This essay is Part 1 of the second part in Devyn’s Patreon series exploring digital trends, themes, and analyses; the first, “on TikTok, can be found here. We were trying to find the movie “All Dogs Go To Heaven” for his niece, a giggling smile with a couple of missing baby teeth and enough energy to power a small village. Released in 1989, All Dogs Go To Heaven was one of the animated films that captivated us both as children, and I had faith that it would do the same for her. He says he coulda swore that it was . . .
Theory Corner
Are You a Missionary or a Revolutionary?
In a recent panel, Delency posed the question to his fellow panelists: “are you a missionary or a revolutionary?” The question naturally arose since the panel featured groups and people who are actively participating in food and community programs. Over the course of the discussion, it became clear that folks are engaged in the work for different reasons. Two members of People’s Programs (Yemi & Delency) participated in the panel and it was their goal to have an honest conversation with the other panelists (and themselves) about why they are doing this work: to make themselves feel good, or to . . .
There is No Such Thing as Black Capitalism
51 years ago on 4th Dec 1969, Fredrick Allen Hampton Sr then chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party (BPP), and deputy chairman of the national BPP was assassinated by the Chicago County police in an unlawful raid. Hampton was only 21 years old when he was killed alongside Marl Clark another BPP member who was 22 years old. The anniversary to remember the life of Fred Hampton was quiet in 2021 without much celebration and recognition, obviously the mainstream media for known reasons do not have a history of celebrating radical revolutionaries. Although, maybe mistakenly one . . .
Austerity and the Apolitical Act of Self-Care
“This country fosters the idea of competitive individualism. In other words, he divides people, he tells people to ‘be an individual and do your own thing’. You can not do your own thing if your own thing is not the right thing! You have to understand one of the most counter revolutionary slogans out of last year was ‘do your own thing’. That’s what Black people have been doing for years! You can NOT do your own thing! If your own thing does not happen to be a thing that’s right for the struggle, then it’s incorrect!” Imam Jamil Al . . .
Its Time For Us to Reclaim Juneteenth
The militancy of the Black Power movement and the overall emerging militancy of African and other colonized people signaled a change in our enemy’s approach. If you’ve been paying close attention to the tactics of the capitalist system over the last 25 years, you can see the trend. The mass movements of the past taught the capitalist system that their go-to reliance exclusively upon brutality and ironclad control is no longer a viable strategy. Make no mistake about it, of course, they still utilize brutality, and they always will, but they have made adjustments. They have learned the meaning of . . .
The Similar Logic of Trump and Obama Supporters
Since the emergence of Donald Trump as a dominant political figure in U.S. capitalist politics, the narrative coming out of the liberal bourgeoisie has been to criticize the lack of analytical capabilities coming from Trump supporters. For several years now, there has been a consistent focus around the lack of intellectual foundation contained within the thinking of anyone who supports Trump’s and the Republican Party’s thoughts and actions. And, without question, there is overwhelming evidence to support this critique. Even surface level students of history can see clearly the lack of truth coming from Trump supporters with their superficial and . . .
Neo-Colonialism is Inherently Patriarchal
I was asked to talk about women fighting for Pan-African unity against neo-colonialism but one of the things that came up on our call when I was preparing for this was neo-colonialism as an inherently patriarchal system of exploitation. So I want to begin by talking about the ways in which neo-colonialism is inherently patriarchal. As we may know, colonialism and neo-colonialism impact every facet of life for colonized peoples so there is no way to analyze any aspect of our lives while ignoring the reality of neo-colonialism and imperialism, but since neo-colonialism is fundamentally an economic system, I want . . .
African Liberation Day 2022: Smash Neo-Colonialism!
The age of classical colonialism in Africa changed the course of history. Exploited trade agreements and pseudo alliances between African nobility and European merchants led to heightened warfare, looting, and genocide across the continent. No mineral or raw material was safe, from gold to palm oil to diamonds. The transatlantic slave trade emptied the continent of capable hands, bodies, and minds to the tune of 12 million Africans. The developing European capitalist class burned their way across Africa from all sides, exploiting every contradiction and weakness they could find. Then came the 1884-85 Berlin Conference, which was an exercise in . . .