Every three months, the African People’s Socialist Party (APSP) recognizes our “Comrade of the Quarter” — a comrade whose stance and performance in the struggle for the liberation of African people shines above and beyond all others’. This quarter, the Party would like to recognize comrade Unia Leti as the Comrade of the Quarter. Here is why Markus Kothner nominated her in his own words:
I am nominating Unia Leti, based in Germany, for the African People’s Socialist Party’s Comrade of the Quarter award.
Unia is an outstanding comrade worthy of emulation by everyone in the Uhuru Movement. Although she is new to the African People’s Socialist Party (APSP) and the movement, Unia is a true leader, exemplifying a genuine cadre stance and internalizing the highest principles of African Internationalism.
She embodies the stance called for by the One People! One Party! One Destiny! campaign to win every African onboard—no one falls through the cracks.
Unia develops every project and assignment to its furthest extent possible. She works with revolutionary confidence assuming unity from every sector of the community, winning their support and participation in the work. With her enthusiastic stance, she is a great organizer and tireless problem-solver.
Unia was key to the tremendous success of the Marcus Garvey Legacy Tour featuring Chairman Omali Yeshitela and actor Ron Bobb-Semple, held in five cities in Europe during the month of October. The tour featured Bobb-Semple’s acclaimed dramatic portrayal of Garvey, the great 20th century African Leader, followed by dynamic presentations by APSP Chairman Omali Yeshitela, who showed that the aspirations of Garvey for “Africa for the Africans, those at home and those abroad” continues today in the work of the African Socialist International.
Traveling to Berlin on a regular basis, Unia organized a dynamic committee for the on-the-ground tour work using creative and bold methods for building the successful events. Committee members Joanna, Lidia, Abraham, Mouktah, Tim and others bloomed under Unia’s leadership, becoming real Uhuru Movement leaders as well.
Unia was determined to educate Africans and others in Berlin about Chairman Omali and the Uhuru Movement. She and committee members did this by going to book festivals and other outdoor events, where they set up tables with the Chairman’s books. Unia then went up on the stage during “open mic,” reading from the Chairman’s works, drawing scores of people over to the tables. One who was moved by the Chairman’s words was the owner of the African bookstore, Amo Books, who immediately wanted to purchase the Chairman’s books for sale.
Unia and her committee aimed to educate people in Berlin as well about the life and work of Marcus Garvey. Since the committee was given the responsibility to raise all of the travel, housing and outreach expenses for the tour in their city, Unia came up with the idea of holding a public party with culture, food and fun that would raise money as well as give information about Marcus Garvey—the Marcus Garvey Tribute Parties. The Berlin tour committee raised at least $1000 holding these parties.
Unia also approached the African students at Humboldt University in Berlin to officially bring Chairman Omali Yeshitela to speak there during his visit and to present him with an honorarium. This turned out to be an outstanding event where the Chairman gave a deeply theoretical presentation challenging the Euro-centric flaws in the theory of Karl Marx. The Chairman received an extended standing ovation from the crowd at Humboldt.
Unia and her team carried out true Party-style outreach, distributing 10,000 club cards for the tour event. On the streets throughout the neighborhood of where the event was held, scores of large, concert-sized color posters were wheat pasted. The Chairman’s face was everywhere!
The main Marcus Garvey tour event was held at an alternative school that donated their space for the evening. 150 to 200 people packed into the space giving an enthusiastic response to Chairman Omali and Ron Bobb-Semple. Unia also won the support of friends who cooked and served delicious food as an additional fundraiser.
Unia and the team transformed the space into a real theater, brining spotlights, a stage and a sound system up to the fourth floor of the venue. Unia was outstanding in providing warm hospitality to the tour guests. She gave attention to every detail and won family members of her committee to host dinners with delicious African food or chose restaurants with African food from around the world for the guests to enjoy. All transportation and logistical details went flawlessly, making the visit to Berlin an enjoyable experience for the Chairman and Ron Bobb-Semple.
Unia took on building this successful tour in Berlin by winning everyone possible. In addition to African people, representatives from the Romany and Palestinian movements attended the events expressing their deep unity with the work of the African People’s Socialist Party. Many Germans also attended and expressed their unity as well.
The tour event was originally scheduled to be held at another venue, an African-owned cafe, but when the owners saw the work being done by Unia and the tour committee, they stated they felt that this event was “too important” to be held at their place. They were the ones that suggested holding it at the alternative school which was larger and more centrally located.
During this past period, Unia wrote excellent articles for The Burning Spear newspaper and Uhuru News. Her article summing up the victory of African Liberation Day in Paris was profound because it not only recorded the event itself but also delved into the various political struggles and lines that were raised by some attendees and showed how they were taken on, neutralized and defeated in favor of the African Internationalist analysis.
Unia also wrote an important article distinguishing between the line of “racism” versus one against colonialism and imperialism for African liberation.
In conclusion, I can only say that Unia Leti is truly worthy of Comrade of the Quarter and that all of us participating in the Uhuru Movement must look to Unia as a shining example of a cadre of the African People’s Socialist Party.
