Mass protests in Kenya and Nigeria. The expulsion of France from numerous Sahel states. The withdrawal of French troops from Burkina Faso. Niger demands French troops and AFRICOM vacate the country.
For all the attention paid to social movements in the US, mass protests and even government resistance to colonial domination throughout Africa are on the rise. The people are rising up against the International Monetary Fund and the corrupt puppet governments that play their games and governments are demanding an end to the colonial relationship the US and NATO exercise over African states. Is this the start of the second wave of the decolonization of Africa?
It is in this context that the Black Alliance for Peace enters our annual International Month of Action Against AFRICOM in October 2024. Through social media posts, essays, webinars and actions, organizations across the globe unite in a struggle against AFRICOM in a month of targeted political education and political action. We are supporting the rising call from inside Africa for a liberated and self-determined continent free from colonial domination.
It was no coincidence that the decolonization movement in Africa occurred simultaneously with the Black Power movement in the US. Likewise, today, it is no coincidence that social movements are growing simultaneously in Africa, throughout the Americas and inside the belly of the beast. African liberation is a virus for which there is no vaccine, and we are all catching the yearning to be free.
As you engage in your own local and national campaigns, make the additional effort to examine social movements in Africa and throughout the Americas. Identify similarities and differences. The sooner we understand that this is one global movement for liberation, the sooner we will be free.
On Sunday, August 25th, 2024, BAP Midwest hosted a Black August virtual teach-in, “Black August & Political Prisoners in the Midwest.” They discussed the history of Black August and the ongoing and historical struggles to free political prisoners/POWs, particularly in the Midwest.
On Saturday, August 24, BAP-DC held a town hall at Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ to discuss the importance of solidarity with anti-imperialist struggles and invited comrades from Diaspora Pa'lante Collective, Friends of the Congo, Nodutdol, the Palestinian Youth Movement, and BAP-Baltimore to participate. To connect these struggles against U.S. Imperialism guests spoke to specific movements they are organizing around such as the anti-colonial struggle in Puerto Rico, the U.S. out of South Korea and reunification with the DPRK, the ongoing genocides in Palestine and the Congo and the neocolonial invasion of Haiti.
On Saturday, August 24, BAP-DC held a town hall at Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ to discuss the importance of solidarity with anti-imperialist struggles and invited comrades from Diaspora Pa'lante Collective, Friends of the Congo, Nodutdol, the Palestinian Youth Movement, and BAP-Baltimore to participate. To connect these struggles against U.S. Imperialism guests spoke to specific movements they are organizing around such as the anti-colonial struggle in Puerto Rico, the U.S. out of South Korea and reunification with the DPRK, the ongoing genocides in Palestine and the Congo and the neocolonial invasion of Haiti.
For the first weekend of Black August, BAP NYC/NJ held the Comrade Cookout at Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem — co-organized alongside Black Men Build NYC, The People's Senate (Spirit of Mandela), and Why Accountability. The event was held to commemorate our elders and revolutionaries who fought for our liberation. People received literature and wrote letters to political prisoners. They were encouraged to donate to BLA elder Dhrouba Bin Wahad’s GoFundMe. Although it rained briefly, spirits were high and attendants were engaged in deep conversation about our commitment toward collective liberation.
On Saturday, August 24, the Hands Off Haiti NYC Coalition presented State Violence from NYC to Haiti – a critical Black August teach-in that drew connections between the struggles faced by communities in New York City and the ongoing crisis in Haiti. The presentation was given by Kerbie from the ANSWER Coalition, Danou from Ransembleman, and Clau and Dwayne from BAP NYC/NJ. The event had 50 people in attendance, many of whom asked about ways to get further involved by the end. Special thanks to the December 12th Movement for allowing us to use their space, and to Health Stellium for bringing air purifiers and masks.
On Saturday, August 17th, BAP DC joined member organization Pan-African Community Action, as well as the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement in co-organizing the district's first-ever Curbfest for Political Prisoners. The commemoration drew over 100 neighbors in the Southeast DC area, as well as over a dozen organizations providing political propaganda, capoeira training, political prisoner writing, as well as free plates of food and a distribution of over 100 books and materials including contributions from movement writers Derecka Purnell and Orisanmi Burton. Additional photos from local photographer Brandon Forester can be found here: bit.ly/curbfestphotos
Comrade Djibo Sobukwe presented at the No to NATO Yes to Peace counter Summit Report back webinar on 8/28/24. Sponsored by the Canada–Wide Peace and Justice Network. SEE REPORT HERE
The last BAP Baltimore town hall of quarter 3, titled “Flip the Script,” covered a collective discussion on the underdevelopment of African and impoverished people in Baltimore being sustained by the city’s investment in policing, prisons and, crime and punishment policies despite knowing the city faces low wages and a tight labor market.
BAP Baltimore kicked off Black August with George Jackson University and an engagement of almost 30 attendees on political and politicized prisoners, the criminalization of Maryland’s youth, and the conditions that heighten incarceration in our communities for BAP Baltimore Summer School Series 2024.
On the final day of the DNC, BAP comrades in the Midwest took to the streets 11k strong, to denounce the genocidal agenda of the democratic party
As a part of a participatory democracy project with @apdhub for the past few months, BAP Chicago has been fostering connections through our Intergenerational Community Meetings. These gatherings bring together seniors and millennials to tackle local issues and build stronger bonds working towards political power. The group has chosen a project to rebuild communal practices! We’re excited to announce a new Political Education Series focused on solidarity, unity, and community organizing through BAP’s People-centered Human Rights Framework.
BAP Baltimore collaborated with Black Men Build for a discussion with up to 40 attendees dissecting the deep-seated ties between systemic patriarchy and imperialism, exploring how these forces perpetuate violence against women, non-binary individuals, and marginalized genders.
On Saturday, August 31st, BAP NYC/NJ, Westchester for Palestine, and the Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas (AMED) Studies, closed out Black August by holding a film screening and discussion of "George Jackson: Releasing the Dragon (a video mixtape)" by Dr. Jared A. Ball as part of our "At the Root Film Series”. We drew connections to the Palestinian liberation struggle by discussing the poem, "Enemy of the Sun," authored by Palestinian resistance poet and political prisoner, Samih al Qasim, which was found in George Jackson’s cell and mistakenly attributed to him. Dr. Rabab Abdulhadi and comrade Imani helped guide an intimate conversation on the two revolutionaries.
BAP Baltimore ended the summer school series alongside B.L.A.C.K Underground. Over 50 attendees discussed the colonial origins of HBCUs (Historically Black Colonizing Units) and the direct ties HBCUs maintain with the arms industry and collaborate with government agencies and military commands fueling global violence and oppression.
Nicholas Richard-Thompson was interviewed during the Democratic National Convention mass demonstrations by Press TV. Mass protests greet the Democratic Party's coronation of Kamala Harris.
Too Black published "Unburdened by Palestine: Shedding Black Liberalism for anti-imperialism” in Mondoweiss. “(Black) Liberals are demanding that Black people in the U.S. put aside our long tradition of anti-imperialism to support Kamala Harris and sacrifice Palestine in the process.”
Clau O'Brien Moscoso and Austin Cole, two of the Haiti/Americas Team Co-Coordinators, appeared as guests on Radio Resistencia, a podcast run by Juventud Revolucionaria (Revolutionary Youth) in Panama in their 6th episode: "Haiti en Crisis: Imperialismo". They discussed the crisis of imperialism in Haiti, how Haiti functions as a laboratory for imperialist exploitation and neocolonial oppression, the importance of solidarity across the hemisphere, and how BAP aims to support collective liberation by building a Zone of Peace in Our Americas. The conversation was held in Spanish. Listen on Spotify. Watch on YouTube.
Banner photo: Thousands rallied in Niger to demand France withdraw its troops, courtesy AFP