In commemoration of last month’s 56th anniversary of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, original member and elected activist, Charles Barron, shared information about its current continuing influence. Along with Khalid Raheem, the National Black Radical Political Convention’s lead organizer, they reflected on the recent three-day summit.
About 100 Black progressive politicians from 17 states converged at the New Afrikan Independence Party’s offices in Braddock, Pa. during the June 10-12 weekend “to bring together Black radicals that want to get into the electoral arena,” Barron noted, who along with his wife, Inez, joined via Zoom.
The national action committee primarily consisted of Nnandi Lumumba-Ujima People’s Progress Party (Baltimore), Viola Plummer-December 12th Movement (Brooklyn), Zaki Baruti-Universal African People Organization, Brian Francisco-New Afrikan People’s Independence Party, Mickey Dean-National Black United Front, Ashaki Dentao-National Black Liberation Movement United Initiative, The African People’s Socialist Party, Omali Yeshitela and a few others.
They came to “develop a national Black radical agenda, a continuation of the work started in 1972 in Gary, Ind. by Black radicals 50 years earlier,” where about 1,000 Black elected officials from various aspects of society “got together to start an independent, national Black political party coming out as a Black united agenda.”
Barron contends that the event was co-opted by “Black neo-liberals who benefitted from it.”
By 1982 there were approximately 7,000 Black politicians nationwide. Currently there’s approximately 17-18 thousand, “but they’re not progressive enough,” Raheem noted. “We need more of our radical revolutionaries committed to building the Black communities for independence participation. Black liberals don’t speak to the real needs of the Black community and don’t represent its future aspirations for real freedom. Our goal is to determine a radical Black agenda that speaks to the issues much in the same way as some revolutionary forces spoke to those issues in ’72.”
Issues included reparations, self-determination, economic opportunities, freeing political P.O.W.s and combating European imperialism throughout the African diaspora.
Topics discussed included combating COINTELPRO, media propaganda and voting—“the names change, but the game remains the same.
“We’re tired of the run-of-the-mill Black politician who’s in bed with the status quo and won’t go against the grain,” Barron explained. “We’re about uplifting the Black community and planting seeds for future politicians. Most of us support the Democrats who don’t hold our best interests. We’re not in their pockets, and aren’t afraid to fight for Black people. We’re hoping to bring a viable alternative to the Democratic party. This is really the beginning.”
Excellent article. Truth be told.
Good story
Awesome, it’s great to see my Brothers & sisters, trying to educate, enlighten and change the world. I’m greatful and thankful for the education. I support everything your doing, May peace be on to you.
I love this brother and my boss is the female Charles Barron KRJ District 9
And Charles Barron is the male Inez Barron, also! Praise God for both of them. 😉
We, black Americans, are hurting ourselves by fighting for black and brown people. Everyone is benefiting from our fight, except Black Americans.
I agree, I’m tired of the run-of-the-mill Black politician who’s in bed with the status quo and won’t go against the grain.!. They are “Go
A Long To Get A Long”., they don’t hve the Stones to challenge the Status Quo… Long Live the “National Black Radical Political Movement”.!!.