DOCSLIB.ORG

The Black Left Unity Network

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Black Left Unity Network 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 5 FROM THE BLACK ACTIVIST, JBLUN.ORG ............................................................................................. 7 Summer 2013 ................................................................................................................................... 7 01 Forging Unity of the Black Left: A Major Task of the Black Liberation Movement! ................ 7 02 We Condemn the U.S. Refusal to Participate in the Durban Review Conference: African Americans and People Of Color Speak for Ourselves! ................................................................. 8 03 Victory to the Ongoing Bolivarian Revolution: U.S. Imperialism Hands Off Venezuela! ........ 9 04 Justice For Trayvon Martin: Wear Your Hoodie, Protest This Racist Murder and Rebuild the National Black Liberation Movement ......................................................................................... 11 05 Assata is Not a Terrorist: She is a Freedom Fighter like Harriet Tubman, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King ...................................................................................................................... 13 06 Stop The War on Black America! ........................................................................................... 14 Fall 2013 ......................................................................................................................................... 16 07 Rethinking Political Struggle: Black Liberation is a Fight for Power ...................................... 16 08 A Call to Organize! The Black Liberation Movement Cannot Advance Without the Revolutionary Organization of Women ...................................................................................... 28 Spring 2014 ..................................................................................................................................... 29 09 Memory and Power: When Warriors Fall, It’s Time to Rethink and Rebuild ........................ 29 Fall 2014 ......................................................................................................................................... 33 10 Building a National Movement after Ferguson ..................................................................... 33 POLICY ................................................................................................................................................ 37 11 Preparation for our Next Gathering—Assessment—Follow Up from the Atlanta Meeting at the US Social Forum .................................................................................................................... 37 12 The BLUN: Who Are We and What is Our Basic Outlook and Perspective: Developing a 3- Year Plan ..................................................................................................................................... 40 13 A New Phase for the Black Left Unity Network ..................................................................... 47 14 Proposal: A BLUN Meeting to Advance the Politics of Black Liberation ............................... 53 15 Opening of the December 21, 2013 BLUN Meeting of Black Activist Organizations in Washington, DC .......................................................................................................................... 54 STATEMENTS ...................................................................................................................................... 58 16 BLUN Presentation at Black Is Back Conference November 13, 2010 .................................. 58 17 What is to be Done when Revolutionaries Run for and Win Elected Office? ....................... 60 3 18 A Solidarity Economy Must be Part of the Black Liberation and All of the Movements for Radical Social Transformation .................................................................................................... 64 19 Open Letter to the Jackson Rising Conference...................................................................... 66 20 Two Tactics: Implementing a National Strategy for Black Liberation: Thoughts on the Jackson Rising Economic Conference ......................................................................................... 69 21 Moral Mondays: the Emergence and Dynamics of a Growing Mass Human Rights Movement .................................................................................................................................. 71 22 The Ferguson Rebellion: Why Rebuild the National Black Liberation Movement?! ............. 77 23 Black Workers: A Call to Action for Rank-and-File Democratic Social Movement Unionism!82 24 8th Pan-African Congress: Black Labor and Black Liberation by Abdul Alkalimat Black Left Unity Network (USA) .................................................................................................................. 86 LEAFLETS ............................................................................................................................................ 95 25 May Day and the Black Working-Class .................................................................................. 95 26 Stop the War on Black America! We Charge Genocide! Human Rights for All! ................... 95 27 Ferguson is the Heartbeat of Our Movement ....................................................................... 97 28 African Americans: The Struggles for Peoples Democracy in Tunisia, Egypt, Throughout North Africa and the Middle East Region are Linked to Our Struggle! ...................................... 98 29 Black left Unity Network’s Call to Actions: U.S. Hands off Syria! Not Another War! ............ 99 30 Wilson Pulled the Trigger, but the US System Killed Michael Brown ................................. 101 31 Self-Determination is a Human Right: Forward to Black Liberation: An Invitation from the Black Left Unity Network (BLUN).............................................................................................. 104 4 INTRODUCTION This volume contains the dispatches of the Black Left Unity Network (BLUN). By dispatches we mean the following: a. Editorial articles in the four issues of the BLUN journal, The Black Activist b. Policy positions on the mission and strategy of the BLUN c. Statements prepared by BLUN leadership for unity meetings, including sessions at the US Social Forum and at international forums d. Leaflets injected into the protest motion of the various battlefronts of the Black Liberation Movement The BLUN is a transitional organizational form toward the consolidation of a left tendency to provide leadership to the Black Liberation Movement. This process does not hope to achieve total agreement on ideological line. It does seek to establish a democratic discussion of leading organizations and individuals to fight for political consensus. Ideology includes our general views of the world and involves religious beliefs, historical interpretations, and general value orientations. Political line is about gathering social forces who want to fight against all forms of oppression and planning general strategy and tactics. This is what the BLUN is about. We face a major challenge: Can the leading forces (organizations and individuals) fighting for Black liberation sit together and find ways to build a broad inclusive unity? There are contradictions: 1. Maintaining organizational integrity while being in a unity motion of the BLM? 2. Leaders of each organization accepting each other as equals? 3. Compromising by uniting on some questions and not on others, what we call the 80-20 principle? 4. Finding ways to meet organizational budgets while sharing resources for a united national movement? 5. Balancing recruitment for each organization without disrupting the general process f building a national movement? This volume is to share what we have said and done over the last few years that the BLUN has been in motion. The impact of the struggle at Ferguson after the murder of Michael Brown, coupled with the massive outrage of the many such police assassinations, has taken us to a decisive moment for Black left unity. Many of us have stepped forward with courage and militancy. Now is the time to find ways to sit in council, all of us together who have an anti- capitalist orientation and are focused on Black liberation. All of us – workers and trade unionists, youth and students, women, LGBT activists, seniors, immigration activists, intellectuals, 5 environmental activists, cultural activists, mental health activists, communist cadre, and all the rest of us. Please read and comment on these documents. We are a process in transition and welcome your contribution as we need it for the unity that we must build. 6 FROM THE BLACK ACTIVIST, JBLUN.ORG Summer 2013 01 Forging Unity of the Black Left: A Major Task of the Black Liberation Movement! The Black Liberation Movement must be more than the spontaneity of the Black masses. It must provide a national framework with an internationalist perspective and strategic organizing components that seek to unite the thinking and actions of the many struggles around a program for revolutionary change. Thus the Black liberation movement must have conscious activists that work together to give the spontaneous struggles a conscious program and direction; an assessment of the balance of forces on the side of the oppressor and the oppressed; and
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Right to Peace, Which Occurred on 19 December 2016 by a Majority of Its Member States
    In July 2016, the Human Rights Council (HRC) of the United Nations in Geneva recommended to the General Assembly (UNGA) to adopt a Declaration on the Right to Peace, which occurred on 19 December 2016 by a majority of its Member States. The Declaration on the Right to Peace invites all stakeholders to C. Guillermet D. Fernández M. Bosé guide themselves in their activities by recognizing the great importance of practicing tolerance, dialogue, cooperation and solidarity among all peoples and nations of the world as a means to promote peace. To reach this end, the Declaration states that present generations should ensure that both they and future generations learn to live together in peace with the highest aspiration of sparing future generations the scourge of war. Mr. Federico Mayor This book proposes the right to enjoy peace, human rights and development as a means to reinforce the linkage between the three main pillars of the United Nations. Since the right to life is massively violated in a context of war and armed conflict, the international community elaborated this fundamental right in the 2016 Declaration on the Right to Peace in connection to these latter notions in order to improve the conditions of life of humankind. Ambassador Christian Guillermet Fernandez - Dr. David The Right to Peace: Fernandez Puyana Past, Present and Future The Right to Peace: Past, Present and Future, demonstrates the advances in the debate of this topic, the challenges to delving deeper into some of its aspects, but also the great hopes of strengthening the path towards achieving Peace.
    [Show full text]
  • Research, Repression, and Revolution— on Montreal and the Black Radical Tradition: an Interview with David Austin
    THE CLR JAMES JOURNAL 20:1-2, Fall 2014 197-232 doi: 10.5840/clrjames201492319 Research, Repression, and Revolution— On Montreal and the Black Radical Tradition: An Interview with David Austin Peter James Hudson " ll roads lead to Montreal" is the title of an essay of yours on Black Montreal in the 1960s published in the Journal of African American History. But can you describe the road that led you to both Montreal and to the historical and theoretical work that you have done on the city over the past decades. A little intellectual biography . I first arrived in Montreal from London, England in 1980 with my brother to join my family. (We had been living with my maternal grandmother in London.) I was almost ten years old and spent two years in Montreal before moving to Toronto. I went to junior high school and high school in Toronto, but Montreal was always a part of my consciousness and we would visit the city on occasion, and I also used to play a lot of basketball so I traveled to Montreal once or twice for basketball tournaments. As a high school student I would frequent a bookstore called Third World Books and Crafts and it was there that I first discovered Walter Rodney's The Groundings with My Brothers. Three chapters in that book were based on presentations delivered by Rodney in Montreal during and after the Congress of Black Writers. So that was my first indication that something unique had happened in Montreal. My older brother Andrew was a college student at the time in Toronto and one day he handed me a book entitled Let the Niggers Burn! The Sir George Williams Affair and its Caribbean Aftermath, edited by Denis Forsythe.
    [Show full text]
  • Center News/Faculty and Staff Updates
    Human Rights Brief Volume 17 | Issue 3 Article 13 2010 Center News/Faculty and Staff pU dates Human Rights Brief Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/hrbrief Part of the Legal Education Commons Recommended Citation Human Rights Brief. "Center News/Faculty and Staff pdU ates." Human Rights Brief 17, no.3 (2010): 72-74. This Column is brought to you for free and open access by the Washington College of Law Journals & Law Reviews at Digital Commons @ American University Washington College of Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in Human Rights Brief by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ American University Washington College of Law. For more information, please contact [email protected]. : Center News/Faculty and Staff Updates CENTER NEWS/FACULTY AND STAFF UPDATES ceNter NeWs Immigration and Customs Enforcement, of conduct that constitute customary law; U.S. Department of Homeland Security). the place of legal dualism in a mod- centeR’s progRam On Human neha Misra (Solidarity Center, AFL- ern constitutional state; intersections of tRafficking anD fORceD laBOR CIO), Ann Jordan, (Program Director, customary law and gender, particularly HOsts cOnfeRence examining OBama Center’s Program on Human Trafficking with respect to land tenure rights; and the aDministRatiOn’s approacH tO and Forced Labor), and Bama Athreya inclusion of customary law in national cOmBating tRafficking anD fORceD (International Labor Rights Forum) served and regional courts. sanele sibanda, lec- laBOR as moderators. turer at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, delivered the keynote The Center for Human Rights and speech on whether modern conceptions Humanitarian Law’s Program on Human u.s.-isRael civil liBeRties laW of democracy and human rights provide a Trafficking and Forced Labor, along with fellows progRam celeBRates 25 role for customary law in advancing human the International Labor Rights Forum yeaRs; professOR HeRman scHWaRtz rights or enriching the constitutional state.
    [Show full text]
  • Report of the Regional Preparatory Conference for Africa
    UNITED NATIONS A A/CONF.211/PC.3/4 Distr: General General Assembly 3 September 2008 Original: English Durban Review Conference Preparatory Committee Second substantive session Geneva, 6–17 October 2008 Item 3 of the provisional agenda Reports of preparatory meetings and activities at the international, regional and national levels Report of the Regional Preparatory Meeting for Africa for the Durban Review Conference (Abuja, 24–26 August 2008) Vice-Chair/Rapporteur: Ms. Cissy Taliwaku (Uganda) K0841735 260909 A/CONF.211/PC.3/4 Contents I. Final document of the Regional Preparatory Meeting for Africa for the Durban Review Conference......................................................................................................................................3 A. Review of progress and assessment of implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action by all stakeholders at the national, regional and international levels, including the assessment of contemporary manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance............................................................5 B. Assessing, for the purpose of enhancing, the effectiveness of existing Durban Declaration and Programme of Action follow-up mechanisms and other United Nations mechanisms dealing with the issue of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance............................................................9 C. Promotion of the universal ratification and implementation of the International Convention on
    [Show full text]
  • General Assembly 26 March 2010
    United Nations A/RES/64/148 Distr.: General General Assembly 26 March 2010 Sixty-fourth session Agenda item 67 (b) Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 18 December 2009 [on the report of the Third Committee (A/64/437)] 64/148. Global efforts for the total elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 52/111 of 12 December 1997, in which it decided to convene the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, and its resolutions 56/266 of 27 March 2002, 57/195 of 18 December 2002, 58/160 of 22 December 2003, 59/177 of 20 December 2004 and 60/144 of 16 December 2005, which guided the comprehensive follow-up to and effective implementation of the World Conference, and in this regard underlining the importance of their full and effective implementation, Welcoming the outcome of the Durban Review Conference convened in Geneva from 20 to 24 April 2009 within the framework of the General Assembly in accordance with its resolution 61/149 of 19 December 2006, Noting the approaching commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the 1 adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action,0F Recalling all of the relevant resolutions and decisions of the Commission on Human Rights and of the Human Rights Council on this subject, and calling for their implementation to ensure the successful implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, 2 Noting Human Rights Council decision 3/103 of 8 December 2006,1F by which, heeding the decision and instruction of the World Conference, the Council established the Ad Hoc Committee of the Human Rights Council on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards, _______________ 1 See A/CONF.189/12 and Corr.1, chap.
    [Show full text]
  • MINORITY DEATH MATCH Jews, Blacks, And
    September US Subs Cover Final2rev2 7/28/09 3:36 PM Page 1 SCENES FROM THE IRANIAN UPRISING HARPER’S MAGAZINE / SEPTEMBER 2009 $6.95 ◆ MINORITY DEATH MATCH Jews, Blacks, and the “Post-Racial” Presidency By Naomi Klein DEHUMANIZED When Math and Science Rule the School By Mark Slouka ADRIANA A story by J. M. Coetzee Also: Breyten Breytenbach and Richard Nixon ◆ REPORT MINORITY DEATH MATCH Jews, blacks, and the “post-racial” presidency By Naomi Klein When I arrived at the grand of- “Durban II,” this was the only United ing, why should they? And it could get fices of the United Nations High Nations gathering specifi cally focused worse, Pillay told me. “The E.U. states Commissioner for Human Rights, at on pushing governments to combat are meeting at 6:00 p.m. tonight, and the Palais Wilson, looking out at a racism inside their borders, a task that the Netherlands and Italy are likely to drizzly Lake Geneva, pull out.” She and U.N. Navanethem Pillay was Secretary-General Ban hunched over the Ki-moon had been on shoulder of her deputy, the phone with foreign Kyung-wha Kang, dic- ministers all day, trying tating a press release. “I to prevent the entire am shocked and deeply European Union from disappointed,” I heard walking out. Canada her say, pointing at the and Israel had pulled screen while Kang out months before. typed. It was 3:00 p.m., As Pillay was tally- and Pillay was having a ing up the damage, an very bad day. aide popped her head “Done,” she finally in the door: “The danc- declared, plopping down ers are here.” The high at her conference table.
    [Show full text]
  • Table of Contents Chapter 6 HUMAN RIGHTS 142 A
    Table of Contents Chapter 6 HUMAN RIGHTS 142 A. GENERAL 142 1. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 142 2. Periodic Report to the UN Committee on Human Rights Concerning the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 142 3. Human Rights Council 143 a. Overview 143 b. U.S. Universal Periodic Review 144 c. Work of Special Representative: Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights 148 d. Actions regarding Libya 149 (1) Special Session 149 (2) Suspension of Libya from Membership 151 e. Actions regarding Syria 153 (1) Special Session on Syria in April (16th Special Session) 153 (2) Special Session on Syria in August (17th Special Session) 155 (3) First report of the Commission of Inquiry 157 (4) Special Session on Syria in December (18th Special Session) 158 B. DISCRIMINATION 159 1. Race 159 a. Overview 159 b. Durban follow-up and tenth anniversary commemorations 159 (1) Human Rights Council 159 (2) General Assembly 161 c. Other issues relating to protecting freedom expression while countering racism or intolerance 162 d. OAS Resolution on the Draft Inter-American Convention Against Racism 164 2. Gender 165 a. Women, Peace, and Security 165 (1) The United States National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security 165 (2) United Nations actions on women, peace, and security 172 b. Women’s health 174 c. Women and nationality 175 d. UN Commission on the Status of Women 176 3. Sexual Orientation 176 a. March Joint Statement at the Human Rights Council 177 b. June Human Rights Council Resolution 177 c. U.S. initiatives to protect the human rights of LGBT persons 179 4.
    [Show full text]
  • Skidmore College AM264 African-American Experience
    Skidmore College AM264 African-American Experience Prof. Amber N. Wiley Spring 2017 TR 11:10A-12:30P TISCH 302 [email protected] Office: TISCH 329 Hours: Thursday 9:30-11:00A "My challenge was to weave into the fabric of American history enough of the presence of blacks so that the story of the United States could be told adequately and fairly.” John Hope Franklin, 1997 This lecture course is a survey of the 20th century urban African-American experience. The purpose is to provide an understanding of the role African-Americans have played in the history of the nation, from Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) to Obama’s “Post-Racial” America. This includes African-American contributions to, and exclusions from, various aspects of a democratic American society. We will engage in pluralistic discourse over the progression of the semester. We will hear from many sources while analyzing individual voices on the topic, with an understanding that the African-American experience is neither univocal nor monolithic. The course pays particular attention to migratory patterns of African-Americans within and outside of the United States, but is not meant to be a comprehensive history of African Americans in the United States. This consideration illustrates how industry, war, social segregation, international diplomacy, and family ties helped shape the relationship between the rural and urban African-American experiences. The course is interdisciplinary in nature: our investigation into the African-American experience will include methods and theory from anthropology, art criticism, environmental studies, ethnomusicology, geography, history, literary studies, and urban planning. We will use both primary and secondary sources to gain an understanding of the African-American experience over time; the course readings will be coupled with film, music, poetry, narratives, novels, and art.
    [Show full text]
  • Global Efforts for the Total Elimination of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance And
    United Nations A/69/354 General Assembly Distr.: General 26 August 2014 Original: English Sixty-ninth session Item 67 (b) of the provisional agenda* Elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance: comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action Global efforts for the total elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action** Report of the Secretary-General Summary The present report is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 68/151, in which the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to submit to it at its sixty-ninth session a report on the implementation of the resolution. The report was prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. It summarizes information received from stakeholders, and concludes with recommendations. * A/69/150. ** The present document was submitted late owing to the need to consult with partners. 14-59833 (E) 110914 *1459833* A/69/354 I. Introduction 1. In its resolution 68/151, the General Assembly acknowledged the efforts and initiatives undertaken by States to prohibit discrimination and segregation and to engender the full enjoyment of economic, social and cultural as well as civil and political rights. The Assembly emphasized that, despite efforts in that regard, millions of human beings continued to be victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia
    [Show full text]
  • Meld. St. 33 (2011–2012) Report to the Storting (White Paper)
    Meld. St. 33 (2011–2012) Report to the Storting (white paper) Published by: Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Norway and the United Nations: Common Future, Internet address: www.government.no Common Solutions Cover design: Anna Maria Pirolt/Felix Media Printed by: 07 Aurskog AS 03/2013 ER JØM KE IL T M 2 4 9 1 7 3 Trykksak Cover photo: Row 1: 1. Giacomo Pirozzi/ UNICEF, 2. Guri Dahl/ tinagent.com, 3. Victoria Hazou/ UN Photo, 4. Albert Gonzales Farran/ UN Photo, 5. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Row 3: 1. Johan Wildhagen/ Innovation Norway, 2. John Isaac/ UN Photo Row 4: 1. Bernadino Soares/ UN Poto, 2. Eskinder Debebe/ UN Photo Row 5: 1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Row 6: 1. Jacob Silberberg/Panos Pictures /Felix Features, 2. UN Photo/Joao Araujo Row 7: 1. Sigrun Agøy Engum/ Norway UN, 2. Marco Dormino/ UN Photo Meld. St. 33 (2011–2012) Report to the Storting (white paper) Norway and the United Nations: Common Future, Common Solutions Contents Summary ......................................................... 5 3 The international legal order, human rights and gender 1 Vision and values ....................... 10 equality .......................................... 41 1.1 Norway and the United Nations .. 10 3.1 The international legal order ........ 41 1.1.1 Norway’s UN policy in a 3.1.1 The normative role of the UN ...... 41 changing world .............................. 10 3.1.2 Compliance with international 1.1.2 A well-equipped toolbox: the UN’s law .................................................... 42 many roles and functions .............. 11 3.1.3 The UN and the Law of the Sea .... 43 1.1.3 The shifting balance of power – 3.2 Human rights .................................
    [Show full text]
  • Human Rights Information Bulletin, No. 75 Council of Europe
    Human ISSN 1608-9618 H/Inf (2009) 1 Rights Information Bulletin No. 75, July-October 2008 Building a Europe for and with Children – Towards a strategy for 2009-2011 9-10 October 2008, Strasbourg 10 October 2008: European Day 8-10 September 2008, Stockholm Conference “Enhancing the impact of against the Death Penalty. This Day is A Seminar was organised on the the Framework Convention: past held on 10 October of each year. As theme “Towards European guidelines experience, present achievements and from October 2008, it is organised on child-friendly justice” in the future challenges” celebrating the 10th jointly with the European Union. framework of the Conference anniversary of the Framework “Building a Europe for and with Convention for the protection of Children – Towards a strategy for national minorities. 2009-2011”. Human rights information bulletin No. 75, July-October 2008 The Human rights information bulletin is published three times a year This issue published January 2009. Date of next issue: April 2009. ISSN: by the Directorate General of Human Rights and Legal Affairs, Council 1608-9618 (print edition) and 1608-7372 (electronic edition). Internet of Europe, F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex. address: http://www.coe.int/justice/. Contents Treaties and conventions Signatures and ratifications . 4 European Court of Human Rights Grand Chamber judgments . 5 I. v. Finland, 11 Cuc Pascu v. Romania, 19 Yumak and Sadak v. Turkey, 5 The Georgian Labour Party v. Georgia, 11 Bogumil v. Portugal, 19 Korbely v. Hungary, 7 Vladimir Romanov v. Russia, 13 Moiseyev v. Russia, 20 Kovačić and Others v. Slovenia, 8 Liberty & Other Organisations v.
    [Show full text]
  • Black Revolutionary Icons and `Neoslave' Narratives
    Social Identities, Volume 5, N um ber 2, 1999 B lack Revolutionary Icons and `N eoslave ’ Narrative s JOY JAMES U niversity of C olorado Over the centuries that America enslaved Blacks, those men and women most determined to win freedom became fugitives, ¯ eeing from the brutal captivity of slavery . Many of their descendants who fought the Black liberation struggle also became fugitives. These men and women refused to endure the captivity awaiting them in retaliation for their systematic effort to win freedom. But unlike runaway slaves, these men and women fought for a more expansive freedom, not merely as individuals, but for an entire nation, and sought in the face of interna- tionally overwhelming odds to build a more humane and democratic political order. (Kathleen Neal Cleaver, 1988) As a slave, the social phenomenon that engages my whole consciousness is, of course, revolution. (George Jackson, 1972) Neoslave Narrative s Historically, African Americans have found themselves corralled into dual and con¯ ictual roles, functioning as either happy or sullen slaves in compliant conformity or happy or sullen rebels in radical resistance to racial dominance. The degree to which historical slave narratives continue to shape the voices of their progeny rem ains the object of some speculation. In his introduction to Live from Death Row: This is M umia Abu-Jam al,1 John Edgar Widem an argues that many Americans continue to encounter black life and political struggles through the `neoslave narrative’ (popularise d in the 1970s by the television miniseries Roots based on Alex Haley’s ® ctional text of the same title).
    [Show full text]