During a December #OmaliTaughtMe Sunday Study, titled: Palestine is Africa, Mexico and the “Americas”, Compañero Under Secretary Benjamin Prado of Union del Barrio (UdB) was featured and called on viewers to attend a court hearing on December 14, 2023, to defend members of UdB and Association of Raza Educators (ARE) who are facing a lawsuit on charges of anti-semitism leveled by Zionists. The Dec. 14 court hearing was postponed; instead, a press conference and rally attended by educators, students, community members, and organizations was held outside the Federal Courthouse, to denounce the attacks as reactionary and counterinsurgency tactics.
The African People’s Socialist Party (APSP) shares a fraternal bond with UdB and ARE that is almost 40 years old. This bond was forged in defense of Mexican self-determination from ideological imperialists’ attacks on the Raza community’s fight for control of education. Formed in 1994, ARE has led the education struggle as a democratic right to all and assumed leadership over the establishment of Ethnic Studies curricula and programs throughout California.
This is a campaign that has resonated throughout the U.S. and internationally; it represents a fracture in the colonial superstructure laying bare the reality of the colonial mode of production’s assault against Mexican, African, Arab, Filipino and all colonized people. The colonial lies simply cannot withstand the anti-colonial truth.
The lawsuit against UdB and ARE is an attempt at using the law to criminalize the anti-colonial free speech activities that the Ethnic Studies curricula uphold. The State is hiding its true intent by falsely accusing comrades Guadalupe Carrasco Cardona and Theresa Montano (The Liberated 2) of anti-semitism.
“The State is effectively saying that the only history, the only information approved for higher education, is that which was written by the colonizer…This is shown with this ridiculous lawsuit, through resolutions being passed by the government to outlaw pro-Palestinian sentiment…”
This occurs at a time where Palestinians fight justly for their liberation from the white nationalist, illegitimate settler-colonial State of Israel, a struggle that directly reflects that of Mexican and Indigenous people living in barrios and concentration camps on land stolen from them. The State is effectively saying that the only history, the only information approved for higher education, is that which was written by the colonizer or supports colonial domination.
This is shown with this ridiculous lawsuit, through resolutions being passed by the government to outlaw pro-Palestinian sentiment and various other assaults on people using their right to free speech to advocate in the interests of colonized and oppressed people.
This attack on UdB and ARE are connected to the FBI military raids against the Uhuru Movement and Chairman Omali Yeshitela and subsequent indictments on the Uhuru 3 earlier this year. Each case opens the door to continued U.S. government attacks on the free speech rights of the voices of African, Palestinian, Mexican, Indigenous and oppressed workers of the world.
The APSP and the Hands Off Uhuru Fight Back Coalition stand in full and unconditional solidarity with our comrade member organizations UdB, the Association of Raza Educators, and the Liberated 2. We stand arm-in-arm with our comrades from the Mexican/Indigenous national liberation movement and recognize that we share the same fate.
As the Chairman said, ”this is a struggle of life and death”- it’s not over! We want power in the hands of the working class. We demand an end to all U.S. government attacks on the right to anti-colonial free speech for Mexican/Indigenous people. This fight does not stop here. The counteroffensive deepens. We will continue to follow this case and provide updates. Make the demand that the court drop the charges on the Liberated 2! Drop the Charges on the Uhuru 3!
Build the Anti-Colonial Free Speech movement!
Touch One! Touch All!
Venceremos! Uhuru!
