Kwame Ture - Organizer
Some of the following isfrom a statement by the All African People's Revolutionary Party and DedonKamathi, friend and comrade of Kwame.
By John Johnson
Kwame Ture, (Stokley Carmichael)crossed over to the land of his ancestors, Nov 15, at 3:30 PM in Conakry,Guinea, West Africa, at the age of 57. He struggled two years with cancer.
Kwame was a member of theAll African People's Revolutionary Party and a leading figure in the globalPan-Africanist movement at the time of his death.
Born on June 29, 1941 inPort of Spain, Trinidad, he attended Howard university where he joinedSNCC (Student Non-Violent Co-ordinating Committee) in 1960.
SNCC became the driving politicalforce of the civil rights movement in the South. Their energies and politicscontinued to push the struggle to deeper layers of American society. Itwas not just the access to soda fountains they fought for, but politicalpower. Kwame gave voice and slogan to this struggle in 1966 with his cryof "Black Power".
In the book Black Power,published in 1967 and still in print, Kwame attempted to explain the term."It is a call for black people in this country to unite, to recognize theirheritage, to build a sense of community," he wrote. "It is a call for blackpeople to begin to define their own goals, to lead their own organizations. . . to resist the racist institutions and values of this society."
He was described as fearlessin activities in the South in the Sixties, facing down sheriffs on lonelycountry roads at night, being arrested numerous times, spending time inthe notorious Parchment Prison. He achieved his leadership by just beingone of the most competent organizations in the South and doing that withutmost humanity, humor and charisma.
Kwame went on to become aleader in the anti-war and anti-draft movement, bringing those strugglesto the civil rights movement. In one well-known example he lobbied Dr.Martin Luther King to also take on the anti-war struggle. His efforts inthe anti-draft movement ("hell no we won't go") was instrumental in alertingthe black community that there were alternatives to going to Vietnam. Blacksoldiers made up a far greater number proportionally in terms of thoseactive in combat, and those wounded or killed in combat in Vietnam.
He took SNCC beyond non-violenceas a philosophy. He and later the Black Panthers said they stood for theability of people to defend themselves and that non-violence is a tacticnot the philosophy of most people. In the rural and urban South peoplewere at the mercy of the Klan, White Citizens Councils and especially localsheriffs--all armed. Houses, churches and meeting halls were regularlyfired upon. The people themselves carried arms to protect themselves, byin large they were not non-violent in philosophy.
As a leader of the strugglehe traveled internationally, to Cuba and Hanoi and of course to Africa.There he supported Kwame Nkumanh the leader of Ghana, who was a democraticallyelected leader, overthrown by the CIA and Prime Minister of Guinea SekouTure whom he worked with in the formation of the All African People RevolutionaryParty and in the effort of forming a "United Socialist Africa".
He was also a life long supporterof the Cuban revolution and traveled there many times. At the end of hislife he received medical attention in Cuba.
For his organizing abilitiesand international connections he earned the hatred of the US government,the FBI and CIA. He was spied upon, banned from traveling to over 30 countriesand if he had not moved to Africa, he most probably would have been assassinated.Ture recalled that after being alerted to the alleged FBI plot on his lifefollowing a visit to communist Cuba in 1967, Castro's warning of retaliation"if imperialism touches one grain of hair on his head" helped to diminishthe death threats.
And according to some, hiscancer was in fact an assassination.
Much has been made out ofwhat the press calls his "break with white radicals." In fact, as far asI know, there was never such a break. He traveled the world and talkedto and worked with everyone who was interested. He did concentrate hisactivities on Africans both in the United States and Africa and he didcontinue to work with "white radicals". His objections were to the politicsof certain individuals and organizations. Liberal politics of reform, groupsthat would put their agendas above his and the interests of Africans werenot of interest to him. See Clayborne Carson's book, In Struggle: SNCCand the Black Awakening of the 1960s for the documented history of thisstruggle.
To hear Stokley/Kwame wasalmost a transcending experience. In the Seventies, Eighties and NinetiesKwame was a popular speaker on campuses throughout the United States. Hecontinued to give talks until his death. In fact, just this year he stageda sit-in at the offices of the NAACP trying to get a number of Black organizationsand leaders, including the NAACP, Julian Bond and the Nation of Islam leaderLouis Farrakhan to meet, talk and work out their differences. He foughtfrom the Sixties until his last political act to form a Black and AfricanUnited Front.
"He's probably the last prominentPan-Africanist who is philosophically pure," observed Bobby Rush, the BlackPanther turned Democratic congressman from Chicago. "He has not compromisedwith the forces of capitalism."
As to the struggles in theUnited States, he said "these are the best of times and the worst of times...to organize." That it is true that there is great turmoil in the Africancommunity but great problems make for great efforts and great organizersand in the end even better results. There is no reason to give up or throwup ones hands, but great reason to worked even harder for justice.
His prime message since theSixties was to organize and build organizations for the people. For ifpeople did not, they would be at the mercy of a array of powers who's onlyinterest would be in exploiting them. From local law enforcement and smallbusinesses, to multi-national corporations and governments.
Kwame was not perfect butneither are you. I did not agree with all his positions and statementsbut more so than most. One of the most important things about Kwame wasthat he never gave up. He did not shrink from adversity. He never had forsakenhis principles, learned and earned through the struggles of the Sixties.He continued to fight unselfishly for justice. His life proves that youdo not have to compromise, do not have to "join the system". That one canlive a life dedicated to justice and the well- being of the masses of people.
As he always said "Organize,victory is inevitable... ready for the Revolution".
Quotes:
“Kwame Ture made us realize we were no longer just
Negroes, we were African. We now know that even if
we were born American, we are all African,” he said,
ending his speech with Ture’s own motto: “Ready for the
revolution!”Conrad Worrill, chairman of the U.S.-based Black
United Front, recalling his early efforts at fostering pride
in African heritage.
“He’s probably the last prominentPan-Africanist who is philosophically pure,” observed Bobby Rush, the BlackPanther turned Democratic congressman from Chicago. “He has not compromisedwith the forces of capitalism.”
“He was one of our generation who was determined to give his lifeto transforming
America and Africa. He was committed to ending racial apartheid inour
country. He helped to bring those walls down” . Jesse Jackson
Kwame is a struggler. He struggled all his life, he
struggled until the last second of the last minute of the
last hour of the last day,” Bob Brown, a longtime friend
of Ture, told 400 cheering people at a memorial service
held at Conakry’s Gamal Abdel Nasser University.