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Although observed in February elsewhere in the Afrikan world, October has been the month designated for “Black History Month/Afrikan Heritage Month (AHM)” since 1987. The vision of activist Baba Akyaaba Addai-Sebo, AHM in the UK was established by the London Strategic Policy Committee, within the context of Afrikan Jubilee Year 1987/8.
The purpose of Afrikan Jubilee Year was threefold: to commemorate the centenary of the birth of the Most Eminent Prophet & King, His Excellency – Marcus Mosiah Garvey, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Organisation of Afrikan Unity, and to observe the 150th anniversary of emancipation in the Caribbean. It was also accompanied by a declaration urging the pursuance of various practices including promoting “positive public images and an understanding of Afrikans and people of Afrikan descent and encourage the positive teaching and development of their history, culture and struggles” and “support Afrikan organisations and liberation movements based in London”. (1)
Such sentiments are also consistent with the actual origin of the observance – Negro History Week (NHW), founded by Baba Dr Carter G Woodson in February 1926 in the USA. Dr Woodson’s intention was for NHW to “increase awareness of and interest in black history among the black masses” with the hope that this would develop into support for black organizations. (2)
So it is especially fitting that this month represents the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Black Panther Party For Self-Defence by Huey P Newton and Bobby Seale in Oakland, USA. With their cadre of fearless warriors that included Bobby Hutton, Assata Shakur and Fred Hampton, they are widely regarded as “the vanguard of the revolution” (3)
What perhaps is not as well known is that a year before, the Black Panther Party of the Lowndes County Freedom Organization was formed in Alabama, USA. This organization received intensive logistical support from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) that at the time was Chaired by Kwame Ture (then known as Stokely Carmichael) (4)
Ture’s influence didn’t stop there. He later went on to become “Honorary Prime Minister” of the Black Panther Party For Self-Defence. (5) However, Ture’s influence didn’t stop there. As renowned freedom fighter, the late Obi Egbuna noted:
“The history of Black Power in Britain is the history of the s*** class trying to organise themselves. It was not until Stokely Carmichael’s historic visit in the summer of 1967, when he came to participate in the Dialectics of Liberation seminar at the Round House that Black Power got a foothold in Britain…” (6)
This is significant because too few are aware of the origins of the Black Panther/Black Power movement in the UK and even fewer are aware of the role of Nigeria born author, playwright and activist Obi Egbuna in its development.
In addition to Ture, Egbuna was a confidant and/or associate of the likes of Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah, Maurice Bishop, Tony Martin and Fela Kuti, Black Panther Party USA founders. He was Chair of the reinvigorated Universal Coloured People’s that drafted the Black Power Manifesto. He outlined his views and values in such works as Destroy This Temple: The Voice of Black Power in Britain and The ABC of Black Power Thought, in addition to novels and short story collections such as Wind versus Polygamy, The Minister’s Daughter and Daughters of the Sun and Other Stories. (7)
It is almost inexplicable that one so influential can be so unheralded. Then again, this is just the type of case that Black History Month was created for. As a revolutionary theorist, Obi Egbuna advocated what was (and is) necessary, not what is pleasant and pretty. Reflecting in his father’s work, Obi Egbuna Jr summarised its impact:
“We also have to say my father’s work showed Black Power was a movement, not a slogan, as many like to say because the nationalist and pan Africanist overtones were too aggressive for them.” (8)
In his own words, Egbuna Sr makes it clear the extent of the work that needs to be done and where it must start:
“The first move towards Black consciousness is to kill the part of yourself that is white. The number one step towards Black Power orientation is to commit Partial suicide… Black Power demands a total rejection of Whiteyism, without or within. To talk Black Power, we must first clear up the mess inside our soul. Before we can effectively reject Whiteyism in the street, we must first and foremost reject it within the very marrow of our beings. It must be rejected because it has no right to be there… To do things for ourselves, we must first make sure we are completely ourselves. Before we can WE confidently, we must first ascertain we really mean WE, not half-US, half-THEM.” (9)
Such sentiments are unlikely to be embraced by the standard local council sponsored Black History Month events. This should leave the way clear for the community “support Afrikan organisations and liberation movements based in London” that are organising BHM events (http://www.visionsandaspirations.org/events/).
(1) Akyaaba Addai-Sebo and Ansel Wong (Eds) (1988) Our Story: A Handbook Of African History and Contemporary Issues. London Strategic Policy Unit. p. 319(2) Jacqueline Goggin (1993) Carter G Woodson: A Life In Black History. Louisiana State University Press. p. 84.(3) Stanley Nelson (2016) The Black Panthers: Vanguard Of The Revolution. PBS Distribution(4) Jack Minnis (1967) Lowndes County Freedom Organization: The Story of the Development of an Independent Political Movement on the County Level. http://www.crmvet.org/docs/67_lcfo_minnis.pdf(5) Mumia Abu Jamal. Foreword. Stokely Speaks: From Black Power to Pan-Africanism. By Kwame Ture. 2007. Lawrence Hill Books, 2007. vii.(6) ) Obi Egbuna (1971) Destroy This Temple, William Morrow & Company, p 16.(7) The People’s Minister of Information JR (10/03/14) Looking at the life of freedom fighter Obi Egbuna Sr. http://sfbayview.com/2014/03/looking-at-the-life-of-freedom-fighter-obi-egbuna-sr/(8) Ibid.(9) Egbuna, p. 49.
So tonight we ask the question:
Black History, Black Panthers and Black Power – How can we link BHM to liberation work?
1. Were you aware of the original objective of BHM UK?
2. Is Black Power still relevant?
3. Are you familiar with the life and work of Obi Egbuna?
4. Where is the Black Power movement today?
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Our very special guests:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and UNIA-ACL Ambassador for the UK and national co-Chair of the interim National Afrikan People’s Parliament. Bro. Ldr is a veteran activist of over 30 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An African-Centred Guide To Excellence.
Obi Egbuna Jr: is the son of Obi Egbuna Obi Egbuna, Jr., was born in London and raised in Washington, DC. He received a degree in Political Science from the University of the District of Columbia in 1992.
Obi has dedicated his life to organizing in communities throughout the world. He is a founding member of the Pan-African Liberation Organization (PALO) and technical advisor for the Pan-African Student Youth Movement (PASYM). In addition to organizing and speaking engagements, Egbuna has published articles in the Final Call, the Chicago Standard, Rastafarian Today, the Hilltop at Howard University and the Spectrum at Bowie State University. Egbuna is the first U.S. Correspondent to The Herald, Zimbabwe’s national newspaper, and the first US correspondent in the country’s 32 years as an independent nation.
Egbuna has taught African History at Roots PCS since 1990 and has also taught at Ujamaa Shule and Northwestern High School in Prince George’s County. He is the current African History teacher for the Sankofa Homeschool Collective. In addition, Egbuna holds a community African History Class in NW DC. Mr. Egbuna is a founding member of Mass Emphasis Children’s History and Theater Company (2012). He is the Executive Director of Mass Emphasis for which he has written a number of plays.
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