Seize The Future (cont.)
Part Sixty- Nine
An Address By Rev. Herbert Daughtry
At a membership meeting of The Black United Front on February 6, 1979
We need to develop a plan of action that would gain control of these unions. We have already considered the Black presence in the school systems across America. If we could lay hold upon these institutions, many of which have tremendous resources, we would be a step closer toward the realization of our ultimate goal. A word of caution then. Let us refrain from condemning people who are employed in various establishment programs etc. Because they may be on our side. We have come to see the wisdom of not asking all our supporters to reveal themselves.
VI. Marches and Rallies
Let us not underestimate masses in the streets. The day of marches is not over. It did not die with the Civil Rights Movement for it was not born in southern cities in the sixties. Before Dr. King there was Ghandi and before Ghandi there were others. As I have already stated, we need to look no further than Iran today where millions of people marching in the streets drove a mighty monarch from the throne.
VII. Civil Disobedience
We must always hold this tactic in the realm of possibility. With our numbers we can prevent government from functioning, businesses from operating and literally bottle up the city.
VIII. International Linkage
It is imperative that we fortify or strengthen the international links that we have already begun. There are no local solutions anymore. If ever the poet’s words were accurate, they are today, “No man is an island, sufficient unto himself, but every man is a part of the continent.” Decisions made in the capitals of the world will have impact on all the cities of the world. Because millions of people marched in the streets of Iran, a government toppled, oil ceased to flow thousands of miles away and we are told that our cars may soon cease moving. Gas will be rationed. The battle of Crown Heights – the Hasidim Jews cannot be isolated but must be seen in an international context. We must go back to the United Nations again and again. We must influence the African leadership. We must be at the Conference of the Organization of African Unity. It is imperative that we fortify or strengthen the international links that we have already begun. There are no local solutions anymore. If ever the poet’s words were accurate, they are today, “No man is an island, sufficient unto himself, but every man is a part of the continent.” Decisions made in the capitals of the world will have impact on all the cities of the world. Because millions of people marched in the streets of Iran, a government toppled, oil ceased to flow thousands of miles away and we are told that our cars may soon cease moving. Gas will be rationed. The battle of Crown Heights – the Hasidim Jews cannot be isolated but must be seen in an international context. We must go back to the United Nations again and again. We must influence the African leadership. We must be at the Conference of the Organization of African Unity. We must work, converse, persuade, politicize, rally and march until our cause becomes the cause of all third world people, indeed the cause of all people of goodwill. As Malcolm stated, it is a human rights struggle and that is the struggle in which all righteous people should be counted.
Here again the importance of politics comes to play. If we developed political power commensurate with our numbers, we could make a considerable contribution to the struggles of third world people. Her Excellency Ambassador Koni, of Zambia, in a speech at the House of the Lord Church urged people of African descent to develop their political strength which they could then use to influence assistance for the liberation struggles in Africa as well as support for African governments. Consider the Zionists, who, though much smaller than other ethnic groups have been able to extract from the U.S.A. government a black check.
These are some of the tactics that we can employ to achieve immediate and limited objectives and tactics which if done well would move us close to, if not completely to our ultimate goal.
The Question of Violence
I did not include violence in my outline, not because I believe violence is morally wrong or not at some point viable, but a serious discussion of violence is a private matter.
We must view with suspicion or alarm, those who make a practice of publicly discussing violence, or revolutionary overthrow of government.
A revolutionary vanguard is not organized with public debate. It is a quiet, underground, well-guarded secret process. Those who are in it know it and those who are not in it, do not know it. We adopt Malcolm X’s stance when he was asked a question regarding his position on politics. He said,
“I believe in action, period. Whatever kind of action is necessary. When you hear me say “by any means necessary,” I mean exactly that. I believe in anything that is necessary to correct unjust conditions – political, economic, social, physical, anything that’s necessary. I believe in it – as long as its intelligently directed and designed to get results.”
But to prepare ourselves for all eventualities, we have organized the Black Community Patrol and recruitment is underway to expand its ranks.
We must always be educating our people, heightening consciousness. Every act must be seen as an opportunity to educate:
To educate regarding history – our ancient greatness and our fall into centuries of wretchedness;
To educate regarding the contemporary scene, analysis of our present predicament and a study of strategies for change;
To educate regarding the future and our potential to build a better society.
No matter what else we do, if the end result does not produce strong Black men and women, we have failed. But on the other hand, if we can resurrect our people in the vision of Marcus Garvey who said,
“I trust there will be a spiritual and material resurrection among Negroes everywhere; that you will lift yourselves from the doubts of the past; that you will lift yourselves from the slumbers of the past; that you will lift yourselves from the lethargy of the past, and strike out in his new life – in this resurrected life to see things as they are.”
If we can do that, even if we do not change the society consistent with our vision, we will still have succeeded, for our efforts would have meant that we would have reshaped the minds of our people; and once a people, however long their oppression, begins to redefine themselves according to their God-given worth or in highest human terms, it is not long before they will rise and do whatever is necessary to build a world in which their new or resurrected selves can live.
To be continued…
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