Abiodun Oyewole: Self
Quotes
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Abiodun Oyewole : I mean, America is a possibility for anything. America is a young, dumb country and it needs all kinds of help. America is a dumb puppy with big teeth that bite and hurt. And we-we... we take care of America. We hold America to our bosom. We feed America. We make love to America. There wouldn't be an America if it wasn't for black people. And so, you have some dedicated black Americans who will die a million deaths to save America. And this is home for us. We don't know, really, about Africa. We talk bout it in a romantic sense, but America is it. And so, America's always gonna be okay as long as black people don't totally lose their mind. Cause we'll pick up the pieces, and we'll turn it into a new dance.
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Abiodun Oyewole : In 1968, Martin Luther King was killed, Bobby Kennedy was killed, Medgar Evers was killed, Mark Clark and Fred Hampton were killed. John Carlos and Tommy Smith did the Black Power salute in Mexico City. I mean... it is a litany of things that took place in '68. Like that was moving the stone from in front of the cave in '68. I mean, it really was a special beginning and opening. And unfortunately, any time you have anything that's opening - death accompanies those things.
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Abiodun Oyewole : I do agree with fighting fire with fire. I'm not gonna fight fire with water, necessarily. And if someone charges at me, I'm going to defend myself. Umm... Dr, King was not about that. But what he did do; exposing the demons that existed in America - that's priceless. I mean... it was a sacrifice. But he showed you - this is America. Look at this. I mean, we're non-violent, we're singing 'We Shall Overcome'; and they got the dogs on us. They put us in prison. They're beating the hell out of us. And, of course, when he was killed - I was shattered just by the fact that this man wasn't fighting with the guns and weapons that they're fighting with. So, I personally felt and insult to that. But I could have never marched. Malcolm's concepts and theories about how we should deal with ourselves, how we should really function in this society; that's what made sense to me. So, when you look at The Last Poets; you're really looking at the disciples of Malcolm X.
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Abiodun Oyewole : There were many sacrifices. When they say, we stand on the shoulders of people - we are actually in the palm of the hands of a lot of folks, because we were moved and motivated and charged up by people who had already made a commitment in the '60s; to bring about change. And even though I was really on the periphery, I was on the outside looking in, I didn't know much. I knew I wanted to be a part of the Black Power movement, but I didn't know how to be a part of it. But I felt it was something necessary. No, what he did... I still could not have marched with Dr. King. I could never have been with him on any level. Umm... I did not agree with his philosophy, and I still don't agree with his philosophy.
