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The Anti-Liquor Store Movement: an interview with Yusef Bey IV of Your Black Muslim Bakery
The anti-liquor store movement in Oakland is part of the new Blackpower era that is emerging in Oakland. A few months ago, some brothas ran up in two liquor stores in North Oakland and threw all of the liquor that was being sold on the ground. That one action kicked off a movement that has Muslims from every faith involved. A Muslim brotha at the "Muslims against so-called Muslim-owned liquor stores" rally told me that 90 percent of Oakland's 930-plus liquor stores are owned by so-called "Muslims."
Anyone who knows Amerikkkan history knows that this government uses alcohol just like drugs, as biological weapons against Black and other oppressed communities. Alcohol was given to enslaved Africans during "holidays" so that they wouldn't think about rebelling or freedom. The Native people of this land have been decimated by alcohol in much the same way that the Black community in this country has been decimated by crack.
Why is there a liquor store on every other corner in East Oakland, West Oakland, North Richmond, Fillmore and Hunters Point but not in Piedmont and Emeryville? Ask yourself why doesn't the government regulate alcohol in our community, while you read the rest of Yusef Bey IV's words. Peep it ...
JR: What is the objective of the movement to get liquor stores out of the Black community?
Yusef: We had liquor stores in our community for a long period of time, and we know what goes on around these liquor stores. And one thing about it is, it's not just liquor stores. They sell crack around these liquor stores, they're able to buy crack and drugs from these liquor stores, and things like this are not supposed to be done by so-called Muslims.
If you say you're a Muslim, you should have the action of a Muslim. If you say you're going to be a Muslim and a follower of Muhammad, you should have the actions of following Muhammad - not selling drugs or selling alcohol or selling things in your store that's not good for our people, that's killing our people.
Read More
http://www.sfbayview.com/020806/antiliquorstore020806.shtml
Why is there a liquor store on every other corner in East Oakland, West Oakland, North Richmond, Fillmore and Hunters Point but not in Piedmont and Emeryville? Ask yourself why doesn't the government regulate alcohol in our community, while you read the rest of Yusef Bey IV's words. Peep it ...
JR: What is the objective of the movement to get liquor stores out of the Black community?
Yusef: We had liquor stores in our community for a long period of time, and we know what goes on around these liquor stores. And one thing about it is, it's not just liquor stores. They sell crack around these liquor stores, they're able to buy crack and drugs from these liquor stores, and things like this are not supposed to be done by so-called Muslims.
If you say you're a Muslim, you should have the action of a Muslim. If you say you're going to be a Muslim and a follower of Muhammad, you should have the actions of following Muhammad - not selling drugs or selling alcohol or selling things in your store that's not good for our people, that's killing our people.
Read More
http://www.sfbayview.com/020806/antiliquorstore020806.shtml
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What's more destructive to a person's mind?
A bottle of beer or a glass of wine?
Or the ravings of a bow-tied fascist like Farrakhan
who rose to power once Malcolm was gone?
And the black-suited brothas who sell Final Call
held a hundred man rally at City Hall
where were their sistas on that day?
Is silencing women the Muslim way?
And didn't Farrakhan promote entrepeneurial spirit?
Self-sufficiency? They don't want to hear it
when a Muslim store owner trying to survive
sells liquor and cigarettes to survive.
Of course the system wants to keep us down
by promoting false leaders and other clowns
who divide and conquer and profit off trouble
instead of uniting all colors in the class struggle!
A bottle of beer or a glass of wine?
Or the ravings of a bow-tied fascist like Farrakhan
who rose to power once Malcolm was gone?
And the black-suited brothas who sell Final Call
held a hundred man rally at City Hall
where were their sistas on that day?
Is silencing women the Muslim way?
And didn't Farrakhan promote entrepeneurial spirit?
Self-sufficiency? They don't want to hear it
when a Muslim store owner trying to survive
sells liquor and cigarettes to survive.
Of course the system wants to keep us down
by promoting false leaders and other clowns
who divide and conquer and profit off trouble
instead of uniting all colors in the class struggle!
There are no liquor stores on the corners of Piedmont because the people who live there buy theirs at Costco, or in quality wine shops and stores like Andronicos. They tend not to be of the cheap liquor and "40 ouncer" persuasion. Oh, nice touch with the "Amerikka"; so 60s, and so out of touch. But then again....
my concern isn't that folks are trying to close down liquor stores, that seems like a good idea -- especially in neighborhoods where there's no place to buy healthy food in walking distance.
my concern is that fundamentalism, in any form (christian, muslim, anarchist) leads directly away from any society i'd want to be a part of. these people are going after "muslim" owned stores and taking a real hard line because they don't practice islam the same way.
well. c'mon. maybe they're less concerned about the ban on alchohol than you are. you're an adult, you should be able to live a full life without coercing other people into following your interpretation of some set of principles (be they religious, political, artistic, whatever).
...again, i'm not against a muslim using the fact that they're also muslim to try to talk to the liquor purveyor, i just think that the person should be free to disagree with you if they find you unpersuasive.
my concern is that fundamentalism, in any form (christian, muslim, anarchist) leads directly away from any society i'd want to be a part of. these people are going after "muslim" owned stores and taking a real hard line because they don't practice islam the same way.
well. c'mon. maybe they're less concerned about the ban on alchohol than you are. you're an adult, you should be able to live a full life without coercing other people into following your interpretation of some set of principles (be they religious, political, artistic, whatever).
...again, i'm not against a muslim using the fact that they're also muslim to try to talk to the liquor purveyor, i just think that the person should be free to disagree with you if they find you unpersuasive.
my concern isn't that folks are trying to close down liquor stores, that seems like a good idea -- especially in neighborhoods where there's no place to buy healthy food in walking distance.
my concern is that fundamentalism, in any form (christian, muslim, anarchist) leads directly away from any society i'd want to be a part of. these people are going after "muslim" owned stores and taking a real hard line because they don't practice islam the same way.
well. c'mon. maybe they're less concerned about the ban on alchohol than you are. you're an adult, you should be able to live a full life without coercing other people into following your interpretation of some set of principles (be they religious, political, artistic, whatever).
...again, i'm not against a muslim using the fact that they're also muslim to try to talk to the liquor purveyor, i just think that the person should be free to disagree with you if they find you unpersuasive.
my concern is that fundamentalism, in any form (christian, muslim, anarchist) leads directly away from any society i'd want to be a part of. these people are going after "muslim" owned stores and taking a real hard line because they don't practice islam the same way.
well. c'mon. maybe they're less concerned about the ban on alchohol than you are. you're an adult, you should be able to live a full life without coercing other people into following your interpretation of some set of principles (be they religious, political, artistic, whatever).
...again, i'm not against a muslim using the fact that they're also muslim to try to talk to the liquor purveyor, i just think that the person should be free to disagree with you if they find you unpersuasive.
>to close down liquor stores, that seems like a good idea -- especially in neighborhoods where there's no place to buy healthy food in walking distance.
How would shutting down liquor stores effect the walking distance to healthy food? Enquiring minds want to know.
How would shutting down liquor stores effect the walking distance to healthy food? Enquiring minds want to know.
Getting the owners to purchase food stuffs that are not in cans, go hand in hand with getting thme to sell less alcohol AND publicizing these attempts to the neighborhoods, via meetings, house vistis, and other kinds of neighborhood organzing....so that the neighborhood will puruchase food from the corner stores, instead of the local supermarket, so that the store owner is financially supported by the neighborhood. it's a tall order but it can be done. takes a while too...but it can be done.
This article is completely reeks from start to finish.
-"The Anti-Liquor Store Movement"
This is not a "movement." A "movement" is a legitimate constituency of community members organizing against an injustice. These men are self-appointed moralists oppressing small business owners -- some of the few who are gusty enough to even have a business in the inner city.
Who are these people to try to "save" African-Americans from the "demon liquor"? If any person want to have a drink they should be able to do so without some aggressive moralist harrassing them. (And, in praise of the drink, thank goodness for the temporary relief it can give in our messed up world!!) The idea of "saving" black people from alcoholism through artificial, external intervention is not only completely baseless, but supremely insulting.
Yousef Bey wants to smash liquor stores because he feels like it is plaguing black people with alcoholism, does he? Well, I know two diseases that are far more widespread and deadly in the African-American community. They're the twin plagues of DIABETES and OBESITY. Bey's addictive products, such as the cinnamon-laced sweetrolls, are FAR more innocuous and, as such, much more dangerous.
Maybe there needs to be a MOVEMENT against the (HIS) Black Muslim Bakery.
-"The Anti-Liquor Store Movement"
This is not a "movement." A "movement" is a legitimate constituency of community members organizing against an injustice. These men are self-appointed moralists oppressing small business owners -- some of the few who are gusty enough to even have a business in the inner city.
Who are these people to try to "save" African-Americans from the "demon liquor"? If any person want to have a drink they should be able to do so without some aggressive moralist harrassing them. (And, in praise of the drink, thank goodness for the temporary relief it can give in our messed up world!!) The idea of "saving" black people from alcoholism through artificial, external intervention is not only completely baseless, but supremely insulting.
Yousef Bey wants to smash liquor stores because he feels like it is plaguing black people with alcoholism, does he? Well, I know two diseases that are far more widespread and deadly in the African-American community. They're the twin plagues of DIABETES and OBESITY. Bey's addictive products, such as the cinnamon-laced sweetrolls, are FAR more innocuous and, as such, much more dangerous.
Maybe there needs to be a MOVEMENT against the (HIS) Black Muslim Bakery.
These men are self-appointed moralists oppressing small business owners *and their customers.*
I doubt that many of the customers of those stores feel "oppressed" by these actions.
For the sake of argument _________ is acting like he has great affinity with liquor store owners, while I doubt he'd denounce a looting spree if it took out any of these stores.
________'s argument, here and elsewhere, is based on some sort of mythical "consumer sovereignty" we're supposed to believe all people possess, even the poorest sections of the population.
For the sake of argument _________ is acting like he has great affinity with liquor store owners, while I doubt he'd denounce a looting spree if it took out any of these stores.
________'s argument, here and elsewhere, is based on some sort of mythical "consumer sovereignty" we're supposed to believe all people possess, even the poorest sections of the population.
Alcohol costs money. Money is a resource that can be used to help people.
If there was no good use for the alcohol for *people* in the community, it could still could have been salvaged and used for helpful purposes. For example, alcohol can be used to make tinctures and extracts of medicinal herbs which then can be used to treat illnesses. Hard liquor can work as a cleaner, particularly for windows or some other hard cleaning job that requires solvent properties. It can also be used as fuel, especially because heating bills have been so expensive this winter.
There are a lot of reason why smashing the alcohol stock in these stores was not cool. One of them is that it was a waste of resource in community that could always use more.
I agree with the 'bow-tied fascist' writer.
If there was no good use for the alcohol for *people* in the community, it could still could have been salvaged and used for helpful purposes. For example, alcohol can be used to make tinctures and extracts of medicinal herbs which then can be used to treat illnesses. Hard liquor can work as a cleaner, particularly for windows or some other hard cleaning job that requires solvent properties. It can also be used as fuel, especially because heating bills have been so expensive this winter.
There are a lot of reason why smashing the alcohol stock in these stores was not cool. One of them is that it was a waste of resource in community that could always use more.
I agree with the 'bow-tied fascist' writer.
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