Black Star Industries (BSI) is a powerful economic institution of the African People’s Socialist Party. It was designed to bring about independence in the African community.
We want to be able to feed, clothe and house ourselves independently, without the assistance of a foreign, colonial, imperialist power.
Realizing our people are being oppressed around the world, we are working hard, day and night, to acquire and restore dilapidated buildings in the northside of St. Louis. We do this because we take seriously our obligation and responsibility to bring about economic development which will in turn change lives.
Black Star Industries and the Black Power Blueprint are making a great impact with the establishment of our institutions for the people. We are even contracting to have the work done by our people so that African talent and labor can go towards building our own future.
Through these efforts, we are building a lasting sense of pride, establishing entities which supply the needs of our people.
Under the BSI umbrella, we have businesses such as food stores, commercial kitchens, market places, community gardens and clothing and furniture stores.
It has been said that if Africans in America constituted a nation, we would be the 10th richest nation on Earth.
Yet, at the same time, they say that the dollar does not circulate one time in the black community, compared to 10 times in the Jewish community, eight times in the Italian community and six times in the Chinese and Korean communities.
As a people, we must learn how to capture these dollars matriculating away from our economy.
BSI and the Black Power Blueprint exist because we realize the political and economic are one.
“I’m black and I’m proud!”
The Musa Abantu Black Power Poetry and Open Mic event is the vehicle through which we, the Black Power Blueprint, seek to culturally engage our people and to inspire them to revolutionary actions and ideas.
Our African culture is replete with poems, songs and dances created and designed to give expression to the ideas in our minds and the desires of our hearts.
“Say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud,” is the means by which James Brown was able to inspire our people to a higher level of self-love, consciousness and awareness.
The song became the unofficial anthem of the Black Power movement.
We, as a people, long to be free and to rid ourselves of the physical and psychological chains of colonialism that keep us bound to this parasitic system of capitalism, exploitation and oppression.
We must use all means at our disposal to re-awaken our people to the fact that they are colonized and oppressed and to do what must be done to permanently rid ourselves of this condition.
Our condition was succinctly expressed in a few verses of the James Brown tune: “We demand a change to do things for ourselves. We’re tired of beating our heads against the wall and working for someone else!”
We must recapture this genre of expression and use it to ignite the revolutionary fervor that once engulfed our communities.
Through cultural presentations, the Musa Abantu Black Power Poetry and Open Mic Event is a means by which we showcase local talent and raise awareness in our communities.
Through music and spoken word, we are acknowledging what our people have brought to the entertainment industry and how, for centuries, we have communicated our struggles, triumphs and tragedy through artistic expression.
We began with “Celebrating the Beauty of the African Woman” in September.
Then, our October event showcased the talent of some socially conscious young people who understand the importance of liberation.
In the month of November, we addressed an issue that is prevalent in our communities: horizontal violence.
Honoring the life and legacy of one who struggled so valiantly, this event was officially renamed the Musa Abantu Black Power and Open Mic Event to uplift the name of our fallen comrade, Musa Mustafa Abantu.
This young brother fought mightily to rid himself and his people of the contradictions that plague us under this social system.
And indeed, the transformative teachings of African Internationalism had the desired effect on this young brother. He was so motivated by this that he packed up all he had and moved to St. Louis, Missouri to be in the midst of struggle to achieve black liberation.
The Black Power Poetry event is designed to bring aboutthe results he strove for.
The establishment of these institutions shows that we are, as Chairman Omali Yeshitela says, building dual and contending power, preparing to govern and lead the fight for liberation of our people.
#VanguardUp!
Unity of theory and practice!
