Tag Archives: Ken Bridges

Ken Bridges: First and Lasts by Franklin Mayfield

Posted on by

The first time that I heard Ken speak, I felt as those who heard Malcom, King or Frederick Douglas speak, the need was never so clear, the urgency was never so close, and the love for our people was never so great. This man was about the sacrifice for me, for us, and our future.

Time after time, meeting after meeting, my appreciation for Ken has only grown. I have told my family that this man, these men, are men of history. That what they do today will impact our people for generations. I count it an honor to give them my strength.

The last time that I saw him, we were talking about the importance of the work for our people. The last thing he was doing was handling the business of Black economic empowerment. The last struggle that he has had is over.

The greatness of the humility of Ken Bridges was only overshadowed by the greatness of the challenge. And that challenge is now ours. Our bother has joined the ancestors. And as a Christian, I believe he is receiving his rewards right now. Look up, because we have a great cloud of witnesses, cheering us on, Ken is now in that crowd, saying, “fight for freedom, uplift the broken, open the minds of the deceived, empower the weak. Be strong MATAH be strong!”

The first time that I meet Ken Bridges, was during a meeting in which he and Greg drove down to meet us in Cincinnati. To discuss the vision of MATAH’s internet initiative and to check us out. To make sure, that the technology arm of MATAH would be in good hands. What I saw was a brother of vision, insight and deep love of our people.

Internal Reparations by Ken Bridges

Posted on by

`Reparations is mostly about making repairs, on ourselves: mental repairs, cultural repairs, institutional repairs, economic repairs …. repairs of every type that we need in order to recreate and sustain viable Black societies.` Professor Chinweizu, First Pan African Conference on Reparations, 1993.

Two Forms of Reparation:

External – What we receive from the U.S. Government and U.S. and foreign corporations for their part in slavery, which was a crime against humanity.

Internal – What we give to ourselves, love of self and love of race, leading to significantly more Giving and Buying Black in particular and in general, supporting pro Black initiatives.

What is Our Strategy

Work on both simultaneously. However, it is clear that if we got External Reparations today, we would give 95% of the financial benefits to everybody except other Black people. That`s what we do right now to our nearly $600 Billion consumption spending power. Now when we give ourselves Internal Reparations, or internal repair, we will love our race and ourselves more.

What Are Some Things That You Can Do To Bring About Internal Reparations?

Step 1. Know Thyself … Get more knowledge about who you are as a descendant of Ancient Africans. Go to Black Book Stores to purchase material, ask the store owner for their recommendations, we recommend, Journey of the Songhai People by Dr. Edward Robinson, Jr.

Step 2. Join organizations with like minded people. For example, people who believe that `They Owe Us` External Reparations and `We owe ourselves` Internal Reparations. Today you can join N`COBRA, December 12th Movement, NBUF, UNIA, NBPP, MATAH, etc.

Step 3. Participate in MATAH Network, the only national Black owned Channel of Distribution, linking up Black Producers with Black Consumers for the purpose of keeping the Black dollar in Blacks hands much longer. This vehicle creates the opportunity for personal wealth, organizational wealth, business wealth and thereby, community wealth. Become a consumer or Business Center with MATAH today.

Step 4 Start Giving and Buying Black as much as possible. Start today with the Vendors at this event and the non profit organizations with booths here today.

MATAH Network`s Role In Internal Reparations

MATAH is a five year old Black Channel of Distribution, featuring hundreds of products made primarily by people of African descent and consumed primarily by people of African descent. The need for MATAH is apparent when we look at two deplorable financial statistics regarding Black
people:

– While our consumption spending power is impressive, nearly $600 Billion annually, we consistently give over 95% of this to non Black owned businesses. In short, we make other people wealthy, while Black owned businesses are not adequately supported.

– The 1997 census revealed that Black owned businesses accounted for a pitiful .4% of the total business receipts. We represent 12% of the population and only .4% of the business receipts???

We have enough collective wealth to literally wipe out Black unemployment, which would raise income and hope and thereby stimulate a severe reduction in crime. The solution is to simply re-direct more of our own dollars back to ourselves. This is Internal Reparations.

MATAH Network is a business that is organizing a movement of the MATAH (people of African descent who Give and Buy Black) to re-direct more of their consumption spending to MATAH, the Black Channel. This will keep Black dollars in Black hands longer. This too, is Internal Reparations. Here is some of the good that will come from

– Increased Personal Wealth

– Increased Organizational Wealth

– Increased Business Wealth

– Increased Institutional Wealth

– Increased Community Wealth

How You Can Participate?

Become a Network Business Center (NBC) … This can be an individual, an organization, a Church, a business, a school, or other Black owned institution. NBC`s create a revenue stream for themselves by selling MATAH products and putting other Black people or institutions in business as a NBC. The cost is $65.00 for a Literature Kit or $175.00 for a Product and Literature Kit. (Recommended)

Become a Network Consumer (NC) … Get on the monthly AutoShip program to ensure consistently Giving and Buying Black.

NOTE: MATAH is not currently operating, so references to purchasing products or membership from MATAH do not currently apply. Complete text above is for historical purposes.