Users Online Now: 1,879 : . Report this post Report Report. Left: William Null stands in the gallery of the Michigan Senate Chamber during the American Patriot Rally, organized by Michigan United for Liberty on April 30, 2020, in Lansing, to protest coronavirus restrictions. The role of the gun industry in Americas gun violence epidemic. 0:00. His life. Johnson re-enlisted in 1998, the documents say, but went through a court-martial trial and was discharged under other than honorable conditions., Despite that, Johnson was able to re-enlist in December 2003 in an administrative role. Gretchen Whitmer. That was the case 100 years ago; that remains the case today. Brazilian MMA fighters He led a crowd of tens of thousands across the Arthur Ravenel Bridge to protest the mass shooting. Lord John FitzGerald: Irish nobleman who helped make Dubai a global name in horse racing. He also advises them to destroy police body cameras if they assault cops, to remove evidence. Unlike white militias, which feed off misinformation and unfounded conspiracy theories, the fuel for NFACs fire has been on display for anyone to see. Nonetheless, the federal governments case against Grandmaster Jay follows a longstanding pattern of clampdowns on Black Americans who arm themselves. We sat in Jays SUV, which soon filled with pleasant Cajun aromas from the scallops. The location of this new country is negotiable, and as a model he considered Wyoming, because of its cheap land. Yet it is rarely good news when you learn that a sectarian racist is raising an army, stockpiling weapons, demanding total loyalty, and suggesting that he is a messiah. Jay speaks prophetically, and sometimes apocalyptically. He said hes not interested in fomenting racial discord or revolution. Experts in militia groups confess they know little about the group, but they said these claims are wildly exaggerated. Coming after months of nationwide protests over police brutality against Black people, the prosecution of a Black militia leader in a Southern state has to be considered in a broader racial context, those experts said. Died: 3 August, 2015, in Newmarket, Suffolk, aged 63. He served as a State Senator, a U.S. HEIDELBERG, Germany The disgraced 173rd Airborne Brigade commander who was convicted of fraud and bigamy in June has left the Army after being reduced in rank to lieutenant colonel. The NFAC leader's real name is John Fitzgerald Johnson. His investigations into auto sears, toy guns, and ghost guns for The Trace have led to congressional action. Jay said the accusations were a misunderstanding, but he also suggested to me, in a peculiar and indirect way, that he had made certain mistakes. And it got the attention of experts who track extremist movements. Were defensive, and we always have been.. Army Reserve, possibly Just National Guard. His goal, he said, is for the Black race to come into its ownwhich it has notand to mature as a race, first by building racial esteem. He said Black people have been like the guy who sleeps on your couch that doesnt go home until you have to throw the couch out with him. If they get armed, and get serious, they will no longer have to blame the non-melanated for their failure. "[10] He also stated that the formation was a response to a threat by the KKK to start shooting black people at 8 pm on the Fourth of July, 2020. He served in the Virginia National Guard before enlisting in the Army, where he served from 1990 until 1997, when he was honorably discharged. There were videos on YouTube in which Johnson responded to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, documents say. Jury selection begins in trial of John Fitzgerald Johnson, known as 'Grandmaster Jay' WDRB - Mon, 23 May 2022 City councilmember, Grand Rapids school board member face off in state House primary Select this result to view John Adam Johnson's phone number, address, and more. In early December, the FBI raided his apartment and arrested him on charges that, during a September demonstration in Louisville, he pointed a rifle at federal agents, blinding them with its mounted light. Thank you for supporting The Atlantic. Grandmaster Jay has been other-than-honorably discharged from the military twice, both times in lieu of facing a court-martial, prosecutors said in the criminal complaint related to the September rally. I don't care if you are the worst DJ in the worldI'll give you credit, the post said. Null later was among those arrested in connection with a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. One hint that he is no longer a young man is a light smattering of age spots across his nose. U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman is bringing federal charges against Grandmaster Jay, aka John Fitzgerald Johnson, the self-proclaimed leader of the black militia, for allegedly pointing a gun at . He claimed to have enlisted the Niger Delta Avengers, a militant group that has been blowing up pipelines and other infrastructure in Nigeria, as part of his coalition, which will eventually be the military backbone of the UBKN. But I knew he lived near Cincinnati: I had staked out his apartment that afternoon. The National Rifle Association is one of the most powerful special interest groups in America. Four decades later, the activist Robert F. Williams wrote the classic text of Black armed resistance, Negroes With Guns, which argues that violence against Black people calls for violence by Black people. Led by NFAC, he said in an interview, Black America should create its own nation a nation within a nation that could sue the United States government for reparations. Black gun ownership in America is steeped in cultural and legal discrimination. In Louisville, just two hours from where Jay and I sat, the NFAC first revealed the extent of its capabilities. He is a former rapper, producer and disc jockey. If we cant get them, were gonna go after your church members. ONE Championship Activists decry Grandmaster Jay's 7-year prison sentence. but records show he served in the Virginia National Guard and the Army from 1989 . Right: Grandmaster Jay (center) greets NFAC members and supporters as members of his security team stand nearby during the Feed the People event at Chickasaw Park on July 24, 2021, in Louisville. No longer can he use his twice-daily Instagram shows to rouse hundreds of troops with impassioned calls to arms. Instagram removed his account several months after he was charged, he said, cutting him off from 125,000 followers. Worked for GE. They stand in neat, spaced columns. The bill received bipartisan support, was backed by the National Rifle Association, and was signed into law by Governor Ronald Reagan in 1967. [10], On the Fourth of July, 2020, local media reported that about 100 to 200 mostly armed NFAC members marched through Stone Mountain Park near Atlanta, Georgia, calling for the removal of the Confederate monument. Tennessee Prosecutors claim Grandmaster Jays posture turned offensive on the evening of Sept. 4, 2020, in downtown Louisville. So far, they've coordinated with police and avoided engaging with violence. AGE View Full Report AGE Phone Address Team Lakay Sign up now to get our latest stories and eye-opening briefings. Then It Lobbied Congress. That's not what we do. When Grandmaster Jay walked into Millions Crab, a seafood joint in suburban Cincinnati, the waitstaff looked alarmed. He showed up during uprisings following various outrages, such as the murder of nine parishioners at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, by a white supremacist. His understanding of the plight of The American veteran is personal. Grand Master Jay, the NFAC's leader, is John Fitzgerald Johnson. Everyone there knew why: Months after a second rally in Louisville, Grandmaster Jay had been charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding officers while brandishing a firearm. His parents, Joseph and Rose Kennedy were members of two of Boston's most. Learn how your comment data is processed. Instead, he mentioned that he was impressed by postwar Germanys decision to outlaw Holocaust denial and the glorification of Nazism. It has yet to fire a shot at its enemies, but its prepared for war. Grandmaster Jay called on prosecutors to drop the charges and allow him to sign back on to social media. (Kemet, Jay explained, is the original name of Egypt, which means land of the Blacks.) A patch on Grandmaster Jays body armor bore the new nations initials, UBKN. He wore his trademark body armor and sunglasses in the summer heat and spoke grandly of self-defense, Black empowerment and the creation of a Black nation. To demonstrate its power, Jay said, the NFAC aims to assemble, in one place, a million legal [Black] gun owners, to show that the United Black Kemetic Nation can defend itself. While Johnson was named in one of these statements, that does not guarantee Johnson authorized the filing or actively campaigned. [36][37] Three days later, Wallace was arrested after police found out he was hiding at an alleged NFAC-affiliated property in DeKalb County, Georgia. According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice, he also received 3 years of supervised release, with no option of parole, in addition to the prison sentence. Manuscript army lists, 1702-1823, WO 64. Were not a shotgun organization. Anyone without a concealed-carry permit must have the clean record necessary to get one. Nevada Required fields are marked *. Sign up for The Root's Newsletter. Darren Finley. Stephen Jessop. A month later, the police raided his apartment. Weve never destroyed a piece of property, or had our people arrested for anything. So far, the NFACs only known casualties have been its own members, after a woman in formation sent herself and two others to the hospital when she fired her weapon seemingly by accident. He wouldnt disclose how many members the group has beyond claiming millions of followers worldwide. Activists are criticizing the prosecution of John F. Johnson, aka "Grandmaster Jay," on weapons charges, saying they are politically motivated. Johnson described the groups long-term goals in an interview with media during the September protests in Louisville. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Kentucky, which filed the charges, declined to comment on the case. In 1997, he was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, USA and Fort Wainwright, Alaska, USA. In the late '70s and early '80s, John worked in Congress as a legislative aide to help strengthen Superfund and staff the Congressional Solar Energy Caucus. New Jersey BRAVE Combat Federation Even facts as straightforward as his age are not simple to determine. 15 Beloved Black Banned Books You Must Read Now [UPDATED], 15 Priceless Black Twitter Moments Worth Remembering. When he wants to end a line of questioning, he rocks back, peers over his jet-black sunglasses, and stares you down. [1] Ballotpedia documented all statements of presidential candidacy registered with the Federal Election Commission during the 2016 election cycle. He wouldnt eat any food, but he requested a San Pellegrino or, in its absence, filtered tap water. They were there to observe a group of six to eight heavily armed individuals, one of whom they recognized as Grandmaster Jay. In February 2021, he was first indicted by a federal grand jury. He first appeared in the late 70s as a rapper and was seen with the like of the stars of that day (Sugar Hill, Sequence, Treacherous Three, West Street Mob,ect) He changed into a deejay in the early 80s and was very popular until RUN DMC appeared and Jam Master Jay stole his name. After the 13th Amendment abolished slavery, overtly racist legislation was replaced with other means to deter Black communities from arming themselves. (That might explain his given name: He would have been born just nine days after the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy.) Georgia Following the Louisville protests, Johnson was said to have pointed his AR-15 rifle toward a roof where a Secret Service agent, an FBI agent, and three local officers had been stationed. Plus: How to contact us. And the music performed in the ad was apparently taken from a famous performer, DJ Jazzy Jeff, who said in an Instagram post that the music was from one of his live performances. We dont come to chant. Instead they stand, like a praetorian guard for some unseen emperor. Japan The programs, policies, and people driving positive change in Americas gun violence problem. Meanwhile, Jay acquired a record of violence. He is a Army Vet SGT w/ jump wings. He seldom smiles and talks in rapid, polished sentences, rounded off with quotes from philosophers, the Bible, and hip-hop. After Jays arrest in December, he ordered his followers into a stand-down position. The militias that the NFAC opposes, such as the Oath Keepers, were active during December and Januaryand because of their presence at the storming of the Capitol, they now feel the heat of law enforcement. If we cant get to you, were gonna go after your family members. John Fitzgerald Johnson or Grandmaster Jay has studied the work Malcolm X and other African-American leaders. They also said they were not affiliated with the property as reported, claiming that it was owned by another ex-NFAC member.[39]. [16], Johnson stated that NFAC provided armed security for the sister of Rayshard Brooks at her request. Den Fitz. A Black militia that marched in Louisville after the shooting of Breonna Taylor is led by a man with connections to the Cincinnati area who documents say was discharged from the Army "under other than honorable conditions, ran for president in 2016 and claimed to be a notable rapper and DJ. All lives!). There are two cases pending against him: One in federal court in Louisville, the other in state court. Were not trying to drive anything; we dont have a political point, he said. Law enforcement and the state historically prosecutes such groups more aggressively, Tang said. This is like majoring in five different subjects in collegenot technically against the rules, but rare and implausible. Johnson reported that two of those hit were checked by medics and cleared to continue to participate in the formation. NFAC members kneel in the street during a march near Churchill Downs on Sept. 5, 2020, in Louisville, Kentucky. Too much talking. Despite multiple inquiries, local and federal police agencies did not provide any evidence that the group is tied to the property where he was arrested. ", "An all-Black group is arming itself and demanding change. Michael Thorold. Instead, he relies on phone calls and emails. . US black nationalist paramilitary organization, "NFAC" redirects here. [30], On December 3, Johnson was arrested by the FBI for allegedly aiming his rifle at police officers during protests about Breonna Taylor's killing. The guns were nowhere to be seen. Johnson is nicknamed Grandmaster Jay.