BALTIMORE––It has been one year since the uprising in Baltimore, Maryland which demonstrated a welcome sign of African resistance.
This resistance was sparked by the murder of Freddie Gray, by Baltimore City police.
Freddie suffered a spinal cord injury on April 12, 2015, which was inflicted by the BPD while they arrested him. This injury led to his death a week later on April 19th.
According to witnesses, Gray made eye contact with a cop and started to run. Witnesses recall that Freddie was violently hurled to the ground and bent up “like a pretzel.”
In videos of Freddie’s arrest he can be seen screaming in pain while being dragged by the pigs to the van, clearly unable to walk.
Freddie’s injuries included three fractured vertebrae, injuries to his voice box, and his spine 80% severed at his neck.
He was thrown into the back of a police van, handcuffed. Witnesses later recall the van stopping and several pigs opening the back of the van to place a motionless, lifeless Freddie in leg irons.
Freddie went into a coma and died on April 19th.
Africans in Baltimore rebel
Hundreds of Africans took to the streets of Baltimore on April 25, 2015, protesting the murder of Freddie, as well as other police murders of Africans.
Two days later during this righteous uprising, Africans began to take back what was theirs. Some Africans liberated resources from stores in their community which have been robbing Africans for years.
Africans fought the pigs in the streets, wounding at least 15 pigs in one day. Police patrol cars and vans were set ablaze, as well as some stores in the community that had no regard for Africans.
Maryland State police immediately sent 82 pigs into Baltimore to quell the uprising, but it didn’t work. Africans remained in the streets demanding their resources back and fighting for black power.
A major league baseball game was cancelled in the city because the State was afraid they would not be able to protect its white fans.
Maryland governor Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency, sent in the National Guard and 500 state police, and also called in 5,000 additional pigs from other locales.
This did little to quell the uprising as Africans remained in the streets, fighting the pigs.
The State then initiated a curfew requiring all Africans to be off the streets by 10:00 p.m. In the days that followed, Baltimore schools closed down including the local university. Stores began to close.
Africans could clearly see, however, through the tactics of the State and knew that their demands were not being addressed. Even more Africans in Baltimore began to take to the streets.
In fact, Africans in cities around the U.S. began to now take to the streets. Africans in St. Petersburg and Miami, Florida; Chicago; Minneapolis; Philadelphia; Portland; Seattle; Oakland and Los Angeles flooded the streets and highways in unity with Africans in Baltimore.
Africans in the streets, many armed with only rocks and bottles, bravely faced the State pigs with their guns and tanks. Africans across the country were united and laughed in the face of the State’s show of force, terrifying white people and shaking the imperialist system to its foundation.
The State in turmoil
If the State wanted to maintain control, they had to act quickly. Their show of force with all of its tanks and military snipers, had no effect on the heroic young Africans in the streets.
On May 1, 2015, in the midst of the uprising, the State made its move.
Marilyn Mosby, the State attorney and an African woman, announced that she was charging 6 of the pigs for their role in the death of Freddie Gray.
This was a very calculated move by the State. Mosby’s black face was simply used to quell the masses of Africans from continuing to revolt.
Marilyn Mosby is white power in black face––neocolonialism––similar to other Africans before her, including current U.S. president Barack Hussein Obama.
Mosby still works as a product of the State. Her job is to protect those in power––the oppressive white ruling class.
Chairman of the African People’s Socialist Party (APSP) Omali Yeshitela said it best:
“The question is not whether Marilyn Mosby is a nice or militant or a “good” African person, as persons go. The fact is the State and the nature and task of the State do not change no matter the color or gender of its representatives.”
This strategic move by the State to use Mosby to charge 6 of their pigs confused many Africans into believing that justice had been served.
Nothing could be further from the truth. We should know from the murders of Mike Brown and countless of other Africans that it means nothing when a pig is charged.
The State will continue to cover for itself. Even when the State charges its representatives, they will likely serve no time in prison.
Even if the pigs were to serve time in prison, it would not stop the State from killing Africans. The job of the State is to oppress and murder Africans worldwide.
White power in black face
Marilyn Mosby is a State attorney whose job is (and always has been) to send Africans to prison. She has actually bolstered her career off of sending Africans to prison.
In fact, three weeks before Freddie was arrested, Mosby requested “enhanced drug enforcement” at the corner of North and Mount––the exact same area that Freddie was accosted and brutalized by pigs.
Mosby also charged then 18-year-old African Allen Bullock for participating in the Baltimore uprising. At one point, Allen was facing 45 years in prison for breaking the window of a cop car. He was sentenced in March 2016 to 6 months in prison and 5 years’ probation.
Instead of being sent to prison, Allen should be viewed as a hero in the African community. His heroic resistance proved to the State that Africans are not willing to be oppressed.
Baltimore now has an African police chief––Anthony Batts. His job, obviously, is to also maintain the status quo under the leadership of a black face.
Under Batts’ leadership, Baltimore pigs have arrested even more Africans in the community.
The State is not our friend, no matter how it’s presented.
Revolution is the only solution!
The African People’s Socialist Party and the Uhuru Movement descended on Baltimore immediately after the police murder of Freddie Gray, armed with banners calling for “Black Community Control of the Police (BCCP)”, “Know Your Rights” cards and The Burning Spear newspaper.
The Party witnessed firsthand the extreme poverty that Africans in Baltimore are forced to live in and recognized that the situation for Africans is similar across the entire globe.
The APSP is clear that we cannot reform a system that was created with the sole purpose of oppressing Africans and Indigenous people.
The only way for Africans and other oppressed peoples to get justice is through obtaining power. The only way for us to obtain power is through revolution.
The APSP is preparing Africans to govern ourselves. Under the leadership of Chairman Omali Yeshitela, the Party is ready to overturn this social system and lead Africans towards gaining self-determination.
Through revolution, we will have peace.
Join the African People’s Socialist Party!
Fists Up! Fight Back!
Africans Must Resist!
Uhuru!
