Basir Mchawi
On Sunday, November 10th in Brooklyn, New York and Toronto, Canada, holistic health professionals, along with family and friends of Dr. Mutulu Shakur, will celebrate the rich legacy of Dr. Shakur’s work in the field of community health care. Captured in 1986 and charged with a series of political crimes, Dr. Mutulu Shakur has been incarcerated for over twenty-five years. Dr. Shakur, however, remains revered as a pioneer in the field of acupuncture and community health.
On Sunday, November 10th at Brooklyn Open Acupuncture, located at 88 South Portland Avenue from 11 am until 7 pm, health activists will gather to provide treatment for community members at affordable prices. Acupuncture, nutrition and massage therapy are some of the services that will be available for a sliding scale, tax-deductible donation. For information call (646) 481-4228 or (718) 493-1836. Appointments can be made using Google at http:/bit.lyR3NVnF. Similar activities will be taking place simultaneously in Toronto. Proceeds will be used to support Dr. Shakur’s legal defense and to assist in projects promoting justice for African people locally, nationally and internationally.
The idea of using holistic health methods to treat chronic illness is part of the legacy of Dr. Mutulu Shakur. Already politically active, a young Mutulu Shakur worked at the legendary Lincoln Detox Center in the South Bronx during the 1970’s, battling heroin addiction using acupuncture. While first hired as an organizer and outreach worker, Shakur became fascinated with acupuncture techniques similar to those used to combat opium addiction after the Chinese Revolution. Shakur immersed himself in acupuncture practice and became certified as a Doctor of Acupuncture in 1976. Beginning in the late 1970’s and up to the time of his capture, Dr. Shakur combined political activism and holistic health practices to train young acupuncturists and build institutions designed to keep African people healthy and free.