#5 Please Post at: https://betweenthebars.org/blogs/355/

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W R E T C H E D

"Know Your Enemies, from Your Friends."

Dedicated to Jazmine Barnes, murdered on Sunday, 2018, Chicago, Il.

"All of Us or None!"
On Sunday 10, 2012, I viewed an excellent and provocative Play on BET, and the primary theme centered upon the VALUE and IMPORTANCE of the "Black Family." The consistent hook-line expressed by the Actors/Actresses, was "Ain't Nothin' Like Family." While viewing the Play, two persistent thoughts came to mind and these were: "What if, as with the value and importance which we naturally feel and recognize must be shown and exercised towards our "immediate family," we extend the same degree of value and importance to OUR GREATER FAMILY, i.e. so-called "African-Americans" or even that of the general Black World?
In essence or the final analysis isn't this just what the "Black Lives Matter" movement is truly about or actually is indicative of, in terms of the psycho-emotional recognition on our behalfs of realizing and indeed KNOWING, that "We Are One;" as Frankie Beverly, of the music group Maze, so aptly and dynamically expressed? The second thought which came to mind, along with the burn-in pain and sense of deep rage, was..."FUCK AMERIKKKA!" This sentiment is one I express daily. It is not a feeling which is hardly reflective and nor born of "hopelessness," and I shall take this o the grave, and I'm under no illusions about the criminal nature of the United States--"Empire!" I am one of those brothaz whom belong to what Michelle Alexander refers to in her book, "The New Jim Crow," more "crows," from "Jim," to surely come, the "Black under-class," but in which I define as that of the "Black Have-Nots."
The title of this piece, "All of Us or None," is borrowed from a very concerned and quite engaged grassroots organization based in Oakland, California. I chose this title since it lights perfectly, not just the importance or strategic necessity of our thinking in terms of "collective interests;" but

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also, to focus on fostering conditions and employing the tactics required for our POLITICAL COHESION, i.e., how we must embrace and promote those ideas and programs which are geared towards translating the same degree of concern and loyalty or deep sense of affinity, in which we recognize as import and natural as regards that our immediate family-unit, to that of our GREATER FAMILY.
This is actually something or a principle practiced superbly by the brothers and sisters consisting of the excellent "People's" Newspaper, the San Francisco Bay View, a newspaper in which I highly recommend y'all both suscribe to as well as lend your financial support. Of course, but for the New Afrikan--so-called "African-Americans"--nation, there simply wouldn't be a phenomenon known as the "Black Family Unit." The very notion of a "family-unit," logically, dentoes that it is but an [underline]element[/underline], resting upon a greater "whole," as is indispensable generative basis, correct? A recurrent and persistent proverb expressed via various quarters of society/that of the Black community, is that, "It Takes A Village to Raise a Child."
Obviously, this proverb concerns and relates to practices involving programs for the benefit of the individual, as it is recognized that s/he is certainly dependent upon and hence must be supported by their community or extended family, so as to ensure s/he is cultivated in a positive manner via assuring that exxential needs--e.g., healthy foods, clothing, shelter, water, quality education and healthcare, opportunities, a decent paying job, etc.--are provided, which naturally goes a long way towards creating a secure and positive socio-economic context for all.

"I Am Because You Are, You Are, Because I Am, Therefore, We Are!" - Afrikan Proverb

It is our natural duty and unalterable responsibility to show and exercise the same level of concern and loyalty as regards our community, just as we do in the case of our immediate family-units. Not only because it's morally or ethically right to do sar, but also, because this appropriate attitude and approach involves a critical tactical component in relation to our overall strategy fro the obtainment for genuine and effective POWER in liberation across the Affkan world, (i.e. the conditions for maximum cohesion rooted in deep concern and loyalty towards the general Black community shall inevitably function to afford the necessitated strength for our struggle against neo-colonial-

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ism here in the United States and that of Afrika, and indeed towards the independence of Black people wherever we exist on this earth.
As to the crucial political matter of New Afrikan National Independence here on land in what is "now" defined as "Amerika," I encourage all sincere Black folks to persue the work "The Jackson Plan," by the now deceased (murdered) freedom fighter, Chokwe Lumumba and in fact all the materials produced via brothers and sisters of the growing New Afrikan Independence Movement (NAIM). We observed the strategic value and importance of greater "Unity of purpose" among our folks during the 1992 L.A. Rebellion, the Oscar Grant Protests and that of Trayvon Martin's murder, to merely cite a few cases since we're all well-aware of the entire movement which has awakened referred to as "Black Lives Matter."

"Cooperation Jackson is a part of a larger POLITICAL PROJECT that started with people who were part of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement as part of a larger vision for the City of Jackson and the broader Black Belt South. Cooperation Jackson is the economic engine, the part of the plan that is building towards economic democracy. It formed to build that. We see coops as a way for working people to be in CONTROL of our own labor, but to do it in a way that's PEOPLE-CENTERED, and decisions are made collectively. We VALUE that because WE VALUE EACH OTHER. Building out the coops for us is to ALWAYS BE CONCERNED ABOUT GOVERANCE, and the different aspects of things that are happening in our city. How do we engage in ways that make sense for our base, that make sense for OUR COMMUNITY?"
-Brandon King
(Socialism and Democracy, p.219, July 2016, "Building Power in a Frontline Community: The Cooperation Jackson Model")

However, such tremendous "emotional responses" aren't hardly sufficient as in time, emotions naturally subside as folks return to their day-to-day routine until the next, there will be a "next time," murder or blatant racist attack of one of us! In other words, the sense of concern and loyalty we need has to be PERMANENTLY ROOTED via systematically conditioning our communities-world, so as to be in a constant preparatory state towards effectively deploying forces for purposes of pursuing and demanding our socio-economic and political interests. Importantly, this necessarily involves and means that those individuals and organizations which inject themselves in developments such as for example, that of the Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Sandra Bland, etc. cases in

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order to agitate and guide our people towards the realization of this or that tactic, must adhere to ideas and agendas which serve to project and obtain our COLLECTIVE INTERESTS, i.e., their ideas and agendas should in no manner work to undermine our POLITICAL DEMANDS for security via self-determination and national liberation
Where ideas and agendas serve to further promote integrationist and civil rights illusions, and integrationist program motivated by a clear desire to act as collaborative agents for Amerikan Imperialism and White Male Supremacy, just witness Kamala Harris, Barack Obama, Colin Powell, Condi Rice, Susan Rider, Ben Carson, etc., it is our New Afrikan Revolutionary Socialist duty to point out to the masses the sharp contradictions as far as illustrating what negative and fruitless ends such an approach and program shall inevitably lead to or result in, juxaposed, of course, that of our own strategies, ideas and agendas, so as to heighlight the fundamental oppositional character of our New Afrikan Independence Movement and its programs, i.e., we must endeavor to put "freedom," "self-determination" and "state power," and indeed that of "socialism;" back on the mass radar via raising the collective consciousness especially open during these quite painful times.
Yes, deliberate tactics must be pursued which drive distinct political wedges and serve to spark ideo-philosophical fissures between our ideas and agendas--i.e., programs and aims--with that of the traditional assimilationist-accomodationist civil rights movement, even as we maturely and sagaciously coalition with these forces on matters deserving our tactical attention and involvement. Our primary problem is that, in terms of our folks notions and rights as regards "national liberation," at this juncture, truthfully speaking, aren't or rather isn't hardly on the MASSES' radar, i.e., there simply isn't any significant political interest nor movement towards national liberation, state power, land, etc.
The key term here is, "POLITICAL INTERESTS," as it is THIS (i.e., INTERESTS), in which we are obliged to systematically cultivate and generate via specific and prudently approached strategies and tactics, which thus far continues to escape us due to, first and foremost, our own failures and/or lack of creative and competent cadres. An important question I have is: How can we reasonably indict the Justice System, corporate Amnerika, financial entities, the Pentagon-military, CIA, FBI, Law Enforcement generally, Dept. of Corrections, etc., without ALSO responsibly and contemporaneously indicting Black Judges, District Attorneys, Prosecutors, Wardens, Chiefs, Generals, Prison Guards, Executives, etc., etc. whom

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function as entrusted GUARDIANS or AGENTS (e.g., again Wardens, Chiefs, Generals, Executives, Directors, etc.) of these same institutions towards the realization of our ENEMIES' program of repression, exploitation and domination? Also, is it not these folks whom comprise the Black Middle-Class and miniscule Upper Class whom, in the main, are affiliated with civil rights organizations such as the NAACP, Urban League, Congressional Black Caucus, Action Network, Rainbow Coalition, CORE, etc.? In other words, it is evident that this class has a definite interest in securing and sustaining a COLLABORATIVE POSTURE or RELATIONSHIP IN DEEP DUPLICITY towards the exact same SYSTEM in which they'd have us believe their ideas and agendas are somehow designed to effectively challenge, even as they are deeply absorbed and assimilated into that very system of oppression, i.e., a process framed and directed by the white male capitalist-imperialist ruling class on EVERY conceivable level, in which Blacks are even subordinate to and whose strategic priorities they must serve to advance and protect, just as "Boy Wonder," Barack Obama, did on a domestic and global scale.

WHY, WE MUST PONDER, DID THE ACTUAL PREMIRE FOUNDER OF THE NAACP, W.E.B. DU BOIS, DECIDE TO REPUDIATE NOT JUST THE NAACP, BUT IMPORTANTLY, AMERIKKKAN CITIZENSHIP?

Did our brilliant, although definitely politically ambivalent at times, ancestor, a deeply sincere and committed progressive radical, "come to his senses," in terms of finally realizing what in fact Marcus Garvey and others of like-mind had long ago concluded: THE UNITED STATES SHALL EVER BE A BASTION OF WHITE MALE SUPREMACY? Unless we're blinded by a naive and dangerous sense of "skin color" loyalty, to the irrational extreme, it must be conceded that their "infiltration," as far as functioning as agents of the whate males' system of supremacy under the economic and political systems of Capitalism-Imperialism and Colonialism (neo), against our collective interests, is well-known and apparently dutifully accepted, as afterall it was/is their individual material and financial goals which were/are ever motivated by collaborative pursuits and compliant relations from the outset.
Although the main theme of this piece centers upon the vital strategic and tactical necessity for greater political cohesion, the fact is it would be terribly wrong and quite harmful for us to ignore and deny the profound reality of our clearly being a CLASS DIVIDED people.
Thus, we must logically and responsibly proceed on the basis of identifying those forces among us whom represent a serious danger and entrenched obstacle towards

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our communal interests, i.e., color-identification cannot and must not ever be the inexorable standard for our political positions and pursuits of greater unity without taking into account those of our hue whom are agents of this oppressive matrix.

"...Rather than [underline]challenging the basic structure of society and doing the work of movement building[/underline]--the work to which King was still committed at the end of his life--WE HAVE BEEN TEMPTED TOO OFTEN BY THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR TO BE INCLUDED WITHIN THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC STRUCTURES AS--IS, EVEN IF IT MEANS ALIENATING THOSE WHO ARE NECESSARY ALLIES. [underline]We have allowed ourselves to be WILLFULLY BLIND to the EMERGENCE OF A NEW CASTE SYSTEM[/underline]..."
(The New Jim Crow, p.259)

Hell, more than just "willfully blind to the emergence of a new caste system," since the fact is negroes of the Middle Class have actually consciously advocated for and endorsed the construction of the "Prison Industrial Genocidal-Slave Complex," ask Jesse Jackson, Sr. and Rev. Al Sharpton, each of whom supported racist-based repressive policies targeting our communities. These are truly neo-colonial PAWNS.

To be continued...

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