ABOUT

AWAKENING to who we are as a race, our status on this globe, and where we need to be in this world in order to be at our strongest and best should be the driving force behind any organization or organizing dedicated to the liberation and elevation of our people.

As well, we need to awaken to the fact that we indeed live in a reprobate world of racism, elitism, hatred, greed, corruption, ecological destruction, and administrative incompetency...and to the ultimate fact that it is up to us, and only us, to extricate ourselves from it. We're all we can depend on to establish a superior, more beneficial, socioeconomic system that's both for our own welfare and also for the conservation of Mother Earth's natural environment.

As we are Earth's first humans, so should we now become first in evolutionary transformation...first of ourselves...then leading the way for others. And, as days are reserved for observances purposed for remembrance of venerable events, let us reserve our own day dedicated to commemorating and fortifying the cause of Black Awakening to our true selves, our greatest potential as a people, and to plans we must enact to evolve ourselves and the whole of humanity to the next level of existence:

(*Updated Feb. 26, 2024)

*BLACK AWAKENING DAY: Observed on the 3rd Saturday of July, a day of mental and spiritual awakening intended to be celebrated exclusively by Black/Melanated people, whereby said people assess world conditions (including the moral and systematic integrity of the world order), their status regarding the world order, seek all truths and meanings of life capable of putting them more in touch with their racial identity and spiritual well-being...while dispelling untruths and deceptions impeding their ability to accurately assess their racial integrity...while also elevating the status of themselves and their race, and whereby they collectively refine and combine their efforts toward creating a more benevolent world for themselves as well as for any other peoples choosing to follow their ways.

This is a day autonomously set by a Black entity--not a day based on the "good graces" of White mandate predicated on the misconception that "all Blacks were free" at an alleged time, when, in fact, "officially," human bondage ended many months later. "Officially" being the key here, because, as we all know, chains and shackles have been removed physically, but merely replaced socially and economically, with bars serving as a substitute in the criminal "just-us" system. And, most tragically, the most insidious bondage is the mental slavery we ourselves inflict upon our own persons, trapping our aspirations and contentment inside a cage of subservience to a corrupt, hostile, and incompetent system, a cage we do nothing to break out of.

It is a day based solely on its own merit--not dedicated to any person living or dead, nor to any event present or past. For, persons bear the potential of flaws, corruption and/or divisiveness/rivalry when closely examined. And events can be interpreted benevolently by some, malevolently by others, depending on point of view.

Lightheartedly, it's a day positioned in a season of warmth, compatible with our tropical selves...where we can "get out," enjoy each other's company, in the warmth of the sun. A day apart from all other major observances, where "competition" will not get in the way. (Kwanzaa competes with St. Nick, and it's in freezing, winter, time. "Everybody" can celebrate it--greatly diluting its racial cohesiveness. And, being spread out during so many days...still being overshadowed by the dominance of the Christmas season...it never has delivered significant impact for Black Advancement. Plus, one has to acknowledge the controversy surrounding Karenga.)

But, most profoundly, BLACK AWAKENING DAY is about WAKING OUR ASSES UP!!! Grabbing us by the neck, shaking our heads, and shouting, "THE WORLD IS IN TROUBLE!!! WE ARE IN TROUBLE!!! WAKE YO' ASS UP AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT...FAST!!!...before there's NO WAY OUT!!!" (That's the B.A.D. MISSION, by the way...since I didn't mention it earlier.)

Celebrate any days you wish--whether the winter week created by Karenga, June 19th as the day you accept as "Freedom Day," MLK Day, Marcus Garvey Day, or whoever for the remarkable accomplishments led by such dedicated and brave soldiers, or even "Independence" Day for your appreciation of living in this "greatest country on Earth." But, now is the time--especially these harrowing, traumatizing, times--to observe a day dedicated to uniting our people and awakening ourselves to truth, purpose, and direction to escape the "greatest fire on Earth" amassing to consume this burning house of a nation for the crimes of its past...and present. Let us not choke on the smoke nor battle the demons of this world. Let us simply become grand architects that design and build our own house capable of protecting us from, and sustaining us throughout, the fires of justice coming to this "blessed" land.

We must awaken to who we are and what we could be...before it's too late and we find ourselves wandering aimlessly in defeat crying over what we have become as compared to what we could have been...if only we had AWAKENED!--Keith B. Anderson

MEANING of LOGO/SLOGAN

Of course, "BAD" is the acronym for the day. The fist symbolizes the fight or struggle to gain the power (open hand with power in palm) we need to liberate ourselves and elevate our status.

And, of course, we’ll have our racist detractors colluding to villainized the BAD acronym—"BAD” meaning “evil,” “undesirable.” But we know we have our own meaning—“BAD” like Shaft busting through that window (as well as that awesome music—BADDEST theme song every written), Cleopatra Jones in that ‘Vette, Priest (SuperFly) in that fly, white, suit. And, most appropriately, like that brotha/sista cognizant of the true power of liberated Blackness, reaching complete economic independence, able to call his/her own shots in life, and able and willing to help as many of our people succeed as possible.

So...beginning July 20th, 2024, you see a brotha or sista you know walking down the street, give’em a hug (or a stranger a fist bump) and say, “Have a VERY BAAAAAD DAY!!!” And...when you have a gathering of our people on that day, shout out, “How BAD we gonna be?!”—to which they’ll reply, “BAD as we WANNA be!!!”

PRESS RELEASE
Updated October 14, 2022

Suggested Title: New Black Holiday?

Does the Black community need a new holiday...or, as Keith Anderson describes it, a new "day of observance"? After all, we have MLK Day, Juneteenth, KWANZAA, lesser-observed days such as Marcus Garvey Day, Haile Selassie...not to mention, Black History Month.

"The days we observe now are...'nice.' I mean, they recognize our rich past and seek to make us feel good as an ethnic culture. But, at the end of the day, we go right back to being the most incarcerated, the poorest, the most persecuted...the most disempowered."

The bottom line is, our present 'holidays' AREN'T getting the job done as far as compelling us to arise from our centuries-long sleep, come together as a people, and work to elevate our people's status in this world of competition and strife."

To JOLT the Black World out of its eternal slumber, Anderson proposes the adoption of a new day of observance: BLACK AWAKENING DAY...or B.A.D., a day, for Blacks only, dedicated to Black socio-economic development leading to racial autonomy. "The reason I termed it 'observance' instead of 'holiday' is because I wanted it to be celebrated only by us and also because it wouldn't be a day off from work, like a holiday is. It would be a 'casual' day, but also a CRITICAL day, for us."

"Unlike the other observances, which are, more or less, focused on the past and making us feel connected as a race, B.A.D. is dedicated to building the Black FUTURE...to WAKING US UP to the fact that we indeed live in a reprobate world of racism, inadequacy, climate change, incompetency, AND to alerting us of the critical need to take action NOW to build our own support systems of survival so that we can stand on our own feet and escape the demise that will eventually come to this burning house of a system we're currently subjugated under...before it's TOO LATE!

Basically, B.A.D. is about our people coming together to draft a Plan for Black Advancement, and then conducting activities at events and gatherings that raise funds for enacting that Plan."

Anderson proposes that Black Activists become B.A.D. Local Organizers for their particular local communities and conduct events/gatherings featuring, among other things, radical speakers, uplifting performers, and Black merchants...all dedicated to furthering the cause of Black Autonomy. Most of the proceeds would go toward the Plan, with the organizers of the events keeping a portion.

B.A.D. would be observed every 3rd Saturday of July. However, many of its activities could be practiced year-round. Anderson understands the date is close to Juneteenth. "It still allows for from 26 to 32 days of separation. That's enough of a 'respectful distance.' At this time, not much is going on...no school for the kids, no football/basketball to serve as a distraction, plus it's WARM. We are a tropical people, and why should B.A.D. sacrifice its warm days just because it's near another day of observance? For example, let's say a concert promoter meets a music agent for the first time at a B.A.D. event and they decide then and there they want to organize an outdoor concert. They would then have more warm days with which to plan and hold that concert while it's still warms outside."

Anderson is especially seeking to form a "Black Youth Corp," comprised of young activists of ages 16-up who recognize the world is not right and who want to build a brighter future for themselves and their people--while also constructing organizations capable of sustaining their livelihoods on a perpetual basis. "Besides B.A.D., there's also BLACQUITY.net--my informal organization dedicated to Black Industrialization. LOADS of opportunity are available in these ground-floor opportunities for our people, but especially for our younger soldiers."

BLACK AWAKENING DAY is accessible via BADay.org or BlackAwakeningDay.org. BLACQUITY.net has stock designs ("GEAR" page) members may use free of charge personally and/or commercially. It also auctions off products made by Black suppliers at starting bids of only $1 in its efforts to stimulate Black Commerce. Both organizations are informal, in developmental stages, and free to join.

"I invite all upstanding Black individuals everywhere to join either or both of these organizations. Until we develop and CONTROL INDUSTRY, we will be underdeveloped and CONTROLLED."

Anderson, from West "by GOSH!" Virginia, is a wood craftsman, amateur writer...and, as you may have guessed, a Black Activist.