Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Free Diop Olubala! Drop the charges now!
Free Diop Olubala! Drop the charges now!By Penny Hess, African People’s Solidarity Committee
I urge everyone to call, write and email to the judge to demand that the charges are dropped against Diop Olugbala, a leading African community organizer for the International People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement (InPDUM).
Diop is facing felony charges of aggravated assault in a political trial that begins August 24 in Philadelphia for speaking out at a city council meeting in March of this year against the city’s planned severe budget cuts that would eliminate essential services in African communities of the city.
Diop led the InPDUM protest pointing out that while Philadelphia cut back on essentials for the African community in the name of the city’s budget crisis, it was at the same time increasing its financial allocations to the militarized police responsible for on-going harassment, brutality and murders in an African community plagued with staggering poverty and unemployment rates.
Diop was holding a sign calling for African people to resist the city’s billion-dollar war budget targeting the African community when he was physically attacked by plain clothed police and arrested.
Diop is also well known for challenging then-presidential candidate Barack Obama at a campaign event in St. Petersburg, Florida in 2008 to answer the question, “What about the black community, Obama?”
It was this bold action that got media coverage around the world, exposing Obama for being “white power in black face,” who would continue to carry out the imperialist agenda against oppressed peoples of the world and against African and oppressed peoples inside this country.
While most of the white left and anti-war movement was silenced by its unity with the first black imperial president, Diop and InPDUM laid bare Obama’s role as a neocolonial shill who won the election by blatantly selling out the interests of the African community and the oppressed peoples of the world.
Diop must be supported because he represents organized African resistance in this period. He represents Africans struggling for justice and liberation in 2010 in the face of brutal containment policies—similar to those carried out by the US in wars of plunder and occupation around the world—that have African communities on lockdown and serving as fodder for the lucrative US prison economy.
Diop shows us that the struggle of the Black Revolution of the Sixties was never completed. It was defeated by the same US government that is trying to save itself from crisis by attacking the people of Afghanistan and Mexican people right here.
There are many political prisoners from the earlier period of struggle who must be supported and freed—heroic people such as Sundiata Acoli and Mumia Abu Jamal.
But Diop represents the new era of political struggle and resistance—young African people rising up to fight the endless police attacks on the streets, the hostile education system, the rampant African community unemployment, the frame ups and discriminatory sentencing that are responsible for nearly 4 million African people being tied to the prison system.
Diop is the political prisoner of today, part of a growing organized movement of African people struggling for liberation in the face of Obama’s myth of a “post-racial America” and a deepening US economic crisis brought about by the emerging resistance of oppressed and colonized people around the world.
From the white community we must stand in solidarity with the movement to free Diop Olugbala, recognizing that as in the 1960s the leadership of a genuine movement in this country for social justice and against this vicious imperialism comes from the African community struggling for African freedom right here.
Drop the charges against Diop Olugbala (slave name: Wali Rahman); reparations to Diop!
Here’s what you can do:
1. Call judge Roxanne Covington at 215-683-7142 every Monday with the following demand:
"I am calling to oppose the City of Philadelphia’s efforts to convict Diop Olugbala, also known as Wali Rahman, with the trumped up felony charge of aggravated assault on police. His arrest represents an attack on the rights of African people to free speech and economic development. I stand with the demand for the immediate dropping of all charges against Wali Rahman and Franklin Moses."
2. Call district attorney Seth Williams at 215-686-8000 and demand all charges against Wali Rahman be dropped.
3. Email the judge at: tdaccrimssupport@courts.phila.gov
Monday, July 26, 2010
Sunday, August 1st - Uhuru Solidarity Training Conference: Reparations in Action!
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Please confirm that you can participate by emailing: info@uhurusolidarity.org Training Conference REPARATIONS IN ACTION! Sunday, August 1st 10:00am – 3:00pm EDT For all supporters and allies of African liberation: We want to invite you to a training conference this Sunday, August 1st from 10am – 3pm EDT. Uhuru Solidarity Movement is launching exciting new campaigns as part of the reparations in action to support the work of the African People's Socialist Party, coming off its successful 5th Congress, leading the worldwide struggle for African liberation, and building the Uhuru Movement as the leading activist organization for real change all over the world. Participate from anywhere in the world through web video or phone! Instructions for how to connect are at the bottom of this email. Please confirm by email that you can participate in this conference! A detailed agenda will be sent out later in the week, but the topics covered in the conference and training are:
INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO JOIN THE CONFERENCE: Topic: Uhuru Solidarity Movement Training Conference: "Reparations in Action!" Time: 10:00 am, Eastern Daylight Time (New York, GMT-04:00) Meeting Number: 731 329 716 Meeting Password: uhuru ------------------------------------------------------- To join the online meeting (Now from iPhones too!) -------------------------------------------------------
https://freetrial.webex.com/freetrial/j.php?ED=136214622&UID=0&PW=NZGI5ZDcwYzdj&ORT=MiMxMQ%3D%3D ------------------------------------------------------- To join the audio conference only ------------------------------------------------------- To receive a call back, provide your phone number when you join the meeting, or call the number below and enter the access code. Call-in toll number (US/Canada): 1-650-429-3300 Access code: 731 329 716 ------------------------------------------------------- For assistance -------------------------------------------------------
info@uhurusolidarity.org | ||||||
African People's Solidarity Committee / Uhuru Solidarity Movement info@uhurusolidarity.org • www.UhuruSolidarity.org • UhuruSolidarity.blogspot.com Listen to "Solidarity Not Charity" on UhuruRadio.com - Sundays at 1pm U.S. Eastern | ||||||
Study, discuss, organize with Uhuru Solidarity Movement online
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Saturday, April 3, 2010
Take a stand against criminalization of African youth gatherings in Philly
Uhuru! This powerful situation unfolding in Philly is giving us in the white community the opportunity to see first hand the reality that the Uhuru Movement has been exposing for so long -- that there are truly two realities in Philly and in the U.S.-- one experienced by the entire white population and a totally different one experienced by African and Latino people.
Just last night there was a flash mob action during rush hour at the 30th Street Amtrak station with 600 young people swarming through the station. They jammed up the whole concourse and stood frozen in place for three long minutes as commuters tried to get through. Were they viciously clubbed by police and arrested? Was there mass hysteria and condemnation by the city government and population? Were they criminalized in the media today as scum criminal types trying to intimidate our good citizens?
Hell no! They were Drexel University students carrying out a charming, "whimsical" (Phila Inquirer), action to show that hundreds of people can come together in Philly peacefully. "This is not a riot" they said, and claimed to be "taking back" the concept of flash mobs as a cool thing to do, unlike the recent African youth rebellions.
Can you imagine 600 young Africans going into 30th Street station and standing still, jamming the place up and not being so much as touched by the Amtrak police, Septa police and Philadelphia police? I remember when ONE unarmed, homeless and mentally ill African man was shot dead in that station for defending himself from Amtrak police by holding a chair in front of him to keep the police thugs from attacking him!
We have to wake our community up! Who are the real criminals and where is the violence really coming from?
Talking of mobs. Does anyone remember the Williams family in Gray's Ferry getting attacked outside their house by the white nationalist mob of firemen coming out of their "beef and beer" in 1997? The Uhuru Movement and the African community led demonstrations of hundreds of people to protest this attack, (and exposing that this was a daily occurrence), forcing the DA's office to make a reluctant arrest or two. It was reminiscent of the white mob attacks on African people in Philly and the Northeast throughout the 1800s. There's a plaque on Lombard at 6th to the "Lombard Street Riot" where hundreds of Irish and Italians viciously attacked the African parade that was celebrating Jamaican independence. Hundreds of African were beaten and many killed. African homes, churches and an orphanage were burned down, yet none of the white people were arrested. This was the norm.
This is our true history. The entire white population has participated in terrorizing African people to keep the jobs, land and resources stolen from African and indigenous people for ourselves.
Nothing has changed. YET!
African people have always struggled against slavery and colonial terror and oppression. The recent African gatherings/youth rebellions are part of an intensification of organized resistance led today by the Uhuru Movement. Oppressed and colonized people around the world and right here are rising up to take back what's theirs. We'd better understand it and get on the right side or we're going to go down with imperialism and reaction!
We in the white community have the opportunity to take the right stand as never before!
Yes, 29 more young Africans have been sent to prison in Philly in one swoop. Crime rates have gone down after all, so the police have got to do something to help fill those prison beds that Wall Street brokers are betting on. The prison system is what's keeping the economies of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia afloat. More young people from the African community in Phila are sent to prison than almost anywhere in the country, creating a billion dollar economy -- jobs for clerks, police, judges, parasitic lawyers & DAs -- not to mention prison slave labor where Africans make most of the paint products and paint brushes in the U.S., electronic parts, office furniture, even bombs, for pennies a day.
Where is the outcry about this violent system that locks up a whole generation of young African people to make money for white people? Where's the outcry at the brutal police murders of African people which happens every week in Philly without a word of protest from the same folks who are all upset about a table at Macy's getting knocked over?
Why is there no outrage when the reports comes out that the First Congressional District (large parts of Phila, Chester etc) has the second highest rate of hunger in the U.S. or that up to 76% of families in African communities in North and West Phila live in dire poverty! There are no jobs for young African people. Two out of five people in Phila public schools are termed permanent truants. This means there is nothing for African students in the colonial schools except hostile teachers, humiliation and police.
It's truly time that we get organized if we want to change this reality. We must support the right of African people to fight back and organize to transform their conditions of life. Any sincere white person and all allies of the African community reading this needs to join the Uhuru Solidarity Movement and get organized under the leadership of the African working class revolution. We surely owe African people reparations and we can start by actively working in solidarity with the movement for African liberation and self-determination.
Take a stand with us to make the outcry from the white community against the criminalization of the African community and in solidarity with the just demands of the International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement:
- Hands off the Philly African youth gatherings: drop all trumped-up charges against those Africans rounded up in the Center City and South Street incidents.
- Reparations to the African community: $1.1 billion for community-controlled education, housing and economic development—not police containment.
- We demand community control of the police.
- Free Diop Olugbala! Hands off the City Hall 2!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
April 4th Study on "The Black Jacobins" (revolution in Haiti)
Penny Hess, Chairwoman of the African People's Solidarity Committee and author of "Overturning the Culture of Violence," will lead a study of "The Black Jacobins," a powerful book on the revolution in Haiti that helps give context to the situation today.Sunday, April 4th, 1pm U.S. Eastern
Tune in to Solidarity Not Charity on UhuruRadio.com
Email/call with questions and comments:
Email: dj@uhururadio.com
Skype: uhururadio
U.S. phone: 727-565-1599
UK phone: 020-8133-6629
This is a follow up to the study held by the Uhuru Solidarity Movement on February 20th. Penny Hess will deepen our understandings of the conditions faced by African people in Haiti during the period of slavery, the social forces at play in the Caribbean and Europe and the heroic African resistance that resulted in the first successful African-led workers' revolution in the western hemisphere.
People are encouraged to read the book ahead of the study, but that is not required.
Penny will give an overview of the book, read from some selected passages and then open it up for discussion.
So mark your calendars and join us for this important study!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Haiti: The devastation began in 1492 (updated slideshow)
This slideshow gives a historical context for the devastation following the earthquake in Haiti.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Africa's Resources in African Hands Tour Event in New York City a Success!
The night kicked off with Brazilian drumming by ZapOte and the revolutionary freedom songs of T & Willetz, setting the tone for an exciting evening!
O
ronde Takuma, the leader of the African People's Socialist Party NYC, spoke on the conditions in the African community in New York and around the world, the need for revolutionary organization and the control of African resources by African people, and the role that white allies can play in solidarity with African liberation. He closed by saying, "I look at APSC Chairwoman Penny Hess and the other comrades in the solidarity movement, and I don't see white people. I see revolutionaries. And every white person can truly be a revolutionary if they take this stand."
Chairwoman Penny Hess delivered a riveting multimedia presentation on Haiti and the call for Africa's Resources in African Hands, drawing from the brutal history of slavery and colonialism to lay out the analysis of Chairman Omali Yeshitela and African Internationalism and to explain the strategy of the African People's Solidarity Committee, an organization of white people and other allies who have a principled relationship working under the leadership of the Party building genuine solidarity with African-led programs for self-determination.The event was well-attended despite the weather, and also included a silent auction and bake sale raising many resources for the African Village Survival Initiative Programs. There was also lots of exciting culture including African uplift poet Robert Gibbons and blues/soul singer The Puge from the African band Juneteenth, who expressed deep respect and unity with the Uhuru Movement.
Chairwoman Penny Hess continued the Africa's Resources in African Hands tour up to Toronto Canada with an event co-sponsored by InPDUM Toronto and the Canada Haiti Action Network entitled "Haiti: Solidarity Not Charity." Also, the tour will end in Philadelphia on Tuesday March 2nd with a potluck and forum on Haiti. See more info at http://uhurusolidarity.org.
With the NYC kickoff event complete, the Uhuru Solidarity Movement will be building in New York City, with a follow-up meeting this Saturday, March 6th at The Center at 208 W. 13th St in Greenwich Village starting at 2:00pm. All New York area people are invited to attend and participate in building solidarity with Africa's Resources in African Hands!