Chicago, IL – 500 organizers convened at the Chicago Teacher’s Union Hall from Friday, November 14 through Sunday, November 16 for the 52nd anniversary national conference of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR).
The conference was the fourth of its kind since the refounding of NAARPR in 2019. It showcased the tremendous growth of the organization and its fighting capacity since its original founding in 1973 out of the movement to free Angela Davis. 530 people registered for the conference, representing 31 NAARPR branches and affiliate organizations.
San Jose, CA – On the evening of Thursday, November 13, around 25 people gathered at the Santa Clara County Human Rights Commission meeting to advocate for reparations for African Americans. Those present encouraged the commission to pass a recommendation on to the board of supervisors to assemble a reparations task force to research how reparations could be implemented in the county.
Minneapolis, MN – On a rainy Tuesday evening, October 14, folks gathered at the Hennepin County Government Plaza to commemorate what would have been George Floyd’s 51st birthday.
Angela Harrelson, the aunt of George Floyd, kicked off the program and asked for everyone to stay united in fighting for justice and that she was grateful for the folks who showed up to celebrate her nephew’s birthday.
Washington, DC – Over 100 community members, activists and organizers mobilized on September 30, in response to 14 racist bills Congress is trying to pass that strip DC of political power and attack Black youth.
This week, the Senate votes on HR 4922 – DC Crimes Act, HR 5143 – District of Columbia Juvenile Sentencing Reform Act, and HR 5125 – District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Reform Act. These bills aim to further criminalize homelessness, repeal local laws banning police from high-speed car chases, remove the ability for judges to sentence youth offenders below the mandatory minimum, lower the age of eligibility for juveniles to be tried as adults in D.C. for certain violent offenses from 16 years to 14 years of age, and so much more.
Assata Shakur was a fighter for freedom and an icon of the Black liberation movement. She came of age during the struggles of the 1960s and 70s, and everything that was good and powerful about that time, Assata embodied. The deep understanding that a better world is possible, and most importantly, the conviction to never give up. Never surrender.
Allendale, MI – The Sultry Xi Nu chapter of the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority organized a vigil on the evening of Monday, September 22, at Grand Valley State University to honor the life of Demartravion “Trey” Reed, a young Black man who was found deceased on the campus of Delta State University in Mississippi last Monday. The rally was organized in partnership with the GVSU Pan-Hellenic Council and the Progressive Student Union.
The African American Commission of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization condemns the occupation of Washington DC by Trump in his deployment of the National Guard and federal police to DC’s streets. Trump, at the press conference announcing his decision Monday, evoked Section 740 of the DC Home Rule Act, which allows for the federal government to take direct control of the DC Metro Police. Trump in his press conference talked about giving DC police the power to do “whatever the hell they want.”
Chicago, IL – The South Side celebrated the last days of summer at the 96th Bud Billiken parade on Saturday, August 9. The Bud Billiken is the largest African American parade in the country. Young people received school supplies while dancers and musicians showed off their skills. Some organizations also raised political demands such as community control of police, fully funded public services, and progressive taxation.
Chicago, IL – Ryan Coogler’s movie Sinners is densely packed with social commentary. Much has been written about the film's reflections on a range of topics. This review is grounded in how the film addresses national liberation. Sinners demonstrates through its plot that Black liberation is incompatible with capitalism.
Chicago, IL – On Wednesday morning, July 16, hundreds of people packed the Chicago city hall lobby ahead of the city council meeting. Many youth and community organizations stood united in opposition to the racist snap curfew ordinance that was put forward by Alderman Brian Hopkins two months before. This snap curfew would give the Chicago Police Department unchecked power in the instance of a mass gathering to institute a curfew with only 30 minutes notice and engage in mass arrests.
New York, NY – On Thursday June 19, close to 50 New Yorkers assembled to honor the radical legacy of Juneteenth by protesting ICE presence in their city and state. The protest was organized by Equality for Flatbush, a Brooklyn-based organization which focuses on issues facing oppressed people in the Flatbush community.
Jacksonville, FL – On Sunday, May 25, at the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office headquarters, the Jacksonville Community Action Committee (JCAC) garnered over 100 community members to recognize the five-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Jacksonville was one of many cities that answered the national call by National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, “All Out for May 25” to remember all victims of police terror and the heinous signing, April 28, of President Trumps Executive Order 14288.
New Orleans, LA – New Orleanians hit the streets on Sunday evening, May 25, to honor George Floyd on the five-year angelversary of his murder in 2020 by killer cop Derek Chauvin.
The rally began at City Hall around 5 p.m., demanding an end to Trump’s racist attacks. In particular opposing Trump’s Executive Order 14288 which seeks to strengthen policing, while anti-immigrant “Project Homecoming” puts more police power towards deportations. The demonstration also demanded justice for victims of police crimes, an end to attacks on immigrants, and called for community control of the police.
Tallahassee, FL – On Sunday, May 25, 20 people rallied outside City Hall against Trump’s Executive Order 14288 on the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s murder. Between chants from the crowd, local organizers spoke out against Trump’s policy.
“Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14288, a racist dog whistle, is not just another policy. It’s a declaration of war against our movements for justice,” said Nicole Soza, speaking on behalf of 50501 and Voices for Florida. “This is not about public safety. It is about protecting those who maim and kill with a badge and giving them more tools to silence dissent simply because they have that badge.”
Washington, D.C. – A crowd of 50 activists and community members gathered in Lafayette Square on Sunday – the fifth anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. They protested the Trump administration’s new Executive Order 14288.
The action, hosted by the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression DC (NAARPR DC), called on attendees to “Fight the Trump Agenda!” Leaders demanded that the U.S. Congress overturn Executive Order 14288, pass the George Floyd Act, and establish community control of the police in Washington DC.
Reactionary forces are rallying to enable police violence and to undermine the accountability that has been hard won through struggle. Minnesota authorities are now appealing for calm if Trump decides to pardon Derek Chauvin, the convicted murderer of George Floyd.
The idea of a federal pardon for Chauvin, whose conviction was only secured after millions flooded the streets in 2020, would spit in the face of the movement that forced a reckoning with police crimes. All those who stand for justice and believe Black lives matter should be on alert. If it happens, this pardon must be met with mass resistance.
Chicago, IL – The congregants at Healing Temple Church on Chicago’s West Side welcomed veteran community organizers to a rally against attacks on their beloved city, on March 1.
150 people came to the church to defend Mayor Brandon Johnson, who, along with several other progressive mayors has been called to testify before racist Republicans in Congress. This is a continuation of the Trump agenda's attacks on Chicago for being a progressive city with strong movement forces.
Tacoma, WA – Community members gathered at the South Tacoma Library on Tuesday, February 25, for a “Black Liberation and Scientific Socialism” panel hosted by Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) and the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party (AAPRP).
Minneapolis – More than 100 people gathered at the New City Center for “We Keep Us Safe: A Teach-in on the Black History of Community Control of the Police,” hosted by Twin Cities Coalition for Justice (TCC4J) and Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO). The program featured panelists from National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression branches in different cities – all in various stages of the fight for local community control of the police.
As the struggle for national liberation continues, we experience attacks and opposition from various angles in our society. The state weaponizes law enforcement and the justice system in order to threaten, subdue and eradicate those in our movements. The mainstream media sits at the opposite arm of this imperial body, disseminating propaganda to dull and warp the minds of millions through half-truths and obfuscation. To effect the reinforcing chauvinist fervor and trust in the system of capitalistic exploitation, we are constantly bombarded with stories and roundtable discussions syndicated by media conglomerates. These figures are financially incentivized to keep the masses from adopting any semblance of class consciousness.
