News Release

Atlanta, Georgia—With the growing rash of murders of Black men by police officers in cities across America, it is only natural to ask the question ‘As a Black man, am I safe in this country?’ Think about it, to my knowledge no one has done a tally of the number of innocent Blacks who have been murdered by police, that were later deemed ‘justifiable homicide’ by the courts. Case in point, in early 2004 in Columbus, Georgia, a Black man riding with some friends in an "expensive SUV" was pulled over and made to lay face down by police who were allegedly ‘looking for drug traffickers.’ Shortly after detaining the four men, one of the officers shot the driver twice in the head. When asked why he did it, he simply said, ‘I couldn’t see his hands. It was a judgment call.’ The other three men were detained and interrogated for several hours after the shooting. When they were released, the officer said to them, ‘Here are your keys. And by the way, your friend is dead.’ Just a week or two later in New York, a 19 year old young man and a friend opened a rooftop door. Apparently, the noise "startled an on-duty officer" who was on the roof. He subsequently drew his service weapon and shot Timothy Stansbury in the chest, killing him. This incident was so bazaar that the New York City police commissioner later said the shooting appears to be ‘unjustifiable.’ The Fraternal Order of Police responded by condemning the Commissioner for his remarks. Just as revealing, is the fact that of the scores of murders by police across America, the media has apparently never shown an officer apologizing to the family, nor to the community. Given this as a backdrop, now consider the seemingly conspiratorial pattern of Black male exclusion from the vast business expansion that is "sweeping the nation." Moreover, when you combine these tragic events with the disproportionate incarceration rate for Black males, the picture gets a little clearer. The fact is that Black people in America are under siege.

In his insightful new book, The Meaning of Blackness, author I.M. Nur shows how these realities are merely part of a national and international conspiracy to bolster an expanding Euro-centric empire; and, that Black males are viewed as the primary threat by the advocates of the empire. This is why we see white institutions structured to keep Blacks out of positions of power, or otherwise under white control! Mr. Nur shows, however, that the time of ‘control by intimidation’ and minority white domination is fast coming to an end.’ According to him, ‘a new day is dawning.’ This new day begins when Black people acquire fundamental knowledge that empowers them. This includes the knowledge that leads to answers to questions like, ‘what is the universal nature of Blackness,’ ‘who are Black people,’ ‘what is their destiny,’ and ‘why has white society colluded to suppress these truths.’ In this new book, readers also come to understand ‘what’ and ‘who’ other people are, and their natural relationship to Blackness.

During his research, I.M. Nur found that the 'what' of what something is or isn’t can best be explained through the objective portals of science. By looking at natural phenomena he discovered that there was a common thread connecting all ‘things Black’ in creation. Following ‘what,’ he then set out to discover ‘who’ Black people are. Nur found that the best place to find the truth regarding ‘who is Black’ are in those institutional repositories that have recorded the footsteps of Black people through the sands of time. He broadly calls this institutional portal theology. It is important to understand however that theology, from I.M. Nur’s perspective, goes far beyond traditional religion. For him it includes those aspects of knowledge that connect a people’s search for meaning and purpose in life with their yearning to become one with that God-Force that resolves all thought, all movement, all action, and all potential into One Reality. This is why he integrates the disciplines of history, anthropology, archeology, psychology, biology, chemistry, along with religion into a new vision of a greater theology. What this means is that instead of looking for an elusive God out in the distance, man instead will finds his Creator as he develops his own hu+manity. When viewed in this way, one comes to realize that hu+manity is not merely on a perpetual, hellacious course leading from one reoccurring war, disaster, disease, or dislocation to another. Rather, as Mr. Nur discovered, man is actually on a very long journey; a journey leading to absolute spiritual fulfillment. However, as foretold by the ancients, hu+manity must again acquire the knowledge of self before they can overcome adversity and rise to prominence.

According to I.M. Nur, instead of focusing all our attention on the agents of our adversity (e.g., the police), Black people should instead turn their attention to ‘getting back on track’ to the destiny that awaits. The Meaning of Blackness outlines a process for the willful return to our destiny. It’s one he calls ‘A Re-Evolutionary Solution.’ He calls it re-evolutionary because it demands both a revolution of the mind and an evolution of the soul. As part of this solution, the book offers an approach that 'ensures Black empowerment' and eventual liberation from white oppression.

The thing that sets this book apart from other definitive texts on Black identity is that it employs both an objective and a subjective methodology for reconciling this knowledge; and, I.M. Nur does so in a clear, concise, and historically consistent way. For more than 25 years I.M. Nur has researched the science, history and theology of Blackness. A native of New York City, he has lived in Washington, DC, Miami, Florida, and now resides in Atlanta, Georgia. Over the years, Mr. Nur has worked with a number of grass-roots organizations and local agencies (governmental and nonprofit), all for the relief of poor and oppressed people. His passion, however, has always been to uncover ways to facilitate the empowerment of Black people. In his formative days, Nur was privileged to study or work with master teachers like Dr. Yosef "ben" Jochannan, Dr. John Hendrik Clarke, and others. Now, through The Meaning of Blackness I.M. Nur seeks merely to point a way back home—a way back to sanity—and a way back to our hu+manity.

The Meaning of Blackness sells for $18.95 in paperback and is available in bookstores and boutiques carrying Afrikan/African-American books. You can also order it directly from Anu World Unlimited P.O. Box 1121, Lithonia Georgia 30058, or from our Anu World Bazaar online. For more details call (678) 270-4003. Please include $3.50 for the first book and $2.00 for each additional book to cover shipping. Also, visit us on the World Wide Web. Our site is located at ‘www.anu-world.com’.

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Note: Historian, Social Engineer, and Cultural Philosopher, I.M. Nur is a thoughtful, provocative, and informative resource. Call Jalila Amira at 678-290-2961 to schedule interviews, lectures, signings, or other events.