The continuation on the history of NBUF
The National Black United Front Speech (Part Three)
44th Annual Conference, Healthy Village Learning Institute
McKeesport Pennsylvania July 7th - 9th 2023
Theme: Freedom and Unity
V. Institutional Infiltration
We can develop a strategy for the infiltration of Institutions. On the way to achieving the major objective, there are minor objectives that we can achieve. There are unions, school boards, community planning boards, and religious institutions which we can infiltrate and capture and turn the resources to our benefit. Consider the unions in the City of New York. At least three of them have a rank-and-file which is predominately Black and yet the leadership is white.
District Council 37
113,000 members
35% Black
The majority are Black and Hispanic
Transit Workers Union
34,000 members
50% Black
Housing Patrolmen Benevolent Association
1,450 members
52% Black
(This union does have a Black president, Jack Jordan)
We need to develop a plan of action that would gain control of these unions. We have already considered the black presence in the school system across America. If we could lay hold upon these Institutions, many of which have tremendous resources, we would be a step closer towards the realization of our ultimate goal. A word of caution then. Let us refrain from condemning people who are employed in various establishment programs etc. because they may be on our side. We have come to see the wisdom of not asking all our supporters to reveal themselves.
Vl. Marches and Rallies
Let us not underestimate the masses in the streets. The day of marches is not over. It did not die with the Civil Rights Movement for it was not born in southern cities in the sixties. Before Dr. King there was Gandhi and before Gandhi there were others. As I have already stated, we need to look no further than Iran today where millions of people marching in the streets drove almighty monarch from the throne.
Vll. Civil Disobedience
We must always hold this tactic in the realm of possibility. With our numbers, we can prevent the government from functioning, businesses from operating, and the literary bottle of the city.
Vlll. International Linkage
It is imperative that we fortify or strengthen the international link that we have already begun. There are no local solutions anymore. If ever the poet's words were accurate, they are today, “No man is an island, the sufficient unto himself, but every man is a part of the continent. “Decisions made in the capitals of the world will have an impact on all the cities of the world. Because millions of people marched in the streets of Iran, a government toppled, oil ceased to flow thousands of miles away and we are told that our cars may soon cease moving. Gas will be rationed. The Battle of Crown Heights - the Hasidim Jews cannot be isolated but must be seen in the international context. We must go back to the United Nations again and again.
We must influence the African leadership. We must be at the Conference of the Organizations of African Unity. We must work, converse, persuade, politicize, rally, and march until our cause becomes the cause of all third-world people, indeed the cause of all people of goodwill. As Malcolm stated, it is a human rights struggle and that is the struggle in which our all-righteous people should be counted. Here again, the importance of politics comes to play. If we developed political power commensurate with our numbers, we could make a considerable contribution to the struggles of third-world people. Her Excellency Ambassador Koni, of Zambia, in a speech at The House of the Lord Church, urged people of African descent to develop their political strength which they could then use to influence assistance for the liberation struggles in Africa as well as support for African governments. Consider the Zionists, who, though much smaller than other ethnic groups have been able to extract from the U.S. government a black check. These are some of the tactics that we can employ to achieve immediate and limited objectives and tactics which if done well would move us close to, if not completely to our ultimate goal.
Let us return to the end result-the goal. And if or when we form our own government, again I ask, what kind of government, and who would lead it? And as a new government, are we going to form alliances with other governments or join them? A long time ago there was a question of resettling us in other countries. Even President Lincoln supported the idea. Would it be Liberia, Cuba, Sierra Leone, Haiti? Bishop Daniel Coker took 3,000 people to Haiti. But even during the discussion about recolonizing People of African Ancestry (POAA) there was serious debate among our leaders.
Would you be satisfied living under this American government if we had what we wanted - freedom? Which means either we must change the parties, Democrat or Republican, or create another party that challenges the present parties radically.
There was much talk of a Third Party at the NBUF Convention and indeed, there has been talk of Third Party since the inception of the US government.
Let us remember Dr. Cornel West has decided to run for President. Remember Jesse Jackson, had the best opportunity for a Third party in 1983/1984. Let's be honest, the chances of our winning enough votes for us to gain the presidency or to gain enough votes to make revolutionary or even radical gains is farfetched.
The danger I see ahead are that these fringe radical groups who seem to be critical of all or most progress we have made, as well as Black leaders of yesteryear and today. They are going to accumulate enough votes to deny the election of a progressive, liberal, white candidate, who is friendly toward us and therefore the country will be run by the most radical, racist and terrorist groups we have never seen in this country since post Reconstruction.