Freedom is a Constant Struggle with guest Walter Turner

Freedom is a Constant Struggle with Sharif and Pierre

Act Out! - BPP Women & Lead Poisoning

Freedom Is A Constant Struggle with Pierre Labossiere and Magaret Prescod

Haiti’s Fanmi Lavalas and the Black Panther Party

By Kiilu Nyasha (a.k.a. Pat Gallyot)

This year of 2016 marks the 50^th anniversary of the founding of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense, October 1966, in Oakland, California.

In 1968, prior to joining the Party, I was employed by Community Progress, Inc. (CPI), the nation’s pilot program of President Lyndon Johnson’s “War on Poverty,” also euphemistically called “The Great Society.”

I became one of the “Field Trainers” deployed in each of the seven impoverished neighborhoods of New Haven, Conn.  Assigned to the predominately Black area of Newhallville, I worked at the Teen Center, a government facility that eventually became the cite for the Black Panther Party’s free breakfast program; launched by a town hall meeting and a popular vote.

IDA B. WELLS-BARNETT -- "IOLA," PRINCESS OF THE PRESS & Feminist Crusader for Equality and Justice, by Kiilu Nyasha

A tireless champion of her people, Ida B. Wells was the first of eight children born to Jim and Elizabeth Wells in Mississippi in 1862, six months before chattel slavery was ended with the Emancipation Proclamation.

Her parents, who had been slaves, were able to support their children because Elizabeth was an excellent cook and Jim a skilled carpenter. But when Ida was only 16, her parents and youngest sibling died of Yellow Fever during an epidemic.  In keeping with the strength and fortitude she demonstrated throughout her remarkable life, Ida took responsibility for raising her six younger siblings with her grandmother’s help. Educated at nearby Rust College, a school run by white missionaries, Ida was forced to drop out; she got a full-time teaching job by lying about her age, and spent weekends washing, ironing and cooking for her large family.

Women of the Black Panther Party Reflect on Today's Struggle, Staying Engaged and Why Trump's Win Might be a Good Thing

The Black Panther Party just closed out its 50th anniversary year. On this occasion, the Intersectional Black Panther Party History Project spoke with Panther women about leadership, electoral politics and what we should be doing today.

The year 2016 marked the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Black Panther Party (BPP). Facing repression and at great sacrifice, more than 5,000 mostly young Black people joined the BPP between the 1960s and ‘70s to work for “land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice and peace.” They built institutions, ran electoral campaigns, created social programs, transformed culture and tried to create a framework of justice that would impact oppressed people worldwide.

BOYCOTT THE ELECTION & START THE REVOLUTION! By Kiilu Nyasha

October 27,2016

The vast majority of Americans regardless of background or ethnicity agree that this electoral campaign gives us no choice but to vote for someone we don’t like or want to govern us. The perennial “lesser evil” has become more malevolent, even ridiculous in the current presidential election.

Some folks want to “hold their noses” and vote for the “lesser” evil on the belief that one will be worse than the other. However, we’ve been doing just that for at least 50 years; that’s why we’ve come to this level of corrupt silliness with candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump dodging the issues and reducing the process to trivialities, backbiting, and nonsense.

The reality is that these races have become selections not elections.  No one who is not obscenely rich or has the backing of such can run for president, let alone win office.

Let’s boycott the election and take to the streets en masse in protest!  Those who want to do civil disobedience can picket the polls (It’s illegal less than 3 blocks away).

Haiti’s Fanmi Lavalas and the Black Panther Party­

By Kiilu Nyasha (a.k.a. Pat Gallyot)

This year of 2016 marks the 50^th anniversary of the founding of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense, October 1966, in Oakland, California.

In 1968, prior to joining the Party, I was employed by Community Progress, Inc. (CPI), the nation’s pilot program of President Lyndon Johnson’s “War on Poverty,” also euphemistically called “The Great Society.”

Freedom is a Constant Struggle - Pierre Labossiere and Cephus Johnson

September 15, 2016 episode of Freedom is a Constant Struggle with guests Pierre Labossiere on Haiti and Cephus Johnson, uncle of the late Oscar Grant and on the Love Not Blood Campaign.

Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Ida McCray of Families with a Future

September 1, 2016 episode of Freedom is a Constant Struggle, with guest Ida McCray of Families with a Future.

Black August 21, 2016: Ruchell Cinque Magee and the August 7th Courthouse Slave Rebellion

Black August 21, 2016

I can hardly believe that 46 years have gone by since the August 7,1970, Marin Courthouse Slave Rebellion.  Ruchell is now 77 years old, same as myself.  It's a sin and a shame the fascist state has taken this brother's whole life, damn near.  And he has never seriously injured anyone.  Quite the opposite, Ruchell has been responsible (through his jailhouse lawyering) for the release of countless prisoners over the decades he's been incarcerated.  Here’s his story, written years ago, and updated to accommodate the 8-year difference:

Ruchell Cinque Magee and the August 7th Courthouse Slave Rebellion

By Kiilu Nyasha, 2008

“Slavery 400 years ago, slavery today, it’s the same but with a new name”.-- Ruchell Cinque Magee

I first met Ruchell Cinque Magee in the holding cell of the Marin County courthouse in the summer of 1971. I found him to be soft-spoken, warm and a gentleman in typically Southern tradition. We’ve been in correspondence pretty much ever since.  [I must say, regrettably, Ruchell is no longer writing me at this point, 2016.]

Black August: A Story of African Freedom Fighters by Kiilu Nyasha (August 17, 2016)

August 17, 2016

Greetings All:

This is the 37th anniversary of the origin of Black August, the 45^th commemoration of the assassination of Soledad Brother George L. Jackson on August 21, 1971, and the first anniversary of our Yogi Bear, Hugo Pinell’s assassination on August 12, 2015. 

This article was first written in 2000 and published in the S.F. Bay View newspaper. The main changes herein are updates and the transition of our comrade brother, Yogi, after 51 years in California gulags including 45+ in solitary confinement.  You can find more info at www.hugopinell.com.

Black August: A Story of African Freedom Fighters by Kiilu Nyasha (August 17, 2016)

Black August is a month of great significance for Africans throughout the diaspora, but particularly here in the U.S. where it originated. “August,” as Mumia Abu-Jamal noted, “is a month of meaning,,, of repression and radical resistance, of injustice and divine justice; of repression and righteous rebellion; of individual and collective efforts to free the slaves and break the chains that bind us.” 

On this 37th anniversary of Black August, first organized to honor our fallen freedom fighters, George and Jonathan Jackson, Khatari Gaulden, James McClain, William Christmas, and the sole survivor of the August 7, 1970 Courthouse Slave Rebellion, Ruchell Cinque Magee, it is still a time to embrace the principles of unity, self-sacrifice, political education, physical fitness and/or training in martial arts, resistance, and spiritual renewal.

The concept, Black August, grew out of the need to expose to the light of day the glorious and heroic deeds of those African women and men who recognized and struggled against the injustices heaped upon people of color on a daily basis in America. 

Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Jeffrey Blankfort on Black August 2016

August 4, 2016 episode of Freedom is a Constant Struggle with guest Jeffrey Blankfort, discussing Black August 2016.

Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Phavia Kujichagulia

July 21, 2016 episode of Freedom is a Constant Struggle with guest Phavia Kujichagulia.

Black Lives Matter Under Attack!

For former Panthers like myself, this is deja vu.  After vicious attacks and murders against Black people (Remember Fred Hampton and Mark Clark in Chicago 1969?) and standing up to defend our lives, Black Panthers became public enemy number one.  We were demonized and vilified no end.  It took decades (and the raid of FBI files) to learn all about the FBI’s COINTELPRO (counterintelligence program) that infiltrated our ranks with agent provocateurs for purposes of entrapment, division, and neutralization (imprisonment/assassination), pulling every “dirty trick” in the book to wipe us out.  Panthers who were accused and convicted of killing police offers in self defense remain in jail after an extremely punishing 40 - 50+ years.  Yet there are myriad police officers who have murdered Black folks without spending a day in jail or even losing their jobs.  Should not police officers be held to a higher standard of behavior than civilians since they’re paid to serve and protect us, not kill us in cold blood?

Ironically, the recent murders in Louisiana, Minnesota and Dallas illustrate the point Black Lives Matter is making:  How the nation has responded to the lives of the innocent Black men killed by police vs. the lives of the White police officers killed by a lone civilian (although I can’t help wondering if this “sniper” is another one of their “dirty tricks” to deliberately destroy BLM and institute new weapons of war into our communities, like bomb robots and more police.).  A luta continua.

Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Tim Huey and Tina Bartolome on Resisting Police Violence

July 7, 2016 episode of Freedom is a Constant Struggle with guests Tim Huey and Tina Bartolome discussing resistance to police violence and murder.

Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Jean Yvon Kernizan on Haiti

June 16, 2016 episode of Freedom is a Constant Struggle with Jean Yvon Kernizan discussing Haiti.

Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Christina Gutierrez and Sellassie Blackwell

June 2, 2016 episode of Freedom is a Constant Struggle with guests Christina Gutierrez and Sellassie Blackwell.

Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Robin Roth on Hepatitis C

May 19, 2016 episode of Freedom is a Constant Struggle with guest Robin Roth discussing Hepatitis C.

Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Hank Jones and Nathaniel Moore

May 5, 2016 episode of Freedom is a Constant Struggle, with guests Henry "Hank" Jones and Nathaniel Moore.

Freedom is a Constant Struggle w/ Glen Ford of Black Agenda Report

April 21, 2016 episode of Freedom is a Constant Struggle with guest Glen Ford of Black Agenda Report.

[this bio is from 2014] Glen Ford, a veteran of more than 40 years in broadcast, print and Internet journalism, is a former Washington Bureau Chief and White House, Capitol Hill, and State Department correspondent.  He co-founded and hosted “America’s Black Forum,” the first nationally syndicated Black news interview program on commercial television; launched and owned the radio syndications “Black World Report,” “Black Agenda Reports,” and “Rap It Up,” the first national hip hop music show. He has worked as a radio newsman in Washington, Baltimore, and Georgia, and produced over 1,000 radio and TV commercials.

Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Pierre Labossiere and Robert Roth on Haiti and a Month of Martyrs

April 7, 2016 episode of Freedom is a Constant Struggle with guests Pierre Labossiere and Robert Roth, who are the co-founders of Haiti Action Committee, HaitiSolidarity.net

Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Glen Ford of Black Agenda Report

This is a 2014 episode with Glen Ford of the Black Agenda Report, uploaded for the first time, that was rebroadcast for the March 17, 2016 episode of Freedom is a Constant Struggle.

[this bio is from 2014] Glen Ford, a veteran of more than 40 years in broadcast, print and Internet journalism, is a former Washington Bureau Chief and White House, Capitol Hill, and State Department correspondent.  He co-founded and hosted “America’s Black Forum,” the first nationally syndicated Black news interview program on commercial television; launched and owned the radio syndications “Black World Report,” “Black Agenda Reports,” and “Rap It Up,” the first national hip hop music show. He has worked as a radio newsman in Washington, Baltimore, and Georgia, and produced over 1,000 radio and TV commercials.

Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Ida McCray, Keith Wattley and Terry Collins talk about Hugo Pinell

March 3, 2016 episode of Freedom is a Constant Struggle, with guests, Ida McCray, Keith Wattley and Terry Collins discussing the life of Hugo "Yogi Bear" Pinell.