Thank you for supporting The Atlantic. He attained the rank of sergeant, went absent without leave just over a year later, then escaped court martial by getting out of the Army a third time, again under other-than-honorable conditions, and again reduced to private. Amazon Has Uncanny Dupes of CB2's Popular Dining Chair for Hundreds Less. Jay claims that the NFAC first appeared publicly when nine white supremacists came to Dayton, Ohio, in May 2019. WebGrandmaster Jay, the outspoken leader of the NFAC, has been convicted. The best evidenceincluding court recordssuggests that he turned 57 in December. One way to understand the NFAC is to imagine what a paramilitary wing of the Black Hebrew Israelites would be like. Grandmaster Jay is firm when he says, "If you continue to offend us we will be prepared to defend ourselves.". On his YouTube channel, Jay posted a video of his troops in formation, and local news stations ran aerial shots. In December, Johnson was federally charged for pointing a rifle at Louisville Metro Police Department officers, FBI and Secret Service agents, who were on top of the Jefferson County Grand Jury Building. In Jay, NFAC followers have a leader who conjured an army ex nihilo, announced a Black uprising in multiple American cities, and somehow got away with it for months. Federally, he's charged with one count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees and one count of brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence in relation to the same incident.The NFAC formations in Louisville were large, but mostly peaceful and without issue. Ive lived five different lives, he told me, enigmatically. Amazon Has Uncanny Dupes of CB2's Popular Dining Chair for Hundreds Less. The men and women are ragtag and amateur, and their uniforms are not, well, uniform. When I talked with him in February, Jay gloated about his enemies legal jeopardy, with some justification. When he met Americans overseas, they tended to interact with one another more as compatriots in exile than as the race enemies they might have been at home. The United Black Kemetic Nation, he said, would have the full recognition of international law. Below, weve put together a quick rundown of the organization and its Supreme Leader, why hate group doesnt apply to it, and why you shouldnt confuse the NFAC with Black Lives Matter. Even facts as straightforward as his age are not simple to determine. If the NFAC had done what these folks did, Jay said, theyd still be bringing the body bags out of the Capitol. While the inner workings of the militia areonly known to its leadership and key members, the total number of active participants in the organization is unknown, as well as where they are headquartered, or how they fund themselves. NFAC leader Grand Master Jay saw a major victory in court this week. Some sources say he is as young as 50, others as old as 59. (If he is wrong, its only because a Black militia that attempted to storm Congress would have been fired upon by law enforcement long before it penetrated the Capitol.) The far-right patriot movement has long been a fringe factor in American politics, as racial upheaval, police brutality, and a not-so-hidden agenda from President Donald Trump have paved the way for wide-scale growth of the ideological militia movement. There was a problem saving your notification. Dressed from mask to shoes in black, he was four hours late to our meeting, and remorseless. 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. Its leader, Grandmaster Jay, whose real name is John Fitzgerald Johnson, retained the cocky, steel-eyed confidence that has made him a messiah to tens of thousands of Black Americans. 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. Two photos were included in the court filing that allegedly shows Johnson aiming his firearm at the officers. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WLKY-TV. In one of Jays videos, he tells his followers that he intends to meet each and every last one of you face-to-face, to conduct an interrogation to screen out fakes, wannabes, snakes, and spiders. Jay says he will swear people in after they have put your life on the line by standing armed in an NFAC formation, in a situation where other armed groups might start trouble. He told me that he spent four years in the Army in Germany, where he revised his racial self-understanding. top of page. According to the affidavit in support of his indictment in Louisville, he was arrested in 1995 for punching a woman in the face, and for menacing a man with a 20-gauge shotgun. At that time, LMPD officers at the scene received a radio transmission stating that a group of "six to eight heavily armed individuals" were parked on Armory Place, near a parking garage, according to court documents. 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. Year: 2020: ONE Super Series [28] Afterwards, the group marched and left. When Jay orders his people into motion, they go. In Louisville, just two hours from where Jay and I sat, the NFAC first revealed the extent of its capabilities. The official version of the biography of the Grandmaster Jay. Seattle Slew, says Jean Cruguet, 18-year-old senior at Spencer County High School dies in car crash, Organizers release celebrity guest list for 2023 Barnstable Brown Derby Eve Gala, UPDATE | 20-year-old last seen in Jeffersontown has been located, Aerosmith confirms Louisville stop on North American tour in 2024, Thousands attend Kentucky Derby Festival's Pegasus Parade in downtown Louisville, JCPS middle school student taken to hospital after eating possible medicated gummies, Feds seize more than 900 pounds of marijuana at UPS Worldport in Louisville, Churchill Downs' Darren Rogers reveals his top 2 Derby picks, 1 dead, 2 injured in early morning Preston Highway crash, Louisville police say, Louisville nonprofit creates petition calling for grocery store in West End, WDRB FCC Applications & Related Materials, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Jay is now out on bail. I'm a title. NFAC leader John "Grandmaster Jay" Johnson faces state and federal charges over allegedly aiming a rifle at officers before the 2020 Kentucky Derby. 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. Its modus operandi is to deploy a more fearsome Black militia wherever white militias dare to appear. His website, onlywecanfixus.com, advertised a bid for the White House on an independent ticket. Grandmaster Jay hosts a series of IG Live talks with titles such as Facts Over Feelings,in which he expounds ontopics ranging from personal development to new developments involving the organization. Very interesting, Jay said, speaking slowly and deliberately for the first time since his performance that night had begun. (Jay denied all charges of anti-Semitism but refused to answer when I asked directly whether he thought Jews died in large numbers in the Holocaust. Ive studied the documents. Most soldiers have just one MOS over the course of their career; once the Army trains a soldier, why go through the expense of training him again? But when you return to your timeline, nothing has changed! He continued. (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. (I wonder how many of them regard Jays fraudulent past the way Trump supporters regard the former presidentsi.e., if such a clown could get this far, he must have divine favor.) No one seems to have noticed the coalition then, amid some 600 other counterprotesters. Even if true, such threats hardly compare with the actual storming of the Capitol. That includes defending it. According to the documents, the FBI reviewed the surveillance video from the incident, which consisted of real-time crime center camera footage. Black Lives Matter was the forefront of the pro-Black movement until it was hijacked by other entities, so it does not represent the will or the sentiment of the Black nation. A man calling himself Grandmaster Jay has raised a disciplined, heavily armed militia. How can you get even 1 million armed followers if just a few years ago you were a failed DJ and now you believe that San Pellegrino will give you preternatural mental powers? Complex Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Jays military career, like most things about him, is strange. He could say anything, do anything, and somehow survive. So he and others showed up to the demonstration. I think thats a pretty significant indication There are 57 million of us here. Grandmaster Jay might have an easier time describing the group by saying what it is not: neither left or right, not anti-semitic, not a gun club and not a social club. That movement accomplished nothing, Jay told me, just a lot of singing, a lot of hand-holding, a lot of sentiments and praise.. John Fitzgerald Johnson, known as Grandmaster Jay, is the leader of the NFAC, self-described as a Black nationalist paramilitary organization. Months later, in December, Johnson was federally charged, accused of pointing a rifle during the September demonstration at LMPD, FBI and Secret Service agents, who were on top of the Jefferson County Grand Jury Building. 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. If youre biracial, your father must be Black. The other criteria relate to recruits ability to arm themselves without attracting the attention of law enforcement. One objection to such a militia is that it is avowedly racist. When Jay orders his people into motion, they go. Grandmaster Jay says he didnt knowingly point weapons at anyone. 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. Grand Master Jay, or John Fitzgerald Johnson, is accused of pointing an AR-style rifle at federal agents and police officers in downtown Louisville. The organization is young, but has already had a few run-ins that callits motives into question. Last summer, Grandmaster Jay laid out the groups goals for WVXU. The NFAC leaders real name is John Fitzgerald Johnson. WebJohn Fitzgerald Johnson aka The Grand Master Jay has been targeted by the US Govt. In 2016, he emerged again, wearing a dark business suit with a black tie, pocket square, and large wristwatch. Among the small armory of assault rifles, they also found a prodigious amount of marijuana. 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. 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. Jay described its recruiting strategy: You must be Black, he said. You may have seen its members demonstrating where African Americans have died at the hands of police in places like Louisville and Georgia. All I want is 1 [million]. (According to the Census Bureau, 47 million Americans identify as Black or Black and another race. WebThe Official Channel of The Official Grand Master Jay, Supreme Commander, NFAC We live in a world where racism is appearing to rear its ugly head again the way it did back in the Jim Crow days, he tells Complex via Zoom. Compare the NFACs military-style discipline, Jay said, with white militias. 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. After the murder of Walter Scott by a North Charleston police officer, he appeared at the side of Scotts family. 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. Updated: 5:01 PM EST November 9, 2022. Unfortunately, Jays answercreate a parallel, quasi-fascist race army with its own flag and homelandstrikes me as a particularly bad case of becoming that which you hate. One hint that he is no longer a young man is a light smattering of age spots across his nose. He sat across from me, in front of a platter of scallops and shrimp that had been hot when Id ordered it for him an hour before, when the kitchen was closing. His story, and the purpose of Not Fucking Around, became a little more clear, and a little less. Hes expected in court on Thursday. 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. One of the biggest shows of arms and unity from the NFAC came on July 4, 2020, Americas Independence Day. "That was probably one of the first times in recent times that the appearance of African Americans dressed in combat-style gear, carrying semi-automatic weapons in a defensive posture was something that hadn't been seen in recent societies," he says. The United States, he thinks, has failed to show the same backbone in reckoning with its crimes against Black people. But Jay told me that when he floated Wyoming to his followers, their response was: Hell nonobody wants to go to Wyoming. (Shelby notes that the desire to establish a Black homeland on American territory likewise has a long history, showing up in Harry Haywoods book Negro Liberation in the 1940s and the Republic of New Afrika movement in the 60s and 70s.). He has also seemed to flirt with Holocaust denial. 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.In Jefferson County, Johnson is facing five counts of wanton endangerment, one for each person on the roof at the time. 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. ". A court date has been scheduled for April 25. The NFAC also appears to have tapped into a kind of modish authoritarian magical thinking. They joined a group that promised to take a bite out of the Earth and reserve it for Black people. Jay said, If I assemble 1 million legal guns, I have the fifth-largest ground army on the planet. Ironically, though, the governments confiscation of his weapons has proved at least one of Jays prophecies. I'm a description. GMJ STORY. 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. Someone asked me the other day, they said, How is it that youve managed to do in six months what other people have not been able to do for 60 years? I would simply say that knowing the future doesnt help. (That might explain his given name: He would have been born just nine days after the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy.) Jay told me that he already had to vet his recruits carefully. 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. 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. State wanton endangerment charges were dropped. From that point on, he was spitting knowledge on social media, much of it about alien spacecraft (visitors) and odd phenomena he noticed in the sky. He will be formally arraigned Monday. I was supposed to be dead two years ago, he told his followers. Right-wing militias stormed Michigans capitol and were not arrested. Lastly, prospective membersare required to attend anNFAC protest. It has yet to fire a shot at its enemies, but its prepared for war. 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. (Right-wingers, gun enthusiasts, and ex-military types on social media ridicule Jay for his and his followers poor weapons discipline.). John Johnson, a.k.a. He's delivering life-saving stem cells, Women In Government: A conversation between Kristie Dukes Davis and Victoria Parks, DHL tug and ramp workers at CVG say yes to the Teamsters, How to vote in Ohio's special primary election May 2 or check if you need to vote at all. FBI agents arrested John Fitzgerald Johnson, the founder of the Not F**king Around Coalition who is also known as Grand Master Jay, Thursday at his home. NFAC says it is the definition of a Black Militia and is the largest one in the U.S., with chapters in almost every city. Later, Jay said he had only two MOSs. 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. Just because you love your people doesnt mean you hate everybody else.. Ultimately, Jay calls for descendants of the Portuguese and Atlantic slave trade to separate themselves from others and create a Black ethnostate. You would sit that person down and have a word with him., Jay reappeared in 2015 as an ally of the movement he now denigrates, Black Lives Matter. I was caught up in all thatI, too, was waving signs and chanting, he said. Arbery was pursued by three white men and fatally shot. I thanked Jay for his time, and he thanked me for mine. According to Pentagon records, he joined the military in 1989. After basic training, the Army assigns every soldier a military occupational specialty, or MOS: 11B is an infantryman, 94S is a Patriot system repairer, 12K is a plumber. According to Jay, Were not here to attack anyone. Jay is contesting these allegations in court. As Jay browsed real estate, he also made overseas allies, he said, in Black-liberation movements in Africa and Europe. 00:00 / 04:31. Thursday, December 3, 2020 For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Kentucky LOUISVILLE, Ky. John F. Johnson, aka, Grandmaster Jay has been charged via criminal complaint with assaulting federal task force officers, announced United States Attorney Russell Coleman. Wed spent an hour talking some sense, and a lot of nonsense; now the restaurant staff presented me with the bill and a doggie bag, and exiled us to the parking lot. All rights reserved. We dont come to sing, Jay told a reporter from Newsweek. Texas News NFAC Grand Master Jay (YouTube) Shortly after a Black militia group, that calls itself the 'Not F**king Around Coalition' (NFAC) made an appearance at Stone Mountain, Georgia, a video of their 'Grand Master' became viral, asking for 'a Black nation'. John "Grandmaster Jay" Johnson is the founder and leader of the "Not F***ing Around Coalition," or NFAC. Few paid attention until Jay showed up with dozens of armed followers in Georgia last year, and phrased his new beliefs in a militant idiom. I had five MOSs, Jay said. He's delivering life-saving stem cells, Women In Government: A conversation between Kristie Dukes Davis and Victoria Parks, DHL tug and ramp workers at CVG say yes to the Teamsters, How to vote in Ohio's special primary election May 2 or check if you need to vote at all. Ann Thompson has decades of journalism experience in the Greater Cincinnati market and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her reporting. The Commonwealth's Attorney said the indictment in Jefferson County also includes three additional local law enforcement officers. Theres no cover there, one laments to a police officer. Adding to his frustrations was the racism Grandmaster Jay says appeared during the Trump Administration. [7] He lost to Donald Trump and concluded, like most independent candidates, that America had rigged politics against him. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Last month,an organization stylized as NFAC UK participated with thousands of protesters who held an anti-racism rally outside the U.S.Embassy in London as Black Lives Matter demonstrations took place in cities across the U.K. The NFAC is a militia comprisedof Black members whose core is believed to be largely ex-military. One man has a Texas-flag patch Velcroed to his body armor; a woman taps the trigger guard of her AR-15 with a three-inch yellow fingernail. May 29, 2022 Updated May 29, 2022. CONTACT GMJ. 00:00 / 00:00. The NFAC then runs a background check on the potential member. The crime he is now charged with is a real onepointing guns at cops is illegal and wrongbut poor muzzle discipline and poor judgment are universal at armed protests, and I suspect that other armed protesters have performed equally negligent acts and gotten little more than a dirty look and a chewing out from the cops. Federally, he's charged with one count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees and one count of brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence in relation to the same incident. Jefferson County grand jury indicts militia leader 'Grandmaster Jay', SAYS IT FULLY SUPPORTS NEW YORK CITYS VACCINE MANDATE FOR CITY WORKERS. Were watching. This strategic stand-down was not entirely voluntary, of course. In his second interview with WVXU in less than a year, the head of a national Black militia group is looking forward to unity in 2022 but cautions it will be hard without equality. HE POINTED A RIFLE AT LOUISVILLE POLI OCEFFICERS. Jay paused. (A sample lyric from one of his hip-hop songs: They call you racist if you proud of your folks / But they be muting you now if you forget about the Holocaust!), Jays videos repeat several themes popular among anti-Semitic segments of the Black Hebrew Israelites, a religious movement known for noisy proselytizing and elaborate conspiracy theories. According to the documents, the FBI reviewed the surveillance video from the incident, which consisted of real-time crime center camera footage. Great Jones Cookware Review: Is It Worth Buying? The Ohio Newsroom: A Public Media Collaboration, Reds TV changes could come by end of this week, Updated report shows Springfield Township officer's speed in deadly March crash, O'Bryonville changes its name to O'Piggyville. They do not bicker with other protesters, carry signs, or explain themselves. He considers Germanys a genuine effort by society to restore and repair those people who were the victims of this Holocaust., Like so much else about Jay, this passion for European Jewry presents a contradiction: Elsewhere, he has quoted Hitler approvingly and suggested that the Jews of Europethose people running around calling themselves the Jewsare imposters. 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 led a crowd of tens of thousands across the Arthur Ravenel Bridge to protest the mass shooting. Dalton Godbey joined WDRB News as a general assignment reporter in 2019 after spending two years reporting in Bowling Green. Prosecutors say the flashlight was attached to the barrel of a rifle Johnson was pointing at the officers. On January 6, at the U.S. Capitol, the insurrectionists included militia members from the groups the NFAC has arrayed itself against. Unless you have a deep, personal, hands-on experience with the past.. Grandmaster Jay says beyond trying to "police ourselves," he would like to work with local governments and community groups. Download the WHAS11 News app now. Two photos were included in the court filing that allegedly shows Johnson aiming his firearm at the officers. Right: Grandmaster Jay addresses a crowd of NFAC supporters from the steps of the Metro Building in downtown Louisville on July 25, 2020. WebJohn Jay Fitzgerald Johnson aka: Grand master jay, John Johnson, John Fitzgerald. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. We sat in Jays SUV, which soon filled with pleasant Cajun aromas from the scallops. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - A presentation in front of a grand jury trial with the leader of a self-proclaimed militia organization has been delayed. Jay is satisfied with how the government has handled the January 6 investigation and glad the Oath Keepers leader has been charged. 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. Jays own record is blemished with accusations of violence (he denies them), and amid his long sermons about racial maturity and spiritual self-awareness, he sometimes makes alarming threats. This may galvanize inquiring minds, but the road to becoming an actual member is fairly straightforward. He also ran as an independent in the 2016 presidential election. COMPLEX participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means COMPLEX gets paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites. (Source: Probable Cause Affidavit / FBI). 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. 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. The first public appearance of the NFAC was at a KKK rally in Dayton, Ohio, in 2019. RELATED: NFAC leader 'Grandmaster Jay' facing state charges after allegedly pointing gun at officers Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. He named four but refused to identify the fifth. The location of this new country is negotiable, and as a model he considered Wyoming, because of its cheap land. John Fitzgerald Johnson, also known as Grandmaster Jay, was arrested on Dec. 3 and charged with five counts of wanton endangerment. In his view, January 6 demonstrated that the NFAC is an appropriate response to a country shameless in its hypocrisy: If a disorderly white militia can sack the Capitol and get away with it, on what basis could one object to an orderly Black militia that obeys the law? He is due back in court in February. CRAWFORD | Not skipping ahead: Setting the scene for Kentucky Derby 149, will Forte reign? Followers of his teachings, he said, would be the first to tell you nothing that I have predicted has not come true. In October, on YouTube, he told his soldiers, At this point, I dont think Ill be joining you all too much longer. Grandmaster Jay is clear when saying his group doesn't protest. But my goodness, the weaponryAR-15s galore, sniper rifles with scopes and bipods, high-capacity magazines, and enough tactical clothing to resupply an Army-surplus store. Were not anti-anything. Case against militia leader 'Grandmaster Jay' heads to Jefferson County grand jury. The NFAC formations in Louisville were large, but mostly peaceful and without issue. 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. If he is indicted, he could stand trial. He also said he had a health scare. "We respond to situations where there's been a killing within our community, and law enforcement nor the legislature seem reluctant to give us the same level of assistance they give to people of other demographics in a timely fashion.".
