Several years ago, the Movement for Black Lives ignited the streets all across the country. The rage exhibited in back-to-back demonstrations of both spontaneous and organized nature originated in the aftermath of the initial non-indictment of Trayvon Martin’s murderer, but it was also fueled but the community’s growing resentment toward a system that has steadfast maintained a myriad of factors that continue to contribute to the Black plight.
Today, the pulse of that movement has slowed somewhat in pace and many organizers find themselves building and studying in preparation for the next phase of struggle. This Black History Month, ANSWER Los Angeles (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) is partnering with allied organizations and community leaders to break down what we believe is a blueprint for liberation left behind by our revolutionary predecessors in a series of workshops and teach-ins titled “Black Radical History and other tools to dismantle white supremacy.”
White supremacists and neo-Nazis have been emboldened by the Trump administration. Underscoring this is the attack on leaders in this generation’s fight against racism through the FBI’s report targeting what they refer to as “Black Identity Extremists likely motivated to target law enforcement officers.” One should note that any list of such “extremists” would be significantly shorter than a list of, say, law enforcement officers currently targeting unarmed Black and Brown people arbitrarily walking around in their own neighborhoods. But in light of this development, a full comprehension of the effects of COINTELPRO, other tired tricks of the state and the ideas which propelled Black Power icons could really come in handy.
On February 3, ANSWER’s first event analyzed the history of Black responses to state-sanctioned terror and featured ANSWER organizers, Party for Socialism and Liberation members, a former Black Panther and other local activists. It was held in the historically progressive SoCal Library where questions like “Does police brutality serve a purpose?” and “Why does the state exist?” generated the very kind of rich discourse necessary to grow consciousness in the community.
If you’re in LA and looking for a weekly dose of revolutionary discussion this Black History Month, check out this list of remaining events!
