The Black is Back Coalition for Social Justice, Peace and Reparations has issued a call for black people to descend on Washington, DC this fall for a two-day mobilization demanding an end to U.S. military and economic aggression in Africa and African communities worldwide.
On November 3rd, marchers will gather at Malcolm X Park at noon and march to the White House for a rally at 2pm. Then on November 4th, an organizing conference will be held at the Stuart Center, 821 Varnum Street NE.
The Coalition cites several key issues that will be addressed in the November mobilization including:
- Eminent domain seizure of nearly 100 acres of land in the black community of St. Louis to construct the “National Geo-spatial Intelligence Station”, a $2 billion international spy station
- Escalating police killings of black people in cities across the U.S.
- Attacks by white citizens on black churches, campuses, restaurants and public transit
- Mass incarceration of black people and efforts to organize inside prisons
- U.S. wars of aggression in Africa, Asia and South America
- Nineteen Point Program on Electoral Politics
The Coalition was formed in 2009 to address the terrible conditions of existence for black people that were not being addressed once Barack Obama took office in the White House and many black activists shied away from criticizing the first black president.
The broad-based Coalition is comprised of organizations representing a range of issues and philosophies, unified in their view that the black struggle is a struggle for self-determination. They are calling for black community control of the police and schools, release of black political prisoners, reparations to African people, ending the special oppression of African women and an end to AFRICOM as well as U.S. military and economic warfare against that seeks the political destabilization of other countries like the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Syria, Iran, Venezuela, Nicaragua, China and Russia.
The steering committee, many of whom will speak at the Conference, includes:
- Omali Yeshitela, Chair of Black is Back Coalition
- Lisa Davis, Vice Chair and Chair of Coalition Healthcare Working Group
- Glen Ford, Coalition co-founder and Senior Editor of Black Agenda Report
- Nellie Bailey, Harlem Tenants’ Council
- Zaki Baruti, Universal African People’s Organization
- Betty Davis, New Abolitionist Movement
- Kamm Howard, National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America, Chair of Coalition Reparations Working Group
- Ajamu Baraka, Black Alliance for Peace
- Reverend Edward Pinkney, Black Autonomy Network Community Organization
- Khalid Raheem, New Afrikan Independence Party
- Ralph Poynter, Political Prisoners Working Group
- Diop Olugbala, Chair of Coalition Black Community Control of the Police Working Group
- Ikemba Ojore, Ubuntu
According to Coalition Chairman Omali Yeshitela, “The escalated attack by the U.S. on Africa and African people worldwide is evidence of the growing crisis of imperialist white power. The Black is Back Coalition is calling on all African people and friends of peace to join with us in a great celebration of resistance. We must get organized to defend ourselves against the war on our people in a process that will build a new world without black oppression and human exploitation.”
For more information or to register, visit blackisbackcoalition.org or call 786-505-9859.
