Voices Podcast: In conversation with Kamau Franklin, Channing Martinez, and Eric Mann on Black Liberation and More
Join Kamau Franklin, Channing Martinez, and Eric Mann in conversation about Black Liberation, Black Revolutionary Nationalism and Third World anti-imperialist movement strategy
Aired Tuesday April, 5th, 2022 | Time on KPFK Pacifica 90.7fm
Join Kamau Franklin, Channing Martinez, and Eric Mann in a great conversation about Black Liberation, Black Revolutionary Nationalism and Third World anti-imperialist movement strategy
As you know, Voices from the Frontlines is called “your national movement building show” and Kamau’s organization is called Community Movement Builders—obviously we share a strong common perspective. The Strategy Center’s new National Leadership School for Strategic Organizing will eventually have many different programs but we begin with high level conversations and relationships with the leading anti-imperialist organizers in the field. (See our The Genius of Walter Rodney: How Europe Underdeveloped Africa for Organizers program on Haymarket Books Youtube channel.)
Again, Kamau Franklin gave a very strong presentation at the Walter Rodney symposium a video recording of which will be ready in the future.
JOIN US NOW for a discussion about revolutionary strategy in the age of counter-revolution.
The conversation goes all over the world back and forth through history. But the unique attraction of this conversation is all three are very successful organizers in the Atlanta and South Central L.A. communities. Kamau Franklin, is an organizer with Community Movement Builders in the Pittsburgh area of Atlanta’s Black community. His work spans Afrocentric political education, alternative institutions construction, and defending the Black community against police and gentrification assaults. Check out their very impressive website, www.communitymovementbuilders.org to learn more about their cutting edge work. Check out Kamau’s important article, An Ivory Tower Assassination of Malcom X, (Black Agenda Report April 11, 2011).
Channing Martinez speaks about the growing attacks on the social structure of the Black community especially Black bus and train riders suffering 50% of all tickets and arrests, so police occupation and brutality reinforce massive poverty and an epidemic of houselessness.
Eric Mann, a veteran of the Congress of Racial Equality, is the author of Playbook for Progressives: The 16 Qualities of the Successful Organizer.
All three discuss a common view, building social movements independent and to the left of the Democratic Party—exciting ideas of building real revolutionary movements in the real world.
Eric Mann’s commentary on The U.S. NATO Russia, and the Ukraine.
The Russian invasion of the Ukraine is an attack on their sovereignty, sadly in the ugly traditions of the Soviet invasions of Hungary and Czechoslovakia. Russia must withdraw all troops from its invasion of the Ukraine.
NATO should disband—it is a U.S. dominated cabal of colonialists, NATO should cease its encirclement, attacks and provocations against Russia. NATO should pay reparations to the nations of Africa, Asia, and Latin America where they continue to carry out genocide and colonialism.
Joe Biden and the Democrats should be brought up on international human rights charges for demanding the removal of Russian President Vladimir Putin, hysterical escalation of war rhetoric, providing weapons to the Ukraine, the mass imprisonment of Black people, and the forced starvation of the people of Afghanistan. It is not just pathetic president Biden who is determined to destroy Russia and China. The U.S. people better look into the mirror to see how they are becoming fascists and warmongers. The majority are willing to risk nuclear war over a conflict that is being escalated rather than negotiated by the U.S. government with their active support and participation.
For peace activists, Black Liberationists, and anti-imperialists, the central contradiction is always the crimes of our own government and the mass complicity in the systematic genocide against the Third World. The call for Russian withdrawal from the Ukraine is imperative, The primary focus must be to oppose the war mongering of the U.S. white settler, one party state. Stand up to state run mass media and demand that CNN and CNBC register as official spokespeople for the U.S. CIA, Department of War, and State Department. Declining U.S. imperialism demands a Unipolar World because it can’t live in peace or effectively compete economically with Russia and China. No matter how small the voice, we need to put the primary focus on the crimes of the U.S.
