By Chairman Omali Yeshitela

The Back Coalition for Social Justice, Peace and Reparations is an organization that was begun on September 12, 2009.

We were organized in Washington, D.C. and were compelled to come together for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the election of Barack Hussein Obama some eight months prior.

It concerned many of the founders of the coalition that many people around the world and inside this country would be confused by the fact that imperialism—U.S. imperialism—historically categorized by white nationalism, rape and plunder of the non-white people around the world, would now have a black face.

It’s really important that when we begin this process of talking about the 50th anniversary of that mural being removed––which is December of this year––that we do establish some kind of historical context for the discussion. 

Otherwise, people are likely to think that this is just some kind of debate simply revolving around a picture, and what should go up on the walls of City Hall. 

But it’s more than that, it’s more than the discussion about a picture. So I’d just like to discuss more about the historical context, and that’s something that’s really important right now because, although we are seeing a lot of activism that is beginning to reoccur in the cities throughout this country, we went through a period of two generations, more than two generations, more than forty years of there not being much political action or much political consciousness even expressing itself in any organized way in this country. 

So when they killed that twenty-three-year-old boy in Milwaukee last night, it wasn’t some mistake, any more than it was when that white man killed that child in Huntsville, Alabama.

Why did that white man kill the child? Why is there a George Zimmerman? Why do we have the Ku Klux Klan and all those other entities?

Because that is the way this whole entity was created. Because in England and France and European places where you had a  movement from feudal control.

One of the things, that I certainly tried to do on yesterday with this conference was not simply to lay out the fact that we are consolidating this National Black Political Agenda for Self-Determination. Not simply talking about what we’re going to be doing coming forward. But also struggling to place what it is that we’re doing, in some, political context, because obviously, everything that we’re talking about requires struggle against white power, imperialism. And that is important.

But sometimes, imperialism doesn’t come in its own face. In fact, increasingly, over the last two or three generations, it has been extremely difficult for imperialism to step forward in its own face. And because of this, we’ve seen the emergence of what Kwame Nkrumah characterized as neocolonialism.

Our Party and the Uhuru Movement often refers to the Black Revolution of the Sixties when speaking of the development of our struggle for freedom in the U.S. This is not because of some nostalgic pining for better days.

The 1960s was an era that is notable for its revolutionary character. It was an era that best revealed the deeply experienced desire by the oppressed masses of the world for fundamental change.

It was an era within which revolution was the main trend and imperialist white power was pushed back on its heels politically and ideologically by the most crucial agents of history: the oppressed and exploited peoples upon whose backs world capitalism was constructed.

To help us to understand that we are engaged in an international struggle, not for civil rights, but for the liberation of our people, I would like to say that this movement that we are a part of––the African People’s Socialist Party––owes much of what we understand to Malcolm X and the work that he did before us.

More than 50 members of the African People’s Socialist Party (APSP) will convene in St. Petersburg, Florida in July to attend the APSP Cadre Development School.  

The “Best Son’s and Daughter’s of Africa” will receive ideological, political and organizational training at our Party headquarters.

They are coming to this especially important Party training from throughout the African world.

Party members will travel to St. Petersburg from the U.S. Caribbean, Africa and Europe to acquire greater skills to advance the African revolution from the various fronts of our oppression and exploitation which has confined us since the advent of white power and parasitic capitalism.

Chairman of the African People’s Socialist Party (APSP), Omali Yeshitela is interviewed by Solomon of Critical Insight.

Chairman Omali contextually discusses the March 31st police murder by drowning of three African (black) girls after police illegally chased them and pushed them into a pond.