The New
Black Panther Party
The New
York-New Jersey Region
P.O. Box
25332
Newark,
New Jersey 07101
973-893-6704
May 23,2002
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
On the heels of their participation in the annual
pilgrimage to the gravesite of Malcolm X, the New Black Panther Party’s
national ministry of culture has announced that is already laying the groundwork
for a similar ceremony for their late leader Khallid Abdul Muhammad.
Khallid Abdul Muhammad died on February 17, 2001, in
a Georgia hospital after suffering a major stroke. Ironically, February 17th
is also the birth anniversary of the late Huey P. Newton in 1943, and an
important, but ill-fated, merger between SNCC and the Black Panther Party in
1968. At the time of his death, Khallid Abdul Muhammad was national chairman of
the New Black Panther Party, an organization he transformed into a national
organization. He is interred at Ferncliff Cemetery in Arsdley, New York, just as
Malcolm X is.
“At last, our leader’s headstone is finally in place, and some elders like Baba James Small, are already on-board to assist us, as we prepare to convene a ‘council of elders’ to determine what rituals should be developed for the ceremony we will do for our Black Power General, Khallid Abdul Muhammad,” explained Bro. Zayid Muhammad, the Party’s national minister of culture and regional chief of staff.
To insure maximum participation in any future pilgrimage to Khallid’s
gravesite, there is a strong sentiment within the Party’s ranks to host such
an event in early September, or what they proudly call Million Youth March
Weekend. The epic Million Youth March of September 5, 1998, where Black youth
boldly stood down a police attack, was one of Khallid Abdul Muhammad’s supreme
Harlem moments in the sun.
In 1966, the late Ella Collins coordinated and convened what became the
annual pilgrimage to Malcolm’s gravesite which includes a moving ceremonial
salute befitting the fallen warrior. An unheralded giant in Black Boston
politics, business and philanthropy in her own right, Collins was Malcolm’s
older sister. Baba James Small has since maintained the tradition faithfully
since it was first convened. In 1993, the Malcolm X Commemoration Committee
embraced the pilgrimage and expanded its support base, adding three to five
buses per year in addition to organizing groups from as far away as
Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. to come. The December 12th
Movement added the critical Black Power ‘community control’ aspect by
challenging all businesses along 125th Street to close their doors in
honor of Malcolm on that day as well.
Last year, Baba James asked the Party to serve as ‘the circle of
protection’ in the ceremony and to help build the event as well.
This year’s ceremony was especially moving because of the presence of elder griot Yosef Ben-Jochannon, affectionately known as ‘Dr. Ben.’ Dr. Ben had not come to the gravesite since Malcolm was actually buried in 1965. He, along with the late Dr. John Henrik Clarke, were among a network of Afrikan scholars that served as Malcolm’s private ‘Black Think Tank.’ Deeply sensitive about his very personal relationship with Malcolm, Dr. Ben very rarely comments about the slain freedom fighter. He broke into tears relaying how he was there last.
“At first, they were going to let Malcolm’s body stay out there in
the rain for safety reasons, but the brothers refused to let his body stay out
there in the rain and they covered him up themselves,” he recalled
emotionally.
“Dr. Ben is the elder at the threshold of the egungun, the realm
of the ancestors, and his particularly close relationship with this ancestor
really crystallizes the importance of why we must do this,” explained Bro.
Zayid.
-30-
HOLD THE LINE!… COVER DOWN!… BLACK POWER!…
’Bro. Zayid’ Kazi Angaza Kikongo Muhammad
Last Updated: 01.31.2004