The ruling class has long deployed propaganda meant to obscure the rule of capital and normalize capitalist interests as the general interest of society. But lately, the liberal Western intelligentsia has elevated that deployment to a science.
The concept of humanitarian intervention and its logical derivative, the Responsibility to Protect, have proven to be one of the most innovative ideological weapons ever produced. By combining normalized assumptions of white Western civilizational superiority and the liberal anti-authoritarianism encoded in the DNA of the liberal project, imperialism has been able to win broad support for everything from direct military interventions and drone warfare to punitive sanctions against whole societies. These actions are framed as defending human rights, and even as “democracy.”
The Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) has consistently from its inception attempted to confront this ideological weapon. We named it for what it is: The 21st century version of the “white man’s burden.” We have sought to shed light on the white supremacist nature of the white man's burden's murderous consequences, in places such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Africa as a whole, and in Latin America, where NATO has expanded.
We have continued our work in solidarity with the peoples of Haiti, who are in a life-and-death struggle with a U.S.-supported regime and a U.S.-supported president, Jovenel Moïse. He ironically got the full support of the Biden-Harris administration and Democrats when he refused to leave office at the end of his term. We say "ironically" because just a few weeks earlier, Democrats were squealing about the possibility of Trump not leaving office.
On the issue of Afghanistan, BAP has been consistent and clear in demanding an end to that war and full compliance with the peace accord that required the United States to withdraw all forces from the country, including its mercenaries called private contractors, as well as NATO, its ally in white global supremacy.
And then we come to China. It is the new enemy, not because they are demonstrating by just existing as a nation the contrasting limitations and contradictions of the capitalist model to provide basic things, like protection against a pandemic. No, China has been deemed the enemy because they are so-called “human rights violators" with an “authoritarian” government that just released a report documenting old news: The United States has been the main threat to international peace since the end of the Second World War.
Who will save us? It will not be the Western saviors who align with their rulers. It will be us, the colonized and oppressed, the workers and peasants, the newly emerging “peoples” who recognize the primary contradiction in the world today is between the colonial-capitalist world order and collective humanity.
PRESS AND MEDIA
The April 6 episode of “Voices With Vision,” kicked off with BAP’s call for an “International Day of Action on Afghanistan” which was held on April 8. Netfa Freeman, who represents BAP member organization Pan-African Community Action (PACA) on BAP’s Coordinating Committee, and co-host Craig Hall, got a chance to speak with Comrade Brother Eugene Puryear of the Party for Socialism & Liberation, fresh from his trip to Haiti, where he was able to tell them first-hand what is happening on the ground as the uprising against Jovenel Moïse and U.S. imperialism grows stronger. In the second half, they chopped it up with BAP member Dr. Jared Ball on the issue of anti-Black multiracialism in commercial media. But as is customary, the show began with a commentary by political prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal as he fights through poor health to talk about the environment of oppression that the wretched of the earth live under at the hands of the state.
The April 13 episode of “Voices With Vision” began with a deeper dive into BAP’s call for the United States to withdraw from Afghanistan as the original May 1 deadline to get out of the country—troops and all—gets closer. BAP member Jacqueline Luqman of “Luqman Nation” had some choice words on that, followed by BAP Solidarity Network Coordinator Julie Varughese. Then in the second half, a special segment on the crypto currency, Bitcoin and anti-imperialism. For that, Netfa and Craig speak with Liberation Psychologist and activist Nozomi Hayase. This episode included beats "Wild Wild West" by Kool Moe Dee, "The 4th Branch" by Immortal Technique, "Banksters Paradise (A Bitcoin Song)" by Mr Maphs, and "Behind These Prison Walls" by David Rovics.
BAP called for an International Day of Action on Afghanistan on April 8 before the Biden-Harris administration announced the September 11 troop withdrawal, which violates the agreement between the Taliban and the previous administration. Julie joined hosts Jacqueline and Sean Blackmon on Radio Sputnik’s “By Any Means Necessary” to discuss the day of action. Then Julie and BAP National Organizer Ajamu Baraka were on Black Power Media with Jared the morning of the International Day of Action on Afghanistan. BAP also published an article in Black Agenda Report titled, “Biden-Harris Look Ready to Keep U.S. in Afghanistan—Say No!”
Julie then joined Radio Sputnik’s “The Critical Hour” 31:09 minutes in to discuss Biden’s announcement that the United States will withdraw troops September 11, a possible tactic to provoke the Taliban to resume attacks, thereby requiring the United States to delay withdrawing U.S troops from Afghanistan.
Black Agenda Report Contributing Editor Danny Haiphong announced the International Day of Action on Afghanistan at the start of an April 4 webinar titled, "Yellow Peril and Red Scare: Forum on the Rise in Anti-Asian Racism."
Journalist Richard Medhurst did an episode of his YouTube series about the International Day of Action on Afghanistan. You can watch it on his Twitter page. Ajamu’s public-service announcement on the International Day of Action on Afghanistan was played 14:30 minutes into Popular Resistance’s “Clearing the Fog.”
Black Alliance for Peace Solidarity Network member Matt Almonte gave a presentation on April 7, 2021, to a group of students at Hostos Community College in the Bronx, New York. He explained Afghanistan's history leading up to the United States invading the country in 2001 for its "War on Terror." Matt also discussed the use of women's rights to justify the war and occupation.
Sobukwe Shukur of BAP member organization All-African People’s Revolutionary Party (A-APRP) reflected on Bobi Wine's meeting with Juan Guaido in a Hood Communist piece titled, “Why Bobi Wine Met With Juan Guaido.”
Egypt and Sudan rejected an Ethiopian proposal to share data on the operations of the "Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam," its hydropower dam on the Blue Nile, after negotiations this week between the three countries in Kinshasa ended without progress. Netfa contextualized the issue.
Netfa joined Radio Sputnik's "The Critical Hour" to discuss Haiti 74:01 minutes into the show. NNV News also interviewed Netfa about Haiti 45 minutes in.
Workers World newspaper highlighted BAP's Haiti rallies in a recent article.
Ajamu was one of the featured speakers at a No Cold War international webinar titled, “For a Peaceful Pacific: opposing NATO's military aggression.” He discussed the U.S. military global command system alongside allies and members of Indigenous communities of the Indo-Pacific region.
Ajamu was interviewed on Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley and Glen Ford discussing the importance of de-centering Europe from discussions of fascism in a segment titled, “Black Alliance for Peace: Fascism Born in the Colonies, Not Europe.” A transcript also was published in Hood Communist.
BAP member Erica Caines spoke at an emergency press conference for Mumia Abu-Jamal on April 15 alongside Marc Lamont Hill, Angela Davis and others.
Margaret appeared on the Fred Hampton Leftists podcast to discuss the Black political agenda.
BAP member organization Ujima People’s Progress Party criticized the Black misleadership class in a Hood Communist article titled, “The Black Working Class Must Defend Itself, Not the Black Misleadership Class.” Hood Communist has remained permanently banned from Twitter without any explanation.
Danny Haiphong laid out why revolutionaries should critique the Democratic Party in a Black Agenda Report article titled, “Criticizing the Democratic Party is not “Privileged: It Is the Duty of a Revolutionary.”
EVENTS
April 11-22: Join California actions to bring home political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal, who recently has been hospitalized.
April 22: Join BAP's next webinar, "The Role of Culture in Resistance and Revolution." Register today.
April 22-25: Join the "Post-Capitalism Conference: Building a Solidarity Economy." Register here.
April 24 (1-4 p.m.) and April 25 (1-3 p.m.): PACA and Black Lives Matter-DC will rally outdoors in Washington, D.C., for Mumia Abu-Jamal’s 67th birthday. Speakers, food, drink and musical entertainment will be available. Please wear a mask.
April 28: The Claudia Jones School for Political Education, Black Women Radicals and the Paul Robeson House & Museum are hosting an evening with Professor Dayo Gore who will speak on her book, "Radicalism at the Crossroads: African American Women Activists in the Cold War." Register here.
April 29: Pencil in your calendar 7-8:30 p.m., EST, for the BAP Solidarity Network's webinar, "#MayDayAfghanistan: Building a People's Movement to End U.S. Imperialism in Afghanistan and Around the World." Check our events page for registration information in the coming days.
TAKE ACTION
Sign BAP petitions calling for an end to the 1033 program and peace in Afghanistan.
Dedan Waciuri, who represents Black Workers for Justice on BAP’s Coordinating Committee, is being charged for inciting a riot and damaging government property. Sign this petition to demand charges be dropped.
Our brother, former political prisoner Jalil Muntaqim, faces the possibility of re-incarceration for filling out a voter registration form. Sign this petition to demand charges be dropped.
The Black Latina Girls and Women Fund was created by BAP member organization AfroResistance, a Black Latina women-led organization in the service of Black Latinx women in the Americas. This fund offers financial support by giving money directly to Black Latin womxn, girls and femmes who are experiencing severe financial need across the region, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether in Brazil, Colombia, United States or Panama, Black Latina girls, women, and femmes are organizing in their local communities in the fight against several forms of state violence. You can donate here and people are encouraged to use the hashtag #BlackLatinaGWFund.
Sign up to join BAP’s U.S. Out of Africa Network to receive the bi-weekly AFRICOM Watch Bulletin in your inbox.
Make sure you keep up with us throughout the week by subscribing to our YouTube channel, liking us on Facebook, and following us on Instagram and Twitter.
No Compromise, No Retreat!
Struggle to win,
Ajamu, Charisse, Dedan, Erica, Jaribu, Margaret, Netfa, Nnamdi, Paul, Rafiki
P.S. Freedom isn’t free. Consider giving today.
Banner photo: A child, who has been internally displaced, stands outside a temporary home at a refugee camp in Afghanistan. (AFP)