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UBUS Communications Systems
UBSCSLogo.png
UBUS Communications Systems logo
MottoBuilding Communications Systems for The Free Black Nation.
Formation1978
TypeOrganization
PurposeMedia, Afrikan Redevelopment
Location
Key people
H. Khalif Khalifah
WebsiteUBUS Communications Systems

United Brothers Communications Systems was founded in Harlem, New York in 1975. It is a multimedia organization specializing In producing and distributing information by for and About African people. Its main focus during 44 years of its existence has been in publishing books that are “Written By, For or About Black people.” UBUS Communications Systems is perhaps, with 600 titles, the largest publisher in the history of Black people, home or abroad.

UBUS is the publisher of record for the three highest, the most widely circulated, important, independently published Black books in history: “Stolen Legacy” by George G. M. James, “The Mis-Education of the Negro,” by Dr. Carter G. Woodson and “Message to the Blackman in America,” by The Honorable Elijah Muhammad. The controversial pamphlet, The Willie Lynch Letters and the Making of a Slave is also published by UBUS Communications Systems.

The ultimate objective of UBUS is to produce and disseminate relevant information to Black people that is as free of dependency on alien races as possible. This conforms to the Nation Building ideal to become the Communications System for a Free, Independent Black Nation. United Brothers Communications Systems was founded in Harlem, New York in 1975. It is a multimedia organization specializing In producing and distributing information by for and About African people. Its main focus during 44 years of its existence has been in publishing books that are “Written By, For or About Black people.” UBUS Communications Systems is perhaps, with 600 titles, the largest publisher in the history of Black people, home or abroad. UBUS is the publisher of record for the three highest, the most widely circulated, important, independently published Black books in history: “Stolen Legacy” by George G. M. James, “The Mis-Education of the Negro,” by Dr. Carter G. Woodson and “Message to the Blackman in America,” by The Honorable Elijah Muhammad. The ultimate objective of UBUS is to produce and disseminate relevant information to Black people that is as free of dependency on alien races as possible. This conforms to the Nation Building ideal to become the Communications System for a Free, Independent Black Nation. UBUS has also produced other print media, including magazines and a monthly newspaper for 20 years; and it also used its resources to print hundreds of thousands of publications for other publishers and individuals. UBUS has provided the expertise and inventory to dozens of independent Black Book businesses throughout North America.

During the 1990’s UBUS published a Trade Journal called Your Black Books Guide (YBBG) that was distributed worldwide. YBBG was widely known as “The Bible for Black Books.” The 30,000 monthly printings carried moderately priced advertisements that gave small business a sense of what it is like to reach international markets in Africa and certain European countries.

The signature journals for the National Black Community were The National Newport News & Commentator (TNNN & C) and Your Black Books Guide. Both journals were instrumental in the founding and success of many major events during the decade of their publication. Both were saturated with news and information about the Million Man March. News and Information in TNNN& C & YBBG, about the founding and success of N’COBRA (The National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America) made it possible for Reparations to become “Household,” thus achieving N’COBRA’s First Priority Mission.” That is, “Educate the masses about our rights to Reparations.” During the 1990’s, a full page in the publications was donated to N’COBRA. Today the company is located on some of the Birth Land of Nat Turner, in Khalifah Kujichagulia Village, in Southampton Virginia. The Founder and CEO, H. Khalif Khalifah is the leading authority on the Revolt of Nat Turner in 1831. He conducts tours of the “battlesites” where the fighting took place along a route Khalifah and his Ancestor wife coined The Nat Turner Trail. The center structure for KKVV is The Nat Turner Library Building at 26070 Barham Hills Road, Drewryville VA 23844. Call 434-378-2140 to make a reservation to tour the Nat Turner Trail or to Visit the Nat Turner Library. Contents

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• 1 History • 2 Khalifah Kujichagulia Village in Virginia (KKVV) • 3 See Also • 4 Further reading • 5 references History UBUS was founded by H. Khalif Khalifah in 1973. He was joined in 1975 by Robert T. Davis, Anthony Roe, Claude Perry and James McRae. According to an interview in the New York Times, Khalifah originally set up shop in 1974 in a basement room at 134th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem. This was at the first storefront address, but UBUS Published the first three titles of what adds up to over 500, documented titles from his oversized apartment at 189 West 136th Street, Harlem, N.Y. 10030. The publications are under the umbrella of UBUS, in several other imprints: Khabooks, Conquering Books, United Brothers & United Sisters Communications Systems, Khalifah’s Booksellers & Associates, Kitaba Publishing, and KHA Book Publishing Unlimited & Etc. Contrary to reported accounts, Khalifah never submitted any of his writings to any other publisher. He has been an Independent Author since the beginning. He DID understand Caucasian publishers would not print any of the “Revolutionary” material that he strove write: so he understood the necessity to publish independent of white people and their norms. Khalifah also understood the reason Black people, even today are 1) Vastly under published for our population 2) Most information in print about Black people are still written by other than Black people – many by avowed racist White Supremacist writers. Khalifah started out with the determination to change both 1) and 2). He declared his intention to produce as many books as possible that are written, by for and about Black people. [2]

Snippet from the National Newport News & Commentator United Brothers & United Sisters Communications reached epic heights in the Graphic Arts Industry when they were publishing countless books per year after moving from the storefront to the city of Newport News, Virginia. The Grand Business plan near the inception was to be prepared when Black people “turned back to self” for their information needs. After a bountiful decade of the 1960s when Black Consciousness was made by “Leaps and bounds,” full empowerment was stopped when 1) Police agencies mercilessly murdered, brutalize and imprisoned thousands, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. & Malcolm X 2) The media “Took news and information about the activities of Black people out of their journals.” Khalifah was an apprentice printer in the N. Y. C. Newspaper Union during the late 1960/early 1970’s. His mission and what he wanted to do was very clear. He would complete his apprentice, become a card carrying Master printer; graduate from New York Institute of Advertising, then go into business to produce independent media. And he was determined to earn his livelihood by serving the needs of the Liberation Struggle of African people. To achieve his mission, his purpose, he knew it would impossible to do so by producing and selling his own writings. So he made the fateful decision to serve his skills as a journalist and printer to other Black businesses and individuals in need of such. It was a great, wide open market that appeared to be waiting for UBUS. But the marketplace did not know it’s on strength, so to speak. Black professionals, for the most part, white people had stigmatized “Self Publishing” so well that Black people were convinced this was not a good thing to do. Amazing as it may seem, white publishers and booksellers disdained “Self-Publishing” but it is STILL nearly impossible to get a conract from them to publish any material of substance that is written by Black people. Khalifah was determined to change this mindset. He did so by almost single handily changing the nomenclature of Self Publishing to Independently Publishing. This was necessary to develop the Black Publishing marketplace in America. And thanks to some remarkable individuals who never bought the “okadoke,” Namely, Dr. Amos N. Wilson, Dr. Tony Martin, but most importantly, Sister Shahrazad Ali. UBUS was only the distributor of Sister Shahrazad’s book, but pointing out that she, like every Black conscious writer of note had at the least first “Independently” published, helped us to succeed in opening up and commanding the Black marketplace nationwide. Yep! For about 5 years we had a monopoly on the best selling, independently published Black books. First we had to positioned UBUS Communications Systems to be ready and prepared for the market that we never had doubt we could open, IF WE could find resources to stay the course. We found it!

Even from my apartment, we became a distributor of “Out of Town” Journals/Newspapers that were published by black people. We became the distributor in NYC for the Norfolk Journal & Guide and the Afro-American Newspapers. We opened up retail outlets at Black owned newsstands in Harlem and Brooklyn. We barely covered his expenses but having a “Cash flow” and nucleus of retail outlets afforded him the opportunity to land a distributor contract with the trail blazing, premier, International News and Business Monthly called Africa Magazine, later they added Africa Woman. These were publications published by Ralph Ureche, a Nigerian with a bevy of African correspondents throughout the African continent. His Representative in America was the dynamic Howard F. Lee.

After the hard work of walking the streets of Harlem and Brooklyn, first with Robert T. Davis, a free lance reporter with the declining Black newspaper, New York Age. Africa and Africa Woman Magazines became the craze, must read journals by Conscious Black people in America. It was also in high demand by newsstands, Black and White throughout New York City. Suddenly, retail establishments were calling us.

UBUS also attracted Black Youth seeking employment: When Claude Perry was hired he brought Anthony Roe, James McRae and Robert Harris (a Printing Pressman). 

Sales from the 8,000 copies of the monthly magazines (5000 for Africa and 3000 Africa Woman) generated enough money to first buy a printing press. We then began to publish our own bi-monthly magazine: UNITED Magazine, a Universal Publication for a Universal People. UBUS achieved remarkable success in its First Headquarters at 2286 Adam Clayton Powell Jr., Blvd. Many of the first 15 published books was produced at this location. The books included the run-a-way best seller by Dr. Amos N. Wilson, “Developmental Psychology of the Black Child,” and two books by the self described UBUS “Den Mother” Yetunde Singleton. UBUS soon out grew the space at Headquarters. Founder/CEO Khalifah met his soon to be wife, Reda Faard Khalifah; they evolved in love. Reda was from Newport News, Virginia. When Khalifah went home to meet her folks, he was overwhelmed by the energy in the little tidewater city. He knew immediately that the next chapter of UBUS would be written in that city. It was not until he married, moved to Newport News and researched the area for the Newspaper he founded, did he also find out legend has it that the very place where he and his wife bought a home, in Newsome Park, that this was the very place where the first Black Community in America was settled after leaving the Slave Quarters. The Chapter lived in Newport News will be saved for another time. However I would be remiss if it did not say here that we bought 123 acres of the Birth Land of Nat Turner. We built The Nat Turner Library Building as the center piece, thoroughly researched the life and history of The Great Mystic Nat Turner. We then named the route that Nat Turner and the BLA fought on their way to Jerusalem THE NAT TURNER TRAIL. It is a tour that Khalifah gives guided tours on demand. Call 434-378-2140 to reserve a seat. [the editing of the information about UBUS will be continued]

UBUS Printing, Publishing and Distribution resources has been widely utilized and promoted by some contemporary Afrikan intellegencia. "Some writings are deemed as not marketable and controversial, Mr. Wilson said. In other instances black writers feel the integrity of what they say may not be kept with the larger publishers. That's basically how I felt with my book." -Dr. Amos Wilson

The Khalifah Kujichagulia Villagage: The Place of the Nat Turner Library Building. It is a two story building. Khalifah and his family live on the second floor of the building. "Mr. Khalifah's company has been crucial in preserving and introducing books that deal with black and African studies." -Dr. John Henrik Clarke By the early 90's, Khalifah thought it was time to work on his promise of "building his wife a dream house in the country". He then moved to purchase a 123 acre section of land in Drewryville, Virginia, where he built his home and the Nat Turner Library. He chose to get the land so that if the need ever arose, Afrikan people would have a village that they could escape to if life in America became to difficult or dangerous. There are many yearly cultural and educational programs that take place at the The Khalifah Kujichagulia Village in Virginia. Khalifah, his family and companies are located on that land today. Khalifah Kujichagulia Village in Virginia (KKVV)

The Khalifah Estate & Nat Turner Library See Also H. Khalif Khalifah The Nat Turner Library Harambee Home School UBUS Health Foods The Nat Turner Trail Living History Tour The Khalifah Kujichagulia Village in Virginia The Mystic Order of UBUS Further reading THE MEDIA BUSINESS; A Small Black Press Stays Close to the Streets Black Businesses on the Internet: A Market That Was 'Invisible Until Now' 200th Birthday of Nat Turner United Brothers On The Web Bookstore Meets Demand For African Heritage Information https://www.facebook.com/events/163801167117994/ references 1. Jump up↑ http://www.ubuscommunicationssystems.com/khabooks/still-producing-while-constructing-the-web-address-2/ 2. Jump up↑ http://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/15/business/the-media-business-a-small-black-press-stays-close-to-the-streets.html Category: • Pages with script errors


"Some writings are deemed as not marketable and controversial, Mr. Wilson said. In other instances black writers feel the integrity of what they say may not be kept with the larger publishers. That's basically how I felt with my book." -Dr. Amos Wilson

The Khalifah Estate & Nat Turner Library

"Mr. Khalifah's company has been crucial in preserving and introducing books that deal with black and African studies." -Dr. John Henrik Clarke

By the early 90's, Khalifah thought it was time to work on his promis of "building his wife a dream house in the country". He then moved to purchase a 123 acre section of land in Drewryville, Virginia, where he built his home and the Nat Turner Library. He chose to get the land so that if the need ever arose, Afrikan people would have a village that they could escape to if life in America became to difficult or dangerous. There are many yearly cultural and educational programs that take place at the The Khalifah Kujichagulia Village in Virginia. Khalifah, his family and companies are located on that land today.

Khalifah Kujichagulia Village in Virginia (KKVV)

The Khalifah Estate & Nat Turner Library

See Also

H. Khalif Khalifah

The Nat Turner Library

Harambee Home School

UBUS Health Foods

The Nat Turner Trail Living History Tour

The Khalifah Kujichagulia Village in Virginia

The Mystic Order of UBUS

Further reading

THE MEDIA BUSINESS; A Small Black Press Stays Close to the Streets

Black Businesses on the Internet: A Market That Was 'Invisible Until Now'

200th Birthday of Nat Turner

United Brothers On The Web

Bookstore Meets Demand For African Heritage Information

https://www.facebook.com/events/163801167117994/

references