Edutainment: HHW Speaks With Sam Greenlee: Author Of "The Spook Who Sat By The Door"

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» by Ice Pick Slim 17 December 10, 2009, 0:49am

“Ask the teenagers, O.G's and ask the kids/ What they definition of classic is/ Timeless! So age don't count in the booth, when your flow stays submerged in the fountain of youth/ Ain't no doubting the truth!” -  Rakim Allah on DJ Premier's “Classic” w/ KRS, Nas & Kanye West. (2007)

In certain circles “classic” is defined as – ‘A standard of excellence; something that cannot be duplicated and will withstand the tests of time.'  Creating an unprecedented piece of art that revolutionizes the thought processes of those who experiences its true essence occurs as rarely as a total solar eclipse.  The urban-guerilla warfare novel/movie - The Spook Who Sat By The Door - is readily regarded to be ‘Thee Blueprint For Black Power' by some of those with their Third Eye open.

Occasionally, art reflects life and often times intertwines inspiring messages within its core structure, causing one's synapses to spark, while simultaneously preserving a moment in time.

The Spook Who Sat By The Door's plot surrounds the first Amerikkkanized-Afrikan to become a C.I.A. agent after surviving a grueling training period meant to discourage and weed him out.  But instead of following the agency's protocol upon qualifying, he instead recruits other young, truculent Black militants later known as - ‘The Freedom Fighters'; first in his hometown, then nationally; to organize and skillfully train.  They subsequently violently overthrow the U.S. government.

The novel's author, Sam Greenlee, is actually one of the first Amerikkkanized-Afrikans to become a Foreign Service officer in the clandestine United States Information Agency; serving from 1957-1965 in Greece, Indonesia, Iraq and Pakistan.  He was working within the root of the propaganda machine which packages and promotes the United Snakes of Amerikkka abroad.

“Essentially, I was an overseas public-relations representative for the United States.  Our job was to sell the best image of the U.S., overseas.  Basically, I lied a lot!” confessed Greenlee.

The future author began conceptualizing his revolutionary vision in 1958 while stationed in Baghdad, Iraq at the time of the Ba'athist coup which put Saddam Hussein's regime in position.  Sam eventually left the service, but not before realizing the roles the U.S. government plays in colonizing other countries.

Upon returning home, soon after Malcolm X's execution, the Chicago native utilized his accumulated experiences while overseas as the foundation to his storyline, penning ‘The Spook…' during the climate of the Black Power era of the turbulent ‘60s.

“Ain't no Viet Cong ever called me ‘ni**ah'!” - Muhammad Ali – 1966

Across the country, people of various ethnicities were publicly protesting in mass, displaying major opposition to the unjust war in Vietnam.  Assassinations of some prominent public figures as well as police beatings and killings of Black youths were causing race-riots to erupt nation-wide:  The ‘Fruit Stand' riot in Harlem -April 1964, the Watts rebellion - August 1965, the Atlanta Riot - September 1966, the Detroit & Newark uprisings - both in July of 1967.  Also, numerous cities were looted and incinerated nationally after the slaying of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4^th 1968.

Additionally, John Carlos and Tommy Smith exhibited to the world the sentiment of the underlying unrest within the U.S. and immortalized themselves at the same time by delivering the “Black Power” salute – clenched, black leather clad fist raised - during the medal ceremony after their 200 meter race at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.

Initially released in England after being rejected by numerous publishers in the U.S., “The Spook Who Sat By The Door” was eventually circulated domestically in 1969.  In fact, it has since been printed in 6 languages, going on to sell well over one million copies.

“After all, it's just a movie!” – The Truth Terrorist:  Dr. Khalid Abdul Muhammad sarcastically stated once.

The author is also responsible for scripting the screenplay and co-producing the film adaptation of the book.  He chose to go the entrepreneurial route instead of following more traditional means when it was time to turn his book into a motion-picture, hooking up with esteemed director Ivan Dixon to help bring his vision to life, and recruited childhood friend Herbie Hancock to orchestrate the score.  Furthermore, Lawrence Cooks, the nephew of legendary Black Nationalist Carlos Cooks, was selected to act out the lead role.

The film was finally released in 1973 and after having initial success its first week out was inexplicably withdrawn from theaters by the U.S. government, much to Greenlee's dismay.  The movie remained out of the public's view until bootleg VHS tapes began surfacing in the streets during the late 80's, bringing it a sense of mystique.  It was finally re-mastered and released on DVD in 2004.

A recent 2 week tour throughout four of the Big Apple's 5 boroughs, also extending out to the U.S.'s capitol for two days, featured the artistic-activist and  a few of his Black Liberation Army comrades addressing the ‘morality & history of armed struggle in the U.S.'  They discussed the book's/movie's relevancy today, other successful uprisings against similar fascist systems of oppression around the planet and also emphasized the importance of utilizing guerilla warfare tactics during today's age of Homeland Security and the Patriot Act.

The liberation-inspiring journey began with a Black Power ‘meeting-of-the-minds' at the offices of the tour's sponsor – “The Assata Shakur/Guillermo Morales Center” at Harlem's CCNY, where dates & locations were clarified by Brother Shep.

During the tour's initial stop, an interview with award-winning author/journalist, Herb Boyd at CCNY's N.A.C. building, chants of – “All Power To The People!”, “Free The Land!” and “Uhuru!” reverberated throughout the auditorium at the conclusion of the movies' viewing, amidst thunderous applause from the audience.

“Sam, as far as I'm concerned this is an extremely dangerous film,” Boyd opened with.

“And they knew it too!” agreed Greenlee.

“It wasn't out there very long before they snatched it out of theatres in this country.  Watching this film, I was reminded how potent urban-guerilla-warfare is.  Certainly the powers-that-be recognized that, didn't they?,” Boyd questioned.

“When they go on the attack against poor, everyday working-class Brothers - it's hard for them to get their desired result.  Armed struggle is only the first and most simplistic phase of a revolution.  The real work comes after the conflict has subsided and the community has to go to business, rebuilding itself,” suggested Sam.

Greenlee continued, detailing various successful uprisings against capitalistic and oppressive powers-that-be around the globe, primarily the ones in Haiti over 200 years ago and Cuba in the 1950's.  He also alluded to the more recent defiant stances of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela and Robert Mugabe's in Zimbabwe and then explained,

“Herbert Aptheker has defined a slave rebellion as – ‘A plot to kill 10 or more people', and he has documented more than 250!  People always talk about the ‘Underground Rail Road' as if that were the only route.  Nonsense!  Ten to twenty times more slaves escaped on our own than those who followed Harriet Tubman.  And North wasn't the only place to go!  We went South/East into Seminole land, and South/West to Texas and Mexico.”

“If I had the ability to teach on a college campus, which I never expect to happen, I'd really teach!” he proclaimed.

“Go ‘head, teach!” audience members responded in unison.

“The estimates are that there were at least 50,000 attempts to escape slavery on an annual basis.”

Greenlee then warned against the history of Willie Lynch:

“The letter is a fraud!  It's not whether it was authentic… but, how effective was it?  How can we walk around with Afrikan names & dread-locks if we don't know our folklores?  They're not just fanciful tales - history is in folklores!  You can't know slave history without knowing the tales and fables that the slaves produced.  Our history, you're not going to find in a classroom… it's in a place that y'all think will give you A.I.D.S. - it's called ‘the library!'  The internet is a good tool to build up your bibliography, but it doesn't substitute going to the library and getting some books!  You can't suppress truth!  You can only attempt to hide it!”

Sam did not attempt to hide his disdain towards the bourgeoisie.

“You wouldn't have any of what you have today if we hadn't done what we did in the ‘60s!  You got a car?  A nice home?  You're in a crime-free neighborhood?  That wouldn't be possible in 1960, and it's only possible because of what we did!  People like that are sitting on the graves of some of my heroes – especially Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, Emmitt Till… people who were incarcerated: Geronimo Pratt, Angela Davis, Huey Newton… Stokely [Carmichael/Kwame Tur'e] had to leave the country!”

He continued, “I don't write for bourgeois intellectuals.  I haven't forgotten my roots!  We have produced some of the most spineless intellectuals in our history.  They're so scared that they won't be able to afford their next Lexus that they tap dancing like Stepin' Fetchit!  I don't pay attention to any of them because I know that they're not speaking to me, or for me!  They're speaking to the white man to ensure him that - ‘We're safe now.  We're safe cuz I'm safe.'  They're safe & tame.  But I do know that there are some vibrant, angry, young Brothers who will know what to do.  So when they come and ask me, I tell them - ‘Get out there on the block & rebuild the ‘hood!'”

“I always saw ‘The Spook' as colonial rebellion, akin to the fight against imperialism abroad.  What a lot of people don't want to deal with is that our revolution is a part of a [bigger] global anti-racist, anti-imperialist rebellion; and many of the same things that were happening in Kenya, Ghana, South Afrika, South Amerikkka, Asia was going on in the U.S. because the same means of suppression was practiced in every one of those places.  So, I look at ‘The Spook' as colonial rebellion that takes place in the U.S.,” Greenlee asserted.

He also elaborated on his follow-up effort, “Baghdad Blues is a reprint of my second novel which deals with my experiences in 1958 when I observed the overthrow of the Anglo-Amerikkkan puppet government.  It gives some real insight with what's going on today in Iraq.  They went in there to replicate the government that got overthrown in 1958, and the Iraqis ain't going for it!”

Although, at first ‘Baghdad Blues' did not achieve the success of its predecessor, it has more recently gained a significant following, being introduced to a new generation because of all the attention brought to that region by the U.S.' occupation there.  Greenlee has also completed a 3^rd novel Djakarta Blues.  As well as penning a few poetic pieces: Blues For An African Princess & Ammunition:  Poetry & Other Rap.

Afterwards, Brother Smitty (Original Black Panther Party) cautioned, “Understand a little simple thing… we are in a war!  You can make the big bucks and drive those pretty cars, that's alright, but don't forget one thing… you're still Black!  I don't give a damn if you're Obama.  The government and the system behind the walls are calling him a ‘nig%er!'  Don't you ever forget that!”

Former political-prisoner, Brother Tarik thanked Greenlee for writing the book and turning it into a movie, then assessed,

“That's very important because our enemy has a policy that says - you will do what he says or else your independent actions will be met with threats and/or violence - so for Sam to do what he's done is a very courageous move.”

He concluded:

“Like Smitty mentioned… we have much evidence that we are still in a genocide, which is how we have concluded.  It's not how I feel about it… the facts prove it!  When you look at our situation: housing, the monetary situation-pay rates, police are killing us…  I should point out the F.B.I. hires Black assassins who kill far more people than the police.  We have to employ the unemployable in order to stop our enemies.  That's why we need brothers like Sam Greenlee to write books like he has written & make movies like he's made, to help us deal with matters and stop the genocide!”

For more information on The Spook Who Sat By The Door, peep this link and watch the trailers for the classic film below:

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