetime at least, a definitive barrier between classes and races. It is less so today, but it remains a significant point of reference on the majority of Manhattan maps. It should not surprise us in the least that Malcolm felt a change in the air when he crossed 110^th street. We may be surprised, however, to read that around 110^th Street was “the worst of the ghetto, the poorest people[2].” Even within the Harlem ghetto, a hierarchy remained.

While Harlem is basically a single borough, its streets are what New York’s African-Americans call (or are supposed to accept as) home. At the age of thirteen, James Baldwin learnt this from a police officer in the centre of the intersection: “the cop in the middle of the street muttered ‘why don’t you niggers stay uptown where you belong?’[3]” it is significant that Harlem is quite central on Manhattan; to the East and West of Central Park to the South, Harlem is bordered by predominantly white neighbourhoods, and Washington Heights is to the North of the black community. Excepting Central Park, Harlem is completely surrounded by white boroughs, full of people with different coloured skin and people of a supposed different class. The captivity of the black man in the United States is certainly evidenced by these geographic idiosyncrasies, which all add to the experience of living in Harlem, and must be taken into account as having a positive effect in reinforcing the Nation of Islam ideology. Even Baldwin concedes that “it is ‘only the so called American-Negro’ who remains trapped, disinherited, and despised, in a nation that has kept him in bondage for over four hundred years. . .[4]” Indeed, the location of Harlem could be one of the principle reasons for Claude Brown referring to Harlem as being “exploited and neglected[5].”

The grid system played an important part in the development of Malcolm X. The logistics of such a system results in the creation of a series of generic corners. At busy intersections, the corners become a focal point. Baldwin notes how he: “sometimes found myself in Harlem on Saturday nights, and I stood in the crowds at 125^th Street and Seventh Avenue, and listened to the Muslim speakers[6].” The Nation of Islam speakers were not the only ones who preached on soapboxes and step-ladders at the bustling intersections to anyone who would listen. Malcolm X realised this:

. . . the big trouble, obviously, was that we were only one among the many voices of black discontent on every busy Harlem corner. The different Nationalist groups, the ‘Buy Black!’ forces, and others like that; dozens of their step-ladder orators were trying to increase their followings[7].”

We can see from this that the grid system in place across Manhattan Island allows speakers to address a large number of people at once. Citizens can congregate and listen, and the orators also have the chance of catching the ear of passers-by as well. The manipulation of geography within the urban spectrum helped Malcolm X when he was the hustler selling cannabis to the drug addicts. When he had come out of prison, he used the same locations to sell his story of the white man being the devil to the dishomed African-Americans who now occupied the ghettos of America’s metropolises.

A SPACE FOR CHANGE

It is possible to understand Harlem as an urban space for change under the umbrella of democracy, on account of it being a focal point for black people across the world. This is evidenced in the writing of Claude Brown, who not only insists that “to me, New York was Harlem[8],” but also says he “used to tell everybody jokingly - but I half believed it - that Harlem was the capital of the world[9].” Not only does this explain Malcolm X’s desire to go and experience Harlem, but it underlines the importance of the borough to African-American culture. Harlem gave African-Americans a sense of identity; this is reinforced by Brown’s notion that Harlem was still his “point of relating to life and events and putting them together[10].”

Considering this, we can apply a similar theory to the hustling of Malcolm X. He managed to sell marijuana all up and down the East coast of the United States, through the manipulation of a railroad identification card. When he ran out of supplies, he would return to New York (Harlem), load up and then hit the road again[11]. Harlem became his base for his operation. It was his personal starting point for what he expected to be his life’s work. In a more general sense, this a reflection on the African-American relationship to the borough.

The notion of Harlem being the black man’s America is one which does not sit comfortably with the young James Baldwin. Throughout the opening part of The Fire Next Time, he feels sickened by the gangster lifestyle which was evident on a day-to-day basis on the Harlem streets. This is important because it is the opposite view taken by Malcolm X and Claude Brown who, for a short time at least, enjoy the characteristics of Harlem living in the age of sin:

“I was icily determined - more determined, really, than I then knew - never to make my piece with the ghetto but to die and go to hell before . . . I would ‘accept’ my place in this Republic[12].”

His anger at the misdemeanours of life on the Harlem streets is later adopted by both Brown and, to a greater extent, Malcolm X, yet his initial unwillingness to live out the gangster lifestyle even for a short time indicates that, for all it’s lacking of moral standards, Harlem can a place to empower the individual. In the case of Baldwin, it drove him into the church[13] and made him a better person for it. Baldwin freely admits he was scared to be living in such close proximity to so many evils, but this made him starkly aware of what was right. Malcolm X (and to a lesser extent Claude Brown) gain this awareness only after having been sucked into Harlem’s seedy underworld (though a great many things happened in broad daylight) and gained first hand experience of life without morals.

Any urban space has the ability to change any man in any number of ways. The specific characteristics of Harlem life clearly result in everyone being someone, and Baldwin seems quite resigned to the fact that change happens in Harlem, and change happens fast. In his words, “one doesn’t, in Harlem, long remain standing on any auction block[14]” before the nuances of life in the borough change your outlook on life and your personality. They changed Baldwin for the better, as they did Brown and Malcolm too, but only after years of experience of the nuances.

GOOD VERSUS EVIL

Certain characteristics of the Manhattan neighbourhood point to it being a space where forces of good and evil co-exist and collide in a ghettoized prism, and where the notion of good is distorted. Running the numbers, for example, is represented by Malcolm (and others) as being an accepted part of Harlem life: all citizens recognise it as being a relief from the stresses of living in the ghetto and most African-Americans dreamt of hitting the big combination one day[15]. The police, for what they were worth, turned a blind eye to the numbers runners[16] and allowed the practice to flourish. This all went on regardless of the fact gambling was deemed wrong by New York law, hence it being illegality[17].

This distortion as far as the characteristics of acceptability are concerned is paralleled by a greater sense of what is unacceptable. Claude Brown, for instance, remarks how stealing from the poor is utterly wrong when a numbers banker failed to pay out after a win[18].

What is good and what is wrong is very different within the Harlem ghetto. Streetcorner philosophers[19] appear on the corner of many busy intersections appealing to Harlemites to listen to them and believe in what they are saying. Baldwin takes a distanced approach to such street politics:

“I have long had a very definite tendency to tune out the moment I come anywhere near either a pulpit or a soapbox. What … men were saying about white people I had often heard before[20].”

What Baldwin is referring to as “often heard before” is the berating of the white man. The portrayal of the white man as the devil would not have been anything new to any Harlemite. Malcolm X would soon be one of the people maximising the cosmopolitan way of life in Harlem in such a way in an attempt to try and get his political message across, but the acceptability of that political message outside of the 110^th Street to 155^th Street microclimate is unquestionably going to endure a harsh reception.

To reduce it to a lower common denominator, black is portrayed as good, while white is portrayed as evil. Baldwin notes how, to the supporters of the Nation of Islam at least, “Allah, out of power, and on the dark side of heaven, had become – for all practical purposes, anyway – black[21].” For Brown, being as far away from light skinned, the more accepted you were into the Harlem community, as if having a darker shade of skin made you a better person than a lighter skinned counterpart[22]. Such assumptions and such warped values were acceptable and sustained in the Harlem which moulded Malcolm X, though they would most likely not be actively endorsed by people of authority and power.

SLEAZE PIT

The evils of Harlem made the area between 110^th Street and Washington Heights into one big market. The market catered for the white man, and it is possible to understand Harlem as the white man’s ‘sleaze pit’, selling all the evils one can handle.

The young Malcolm X did not take long to notice that white people were not a novelty in Harlem; as he put it, “blacktown crawled with white people[23].” As he grew to know Harlem a little better, he slowly realised they came for the atmosphere: Harlem was a special place for them, too. Though Malcolm came close to white people early on during his time in Harlem (the NYPD recommended Small’s (where he worked) to white people looking for a ‘safe’ place up in Harlem[24]), he would later come to know ‘sinful’ as being all too good a synonym for ‘white’.

The riot of 1943 had a detrimental impact upon Harlem being a fun place for white people from downtown. After 1943, few whites went North of Central Park after dark, preferring to get their kicks in other areas of Manhattan. The only white people who continued to go there after dark were in pursuit of illegalities.

With substantial amounts of money involved, Malcolm X played a part in helping rich white men (and thus usually powerful and important white men) live out their bizarre sexual fantasies. The women who ran the operation now needed ‘steerers’ to get her white clients into, and out of, Harlem without them being seen; this is where Malcolm came in. His first hand experience of this business resulting in him declaring “Harlem was their sin-den, their fleshpot[25].”

Interestingly, he notes that, in this black-white nether world, no one ever judged the white men[26]. Later, however, Malcolm X would realise the errors he had made in his life, and as he became detached form the Harlem hustling scene, it is likely he would develop a very low opinion of the political leaders and the leaders of society whom he dealt with. To deny these experiences of white New Yorkers had a detrimental affect on Malcolm X is foolishness; he was often invited in by the white men to watch the whippings they craved from the African-American women[27]. These experiences must partly explain his deepest feelings towards white people when he first left prison a Muslim. As James Baldwin noted: “the Negro’s experience of the white world cannot possibly create in him any respect for the standards by which the white world claims to live[28].”

The transparency of these exchanges is debatable. The chances are that tails of these services being provided by African-American women for (often ageing) white men slipped out into common knowledge somewhere down the line, whether it be by word of mouth or a passer-by seeing something odd. If we take this into consideration, and combine it with some hard facts, we get a detailed picture of the black-white relationship in Harlem during the given time frame:

Ø Authorities invested next to nothing in Harlem[29];

Ø Mayor LaGuardia closed the Savoy[30];

Ø Rents in Harlem were higher than most of the rest of Manhattan[31];

Ø White merchants in Harlem refused to hire black people[32];

Ø A white policemen shot a black soldier at the Braddock[33].

The latter two were the cause of the 1935 and 1943 riots respectively. If we take all these into consideration, we get a greater understanding of why Baldwin asserted that “one did not need to prove to a Harlem audience that all white men were devils[34].” In the work of Malcolm X with the Nation of Islam, we see this inherent belief, personified by incidents in the borough of Harlem, run explicitly through his work.

To conclude, by reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X in close relation to The Fire Next Time and Manchild of the Promised Land under the four guises outlined previous, we get a good sense of the urban landscape and the social make-up of the Harlem which transformed Malcolm X, first into a criminal, and then permitted him to be a devoted believer in the dangerous notion of the Nation of Islam: the white man is the devil. It is important to understand both aspects of Malcolm X’s life to get a grasp of the paradoxes which were present in Harlem from (roughly) 1940 through the 1960’s and which can, and do, exist in any urban space.

---

[1] Autobiography of Malcolm X, page 157

[2] Autobiography of Malcolm X, page 191

[3] The Fire Next Time, page 26

[4] The Fire Next Time, page 65

[5] Manchild in the Promised Land, page 179

[6] The Fire Next Time, page 46

[7] Autobiography of Malcolm X, page 317-8

[8] Manchild in the Promised Land, page 53

[9] Manchild in the Promised Land, page 119

[10] Manchild in the Promised Land, page 198

[11] Autobiography of Malcolm X, page 192

[12] The Fire Next Time, page 29

[13] The Fire Next Time, page 32

[14] The Fire Next Time, page 32

[15] Autobiography of Malcolm X; page 171

[16] Manchild in the Promised Land, page 51

[17] Section 5-401 of the New York Constitution, as cited by http://www.gambling-law-us.com/State-Laws/New-York/

[18] Manchild in the Promised Land, page 209

[19] Manchild in the Promised Land, page 61

[20] The Fire Next Time, page 46-7

[21] The Fire Next Time, page 46

[22] Manchild in the Promised Land, page 63

[23] Autobiography of Malcolm X, page 169

[24] Autobiography of Malcolm X, page 178

[25] Autobiography of Malcolm X, page 209

[26] Autobiography of Malcolm X, page 209

[27] Autobiography of Malcolm X, page 209

[28] The Fire Next Time, page 28

[29] Manchild in the Promised Land, page 190

[30] Autobiography of Malcolm X, page 202

[31] The New York Times, December 13, 1937, page 02; “Negro Rents Held Artificially High; Post, at Hearing, Says That Harlem Tenants Are ‘Gouged’ Since They Cannot Move” http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10C14FB3B5A157A93C7A81789D95F438385F9

[32] Autobiography of Malcolm X, page 202

[33] Autobiography of Malcolm X, page 203

[34] The Fire Next Time, page 48