Kalonji Jama Changa
Encyclopedia
Kalonji Jama Changa is an American community activist, lecturer, journalist and filmmaker, voted one of Departure Magazine’s Leaders of the New School and one of The Street Legends 2006 Hip Hop Activists of the Year.
native accused of gunning down 7 U.S. Marshals, Kalonji Jama Changa began community organizing at an early age. Always vocal against any type of injustice, in 1999, Kalonji along with Leonardo Drakeford, a native of Bridgeport, Connecticut formed the Universal Black Panther Party (UBP). The UBP was a political organization that was modeled after the Black Panther Party
of the 60's. The UBP, operating mainly out of Connecticut and New York, made attempts to organize the youth through history classes and community programs. In June 2001, the group was dismantled and Kalonji formed the rap group FTP which eventually grew into the FTP Movement.
In September 2001, Akua Njeri (Former Black Panther and widow of slain Black Panther Fred Hampton
), Nkrumah Anpu (Blk Agenda) and Kalonji Jama Changa organized what became known as
The Welcome Home Fred Hampton Jr. Weekend. The event marked the release of Fred Hampton Jr. who served 9½ years for a crime of which he was falsely accused. During this weekend, Fred Hampton Jr. and Kalonji formally met and eventually Kalonji ended up joining the organization in which Fred Hampton Jr. chaired, the Prisoners of Conscience Committee (POCC). As the National Chief Coordinator of The POCC, Changa's position entailed launching and overseeing chapters nationally. In 2006, Kalonji Jama Changa, left the POCC and continued pushing the FTP Movement. The same year Changa converted to Islam and became a member of The West End Community Masjid of Atlanta, an Islamic institution founded by Jamil Al-Amin. Jamil Al-Amin, also known as H. Rap Brown, came to prominence in the 1960s as chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
and the Justice Minister of the Black Panther Party
.
Under Kalonji’s direction as Founder/National Chief Coordinator of the FTP Movement, programs such as Feed The People, Siafu Youth Corps, MOBB(Mothers of Black and Brown Babies) and the FTP Artists Collective , have matured and developed. Partially due to his uncompromising position, ability to move the crowd, and muscle in his voice, Kalonji has become known as “The Riot Starter”. He has been featured on the Ride or Die; Poets 4 Political Prisoners and Organize the Hood Tours, in addition to hosting a weekly radio show on Harambee Radio. The high demand for Kalonji Jama Changa has earned him the honor of hosting both Black August Commemoration Concerts in Oakland, California and Atlanta, Georgia, annually. In 2007, Kalonji was instrumental in the launching of the Cease Fire: Stop Police Terrorism Campaign, a national crusade that amalgamated community organizers and the hip hop community to tackle issues of police brutality
. Endorsers of the Cease Fire Campaign include The National Political Hip Hop Convention, Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney
and former prisoner Dhoruba Bin Wahad. In addition to his effective organizing and electrifying microphone skill, Kalonji is also a talented writer whose work has appeared in San Francisco Bay View, The Source, Frontline Magazine and The Bandana Republic: A Literary Anthology by Gang Members and Their Affiliates.
http://www.nathanielturner.com/bandanarepubliclouisreyesrivera.htm
Activism
Coming from a long line of Freedom Fighters tracing back to his Great-Great Grandfather, Sam Pace, a SeminoleSeminole
The Seminole are a Native American people originally of Florida, who now reside primarily in that state and Oklahoma. The Seminole nation emerged in a process of ethnogenesis out of groups of Native Americans, most significantly Creeks from what is now Georgia and Alabama, who settled in Florida in...
native accused of gunning down 7 U.S. Marshals, Kalonji Jama Changa began community organizing at an early age. Always vocal against any type of injustice, in 1999, Kalonji along with Leonardo Drakeford, a native of Bridgeport, Connecticut formed the Universal Black Panther Party (UBP). The UBP was a political organization that was modeled after the Black Panther Party
Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party wasan African-American revolutionary leftist organization. It was active in the United States from 1966 until 1982....
of the 60's. The UBP, operating mainly out of Connecticut and New York, made attempts to organize the youth through history classes and community programs. In June 2001, the group was dismantled and Kalonji formed the rap group FTP which eventually grew into the FTP Movement.
In September 2001, Akua Njeri (Former Black Panther and widow of slain Black Panther Fred Hampton
Fred Hampton
Fred Hampton was an African-American activist and deputy chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party...
), Nkrumah Anpu (Blk Agenda) and Kalonji Jama Changa organized what became known as
The Welcome Home Fred Hampton Jr. Weekend. The event marked the release of Fred Hampton Jr. who served 9½ years for a crime of which he was falsely accused. During this weekend, Fred Hampton Jr. and Kalonji formally met and eventually Kalonji ended up joining the organization in which Fred Hampton Jr. chaired, the Prisoners of Conscience Committee (POCC). As the National Chief Coordinator of The POCC, Changa's position entailed launching and overseeing chapters nationally. In 2006, Kalonji Jama Changa, left the POCC and continued pushing the FTP Movement. The same year Changa converted to Islam and became a member of The West End Community Masjid of Atlanta, an Islamic institution founded by Jamil Al-Amin. Jamil Al-Amin, also known as H. Rap Brown, came to prominence in the 1960s as chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee ' was one of the principal organizations of the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. It emerged from a series of student meetings led by Ella Baker held at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina in April 1960...
and the Justice Minister of the Black Panther Party
Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party wasan African-American revolutionary leftist organization. It was active in the United States from 1966 until 1982....
.
Under Kalonji’s direction as Founder/National Chief Coordinator of the FTP Movement, programs such as Feed The People, Siafu Youth Corps, MOBB(Mothers of Black and Brown Babies) and the FTP Artists Collective , have matured and developed. Partially due to his uncompromising position, ability to move the crowd, and muscle in his voice, Kalonji has become known as “The Riot Starter”. He has been featured on the Ride or Die; Poets 4 Political Prisoners and Organize the Hood Tours, in addition to hosting a weekly radio show on Harambee Radio. The high demand for Kalonji Jama Changa has earned him the honor of hosting both Black August Commemoration Concerts in Oakland, California and Atlanta, Georgia, annually. In 2007, Kalonji was instrumental in the launching of the Cease Fire: Stop Police Terrorism Campaign, a national crusade that amalgamated community organizers and the hip hop community to tackle issues of police brutality
Police brutality
Police brutality is the intentional use of excessive force, usually physical, but potentially also in the form of verbal attacks and psychological intimidation, by a police officer....
. Endorsers of the Cease Fire Campaign include The National Political Hip Hop Convention, Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney
Cynthia McKinney
Cynthia Ann McKinney is a former US Congresswoman and a member of the Green Party since 2007. As a member of the Democratic Party, she served six terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives. In 2008, the Green Party nominated McKinney for President of the United States...
and former prisoner Dhoruba Bin Wahad. In addition to his effective organizing and electrifying microphone skill, Kalonji is also a talented writer whose work has appeared in San Francisco Bay View, The Source, Frontline Magazine and The Bandana Republic: A Literary Anthology by Gang Members and Their Affiliates.
Film
In January 2008, Emerging Minds Magazine announced that Kalonji Changa and film producer Vaunghn Saber would be releasing an "Explosive Documentary about Police Brutality", called "Why We Say FTP". The internationally distributed film includes freedom fighters, rappers and politicians. According to the article, "Why We Say FTP is not just another run of the mill 'conscious' documentary; it is a project that captures the heart and minds of everyday people".Sources
- U Net (2006) Free The People! Retrieved 8 August 2006 http://www.hiphopreader.it/newsletter/_2006_06.htm
- Guerrilla Radio (2006) Guerilla Radio Interview Retrieved 26 December 2007 http://ftpmovement.blogspot.com/2007/10/guerilla-radio-interview.html
- Contraband PR (2006) Hip Hop Activists Take A Stand Retrieved 26 December 2007 http://breakallchains.blogspot.com/2006/12/hip-hop-activists-take-stand-against.html
- Black Lion (2006) Orlando Poets 4 Political Prisoners a Success Retrieved 2 January 2008 http://www.bnvillage.co.uk/news-politics-village/85595-orlando-poets-4-political-prisoners-success.html
- Joeff Davis (2007) Creative Loafing- Unhappy Anniversary Retrieved 1 December 2007 http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/freshloaf/2007/11/27/unhappy-anniversary/
- 11 Alive News (2007) Johnston Niece:City Must Pay Retrieved 29 November 2007 http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=106836
- Sia Tiambi Barnes (2007) The Scoop Retrieved 1 December 2007 http://www.bet.com/Music/News/musicnews_thescoop_11.6.htm
- Emerging Minds.org (2008) Explosive Documentary about Police Brutality to Expose Domestic Terrorism Retrieved 21 January 2008 http://www.emergingminds.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5681:Police-Brutality&catid=54:Pan-African-Activism&Itemid=1
- Hip Hop Press (2008) They Wanna Know Why Retrieved 21 January 2008 http://www.hiphoppress.com/2008/01/they-wanna-know.html
- The Bandana Republic (2008) Born Identity Retrieved 24 June 2008
http://www.nathanielturner.com/bandanarepubliclouisreyesrivera.htm
Articles By Kalonji Jama Changa
- Kalonji Jama Changa (January 23, 2006) Kalonji Jama Changa Interviews Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney Retrieved 24 January 2006 http://cynthia-mckinney-news.newslib.com/2006080900/
- Kalonji Jama Changa (2006) Public Enemy Rap Activist Talks Revolution with FTP Movement Retrieved 1 February 2006 http://www.publicenemy.com/index.php?page=page2&item=168
- Kalonji Jama Changa (2006) Crooked I Speaks on Hip Hop Retrieved 3 January 2008 http://www.tupac-online.com/News/0-261640-00.html