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Khallid's Funeral in Harlem

Hotep my people,

Upon reading about the serious and deadly illness that had befallen our brother, I became almost totally numb. The thought that this strong black man could be taken away gave my own life an immediate dose of (real) reality.

Khallid Abdul Muhammad was buried in New York on Saturday, February 24, 2001.

Anisa and I knew we had to do something. I had to go see, feel and hear for myself how at 53 we could be burying such a vibrant warrior. His death caused us in the struggle to galvanize and unify to get everyone possible to Harlem. My dear friend Nia Shabazz called first thing on Monday to tell me that a bus was going to roll. She gave me a number to call and that's all it took. Sister Hadiyah was a Godsend for immediately contracting a bus without proper time or planning. Sometimes you just have to jump in and start working.

We left DC at 3:00 AM by bus and arrived in Harlem at 8:00 A.M. The air was chilly but the already arriving crowd made us feel instantly warmer. The line was already wrapping around 120th St. We saw people of all ages but of one colour waiting to see our fallen warrior in person. To see our people come out in their finest African garb to put one of our finest away is without equal. For many on the bus we needed closure to what had been a long week of unsolved questions. The questions will go on forever and it is not my intention to answer them in this format.

The funeral was held at Mt.Olivet Baptist Church at 120th and Malcolm X Blvd. It was an overflow crowd that had people begging for entry after the doors were closed. The array of speakers were powerful and endless. The "BLACK POWER" chant with fist raised could have brought down a lesser structure. Khallid Abdul Muhammad's life and legacy was brought to the forefront by people that loved him. The list included Dr. Karenga, Dr.Ben Johannon, Dr Leonard Jeffries and even Khallid's High School teacher Ms. Lillie. They spoke about their personal relationship with our brother which conflicts greatly with the public perception of Khallid Abdul Muhammad. They spoke about a compassionate man who would go out his way to help anyone.

His funeral was punctuated by African Drum beats delivered by Brothers that took us back home if just for a moment. The libation service by Brother James Small took us all closer to our ancestors and was unforgettable in it's intensity to connect us.

A video was shown to highlight the good times and also the struggles of Khallid Abdul Muhammad's life. The Eulogy was given by Atty. Malik Zulu Shabazz. He was captivating in his delivery about our Brother. He gave credit to Khallid for his personal and religious growth. He gave the audience a real feel about their relationship and value to each other. I salute Malik for standing tall and taking on the awesome task of laying our brother to rest under very trying times. A lesser man would not have done. His strength at the funeral is a testament to his association with Khallid Muhammad.

Black Power, Black Power, Black Power was heard repeatedly throughout the service. It was oh so powerful just to be there. Malik closed out the eulogy of his mentor by warning us not to rush to judgement as to speculation about Khallid's death. We proceeded to exit the church and carry the casket through the streets of Harlem. We owned the streets for what seemed liked hours. "WHO'S STREETS? OUR STREETS! WHO'S STREETS? OUR STREETS!", were the words of the thousands of marchers. We held up and kept traffic from disrupting our peaceful tradition of carrying our dearly departed through the streets. We did as Brother Khallid would have wanted. This funeral was void of the massive police presence that have marked his prior public visits. His death will unify more people to continue in his work.

I am hoping for a Million Youth March in September that will let the whole country know that his death will not be in vain. Most funerals are marked by sadness. This one was marked by passion. People came away knowing they have to do more than RAP. This country's ability to silence and avoid covering a death so significant should incite us all to do more. People not online never even heard for days about his death. The white media decided that a white race car driver's seat belt was more important than our fallen soldier. Our lack of ownership in the media will always dictate our being ignored as non people at the most crucial times. Death always brings us together as our enemies are more determined to pretend we don't exist. We must re-examine the TV, radio and paper we pay for that we CAN'T count on when needed. Khallid Abdul Muhammad would have been outraged that so many of us were out of the LOOP. After all he is one of us and should be afforded the same amount of attention as anyone else. Where is our humanity over the loss of life? Why must he believe as you do for you to feel love for him? He gave his life as a voice of our hurt out of love for Black people. Being a member of the Nation Of Islam or The New Black Panther should not disqualify anyone from the love and support of it's people.

We boarded the bus for home full of Harlem and all that it means. We were happy in the knowledge that the struggle will continue. The mass turnout was being inspired by the CREATOR and therefore had a very peaceful conclusion to a long day.

Sister Anisa, Sis Tyree Amala, Sister Hadiyah, myself and others continued our fellowship on the road back down I-95 south. Our roundtable discussions lasted for hours. We all had some personal experiences with Khallid to convey that made the trip a very educational ride home. These buses are really rolling classrooms that invite you into deep thought.

Khallid Abdul Muhammad would have been proud of how his people put him away. The only thing missing was him shouting BLACK POWER, BLACK POWER, BLACK POWER, BLACK POWER. When we lose a warrior like Khallid we must all dig deep and even deeper to do more.

BLACK POWER, BLACK POWER, BLACK POWER

Khallid Abdul Muhammad January 12,1948 - February 24,2001 Gone but never forgotten

Hotep, Brother Dalaniaamon



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Are you looking for a Black owned and operated company that has hundreds of products made by people of color?

Would you like to spend your money with your own people?

Are you interested in superior quality merchandise? Then go to My Store


MATAH Network, Are you MATAH?
EC Search
MATAH
Search by: Name Description  All
African American Products & Services