Dr. Mutulu Shakur’s Statement for the 18th Annual Political Prisoner Tribute Dinner
WITH RESPECT TO THE DYNAMIC DUO
THE MANDELA’S NARRATIVE…
I AM ALWAYS INCLINED AT EACH OPPORTUNITY THAT WE GIVE HONOR & RESPECT FOR THE ENDURING EXAMPLES THAT MY MENTORS HERMAN & IYALUUA FERGUSON, WHO HAVE & STILL PROVIDE THE INSPIRATION, MOTIVATION & DETERMINATION FOR THE GENERATIONS BEHIND THEM PARTICULARLY ME; BUT IN TRUTH, HOW MANY TIMES CAN I POUR OUT MY HEART, MY RESPECT & LOVE TO THIS DYNAMIC DUO THAT I HAVEN’T SAID BEFORE???? WHAT MORE CAN I SAY!!! THAT WAS MY THINKING UNTIL YESTERDAY, DECEMBER 7TH, WITH THE PASSING OF THE GREAT NELSON MANDELA, A LIFE WE MUST NEVER FORGET TO GIVE HONOR TO.THE TRANSITION OF THIS GREAT HERO HAS ME REFLECTING ON THE LACK OF RECOGNITION SACRIFICES DURABILITY OF BROTHER HERMAN & SISTER IYALUUA FERGUSON WHO IN FACT CONTRIBUTIONS & THE LENGTH OF COUNTER INTELLIGENCE TARGETING AGAINST THEM BLANKED THE BREATH OF THE MANDELA HISTORY IN HIS STRUGGLE. THEIR SPECIFIC TACTICS & OPERATIONAL STRATEGY VANGUARDED THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT WERE CARRIED OUT UNDER INTENSE REPRESSION IN THE BELLY OF THIS EMPIRE, WHERE WE AS A PEOPLE, UNLIKE IN SOUTH AFRICA, ARE THE MINORITY. IMAGINE THAT!!! & ALL THE HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OUR PEOPLE HAVE,HAVE NOT YET PLACED THEIR NAMES ON THE LIPS OF THE MASSES AS THE MAJORITY IN SOUTH AFRICA HAS DONE FOR WINNIE & NELSON MANDELA.
WHAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF OUR INTELLECTUALS, PROFESSORS, POLITICAL PUNDITS & HISTORIANS THAT HAVE NOT PLACED THEIR SACRIFICES BOLDLY & CLEARLY WHILE THEY ARE WITH US INTO THE JOURNALS OF HISTORY FOR OUR CHILDREN & GRANDCHILDREN. I DON’T KNOW! I SAY THAT HERMAN & IYALUUA ARE SYNONYMOUS WITH EACH OTHER LIKE WINNIE & NELSON, BUT OUR DYNAMIC DUO DID NOT DIVIDE OVER STRATIGETIC TACTICS TO RESOLVE OUR CONTRADICTIONS NOT IN THEORY & TACTICS AS TO HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE. WE ARE NOT FREE YET & THE STRUGGLE STILL WAGES & THE WORK IS NOT DONE, BUT I AM PROUD & SO HONORED TO BE MENTORED BY THIS 90 SOMETHING YEAR OLD COMRADE & LOVER & PARTNER.
HERMAN & IYALUUA YOU KNOW THAT YOUR BABY BROTHER LOVES YOU & THINKS THE WORLD OF YOU & WILL ALWAYS CONTINUE TO MAKE YOU PROUD OF HIM, FOR WE ARE, BY THE GRACE OF MALCOLM NEW AFRICANS, & WE WILL ALWAYS SPREAD THE LOGIC & THE HISTORY OF YOUR SACRIFICES & INSTRUCTIONS. OUR TRC WILL TELL YOUR HISTORY & YOUR STORY.
AIM HIGH & GO ALL OUT
STIFF RESISTANCE,
DR. MUTULU SHAKUR