For further information, call 314-454-9005 or email zakibarutiuapo@hotmail.com.
On Friday, February 12, 2010 the Universal African Peoples Organization (UAPO) began its campaign to encourage young students and adults to put an end to the popular fashion trend of "saggin" by pulling up their pants in the spirit of helping to pull up their community. Northwest Academy, a St. Louis Public High School located at 5140 Riverview Blvd. was the site of this historic event to redirect a culture fad that many find disrespectful and unsightly.
The major thrust of this movement as explained by Zaki Baruti, the President/General of the UAPO is to instill into our youth that saggin is symbolic of disrespect for self and others. It also violates the core principles of the countless Black freedom fighters such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Marcus "Mossiah" Garvey, Elijah Muhammad, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Ida B. Wells, etc. who gave so much to create a better world for our people.
This campaign which has begun in the spirit of Black History Month was well received by over 250 students and faculty members of Northwest Academy. The kick-off was organized as a panel discussion consisting of young adults who shared their views with the students as to why they should "pull up their pants and help pull up the community."
The panelist included Jeffrey Reed, President of the Reed Group, LLC; Carlos Mayfield, Sales Consultant; Kandix Hendricks, Associate Broker / Castle By the River; Eric Miller, Youth Volunteer for UAPO and Kenny Boyd, President of Kennyboy Productions.
In his comments, Kenny Boyd, who had been incarcerated for a number of years, explained to the audience that this current trend of saggin originated out of prison life and had serious homosexual connotations. He further expressed that saggin spelled backwards is "niggas" which further exploits our historic struggles as a people.
Eric Miller ushered the refrain and had students repeat after him, "Kings don't sag." Ms. hendricks, who majored in Biology stated that as a female, "she is totally offended by those who sag and would never date a sagger." She urged the females to take an active role in helping in this worthwhile endeavor. Jeffrey Reed and Carlos Mayfield invoked the spirit of self dignity and pride as reasons for supporting the campaign.
Throughout the panel discussion, Mrs. Valerie Carter-Thomas, the principal of Northwest Academy encouraged her students to keep an open mind to the discussion and expressed complete support for the campaign.
In the question and answer session, a student who sagged expressed that the campaign wouldn't be successful because the fashion is so entrenched in the community. In response, Zaki Baruti simply asked the student after what he had heard from the panelists would he support the campaign by pulling up his pants. The student's answer was yes which led other students to give a rousing applause.
To conclude the program, Zaki asked all the students who would support the "Pull-Up Your Pants and Help Pull-Up Your Community" campaign to stand and the response from the student body was overwhelming in support.
Due to local media being in attendance and reporting the event, Zaki stated the community response has been very positive and supportive and the UAPO has been encouraged to the campaign.
It is the hope of the Universal African Peoples Organization to take the campaign to other schools throughout the Metro St. Louis region and nationally. The UAPO will encourage various Houses of Worship, other progressive organizations, rap artists and professional athletes to support the "Pull-Up Your Pants and Help Pull-Up Your Community - The World is Watching" campaign.
Zaki Baruti is a retired educator, author of two booklets on education, The Challenge Part I and II, former candidate for Governor of Missouri 1984 and 1988, Co-Chair of the Coalition Against Police Crimes and Repression and the President/General of the Universal African Peoples Organization.
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