The group is called the Not F---ing Around Coaliton (NFAC). Black Lives Matter is a failure, he explains. The alternate versions of Jay do not seem to cohere into a single person. The NFAC is this privates chance to be a general. 00:00 / 00:00. Hes expected in court on Thursday. John Fitzgerald Johnson, who also is known as Grandmaster Jay, is the enigmatic founder of the Not FuckingAround Coalition. May 29, 2022 Updated May 29, 2022. According to the documents, the FBI reviewed the surveillance video from the incident, which consisted of real-time crime center camera footage. (Source: Probable Cause Affidavit / FBI). They are a lightning rod that attracts opposing groups, and thats a recipe for conflict., We have a zero-incident record, Jay boasted, mostly accurately. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- "Grandmaster Jay," who was accused of pointing a rifle at a Grandmaster Jay, the leader of an armed militia that took part in protests last year in Louisville, has been indicted on several counts of wanton endangerment for allegedly aiming a firearm at police officers.John Fitzgerald Johnson, known as Grandmaster Jay, is the leader of the NFAC, self-described as a Black nationalist paramilitary organization. (Right-wingers, gun enthusiasts, and ex-military types on social media ridicule Jay for his and his followers poor weapons discipline.). He swooned during the eclipse, felt a wave of energy, and began preaching the ideas of the NFAC soon after. HE POINTED A RIFLE AT LOUISVILLE POLI OCEFFICERS. Ultimately, Jay calls for descendants of the Portuguese and Atlantic slave trade to separate themselves from others and create a Black ethnostate. The Not Fucking Around Coalitionbetter known as the NFACis the latest organization to join the likes of the Boogaloo Bois, Oath Keepers, and the 3 Percenters, the nationwide entitiesthat have taken root amidthe craziness going on right now. NFAC Founder,1984-85 Kiss96 Mastermix Champion, Hip Hop Umbrella, 2016 US 3m Followers, 75 Following, 2,627 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Ice Cube (@icecube) . He could say anything, do anything, and somehow survive. In the July gathering, three people were wounded when a firearm accidentally discharged ahead of the march. They often carry semi-automatic weapons and wear body armor. When Jay orders his people into motion, they go. Jay told me that he already had to vet his recruits carefully. The NFAC leaders real name is John Fitzgerald Johnson. On his YouTube channel, Jay posted a video of his troops in formation, and local news stations ran aerial shots. Unlike the NFAC, they were flagrantly breaking the law and, for a time at least, getting away with it. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WLKY-TV. According to the documents, the FBI reviewed the surveillance video from the incident, which consisted of real-time crime center camera footage. That movement accomplished nothing, Jay told me, just a lot of singing, a lot of hand-holding, a lot of sentiments and praise.. HOME. The Disturbing History of the So-Called Boogaloo Bois, Blackout Day 2020: What You Need to Know About the Economic Boycott, Patriot Act: What to Know About Your Privacy & Web History, anti-racism rally outside the U.S.Embassy in London, explaining to Roland Martin in a July interview. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Copyright 2020 WDRB Media. The group advocates for black liberation and separatism. Thank you for supporting The Atlantic. That includes defending it. He has already planned an appeal to a verdict by a Louisville jury. He will be formally arraigned Monday.The NFAC formations in Louisville were large, but mostly peaceful and without issue.In the July gathering, three people were wounded when a firearm was accidentally discharged ahead of the march. Two federal officers and three LMPD officers then went to the top of the nearby Jefferson County Grand Jury Building to watch the group, but were blinded by a flashlight when they leaned over the roof, the affidavit claims. Laws, he told me, are just paper, and it is only reasonable that Black people arm and train themselves to act as an immediate bulwark against the continued human-rights abuses perpetrated against them. They include defending the Black community, being responsible firearms owners and educating and fostering unity. 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. COMPLEX participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means COMPLEX gets paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites. At one point in our conversation, I thought I might have detected such a limit. A JEFFERSON COUNTY GRAND JURY CHARGED JOHNSON WITH 5 COUNTS OF. The NFAC has room for only one messiah. According to prosecutors with the Commonwealth's Attorney, the charges stem from Johnson and the militia taking part in a protest on Sept. 4, is 2020, in Louisville. Armed self-defense has been around at least since Cyril Briggs, who founded the African Blood Brotherhood in 1919. I was there to escort Walter Scotts mother into the funeral. He said he was an ordained minister at the time. The location of this new country is negotiable, and as a model he considered Wyoming, because of its cheap land. In 2008, according to the Anti-Defamation League, there were more than 500 militia groups, and the uptick in heavily armed protesters sincehas resulted in clashes aroundthe COVID-19 pandemic, keeping Trump in office, and police brutality. All I want is 1 [million]. (According to the Census Bureau, 47 million Americans identify as Black or Black and another race. There was a problem saving your notification. I think thats a pretty significant indication There are 57 million of us here. Iron was a vital commodity, and Leonard was already thinking volume. STEPHON: NEW TONIGHT, THE LEADER OF A BLACK MILITIA WAS INDICTED ON CHARGES. After the murder of Walter Scott by a North Charleston police officer, he appeared at the side of Scotts family. Year: 2020: ONE Super Series [28] Afterwards, the group marched and left. Meanwhile, Jay acquired a record of violence. That's where Grandmaster Jay was indicted on federal charges for brandishing a firearm, assaulting, resisting or impeding officers. It has been described by news outlets as a "Black militia ". He has also seemed to flirt with Holocaust denial. Through these efforts, the NFAC encourages Black citizens with the means and ways to take advantage of the Second Amendment and their right to responsible gun ownership. When I mentioned W. E. B. Great Jones Cookware Review: Is It Worth Buying? John Fitzgerald Johnson, also known as Grand Master Jay, is facing state and federal charges for allegedly pointing a gun at Louisville Metro Police officers and federal agents while in Louisville last September. By arresting Jay, the government took him out of circulation as a militia leader. The men and women are ragtag and amateur, and their uniforms are not, well, uniform. This is like majoring in five different subjects in collegenot technically against the rules, but rare and implausible. White people decided to act up and show us their true colors, Jay said. He does not want NFAC members to participate in anything like January 6. The state charges were heard in court May 25, where Kentucky District Judge Eric Haner said the case would be moved forward to a grand jury after multiple pieces of evidence showed probable cause. Time for the action, he said. Great Jones Cookware Review: Is It Worth Buying? If the NFAC had done what these folks did, Jay said, theyd still be bringing the body bags out of the Capitol. Im still here because I was cured in a way that defies medicine and changed my entire brain structure. He began eating differently, and drinking alkaline water to reactivate his pineal gland and scrub his system of impurities that were impeding higher abilities. His drink orderSan Pellegrino or filtered tap waterhad spiritual implications. In meetings prior to the incident, FBI Public Corruption and Civil Rights Task Force Sergeant Chris Lane said Johnson had been told multiple times officers would be on rooftops and to not point firearms, as it would be perceived as a threat. Theres no cover there, one laments to a police officer. They do not bicker with other protesters, carry signs, or explain themselves. The FBI provided photos of the moments thats now got Johnson fighting felonies. He will be formally arraigned Monday. 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. Jay described its recruiting strategy: You must be Black, he said. Unknown Track - Unknown Artist. Right: Grandmaster Jay addresses a crowd of NFAC supporters from the steps of the Metro Building in downtown Louisville on July 25, 2020. Thats the kicker. So he and others showed up to the demonstration. John Johnson, a.k.a. (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. John Grandmaster Jay Johnson lives in West Chester and leads NFAC, which stands for the Not F***ing Around Coalition. Grandmaster Jay, leader of the NFAC. 22, 2021 at 11:37 AM PDT. The NFAC formations in Louisville were large, but mostly peaceful and without issue. 00:00 / 04:31. Dont forget that you can do your part by visitingComplexs Pull Up & Votesitewhere you can double-check your registration, register to vote if you havent, and request a mail-in ballot. NFAC shows up and decide they want to wipe us all outwere gone in seconds., These are volatile situations, Amy Iandiorio, an investigative researcher for the Anti-Defamation Leagues Center on Extremism, told me when I asked her about the NFAC. WebGrand Master Jay explains in 2016 interview why he was at the trump rally #NFAC. Outside of thenegligent gun discharge from July, the NFAC has argued that theLGBTQ+ agendais responsible for the Black Lives Matter movements failings. With Black members of the LGBTQ+ community being ostracized and subjectedtowhite terrorism, one hopes that the NFAC is not fucking around when it comes to advocating for all Black people. John Fitzgerald Johnson, known as Grandmaster Jay, is the leader of the NFAC, self-described as a Black nationalist paramilitary organization. But even those who originally joined with peaceful intent can become jaded, given enough time, injustice, and absentee leadership. Thats not what we do., With the NFAC united under his guidance, he describes the groups ethos asan element that has always existed within America, as heshared with The Atlanta Black Star last month. Surely, though, there must be limits to what Jays followers can accept. As he looks ahead to this year, Grandmaster Jay says, Maybe things have calmed down just a little bit that we can now hear each other, and we can now talk., Grandmaster Jay doesnt have a problem with police and government if there is fair and equitable distribution and application of the law., Should things begin to move into the red, he says, We have a responsibility to address those per the Constitution if it means to peacefully assemble.. When they finally admit that we have the capability to time travel, he said, I would love to see one of us go back and meet ourselves five years ago, or 10 years ago. His attorney argued that Johnson was using the light on his gun to see who was on the roof, but the judge says evidence shows he was aware it was police. Indeed, of the two of us, I was the one who felt sheepish, not because I was wasting his time but because it occurred to me that while I waited, I could have warned the servers that my dining companion was often armed and that he might look as if he had just stepped out of The Matrix. Grandmaster Jay says he didnt knowingly point weapons at anyone. Were not going to dig into who I am, he said. Stories worth watching 16 videos. On August 21, 2017, he witnessed the total eclipse of the sun while standing outside the city hall of Carbondale, Illinois. He left the Army in 1997 but despised civilian life. Background: Case against militia leader 'Grandmaster Jay' heads to Jefferson County grand jury. Washington man isn't going on a vacation. Its an extremely top-down, chain-of-command organization, perfect for people who like to take orders, or give them. Think of it in terms of alternate paths. He said that by stepping off this timeline into another timeline, you create a new reality. PublishedFebruary 2, 2022 at 4:24 AM EST. Jay had run out of boilerplate. At the end of the day, my message is simply that as American citizens, we have to realize that we too have a responsibility to keep our hand on the pulse and the temperature of the country, he says. Like a Rubiks Cube.. He has already planned an appeal to a verdict by a Louisville jury. Grandmaster Jay is clear when saying his group doesn't protest. One of the biggest shows of arms and unity from the NFAC came on July 4, 2020, Americas Independence Day. His life sometimes seems like a long disinformation campaign about itself. You wont get that from me. He said he wasnt from the Midwest. During the period after the First World War, when white mobs were shooting Black people and burning their businesses, many Black people considered peaceful protests (such as those organized by the NAACP) inadequate. But I knew he lived near Cincinnati: I had staked out his apartment that afternoon. Jay told me that all the allegations against him are bullshit. By bringing them up, federal prosecutors are trying to character assassinate him. In Louisville, just two hours from where Jay and I sat, the NFAC first revealed the extent of its capabilities. A self-described militia composed exclusively of Black members, the NFAC has appeared at the protests for Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, Georgia, and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky. Some sources say he is as young as 50, others as old as 59. After his final discharge, Jay disappeared for several years. He led a crowd of tens of thousands across the Arthur Ravenel Bridge to protest the mass shooting. Jay would not accept a foot soldier who showed up for inspection unarmed. Grandmaster Jay (center) says he urges the members of the NFAC to stay within the law, when demonstrating, unlike what happened on January 6. I dont have to justify my experiences in my position to anyone.). It allegedly happened just after 8:30 p.m., as officers were conducting surveillance of demonstrators at Jefferson Square in downtown Louisville. He faces federal charges in Louisville for pointing a gun at people on a roof. Washington man isn't going on a vacation. (Source: Oldham County Detention Center), Surveillance images that federal authorities say show John Johnson (Grandmaster Jay) pointing a rifle at officers. top of page. John Fitzgerald Johnson, known as Grandmaster Jay, is the leader of the NFAC, self-described as a Black nationalist paramilitary organization. Unless you have a deep, personal, hands-on experience with the past.. Grand Master Jay grand jury presentation delayed, LMPD officer Nickolas Wilts recovery takes huge step forward, JCPS middle school student taken to hospital after eating suspected medicated gummies, LMPD: Man killed in wrong-way head on crash on Preston Highway, Spencer County High School student dies in crash, Scooters Coffee offers free coffee to healthcare workers in honor of Appreciation Day, Great Steamboat Race is full steam ahead on Wednesday, Operation Return Home alert issued for missing girls, ages 14 and 13. In Jefferson County, Johnson is facing five counts of wanton endangerment, one for each person on the roof at the time. His group, armed with guns, moved into Louisville twice in the wake of Breonna Taylor's death for what they described as peaceful formations: Once in July and again the day before the 2020 Kentucky Derby in September. But the desire for action of some kind, acknowledging that Black people are uniquely menaced, is to be expected. He has taken several opportunities to explain that he and the Not FuckingAround Coalition are not fans of the decentralize movement advocating for non-violent civil disobedience. Other groups, as far as their movements, we dont really have a position on, but we are specifically adding that we will not be identified with the Black Lives Matter movement., The verdict has yet to come in. He won't be able to post instructional videos for some time, because of the social-media ban that was a condition of his bail. In this laconic way, they distinguish themselves from two groups they loathe or deride: white militias (the camo-bedecked guys who show up at the same demonstrations and, sometimes, at the behest of the president, try to topple American democracy) and Black Lives Matter, whose activists tend toward nonviolence. Updated: 5:01 PM EST November 9, 2022. Most people do not think it sensible to channel their justified rage by buying an AR-15 and joining a cultlike paramilitary organization. Johnsons case in front of a grand jury was expected on June 21, but was delayed to the week of July 12 to allow further review. What were talking [about] here is a legal action that takes us from being freed slaves and descendants of slaves in a country that classifies us by color and denigrates us by race to a place where we are citizens of our own country, he said. The NFAC is also interested in forming its own country - a place members can call their own. Among the small armory of assault rifles, they also found a prodigious amount of marijuana. He managed to get his name on 47 state ballots, running under the progressive platform of racism, womens rights, and economic equality as its three pillars. The only way to win was to play a different game. Jay claims that the NFAC first appeared publicly when nine white supremacists came to Dayton, Ohio, in May 2019. (Don't worry, its temporary), Challenges to books at Ky. libraries tripled in 2022 amid national jump in attempted bans, How the Telugu immigrant community is instilling their culture in the next generation, Richmond, Ind., residents sue owner of property where massive industrial fire occurred, This Mt. Adding to his frustrations was the racism Grandmaster Jay says appeared during the Trump Administration. When you buy a book using a link on this page, we receive a commission. In just two days, May 28, it will be the one year anniversary since protests first filled the streets of Louisville in response to the deaths of Taylor, George Floyd and more. On January 6, the NFAC had no presence in Washington: The District of Columbia does not allow open carry of weapons. JOHN JOHNSON, WHO GOES BY THE NAME GRAND MTEASR JAY, WAS IN LOUISVILLE TWICE PROTESTING THE DEATH OF BREONNA TAYLOR, INCLUDG ONIN DERBY DAY IN SEPTEMBER OF LAST YE.AR THE DAY BEFORE DERBY, PROSECUTORS SAY HE POINTED A RIFLE AT 5 LMPD OFFICERS POSITIONED ON THE ROOF OF A NEARBY BUILDING. Nor do most Americanslet alone most Black Americanswant to establish a racially pure state, even somewhere other than Wyoming. Prior to his life in the militia, Jay was a rapper, producer, and DJ, as well asan Army veteran. Even facts as straightforward as his age are not simple to determine. Our editorial content is not influenced by any commissions we receive. Lastly, prospective membersare required to attend anNFAC protest. We didnt create that. 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. Grandmaster Jay is firm when he says, "If you continue to offend us we will be prepared to defend ourselves.". He wouldnt eat any food, but he requested a San Pellegrino or, in its absence, filtered tap water. His platform consisted of mostly liberal platitudes, with an emphasis on diversity, police reform, support for veterans, and action on climate changealmost indistinguishable, he said, from Bernie Sanderss. He is due back in court in February. All rights reserved. If he is indicted, he could stand trial. They then have to give us contact information on them and offer a valid reason why they would want to join our organization. During Friday's hearing,Judge Jennifer Wilcox ordered Johnson to have no firearms or deadly weapons while the case is pending. The NFAC leaders real name is John Fitzgerald Johnson. Im not at liberty to discuss those. I asked if he felt obliged to oaths of secrecy sworn to the U.S. military that had twice expelled him from its ranks.