The movement for global Afrikan Liberation dates back millennia. From the invaders in the Nile Valley, the Arab incursions in the west of the continent and the devastation of the Maafa wrought by Europe. (1)

In more recent times we can see the influence of the “post Garvey-era” on the independence movements in the Motherland and the Caribbean in the 1950s and 1960s (and beyond) versions of which were manifested by activists in the seats of white power in the USA and Europe. (2)

In the 1970s and 1980s these tendencies coalesced around colonial holdovers, notably in the southern region of the Afrikan continent in Namibia, Zimbabwe and especially Azania (South Africa). The global cry of “Free Mandela” virtually defined the fight through tactics like boycotts, divestment, sanctions and protests. (3)

In many instances the campaigns were helmed by liberal, white leadership that had lionized Nelson Mandela. But young Afrikan activists were less inspired by the moderate approach. Moreover, the Mandela they were most inspired by was not Nelson but his wife Winnie. This was certainly the case among young activists in Spain where throughout the 1980s against the backdrop of a burgeoning Afrocentric Movement, a spate of new and re-published radical books, the revolutionary example of Thomas Sankara all to the soundtrack of Hip-Hop’s “Golden Age” through artists like Public Enemy, Schoolly D, Sister Souljah and Paris as well as militant reggae music by the likes of Bob Marley, the Spanish chapter of the Black Panther Party was formed in Madrid. (4)

In the face of international atrocities like the execution of Malesela Benjamin Moloise and domestic issues such as increasingly violent (and unpunished) racist attacks, young Afrikans in Spain began to organise themselves into groups of resistance. The Black Panthers, gaining inspiration from figures including Huey P Newton, Eldridge Cleaver, Angela Davis, George Jackson, Robert Williams, Omowale Malcolm X and Kwame Toure sought to conscientise these groups and drafted the manifesto “No aggression without response. Organize and fight” and a 12 point program for young Akfrikans of Madrid. (5)

So there were several parallels between Afrikans in the UK and Spain in the 1970s and 80s in terms of state repression, racist attacks and the politicization of young people as well as some of the literary sources of that politicization. One area of difference was that whereas in the UK reggae music was “the mouthpiece of the black community,” in Spain this inspiration came largely (though not exclusively) from USA Hip-Hop. (6)

This underscores the importance of cultural mediums in organized resistance. Four decades ago the confluence of global campaigns, consciousness raising literature and militant music created the perfect storm for youth activism. We have witnessed in the intervening years the literature get more insular and the music less potent, which seemed to mirror the decline in activism.

In the present there’s arguably easy access to more conscious content than anytime in history. However, it exists in an over saturated marketplace which means it can get lost in the melee. One song that has cut through was Hip-Hop artist Kendrick Lamar’s 2015 song Alright, in part inspired by his trip to Nelson Mandela’s Robben Island cell, became of the anthem of the 2019 Black Lives Matter protests. Whether it will have the longevity of A Change Is Gonna Come, Get Up Stand Up or Fight The Power remains to be seen. (7)
(1) John Henrik Clarke (1993) African People in World History. Black Classic Press. p. 26-7; ’ Chinweizu (1987) Seasons Of White Invaders in Decolonising the African Mind. Pero Press. p. 129; Marimba Ani (2004) Let The Circle Be Unbroken. Nkonimfo Publications. p. 12 https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/mar/11/biggest-tory-donor-looking-diane-abbott-hate-all-black-women
(2) Bakari K. Lumumba (2018) Is Pan-Africanism Dead?: The Relevancy of Garveyism in the Twenty-First Century: ThePolitics of Black Self-Determination in the Southeastern United States. https://etd.ohiolink.edu/acprod/odb_etd/ws/send_file/send?accession=ohiou1526039138419958&disposition=inline. p. 35
(3) Owen Dowling (10/09/23) The Fight Against Apartheid Was an International Struggle: An interview with Ronnie Kasrils. https://jacobin.com/2023/10/ronnie-kasrils-interview-anti-apartheid-international-solidarity-recruits
(4) Antoine S. Johnson (15/08/23) Golden-Era Rap Music and the Black Intellectual Tradition https://www.aaihs.org/golden-era-rap-music-and-the-black-intellectual-tradition/; Public Enemy Fan Club (28/12/17) Abuy Nfubea a former founder of Black Panther Party in Spain. https://publicenemyfunclub.blogspot.com/2017/12/interview-abuy-nfubea-former-founder.html
(5) Public Enemy Fan Club. Op. cit.
(6) William (Lez) Henry (2006) What The Deejay Said: A Critique From The Street. Nu Beyond Ltd. Learning By Choice. p. 1; Public Enemy Fan Club. Op. cit.
(7) Andrew Limbong (26/08/19) Both Party And Protest, ‘Alright’ Is The Sound Of Black Life’s Duality. https://www.npr.org/2019/08/26/753511135/kendrick-lamar-alright-american-anthem-party-protest

we ask the question

Black Panther Party in Spain: What is its legacy?

1) What are the parallels for Afrikans in Spain and the UK?
2) How important are music and books to activism?
3) What impact did the Spanish BPP have?
4) Do global campaigns around specific issues (e.g. Apartheid) help foster activism? If so what today’s issues?

Our Special Guests:

Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and an Afrikan-Centred Education Consultant. Bro. Ldr is a veteran activist of over 40 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An African-Centred Approach To Excellence.

Dr Abuy Nfubea: is journalist and editor Uhuru Afrika TV and Professor at MalcolmGarveyUniversity.com. He founded Black panther party in spain in 1988 and he has dedicated his life to oriented to Garveyism and reparations between Afrikan communities who speak Spanish. He founded and runs The 4th Internacional Garveyista Movement in places like Guinea Equatorial, Ghana, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Spain, Portugal, Ecuador, Mexico Colombia Curacao, Argentina, Brasil, Bolivia, Chile and Canada.