Milwaukee, WI—“Africans, who according to the U.S. census only make up 13 percent of the population of the U.S., account for at least half of those in prison. Lame explanations for this rate of incarceration of our people include such inanities as dysfunctional families and pathological communities, poor economies in communities of high African concentration, inadequate job skills, and the like.
All these explanations fail to recognize that historically some form of incarceration has victimized our people since we were brought to the shores of the U.S. as enslaved captives.
Even at the end of the formal enslavement of our people, the 13th Amendment to the U.S. constitution, passed by congress in January 1865, gave “democratic” cover for our continued enslavement through the use of prison, with these words: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”
Recently BBC News released a report highlighting the fact that the state of Wisconsin locks up a higher percentage of African men than any other state in the US.
Another study earlier this year announced that 1 in 8 African men in their 30’s is in prison in Wisconsin.
Bringing international attention to this issue has alarmed local politicians and “community leaders,” yet no thorough discussion into the root causes of the matter have been put forth.
Instead many of them focus their attention on chastising the African community in relation to homicides and crime, which has fluctuated over the last few years and overall crime has declined since 2007.
To the uncritical observer it would seem curious as to why these forces would not focus on something as detrimental to the community as the mass incarceration of Africans in the prime of their lives, or the incredible unemployment rate for African men in the city of Milwaukee, or the lack of “public” resources spent on economic development projects in the African community that benefits the African community.
Yet this is the pattern, and as soon as the buzz related to the BBC report dies down, no discussion related to the issue will rise again.
It will take the African masses who are most affected by this to take the lead on the issue.
Obscuring issues in the Black community to undermine unified organization
In the absence of strong revolutionary organization, leadership on what is important to the Black community is left to the African petty bourgeoisie and neocolonial politicians.
Even though these forces may not be the same and overlap in many instances, both are wholly invested in keeping the imperialist-capitalist system intact.
Their myopic worldview would never allow for the African workers (in Milwaukee or elsewhere) dictate a discussion that would lead to action that would go against their benefactors.
Therefore, raising the discussion of police terror in the African community morphs into a general discussion surrounding violence with a sharp focus on horizontal (black on black violence), this sort of paternalistic dialogue works to undermine a consciousness of the people poised to change the conditions of the community.
Revolutionary leadership and organization the only way forward
In spite of the insidious work of neocolonial forces, the aspirations of the African masses will not be satisfied with continued oppression or reform.
People should understand that the U.S. will never reform itself to equality; it will always modify and find more nuanced forms of oppression to stave off revolution. This why the African People’s Socialist Party and the work of the Uhuru Movement is necessary.
The International People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement (InPDUM) works tirelessly to struggle for the democratic rights of African people, completely in their interest without compromise.
The All African People’s Development and Empowerment Project (AAPDEP) works to unite the skills and resources of African people while building the capacity of our people to engage in the practical work that will improve our quality of life.
Milwaukee Call to Action
As a part of his worldwide tour, this historic event will mark the first ever speaking engagement for Chairman Omali Yeshitela in Milwaukee.
Join us on October 3, 2013 at the Milwaukee Brotherhood of Firefighter’s Hall for the event “Bread, Peace and Black Power; an evening with Chairman Omali Yeshitela.”
This event will have dynamic panels built to address the issues that African people face with the goal of winning Africans and our supporters into organization.
This event will inform, but information alone will not make revolutionary organization materialize; it will be the will and active participation from the masses struggling for a better future.
Uhuru!
