Filter Commentaries
46 commentaries found
Page 2 of 3
A Message to Black, Brown, and Poor People in Age of COVID-19
A message to Black, Hispanic, and poor people in this age of COVID-19 from Mfalme Sikivu, Executive Minister of UFD. Here we are, in 2020, still faced with the reality of racism and classism. The… Full Transcript
My New Message to No New Jails
My new message to No New Jails. I did a previous commentary about the organization called No New Jails, NYC, which is a grassroots campaign committed to closing Rikers Island. Now, without building new jails… Full Transcript
Born On The Move
Boom! That’s the sound of a hydraulic cherry picker smashing through the side of a house. A house filled with men, women, children, and animals. (Imitates automatic rifle gunshot sounds.) Gunshots firing. Hundreds of rounds… Full Transcript
Free Dontie Mitchell: More Clemency
“#FreeDontieMitchell: More Clemency.” Once again, Governor Cuomo has passed me over for clemency, and many other deserving men and women who have more than paid their debt to society, but have been in prison excessively… Full Transcript
A Message to No New Jail NYC
“A Message to No New Jails NYC.” In September, New York city prison abolitionists organized the coalition known as No New Jails NYC. One of the group’s goals is to promote a vision of a… Full Transcript
Free Louisa Hanoune
Does anyone remember the Arab Spring? Many Arab nations were swept by a massive wave of hope. In many countries, people took to the streets to support an end to corruption, an end to government… Full Transcript
Free Lamar Johnson Now
This piece is entitled “Free Lamar Johnson Now.” My name is Keith Malik Washington, and I’m the chief spokesperson for the End Prison Slavery in Texas movement. Peace and blessing, sisters and brothers. For 24… Full Transcript
Women of the Revolution: Janine & Janet Africa
“Women of MOVE.” Several days ago, after discussion with sister Suzanne, I began thinking about a piece on the women of MOVE. This seemed especially timely after the recent release of several MOVE sisters: Debbie,… Full Transcript
Toxic Prisons
“Toxic Prisons.” Several years ago, the Workers World newspaper publihed an article of mine entitled “Jailhouse Environmentalist.” It told the tale of a prisoner named Bryant Arroyo, a man who responded to the planned placement… Full Transcript
The Power of Movements
“The Power of Movements.” When people join together, their power is multiplied. This simple fact has animated every popular movement in Black American history. That means the only time black folks in America have made… Full Transcript
Another Struggle
“Another Struggle.” My beloved friends, I would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to mention my dear big brother Keith Cook. Happy birthday, brother. We gather again another day in another year,… Full Transcript
Moving Toward Justice
“Moving Toward Justice.” We are right. For the first time in years, our forces are building again, cohering again, marching again. In California, an all-star roster of activists, writers, and revolutionaries are coming together, marking… Full Transcript
Rapping with a Rapper
“Rapping with a Rapper.” For the last few years, in light of the emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement, then the arresting images from Ferguson, MO, rappers have created songs that rap not about… Full Transcript
When The Oppressed Support The Oppressed
“When the oppressed support the oppressed.” In recent weeks, prominent black leaders have been labeled quite unjustly with a tag of anti-Semitism. The best known is perhaps the iconic radical figure Dr. Angela Yvonne Davis… Full Transcript
Rebel Lawyers Speech
“Rebel Lawyers.” Dear friends at Yale Law School, dear rebel lawyers on the MOVE. I greet you all as I endeavor to address the issue of rebel lawyers. When I think of the term, the… Full Transcript
The People’s Forum NYC Part 2
Host: You’re at the People’s Forum in Manhattan. It’s organization-movement central, and you are the man of the hour right now. I’m going to pass you over to Dr. Robin Spencer who’s the host tonight.… Full Transcript
Explosion of the Yellow Vest
Greetings comrades friends, brothers, sisters. As the new year dawns, it is important to view developments happening in the west with new, cool eyes. Socialists often see each critical event as a crisis in capitalism.… Full Transcript
The Rise That Couldn’t Be
“The rise that couldn’t be.” In 1952, a political scientist named Richard Hofstadter published a book that would become a classic, The Paranoid Style in American Politics. In the preface, former U.S. president Dwight Eisenhower… Full Transcript
Big Man Howard
“Big Man Howard.” His name was Elbert Howard, but few people called him that. Through his friends and comrades in the Black Panther Party, he was Big Man, because he really was a big man,… Full Transcript
There are those who think I should give up my fight for UFD, and I should just accept the fact that these people who run the New York state prison system don’t want UFD to… Full Transcript