By: Tiana Afrika, InPDUM San Diego
“In the 1960s joining the Revolution was the most natural thing you could do, as a Revolution was clearly the most influential driving force in the world!”-Vanguard Up Unity of Practice.
The time for Revolution has always been now. The colonial-virus is still spreading and we are still fighting back. We are waging The People’s War, and we are winning this war of ideas! With the coronavirus pandemic claiming many lives, and causing the world to panic, it is important that we do not panic. Instead our response should be to organize and revolutionize our mind, body and spirit.
The colonial-virus is what we call this system of oppression. It is white power. The colonial-virus attacks like a parasite and can only survive off of a host. In other words, white power gains strength by stealing all the nutrients and resources from African People. This is why the oppressor is parasitic! Colonial-virus has always attacked the African Revolution, spreading its sickness in the form of physical, psychological, and political warfare just to name a few. It is extremely critical to complete the Black Revolution in order to reach the goals the Black Revolution calls for and get all Africans free. Colonialism has infected the African mind, body and soul and we must come together under Black Power leadership and organization.
Freeing the African Mind.
The first thing we must free is our minds. For example, Chairman Omali Yeshitela, founder of the Uhuru Movement, teaches Africans that freedom should be on the mind of Africans 24/7. We must eat, breathe and sleep Freedom. The colonizer is aware of the power of the mind and the way ideas can influence our minds and move us to action. Therefore, it’s only natural that the colonizer has been engaged in a war of ideas with the the colonized ever since their initial assault on Africa. African minds need to be weakened so white power can continue to capitalize. The colonizer, having power over mass media, continues to flood the news, and social media with the idea that Africans have no power, no intelligence, and no rights. The lies the colonizer tells have held many Africans hostage mentally. Their lies have made it difficult for many of us to be able to even conceive of power in our own hands. Many of us have learned to believe the lies being told by the colonizer and end up supporting white power (“white supremacy” as it’s referred to) without even knowing it. Today the colonizer continues to try and win over the minds of Africans with their ideas, however, they are still losing the war of ideas. Africans are starting to realize that Black Power matters and political power is necessary to win in the struggle for bread, peace, and Black Power.
We must study, learn and grow by taking a closer look at what has been fed to us by the oppressor. Africans have a story to tell and the world needs to hear the African experience. We no longer have to take on white power ideas and definitions as our own. We no longer have to beg for white power to give us a voice. We have our own minds, and our ideas speak to the African working class. The Ruling class disregards black life and views Africans as insignificant. Our only purpose is to produce luxurious lives for them through our own blood, sweat and natural resources. Having a strong mind that understands what it means to have Black Power and what it means to have Black Unity destroys is critical in overturning the white power system that wreaks havoc on our lives. Slavery is a source of value to the colonial capitalists and mental slavery makes their assault on Africa and Africans easier to carry out. Our minds must reject the colonial narratives that are continuously being force fed to us by the colonizer. Being a part of the Revolution is finally being able to have our own ideas that speak to the African People; thus, we must keep our minds sharp. We have to adopt a revolutionary mindset.
Caring for our African Bodies
The colonial-virus is no different than the coronavirus. Both viruses are making the people sick. A parasite attaches itself to a host and sucks the host dry as it thrives. A parasite does not care who dies in the process. With the coronavirus claiming many lives, it is imperative to eat the right foods, get the right exercise, and be as fit as possible to win The People’s War. This government has no intention to protect black lives. The government’s only interest is protecting the ruling class. We can see from tragedies like Hurricane Katrina where saving a dog’s life was more important to the government than saving black families. Many of us have compromised immune systems and it is critical that we build our immune systems to be as healthy and strong as possible. Foods like sweet potatoes, lemons, spinach, oranges, and many more, help to boost our immune systems for an overall healthier body. When white America catches a cold, Black America catches Pneumonia. Working out the body, building muscle and strength is all about being in the best health possible not only for ourselves and our families, but also for our community.
We are one Africa and one Nation so as long as we have breath in our bodies, we should be our best selves in this Revolution. We need more healthcare providers to teach us how to stay healthy and protect ourselves. Institutions like Project Black Ankh are dedicated to empowering African communities and getting help to all Africans to improve the health conditions of the people. They provide education that saves lives, as Africans learn disaster preparedness and Self-Determination. The better we maintain our own health, the more qualified we become to help the next African brother or sister maintain theirs.
Keeping a Revolutionary Spirit
We need to have a revolutionary spirit. Our Great African leader Malcolm X taught us to leave our religion at home, so when thinking about the spirit of the Black Revolution we should look at it the same way we look at energy. What is the energy behind the Revolution? We must organize and fight with Power. Our spirit should be unapologetic like Malcolm X, strong like George Jackson, and brave like Huey P Newton. Our spirit must reflect our dedication like that of Chairman Omali Yeshitela, and our resistance like Assata Shakur. Men and women both must have strong energy and drive, as both are crucial to this Revolution. In order to save ourselves, we must have a strong spirit.
You can tell the tree by the fruit it bears. The passion and energy we put into the Revolution determines the success of the Revolution. If our energy or spirit is that of fear then we will not be able to fight off the colonial- virus. If our spirit is that of hesitation or self-doubt and we do nothing to turn it around, we won’t have success. The spirit of capitalism is dying! More Africans are coming into political life, realizing the true power of our people and keeping the spirit of the Revolution strong.
Join the Revolution
As we can see it is critical that all Africans join the Revolution and get free. Fighting off the colonial-virus and saving Africans is up to Africans. We are all we got in this war. Black Power Matters and it is time we make sure everyone knows it. It is time for us Africans to end the assault inflicted on us by white power. It’s time for Africans to complete the Black Revolution and put the power into the hands of the people. Black unity will always be a threat to white power. It is time to make some noise and burn down this parasitic system! The Revolution is lit!