This year marks the momentous 21st year of the vibrant and dynamic One Africa! One Nation! (OAON) Uhuru Flea Market in Philadelphia, PA. Dedicated and passionate comrades in the U.S. Northern Region of the African People’s Socialist Party (APSP) are once again gearing up for another exciting and impactful season of stewarding this historic economic project—one that not only keeps the dollar circulating within the African community but also fuels the bold and unwavering pursuit of economic self-determination for the African community of Philadelphia.
The Philly marketplace is one of many economic development endeavors of the African People’s Education and Defense Fund (APEDF)—a non-profit established in 1994 with the mission to “defend the human and civil rights of the African community and end the disparities faced by African people in health, healthcare, education, and economic development.”
As such, the OAON Philly marketplace’s ultimate objective is to support, nurture, and actualize economic self-determination for African people in the Philly community. This is part of the overall strategy of building dual and contending power wherever African people are located. This is economic power that is not beholden to the whims of the colonial State but is rather controlled and built by working-class African people for working-class African people.
The power to build a world that disrupts and ultimately ends the colonial mode of production—an economic system that relies on the exploitation of our labor and resources—comes not from placing our hopes in either the Democratic or Republican Party or any other entity unwilling to deal with the primary contradiction that is the attack on Africa and her resources.
Rather, as Chairman Omali Yeshitela put it in The Political Report to the Seventh Congress of the African People’s Socialist Party:
“We want to create independent economic activity that is not simply inspired by an aspiration of individual wealth but recognizes itself as a part of the struggle for self-determination.”
Chairman continues: “This is a critical, strategic approach to our political work, marrying it to the economic interests of the colonized African working class. In the political struggle to be free, we are also preparing to govern in an economically independent, anti-colonial socialist world we are actively constructing.”
Led for a long time by the fearless leadership of Comrade Tiffany Murphy, the Philly marketplace has consistently grown over the years. Its positive impact is felt by the African community in Philly while putting the Party’s theory into practice.
The market now continues under the energetic leadership of Northern Regional Representative Comrade Emmanuel “Lukede” Maku, supported by Comrade Cota, Chair of the Program subcommittee; Comrade Kiongozi, Chair of the Logistics subcommittee; Comrade Tiffany, our resident supporter in all things market-related; as well as other Party and mass movement members in the Northern Region who make the trip to Philly every month to make the market possible.
This year the market dates are as follows: April 26, May 17 (ALD Health Festival), June 14, August 23, September 20 (Uhuru Book Fair), and October 11, with rain dates the Sunday after.
To stay updated on market news and volunteer with day-of and pre-work, email uhurufleamarkets@gmail.com; follow @UhuruFleaMarkets on Instagram and One Africa One Nation Uhuru Flea Market on Facebook.
Build the One Africa! One Nation! Marketplace!
Buy Black Power!
Uhuru!
