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00:00This is King Judah 23 of the Judah Life Podcast, and you're watching the Empire Network.
00:24In the vibrant streets of 1930s Harlem, a figure loomed large, striking fear and respect
00:29in equal measure, Ezekiel Midnight Malone.
00:34Known for his sharp style and sharper wit, Malone navigated the treacherous world of
00:38organized crime with finesse.
00:41From running underground speakeasies to controlling illicit gambling rings, he held the bustling
00:46neighborhood in the palm of his hand.
00:48But beneath the polished facade lay a man hardened by the harsh realities of his environment.
00:54Raised in poverty, Malone clawed his way to the top, earning a reputation as a ruthless
00:59yet charismatic leader.
01:01His loyal crew, handpicked for their unwavering loyalty, stood by his side through every confrontation
01:06and conquest.
01:08As rival factions vied for control of the streets, Malone's strategic brilliance and
01:12street smarts set him apart.
01:15Despite the dangers that lurked around every corner, he remained a force to be reckoned
01:19with, a symbol of power and defiance in a world fraught with uncertainty.
01:24With each daring heist and calculated move, his legend grew, cementing his status as a
01:30legendary figure in the annals of Harlem's history.
01:34Join us as we delve deep into the enigmatic life of Ezekiel Midnight Malone, uncovering
01:39the untold stories and hidden truths behind the rise of one of Harlem's most notorious
01:44figures.
01:45Let me tell you about forgotten black inventors who have shaped our world.
02:06Garrett Morgan, born a slave, made the gas mask and the traffic light.
02:10Sarah Boone designed a folding ironing board to press clothes better.
02:14George Carruthers built an ultraviolet camera used in space.
02:18From blood tests to eye surgery tools, cell phone towers to refrigerated trucks, amazing
02:23African-American minds made science inventions we use today, but they did not get the credit
02:28they deserved.
02:29By sharing the untold stories of these trailblazing inventors, we can finally give them their
02:34due and inspire new generations to follow their path.
02:38So you're telling me you don't remember the time the British genocided an entire island
02:42of indigenous black people?
02:43Oh no, we gotta talk about that.
02:45For today's Black History Fact, we're talking about the British-Tasmanian Genocide, also
02:48known as the Black War.
02:50Tanzania is an island that's about 200 miles off the coast of Australia, and archaeologists
02:54believe that indigenous people got there by walking the land bridge about 10,000 years
02:57ago.
02:58And they lived there undisrupted until about 1642, when the first Europeans arrived.
03:03And in typical colonizer fashion, they were quick to name the island after the general
03:06of the Dutch East India Company, Anthony von Diamond.
03:10And check this out, the island was named after this guy for over 200 years.
03:14If that's not wrong, I don't know what is.
03:16But prior to that, in 1877, the British decided to invade the island and establish it as a
03:20settlement for their prisoners and criminals.
03:22Here's a picture of what one of the buildings look like today.
03:24By 1804, the British colonial government and its convicts started to slaughter the aborigines
03:29in cold blood solely because they viewed them as not fully human.
03:33They used this racist rhetoric to justify a genocide that would decimate the Tasmanian
03:37population.
03:38But the aborigines put up a strong resistance, thus the British declared war and named their
03:42genocide the Black War.
03:44This war lasted over 25 years, and as a result, the black population in Tasmania was reduced
03:49from 5,000 to almost 75 people.
03:52Moral of the story here is that the victors really do write history.
03:56But we live in the age of information now, so it is your responsibility to educate yourself
04:00and spread the truth.
04:01And one for sure way you can spread the truth is by liking, sharing, and coming back tomorrow
04:05for more black history facts.
04:06Peace.
04:07A new discovery, which has not yet been published, it relates directly to the black communities
04:14across America.
04:15After here, I'm going to Bimini, as she said, I'm also going to speak at the Washtenaw Conference
04:20again in Louisiana about this.
04:23But before I tell you about that, people will say, well, big deal, so why is history important
04:31at all?
04:32History is extremely important.
04:34Imagine if I could take from each one of you as an individual, everything you knew
04:39about life until last week and just erase it.
04:43Where would you be?
04:44You'd be lost, you'd be incompetent, you wouldn't know how to plan for the future.
04:49And you do the same thing with a people.
04:51If you erase their history, or you don't tell enough about their past, they also become
04:56incompetent and they can't fulfill the future.
05:00And that's why a lot of people in the black community have felt, well, how come all the
05:03dreams of the civil rights movement aren't yet fulfilled?
05:06And one reason is because this history is still suppressed, it still isn't taught.
05:12But there's been a recent discovery, which is going to blow the lid off of all that.
05:15And that's what I'm going to talk about.
05:18Now, basically, what science has now found, although this is suppressed, for the most
05:24part, there have been some great researchers, you have some wonderful books, like Ivan Vonsertema,
05:29who's talking about these things.
05:32This is not taught in your public schools, although it will be.
05:36The history that the children are learning today is not the history that's going to be
05:40taught in the next 25 years, it's going to be radically different.
05:44We now know for a fact that long before Columbus, there were four major migrations of blacks
05:52to the Americas, different parts of the Americas, for totally different reasons, totally separated
05:58from each other by many centuries, but nonetheless, there were these black, you can call them
06:05migrations, but they were not, I'll describe, you can make up your own mind what they were.
06:09The most recent of these took place about 400 years before Columbus was even born, and
06:16it's all outlined in a marvelous book over there, it's called The Golden Trade of the
06:20Moors.
06:21And it is now known that the West African kingdom of Mali had huge fleets of merchant
06:29vessels, and that these kings, these black kings of West Africa began sailing across
06:36the Atlantic to Mexico as early as 900 AD.
06:41Now why did they do that?
06:42They did that for trade, not for conquest or invasion, they did this for trade.
06:48Mali was very wealthy in gold, they had lots of minerals, some of the black kingdoms that
06:54were called the Yoruba or the Benin, they were great workers in bronze, but the trouble
06:59with West Africa is still a trouble today, not enough food, famine.
07:04Somehow the black kings of Mali had preserved this tradition long before, where there was
07:11this kingdom across the sea, a totally different one, it was very hard to reach, you need to
07:17have excellent ships and good sailors, and nobody in Europe was doing it at this time.
07:22But if you cross that sea, this other kingdom across the Atlantic was very rich in a certain
07:28kind of food, which the people over there called maize, we now call corn.
07:37And these West African kings launched at least two major fleet, trading ventures, that went
07:43across the Atlantic, 900 AD to about 1600 AD, and they brought over their bronze work,
07:50and they taught the Mexican people, the ancient Mexican people, who were then known as the
07:54Mayas, the Mayas had built up a great kingdom of their own, but 900 AD they were in decline,
08:00really on the outs, nobody knows exactly why, but their society was in decline, they were
08:05losing all their technology.
08:06Then these black fleets came across from West Africa, from Mali, and they presented a lot
08:12of gold work, bronze work, and in return, they came back with ship loads of corn, maize.
08:22Now we know for sure that this actually happened, because very recently, you'll see in the next
08:26issue of our magazine, not this issue, the next issue is coming out in about two weeks,
08:30this is part of it, the discoveries are happening so fast and furious, it's hard to keep track.
08:36They now have found that a certain type of maize or corn, which is growing in West Africa,
08:42has been growing there for many centuries, is not native to West Africa, it is a type
08:48of corn which comes from Mexico, could have only been brought over by these Mali seafarers
08:56over a thousand years ago.
08:58So this is a first concrete proof that they beat Columbus by centuries, and we're not
09:04just on a voyage of exploration, they were going back and forth, bringing corn back.
09:10Now why do we know about that?
09:12Well, this trade stopped abruptly, 1600 A.D., 1600 A.D. the Spanish, the Portuguese brought
09:21a real aggressive colonizing campaign, and they took over Africa, and they destroyed
09:25a lot of these kingdoms, and with the destruction of these kingdoms, went all the knowledge
09:30and all the history of these past trades.
09:34This is a tremendous lesson for us because, you know, we're so proud of our American civilization,
09:39we think it'll go on forever, but when a civilization falls, history tells us, it takes almost all
09:45memory of it with it.
09:47Civilization is really very fragile, and that's why these lessons from the past are very,
09:52very important.
09:53If we want to preserve our civilization, we have to learn what happened to these others
09:56that crashed.
09:58So we know for sure, between 900 and 1600 A.D., long before Columbus was even born,
10:04as I say, these blacks were trading, these black kingdoms were trading with Mexico.
10:08I have to refer to my notes just because this is new to me as well.
10:16There's also traditions in Mexico, ancient Mexico, of these black kings coming, and one
10:21of them was called, by the Mayas, if I pronounce this right, Echihuahua, which means the bat
10:28the black calabash, or the black gourd.
10:32It referred not only to his black skin color, but also this gourd that he brought over.
10:39This gourd has been portrayed in these Maya hieroglyphs.
10:42This guy is portrayed as a West African type of man, robes and everything, and he's holding
10:48a gourd in these glyphs.
10:50That gourd has actually been identified as a West African type of gourd.
10:53So here we're having wonderful proof that there were these contacts between Africa and
10:59Mexico, and they actually referred to him by this name.
11:02And it shows that the Mayas and these Mali civilizers, these Mali traders, got along
11:08really well.
11:09It wasn't a conquest, it wasn't one society taking over another, they both had things
11:14to offer each other.
11:15The Africans had to offer metallurgy and gold, and the Mayas had to offer corn.
11:23On March 5th, 1959, a tragic event unfolded in Arkansas.
11:28But it's something people know little about since the U.S. government did a phenomenal
11:31job in covering up this dark chapter of black history.
11:35It was a massacre involving black teenagers who were trapped inside their hostel, padlocked
11:40from the outside, and horrifically burned alive.
11:44The intent was to claim the lives of all 69 black boys living there, and tragically, 21
11:51were burnt to death.
11:52This shocking incident remained hidden from public awareness for decades, primarily due
11:56to the effective cover-up orchestrated by the state of Arkansas.
12:00Even now, many years later, there is still no official cause of the fire, and those responsible
12:05never face justice.
12:07This tragic event unfolded due to a deeply segregated and racially discriminatory American
12:11South in the 1950s.
12:14It was a period when American boarding schools, though diverse in their purposes, were far
12:17from equal in their treatment of students.
12:20These schools were not only places of education and discipline, but also tools for enforcing
12:24racial segregation.
12:26In that era, the quality of education one received was often determined by their race.
12:31Segregated boarding schools were established, catering to specific racial groups, and rarely
12:36promoting integration.
12:38For them, black and white children could never get along together.
12:41The schools meant for black boys had harsh discipline, involving physical punishments
12:46like paddling and hair-pulling.
12:48In the South, schools were used as instruments to resist racial integration.
12:53Between 1952 and 1962, numerous schools were built in rural areas exclusively for African-American
13:00students.
13:01In sheer contrast, white students enjoyed better-equipped schools, thanks to the state's
13:05construction of approximately 500 primary and secondary schools.
13:10These white schools were more substantial, technologically advanced, and offered a richer
13:15academic curriculum, emphasizing subjects like mathematics, science, and vocal training.
13:22There were also significant differences in how the Reform and Industrial schools treated
13:26white and black students.
13:28White Reform schools aimed to educate and equip teenagers with practical skills for
13:32future employment, such as carpentry or metalwork.
13:35However, the boys at the Arkansas Negro Industrial School faced a different reality.
13:40Arkansas had two juvenile correctional facilities, one in Jefferson County and another in Wrightsville,
13:45southeast of Little Rock.
13:47Within the walls of the Arkansas Negro Industrial School, young black boys aged 13 to 17 were
13:52subjected to despicable conditions.
13:55These teens, some of whom were homeless orphans or wrongly accused of petty crimes, were forced
14:00into a life of manual labor.
14:02They worked hard on the facility's farmland and were subjected to cruel beatings with
14:06leather straps, enduring days in rags.
14:10You see, this was no different than slavery, just the name had been changed.
14:14Could anyone imagine doing things like that with white teens of that time?
14:18Black boys in those schools didn't even have access to proper sanitation, resorting
14:22to using buckets as makeshift toilets.
14:25More than half of them lacked underwear or socks, and it was not uncommon for them to
14:29go weeks without changing clothes or bathing.
14:32Clean and safe drinking water was a luxury they were denied, and their living quarters
14:36were cramped, offering them little space to breathe.
14:39These black boys inhabited a building constructed in 1936 under the Works Progress Administration,
14:45which Time magazine described as unstable and fragile.
14:49The systemic poverty, a consequence of white supremacy, sealed the fate of these boys.
14:56Racially disparate treatment permeated the United States criminal justice system, with
15:00wrongful convictions being a common occurrence.
15:03The horrors of lynching resulted in the deaths of thousands of black people.
15:07This dark era, known as the Jim Crow era, left an unforgettable mark on Arkansas' history,
15:13and many lawyers capitalized on the plight of African-American victims, particularly
15:17during the school desegregation crisis.
15:20During this period, very few white Americans were willing to embrace equality with black
15:25people.
15:26The Reconstruction era granted significant rights to black Americans, including voting
15:30rights, U.S. citizenship for formerly enslaved individuals, the establishment of black churches,
15:36and better access to farmland and education.
15:39However, as the Reconstruction era ended, these rights were swiftly revoked by the South.
15:45It was due to the authority state governments held over matters within their respective
15:48regions, particularly education.
15:51Before we continue further, tell us, are you enjoying the video?
15:55If yes, please like and share the video, and subscribe to our channel to watch more videos
15:59on black culture, history, civilization, and identity.
16:03Let's continue now.
16:05While the federal government wielded national powers and enacted laws that applied to the
16:09entire United States, local and state laws governed people who lived and worked in specific
16:15states or territories.
16:17In states like Arkansas, the governor held considerable decision-making authority.
16:22Orval Faubus, the 36th governor of Arkansas from 1955 to 1967, was a prominent figure
16:29during this tumultuous period.
16:31He infamously ordered the Arkansas National Guard to block the entrance to Central High
16:35School, preventing the Little Rock Nine from entering.
16:38He was also in office during the tragic dormitory fire on the morning of March 5, 1959.
16:44On that unfortunate day, as people enjoyed gospel music on the radio that day, a breaking
16:49news bulletin interrupted the program.
16:52It was reported that a mysterious fire had engulfed the Arkansas Negro Boys Industrial
16:56School in Wrightsville.
16:59However, the grim reality was far more sinister.
17:02At 4 a.m., the staff abandoned the dormitory and locked the door from the outside.
17:07The boys inside were forced to fight and claw their way out.
17:10While 48 of the African-American teenagers managed to escape the blazing structure by
17:14jumping out of windows, 21 were tragically unable to flee and perish that night.
17:20When examining the building's layout, it became evident that, despite having a few
17:25doors within the facility, there was only one front door, and that solitary entrance
17:30was locked.
17:31Those unfortunate boys who remained trapped inside found themselves wedged in the back
17:35corner of the building, where they met a horrific fate consumed by the flames.
17:40Governor Faubus later called for a hearing, aiming to uncover the truth and hold anyone
17:45responsible.
17:46It should be noted that after the incident, efforts were made to conceal the evidence.
17:52On the morning of the incident, the scene was being tampered with.
17:56The school staff and Superintendent L.R. Gaines provided testimonies stating that the boys
18:00had been locked inside and left unsupervised.
18:04On the other hand, the Pulaski County Grand Jury found multiple individuals and agencies
18:09responsible but failed to bring any criminal charges.
18:12It seemed as though blame was being distributed widely, yet true accountability remained inaccessible.
18:19Ironically, the land where the school once stood is now occupied by the Arkansas Department
18:23of Correction facility, the Wrightsville Unit.
18:26In 2019, the Arkansas Department of Correction dedicated a memorial site to the 21 young
18:31boys who lost their lives in the fire.
18:34Decades later, the memorial features a metal plate listing the names of every individual
18:39who didn't make it out alive.
18:42Many family members and those who remember the tragedy attended the ceremony to pay their
18:46respects, although the exact location of the boys' graves remains shrouded in mystery.
18:52Stephanie Webb, the owner of Haven of Rest, disclosed that the bodies were brought to
18:56the cemetery and a common burial site labeled 114 was prepared to lay them to rest, as indicated
19:04by the cemetery records.
19:07Shortly after the fire, the remains of the deceased boys, consisting of fragments, were
19:12taken to a local funeral home.
19:14It's reported that their body parts were wrapped in newspaper.
19:18Webb mentioned that most of the bodies were taken to Doberson Funeral Home.