Monday, June 23, 2014

Words of Wisdom

King was not about to oppose or denounce an anti-colonial movement even if he sometimes disagreed with its tactics. He had friendly correspondence with revolutionaries in Africa regardless of whether or not they were committed to nonviolence. He mentions comradely dialogue with Ben Bella, a ;leader of Algeria's armed revolution against French colonialism. (Malcolm X also met and conversed with Ben Bella). King didn't denounce Ben Bella, Nelson Mandela, Nkrumah, Fanon,. Ho, Giap or any other freedom fighter against colonialism. Colonialism and imperialism (of which American racism is a part) are evil. And King blamed the violence of colonialism and the insurgent counterviolence of anticolonial resistance for the entire nightmare of bloodshed. Still he favored the way Luthuli and Gandhi. Similarly King never denounced Malcolm or Kwame Ture. It's never ceases to amaze me that even your simple mind cannot grasp that freedom fighters may agree on objectives with differing on methods. '

-Savant


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Take a look at the film: AT THE RIVER I STAND, and./or read the book entitled GOING DOWN JERICHO ROAD: THE MEMPHIS STRIKE, MARTIN LUTHER KING'S LAST CAMPAIGN by historian Michael K. Honey. There was an organization in Memphis which called itself THE INVADERS, let by Charles Cabbage, Coby Smith and others who saw themselves as Black Power advocates. Honest and attentive readers of my posts--even when they disagree--know that I don't make statements without THOUGHT and EVIDENCE. You can probably google information about the Invaders--whose choice of a name may have been influenced by a 1960s TV series called The Invaders.


-Savant


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There are no lies in ANY of my posts. Simply accusing someone of lying is not the same as PROVING he is lying. King mentions (with obvious sympathy) socialism on numerous occasions. I've seen them even in his student diaries (Vol1 of King Papers), in a letter to his then fiancée Coretta Scott, in his Autobiography, and in address at an SCLC meeting in Frogmore in either 1966 or 1967. That's probab ly why the FBI suspected him of being a Marxist Communist. King did not expect that the Poor Peoples Campaign would suffice to effectuate radical, and even thought he and his supporters could be driven from the capital as were the Bonus Marchers during the Depression. But it might be a beginning of an anti-capitalist Movement. and liberation of the poor. Also, he intended something much more confrontational than Resurrection City, including the occupation of public spaces in such a way that might actually shut down the government of the USA.

-Savant


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What's up, bro. Long time no read. How are things out in your neck of the woods? The King book comes out in paperback soon, maybe already out but haven't arrived yet. I believe this is the 50th anniversary of Freedom Summer, a campaign which help win us the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and became a step toward winning the Voting Rights Act of 1965--which the Supine Court gutted last summer. Did you get the info I sent on Eddy Conway. There's an interview of him and Paul Coates in Truthout. Leaders of the Bmore BPP. I honor them as my elder brothers in the Struggle. And the Struggle continues? But you've been away for awhile. We need to catch up on some stuff.

-Savant

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Hello Mr. Savant ..Lisa here :) I think the timing for relationship building between Black Africans and Western Black is about ripe "once again"...What my African parents experience with AAs in the 60s and 70s was nothing short of constant praise....although my own in say the 00s-current falls short of it.. I do believe many younger 2nd generation or so African immigrants are open to bonding with Western Blacks and that the hurdle of differences can be overcome with time...that's with respect and understanding of ones' culture.. I supposed that comes to listening, learning, and acceptance.

-Proud Sis
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Yes. In fact, a good number of my students are children of African and African American parents. I do recall some African students who were at a "Free Eddy Conway" event, and one of whom said his father instructed hi to limit his contact with American Blacks. Well, his Black American girlfriend was with him at the event. So, I don't think he was paying his dad no never mind. And concerning your observations regarding your parent, one thing that strikes me is that from the 1960s--1970s, both Africans and Blacks in the West were engaged in momentous struggles against colonialism, racism and exploitation. And SOME African, African-American and other Blacks of the West surmised that they were involved in a common struggle.. In the wake of Malcolm's travels abroad there were African voices heard to speak out against the racist violence inflicted on Blacks here. And a number of Blacks here would take an interest in the fight against colonialism, and especially the fight against vicious white settler regimes. Perhaps that solidarity born of a sense of a common can happen against.

-Savant





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