Did you know Francois-Dominique Toussaint Louverture led a successful slave revolt and emancipated the French colony of Saint-Domingue (Haiti)? He is known as the most prominent leader of the Haitian Revolution. He was knighted and recognized as a general as he demonstrated extraordinary military ability throughout many battles. In 1802 he was invited to “parley,” by French General Jean-Baptiste Brunet after the French were defeated, but was tricked and arrested upon his arrival. He was deported and jailed, tortured, and killed in 1803. Kinda clowned out for that a bit 🤷🏾♂️. Still Haiti has had the largest and most successful slave rebellion in the Western Hemisphere.
Black History 365 | # 116 Martin Luther King, Jr. & El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X)
Did you know Martin Luther King Jr & Malcolm X only met one time? Yes. On March 25, 1964 King and Malcolm were both on Capitol Hill watching a Senate hearing regarding legislation aimed at ending segregation in public places and racial discrimination in employment. As King was wrapping up a press conference, he was approached by X, and the two shook hands and exchanged greetings. As cameras clicked away, Malcolm expressed his desire to become more active, saying, “I’m throwing myself into the heart of the civil rights struggle.” Malcolm X was assassinated one month short of a year later. Martin Luther King, assassinated 4 years later. Two sides of the same coin.
Black History 365 | # 115 Bayard Rustin
This is Bayard Rustin. He was the man responsible for organizing and strategizing the March on Washington in August 1963. He had so-called controversial ties to communism and was also a gay man and was considered too much of a liability to be in the front line of the movement. A lot of that is credited to Martin Luther King. Behind the scenes he was known as one of the most brilliant minds in the movement. Rustin broke from the Communist Party when it gave unwavering support to Joseph Stalin; but unlike many former so-called Communists who later flipped to so-called rightwing politics, Rustin remained a committed so-called socialist for the rest of his life. Socialism is rooted in the belief that in an economic system whatever industries that are owned by private businesses should be owned by the workers. Rustin was the man behind the “I Have A Dream” speech. However MLK did regret this speech. Reflecting upon it he feared he was integrating his people into a burning house. He felt that America was not being true to what America’s founding father’s wrote on paper. His perspective started to change. He was assassinated within 24 hours of making his last speech “I’ve Been To The Mountaintop”. Mr. Rustin’s involvement behind Martin’s change of heart is not nentioned nor is this last speech highlighted.
Black History 365 | #114 Reies Lopez Tijerina
Are you familiar with the Chicano leader Reies Lopez Tijerina? He formed the Federal Alliance of Land Grants in 1962. And in June 1967 he led an armed takeover of a New Mexico courthouse where a prison guard was shot and Deputy Sheriff was injured. This thrust him into the national spotlight and he became the catalyst for an entire generation of activists. One year before the Tierra Amarilla Courthouse Raid, Tijerina and the Alianza organized peaceful protests in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. He is quoted as saying “They stole our land and gave us powdered milk!” Two months after his armed takeover he reached out to hold a meeting to explore Black and Brown unity. Virtually every major Black Power organization sent a representative. It was the Treaty of Peace, Harmony, and Mutual Assistance. The Treaty was a seven-part pact which acknowledged a mutual respect and a cooperative alliance. In this pact there are articles stating that both peoples will not make false propaganda of any kind whatsoever against each other, either by SPEECH or WRITING. Never to permit violence or hate. To cure and remedy the historical errors and differences that exist between the two peoples. Chicano activists after this claimed that the Black and Chicano communities oppression, dreams, and demands are one. This was published in the La Raza’s newspaper in 1968. I’m not sure of the lasting impact of this treaty. You tell me what you see in the world today if we’re united or not. At the time however, this treaty and new position of togetherness was a considerable shift from previous Mexican American generations who were openly assimilationist and sought to assert Mexican identity as European. In conclusion written in the treaty is that this pact would be valid between Black and Brown people as long as the Sun and Moon shall shine. ☀️ 🌙
Black History 365 | # 113 The White Panther Party
Have you heard of The White Panther Party? No it was not a white supremacist group formed in opposition of the Black Panther party. Yes it was 3 white hippies (Pun Plamondon, John Sinclair, and Leni Sinclair) I say that respectfully. In Detroit they heard what Huey P Newton said white people could do to support the Panthers. Originally banning together and running a communal building holding similar interests in beliefs and values The Detroit Artists Workshop formed The White Panthers. In November 1968, they emerged as an anti-racist group that supported the Black Panthers. The White Panthers also promoted the anti-war movement and the decriminalization of marijuana. The Panthers originally wrote them off as “psychedelic clowns,” but showed them real love once they saw the actionable change they were making in Detroit. It was mostly popular among younger people — especially those who rejected capitalism, conservatism, and what they identified as American imperialism. Many of these youths protested against the Vietnam War and police brutality, and supported ideas like free love and legal drugs. They had a 10-point program modeled after that of the Black Panthers, and the White Panthers’ first point was complete support of the Black Panthers’ platform. They were targeted by police and raided numerous times before forming as the White Panthers with 54 people once arrested in a single raid, typically for marijuana possession. Following a raid, they provided assistance to people who were left homeless after the Detroit Riots in 1967 which resulted in the death of 43 people including 33 black people and 10 white people. Co-founder John Sinclair is quoted as saying “We dug black people ‘cause that’s there the great music came from and the great weed and the refreshing concepts of sexuality.” OK 👀. Yeah, their perspective and fantasy of Black culture offered them an expression of freedom from everything they felt was wrong with White America. And you can call me biased, but you know the real outside support comes from the Midwest. Major props to the White Panthers. Top tier solidarity indeed.✌🏾