[For more recent articles by/on the ALKQN: http://www.prisoncensorship.info/news/alkqn/] MIM Notes 188 June 15 1999 REVOLUTIONARY HISTORY OF THE ALMIGHTY LATIN KINGS/QUEENS NATION MIM prints this history to educate our readers and expand the United Front against imperialism. By studying the lessons of the past we will build a more successful revolutionary future. We were unable to verify that all of the names given were of people sufficiently politically exposed that this article would not cause them further persecution. For those names which were not verified at press time we used the first letter of the name in brackets (i.e. King [A] or Queen [C]). We invite our readers who have been a part of this history to send us your comments. And let us know if you can verify that the names omitted are of people either dead or completely exposed to the pigs. We will print other articles in future issues of MIM Notes. NY ALKQN (Almighty Latin Kings/Queens Nation) Can you dig it? In the wake of the screening of independent film Black and Gold produced by Big Noise Productions (www.bignoise.com), approval and pride shoots forth from every member of the ALKQN. We are allowed to see an authentic view of the true herstory of N.Y. ALKQN. Is this political transformation an isolated incident of one chapter, and is such a transformation possible solely because of the access of opportunities in the New York -- "Big Apple," or can other chapters realize the same goals albeit the limited resources? I write you today telling you that such transformation or better said resurrection is not the first time to occur in the ranks of ALKQN chapters. Three examples, the genesis, the inheritor and the Future which is YOU -- US... examples that a true Latino organization will be at hand to fight imperialism and its demon- status quo. When symbiosis comes...so will the vanguard! The Genesis - Chicago Illinois In the beginning there was the "Sun". The "Sun Tribe" that is, AKA the Latin King Nation. They made an attempt to unite and fight the oppression that the Labor Aristocracy would impress upon the new Mexican and Puerto Rican immigrants who would be accused of taking what jobs were left from the dying industrial age. This was 1940 and the Irish and Italian police officers were just as criminal as the "UnionŽ Siciliana" and made it very hard for the budding Latin Kings Nation to improve upon their plight and they went underground hoping for a day that a political atmosphere would come where society would be more amenable to something such as the L.K.N. Such a day came with King Eddie (Lord Bomba) in the early 1960s and a new generation of L.K.N. resurfaced calling themselves the Almighty Latin King Nation (ALKN) AKA "The Lion Tribe." Lord Bomba fought for control of the neo-colonial element that was seeping into its ranks and along with Papo-King (RIP) the next edition of the King Manifesto/Constitution was created (KM/C) by both these warrior-kings. The Manifesto was elementalist making it clearly known that the ALKN was on the side of the Third World to fight against "the oppressor" (aka The Imperialists) "no pork included." Unfortunately the streets learned to use organization for capitalist purposes and the toxic biological agent known as heroine and cocaine became a player and enemy to be wary of...one of the imperialists greatest weapons and the lumpen's worst temptation for profit or temporary euphoric guarantee. King Eddie's death by Folks of a different nature caused the Old Man Lord Gino, Prince [T] and another Lord I won't mention since he's been keeping on the D.L. to inherit. These three upheld the KM/C and a "nation" of thousands at present date 20,000 in one city became these three's legacy. From them sprouted "Kingism 1-2-3," the KM/C, and the fruition of a powerful lumpen organization stretching its tentacles if you will to places like Arizona, Florida, Indiana, California, Indian reservations occupied by Canada, etc. The legacy of the Sun-King...The sun may rise in the west and set in the east but it's highest peak is in the Midwest...Amor De Rey!! The Inheritor...The Resurrection The late seventies and early eighties brought about a lag in the ALKN's political motivation the demise of vanguards such as Black Panther Party and Young Lords Party gave the warrior-kings a moral defeat and heroine/cocaine was winning a battle for Black and Latino neighborhoods. The ALKN's objective became confused at best however the older LK/LQ's managed to find stability for the older generation of ALKN. But where was the 360 degrees of political intents? In the "Viet-Cong." New York has opened it's first chapter in 1986 in Collins Correctional facility but as yet focused on unity and communal survival in the facilities however in the most unexpected state, a state which hid its ghettos very well, two men brought forth the black and gold and forced residence in Somers Correctional facility and North St. Jail; Somers and Bridgeport Connecticut respectively. Connecticut overbrimming with hundreds of thousands of Boriquas in ghettos like Bridgeport, New Haven, Waterbury, Stanford, Hartford, Meridan, New Britain, etc. grasped the promise of Black and Gold and sought the unauthorized but equally powerful words of the ALKN Connecticut Charter written by [N] and [P]. The words were a re-awakening, a resurrection for a young poor ghetto bastard like myself, angry at being the poorest (and even ostracized for it) kid in the 'hood. My father an old school Latin King was also a stone cold heroine addict (Kind Saint Slim RIP died of AIDS). There were many just like me who sought the meanings of Brown and Beautiful. Conn. ALKN refocused the gang- mentality and brought forth an anti-imperialist view allowing members and non-members alike to see that the solution was not in "going out and getting a job' but in the reconstruction of a euro- centric society. The Supreme Godfather Conn. Nelson Millet brought forth a sleeping wisdom and the Conn. ALKN acted on it. Late in the day came Queen [B] to make up for her late arrival by refocusing the street chapters and by 1992 creating such a strong political atmosphere within the Conn. ALKN that the Feds were "Petro" -- scared to death at the consequences such a political evolution promised. Food programs, drug mediation, protests, and even the modification of harassment behavior by local pigs were some of the righteous achievements Beatrice helped to achieve. Like Queen [L] (RIP) of Chicago, [B] has left an irrevocable mark on the ability of wimmin to rule effectively and with confidence. I traveled with her to the political objective but in a parallel road I often regret not working personally with her except on one occasion to try and get members in College. In retrospect I see her as a catalyst to the "resurrection" of ALKN and I wonder at times what good things would have come through our unity on the same path. A reason why at present I disagree with the view of "autonomous chapters." One cannot uphold the same organization and call yourself autonomous because your success as a state chapter and your failures bring consequences to all of ALKQN. Your defiance, your submission, your attacks will bring reaction to all of us from the Federal/State pigs and therefore a United Front is mandatory until such times any of us persist on defying revolutionary practice. Division should not be decided because you carry a different style of "practice"...it is too petty a dividing line. Conn. ALKN carried a style of ALKN that I personally disagreed with but such a style was no less effective in bringing about political transformation before even NY ALKQN. I know, I witnessed both transformations. The Conn. ALKN, NY ALKN, and IL ALKN's "line" were practically identical, it was the tactic and strategy that was different. Mao Zedong says: "The correctness or otherwise of the ideological and political line decides everything. When the party's line is correct, then everything will come it's way. If it has no followers, then it can have followers; if it has no guns, then it can have guns; if it has no political power, then it can have political power." Their methods were internally controversial and criticized but none can say that they weren't effective. By 1991 the Max. membership in Conn. was nearing 10,000 and the majority held a political mentality. Practice - the ultimate truth. The Conn. ALKN should have chosen the route of Chicago KM/C philosophy from the beginning but their achievements must deserve "their view" on tactics and strategy on looking over because they were effective. The ALKQN resurrection's history can not be taught without adding these figures and this state chapter. I do not mention the history of the New York ALKQN's transformation because they tell their story eloquently King Blood, King Tone and Hector Torres. Luis Felipe AKA King Blood is presently doing a life bid with 45 years mandatory isolation in the Florence Colorado Control Unit! A verse in a poem of mine goes as follows: "The Blood remembers, sea of isolation, red cells clot in a show of frustration." I know his horror because I'm in his same situation ADR King Blood! The aforementioned mini-history mentions names of people already exposed to the Federal Swine and most doing time in the various departments of incorrection. Those that are not are individuals that have outed themselves as public spokespersons. However I suggest that no present leadership and membership who remain unexposed put their names and the names of active members in the fore. The future which is You - Us The third and last State Chapter (out of the many state chapters) I will discuss is the one which this servant founded and organized. I will go about this by answering questions given to me and questions which I feel should be asked. I give you an honest view of the making of a Supreme Godfather and Lord of the ALKQN, imperfection and dedication, failure and success, corruption and redemption and ultimately a socialist Latin King. Hopefully this article brings forth the message to my comrades that growth and leadership does not take an extraordinary talent only sincerity and a willingness to recognize that you may never enjoy the shade of trees that came from seeds that you've planted. Power to the Kings and Queens. Q. When did the Mass. ALKQN begin? A. The Mass ALKQN began in the "beginning of this decade" myself as it's first organizer and co-founding leadership with King Hec- Man and King Shadow both doing life in prison. Initially authority came from Conn. and transferred to the Motherland to "El Sagrado Majestad Sun-King" y Las Coronas. My love and loyalty to Lord Gino, King V. and King C. of the oldest chapter under the Sun! Q. Lord Grim Supreme Godfather (Retired) of Mass. State, what's that mean? A. It means I organized the first multiple chapters in the state, Holyoke, Spfld, Ludlow County Jail, Worcester County Jail, Walpole Prison, etc... and headed this organization for the past nine years recently retired and headed presently by a formidable leadership. Using "Lord" doesn't signify a superiority, merely an honor bestowed upon a comrade who has held state rank for over 10 years, founded a "Nation" chapter, and other requisites. The honor given by The National Sun-King of Chicago, IL. Until recently only Chicago Lords were entitled to be blessed by it. Q. Was your mindset always a political one? A. No, my father King Saint Slim tried to urge the Black Panther type of philosophy that "ALKN" (1960s) held but I was a poor and ostracized kid so that non-violence kick became a burden I didn't want to carry after a few ugly beatdowns (smile). My teens brought me away from that and into a "crimy" lifestyle. I didn't care for Boriquas or Blacks or whites, I was for "self"...this before the transformation. Q. Some would say that you didn't hold enough political experience to retain your rank after incarceration. What do you say? A. I believe that I could have used a lot more political education than I had when I began to organize the ALKQN in Mass. Upon reflection I recognize that to be an effective anti-imperialist leader one must actually study revolution and who best to learn it from than Chairman Mao Tse-Tung, I find unity in much of his philosophy. Did I have enough political experience? I had more than King Blood and King Tone when they began as New York heads but not enough to be as effective as say Eldridge Cleaver ... before he bugged out ... (RIP). Q. Could you list examples of your political experience before you were incarcerated? A. Well I was in the process of creating a non-profit organization called "Schoolin'" with a competent educational consultant and a psychologist Dr. [X] of Westport, Conn. I helped to lead an "Amherst Daily Collegian" office takeover and became one of the eight people to negotiate on the demands. I was the ALKQN representative and Umass Minority representative involved in the Hampshire College Science Building Takeover in 1992 along with two other Umass reps. I also wrote my first political article for the ALKQN (then known as ALKN) in 1992 along with a MIM representative called the UNDERLINE Latin King Statement END (see MIM Notes #67). I would bring the Conn. ALKN comrades to the various protests held in the college areas. The last two years of my freedom was a constant blur of political activity. I'm proud of being a tutor to Latino chidren in Holyoke under the Umass "Arco Iris" program located in the Hamilton St. Nueva Esperanza Building. I would teach them English using Bobby Seale and George Jackson books (smile)...this was also in 1992. Q. How did you become a full-fledged anti-imperialist? A. Well, it was an ongoing process. There was an actual time when I was a U.S. army soldier but that was to get away from some serious crimes and I was also attracted to the "adventurous lifestyle" be all you can be and all that bullshit. My quickest lesson of anti-imperialism came from the U.S. Army. I guess I went from resentment of Amerika's double-standard, to rebel, to reactionary, to anti-imperialist. It was in my reactionary stage that I was arrested. Q. There is a contradiction with politicizing for "internal third world" and being accused of killing a Latino. A. I was judged guilty by an entire suburban white jury except for one 65 year old Black man. Not a jury of my peers. The case hung on three informant testilyers about as credible as a three dollar bill but acceptable to Amerikan jurisprudence standards. The words "Latin Kings" terrified the jury due to the "gang" style interpretation. I didn't' have a chance. Q. How do you see the ALKQN presently? A. The ALKQN at present is the most advanced organization politically of it's "genre" if you will. It is not yet the type of advanced organization that RAIL/MIM is but it is advanced relatively. What is important at present is to stick to "revolutionary practice" which includes a national symbiosis in "Line, Strategy, and tactic" and not stray in to "social- imperialism" which is what occurred to us in the late 70's-early 80's. MC5 wrote: "It is only by examining the practice of various ideologies over the long run of history that one can decide which ideology is the most effective in promoting the end of oppression of oppressed groups by oppressor groups." I encourage the leadership and membership to study revolutionary history intensively so that "Line, tactic, strategy" can be ideologically correct because at the present I think that is where we are at; searching and coming close to the correct line. From me, you would hear progressing into the dialectical materialist theory and in turn the democratic-centralism principle. "NAAAMEAN!?" So far Lord Bomba/Papo-King's KM/C is the most advanced. Q. Where has the Mass. ALKQN stood since your retirement from active administration? A. First off my retirement is very recent, however I didn't tell you what occurred after my arrest. It was thought by the D.A. State and Federal pigs that "Mass. would be saved from ALKQN" with my arrest. Not the case, I trained men like King [I] to go to the streets and take where I left off. I proceeded to direct the nation while incarcerated via Ludlow County and Walpole Prison. The political advancement of MA. ALKQN came from converting a young Comrade from "Charter" to "Nation" King [M]. We held correspondence and visit discourse and I prepared him for leadership. Protests, food programs, peace treaties with "gangs," intra-organizational support for political purposes with the AFSJ (Arise for Social Justice) King [M] became a catylictic leader in his own right and the Nation took hold of its own leadership as individuals wanting to be involved with a political collective. Queen [T], Sir [W], Sir [P], each making progress in their own right. Q. "DDU is an isolation unit where the 120 most violent men no longer able to function in population are sent."" You've been sent there five times. Why? A. Good question, this is the faux pax (sic) that the Mass. D.O.C. cannot deny. I am perhaps the first prisoner sent to the newly opened DDU (at the time) for a non-violent disciplinary conviction and on top of that it was my first disciplinary board ever. Hardly the most violent prisoner in the state. While questioning intelligence officer Ed Tate regarding my first DDU sentence, he responded that the "Latin Kings' haven't caused trouble to date (1994) in the Mass. DOC nevertheless I was sent to DDU for one year and keep returning with absurd set-ups. The real reason was the political cohesion of Mass. ALKQN due to the leadership direction. My belief was that they preferred neo-colonial leadership in the ALKQN rather than political leadership and therefore buried the political minds in the isolation and segregation units. For them it was a choice of which was the less kind of agitator. The pigs knew that stunting ALKQN growth would not be possible until the leadership was made to appear weak or confused which is why I support bringing in democratic-centralist principle which would help to avoid such a situation. so far this is not an ALKQN principle. Q. What is maximum efficiency of ALKQN in your eyes? A. Mao said in Selected Works Vol II: "Only by fighting in defense of the motherland can we defeat the aggressors and achieve national liberation. And only by achieving national liberation will it be possible for the proletariat and other working people to achieve their own emancipation. The victory of China and the defeat of the invading imperialists will help the people of other countries. Thus in wars of national liberation patriotism is applied internationalism." An efficiently working Mass. ALKQN and National ALKQN is one that is uniform under national agenda. One where "Autonomous chapters" does not include in its definition a separate line, tactic, and strategy that will confound and/or confuse sister chapters. Their primary goal should be the liberation of Mexican and Puerto Rican lands from imperialists, be they Amerikan or Latino imperialists. This struggle is inextricably bound with the international revolutionary objective since the solution to our struggle is the downfall of imperialist-Amerika and its cohorts. Maximum efficiency would have to include, as I've said before, the practice of democratic centralism because it encourages the mass membership to take leadership rather than depending on one person or a group of people to dictate policy. I have in the past been corrupted by the power and know whereof I speak. It also forces the membership to know what it's talking about and thereby encourages the study of revolutionary theory. There would still be leadership to uphold the KM/C and the peoples policy but the "chicken without the head" tactic that these pigs use against us would be diminished greatly and corruption of leadership would be diminished as well by much. These things become a great concern when attempting to run an anti-imperialist organization in an imperialist stronghold. Especially organizations of our "genre" meaning La Familia, Five Percenters, Bloods, Crips, Neta, etc. Overall the ALKNQ both Chicago and New York, Mass. etc. has ascended the road to anti-imperialist relatively efficiently. It's strength is intact and I see no reason that the evolution should stagnate where it's at. It may appear that we are flying but we're not out of the cocoon yet. I shiver in anticipation to see the day. At present I stress uniformity under National Headquarters leadership and King Manifesto/Constitution as the originally inherited literature of the ALKQN, they've been moving effectively. I truly discourage "autonomy" and separate literatures which are used to confuse philosophic debate and catalyze discord within the movement. I cannot stress this often enough!!!!! My advice comes thru the past experiences of personal errors intended and unintended. What I have become now is a "consejador" of uniformity and ORIGINALITY. I am the man who has "practiced" in a microcosm of the dialectical-materialist theory. I want no authority, no power, only to build a strength in ALKQN. One Nation Under God...Natural Allies Together In One Nucleus. My days of authority are over. I've achieved the highest honor being a "Lord" and I leave leadership to those who are mobile. Comrades must put their loyalty to the correct implementation of ALKQN protocol, philosophy, and policy. This means king Manifesto/Constitution. Q. What role does the womyn play in the ALKQN? A. Good question, I'll say better late than never. Queen [L] of Chicago (RIP) Queen [B] of Connecticut and Queen [R] of New York have shown us exactly how effective wimmin can be in a male dominated organization. The Latina wimmin are plagued with a centuries old subordinate custom and I see that even in many of our wimmin members and wimmin in general. They MUST learn to understand the following and I quote MC5, MCB52 and MC206 when I say: "Wimmin feel violated because underneath their subjective experiences is the reality of economic, military and governmental coercion." Once the wimmin members and wimmin in general understand this they can use the dialectical-materialist system to figure out the solution to their plight. I believe that the ALKQN must make a more determined effort in bringing qualified revolutionary wimmin to leadership. I urge Latin Queens and Kings to read UNDERLINE Feminism Unmodified END by Catherine MacKinnon and to begin a dialogue about this book with MIM. I, however am unprepared to advise wimmin on this most oppressive situation in which they find themselves...although I welcome the dialogue. ALKQN has gone farther with wimmin leadership than any organization in our "genre" I can say that, next to BPP and YLP of course. Q. Do you see a role for the ALKQN in a post-imperialist victory? A. Presently the ALKQN serves as agitators and dispensers of anti- imperialist thought eventually armed revolution, beyond that can only be determined by the need of the people and that ALKQN will do what they can to fill that need perhaps by joining the dominant anti-imperialist political party or forming a party that represents their people. One day there will not be oppression and in that day we can see what the road of revolutionary practice brings us. This interview ends encouraging all members and non- members alike to bring about dialectic dialogue and all are welcomed to write me at Lord Grim c/o MIM, PO Box 559, Cambridge, MA 02140. Please, please send at least two stamps, one for MIM to me and another form me to you. I'm a poor man (smile). I'd like to send a rev. salute to all comrades of the ALKQN and similarly revolutionary movements. Support MIM!! --Amor De Rey Lord Grim ADM Mass. Supreme Godfather Retired & Consejador