Back in the early seventies–after the positives and disappointments of the 1964 Civil Rights and 1965 Voting Rights legislations, there was a moment when Black people at large dreamed of massive advancements, including even a nation of our own. Sure it seems like an impossible dream today, but back then, the future looked full of political and economic promise.

Amiri Baraka coined the slogan “Nation Time” and large portions of Black America dared dream that massive change was possible. By 1977 our New Orleans organization Ahidiana, led a tour of The People’s Republic of China which we billed on flyers as “Black Nationalists Tour Red China”. It was there in Beijing that I met with Robert Williams, the President of the Republic of New Afrika (RNA), which wanted to establish a deep south nation comprised of five existing states.

Imamu Amiri Baraka (within a couple of years he dropped the term “Imamu” from his name). In 1972 as the leader of the Congress of Afrikan People, Amiri Baraka was interviewed by Tony Brown of the popular weekly “Black Journal” television program.

The masses of Black people ended up opting for full integration into the American body politic even if that choice did not include any significant economic development. Although we often became, and would continue to become, mayors of large and medium-sized American cities, we lost ground in terms of land wealth and family income compared to Whites.

On top of that, the surging and uncontrolled Corona-Virus pandemic is hitting Black and Hispanic communities especially hard. As a result, there are deep health issues disastrously affecting us. Plus, there is an unprecedented negative economic impact in jobs lost. Although we have seen hard times before, this time is unique because of an invisible and highly contagious virus running wild all across America.

Nevertheless, there had been a time. . . a “Nation Time”.