by Dr. Ridgely Abdul Mu’min Muhammad

As we look at the Year 2002 in review, it is time to assess the damages to the opposition and
gains of the people as a result of us "Speaking Truth on Power" (STOP). One of the major
"head" games of the enemy is to make the people think that they are helpless to effect
change. The "enemy" fears the thought that the masses may one day wake up and realize that
they can make the "enemy" cry "uncle".

The duty of a civilized man is to teach those that do not know. We have been taught that people
will do better once they know better. So we have taught in 2002. Now let’s see what happened.

In Too Little, Too Late in Jan. 8, 2002 "The Farmer Newsletter" introduced the
people to Attorney James Myart who was instrumental in the beginning of Black farmers suing the USDA
back in 1992. Enemies to Black farmers had Mr. Myart’s license revoked in 1997 and Al Pires popped
up to betray the Black farmers with the now infamous Pickford v. Glickman Lawsuit.

However, by July of 2002 Black farmers had helped Mr. Myart get his license back and had him on
the front line with them as they took over a USDA building in Tennessee. Mr. Myart also testified on
Sep. 11, 2002 at the Congressional Black Caucus issues forum, "What Has Changed for Black
Farmers".

2002 could seem as a year of "Pires baiting" considering the number of articles that we
did exposing him and his messed up consent decree. We produced such articles as: The Reparations
"Dream Team" or I had a dream too, Can Scam cast out Scam?, Deja Vue
All Over Again, A Farmer’s fight is never over, "Snake" run over by truth,
What has changed for Black Farmers?, "Doc" confronts Al Pires and Who got paid
in the Black farmers lawsuit?, As a result Mr. Pires is no longer looked upon as the "great
white hero" in the eyes of many Black people including members of the "Reparations Dream
Team".

The Black lawyers working under Al Pires finally got a chance to publicly expose how Mr. Pires
not only shorted the Black farmers but the Black lawyers as well. So now there is a divide between
Pires and the Black lawyers. Now it seems that things are not so cozy between he and them, so Mr.
Pires is working alone on his own "reparations scam". We don’t think that many Black
lawyers or Black people will be so easily suckered again.

A former director of the Office of Civil Rights, Attorney Rosalind Gray, has also gone public in
exposing the discriminatory heart of the USDA. As we continue to "speak truth on power",
we give encouragement to others to do likewise.

All through 2002 and starting back in 2001 we developed a series of articles exposing the dangers
of genetically modified foods. We wrote such articles as 9/11 Hype Vs 9/9 Genetic Bomb, From
maize to poison mess, To kill a sperm, and Who is Poisoning the "Homeland"? As a
result of public opinion being shifted a firm called Epicyte removed the term "sperm" from
its website in describing its plans to develop a "plant-based topical contraceptive microbicide"
to attack sperm. Of course there is no indication that they have been fully stopped, but at least
they flinched (smile).

Also as a result of such articles food industry representatives are now calling for more controls
on biotech farming and experimentation. The idea of labeling of genetically modified foods is
catching steam.

President Bush had plans to inoculate tens of millions of Americans with a new small-pox vaccine
while at the same time introducing a law to protect the pharmaceutical companies from being sued for
damages relating to ill side-effects of such vaccines. However, by December 14, 2002 he had to back
down.

It has been fun bashing the fast food industry too. We produced such articles as Fast Food to
Hell, and Give me your fast-food money. Well we may not be getting that "money"
yet, but according to news reports McDonalds and some of the other fast food chains are closing down
some of their stores. So what once was an expanding industry has begun to shrink, another "S.T.O.P"
for The Farmers Newsletter.

As a result of such articles as Law of No Land and On "Life And Debt" our
readers have been introduced to how Black farm land has been seized not only in America but in
Africa and the Caribbean. Our brother President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe has and is being
continually projected as a villain in the white press. But newsletters like ours and other Black
newspapers, like the Final Call, have brought the truth to the people, so now there is a
national movement among Black people to help the people of Zimbabwe and change America’s foreign
policies toward our sister country.

Great inroads have been developed with our Caribbean brothers and sisters to the south of us.
Cuba has opened her market doors to Black farmers. She has heard our cry through the pages of Black
newspapers, newsletters, the Internet and Black talk radio as we "spoke the truth on
power" in 2002.

Black farmers have seen a great increase in demand for their products from Black Churches and
organizations in 2002 due in large part to our continued presentation of the saga of the Black farm
struggle. We also wrote more specific appeals to this huge Black market potential in articles such
as Cooperation verses Individualism, Fighting the Hidden Agenda, "Boot Straps"
Mathematics and Georgia’s Sweet Watermelons. We appreciate this outpouring of love and
support. Keep on "buying Black" and we shall keep on "S.T.O.P"-ping, i.e.
"Speaking Truth On Power".

Oh, of course there were some other great events that took place that The Farmer Newsletter can
take no credit for, but we just have to report it. Min. Farrakhan warned President Bush in December
of 2001 – months before his plans were made public about war with Iraq – that if he continued to
execute the plans in his heart towards Iraq that he would run up against something that he did not
expect. We think that at least one of those things surfaced exactly one year later this December,
North Korea.

We also must point out a major highlight of 2002 which was the donation by Dr. Yoseph
ben-Jochannan of his library to the Nation of Islam. I guess being a lover of Ancient Kemit and
having an understanding of the power of true history, my elation over such a gift may seem a little
too "over the edge". But I must take my editorial privilege and say that this gift by Dr.
Ben could prove to be the greatest event in 2002. Now, "get up on that" (smile).

Let us continue to "Speak Truth on Power" and see how many "stops" we can
make or evil plans we can break in 2003. Come speak and plan with us at the "5^th
Annual Black Land Loss Summit" on February 7-9, 2003 at Dudley Conference Center in
Kernersville, NC, right outside Greensboro. Also plan to hear "Farrakhan
Speaks" live on February 23, 2003 via satellite in your city.