The struggle for African Liberation has never been an easy one throughout the course of our history this is evident. However it is a struggle that we cannot ignore. This is the same for men as well as women. You do not so often here about the contributions of women in revolutionary work as much as you do men, but it does exist. There, as a matter of fact, cannot be any type of revolution unless the woman has been involved. Again, I say, examine our history. This is not a message of egotism, or to be boastful of African women pride or feminism. This is a mere message to our people as a testament to never forget who we are. We must look at these women’s’ lives and use it as an example to shape our own. Just as them we must be brave, smarty, courageous and have no fear when working towards our peoples’ liberation. Again these are only a few of the many of us. Hopefully this contribution will be a resource to invent more. UHURU SASA!
Al-Kahina, Dahia of Mauretania, North Africa. Dahia was described as possessing "dark
skin and a large mass of hair. She was a
Moorish freedom fighter, resistance leader, and African patriot. Dahia
al-Kahina directed the most determined resistance to the seventh century Arab
invasions of North Africa. About 690, Al-Kahina, whose name means the
'priestess' or the 'prophetess,' assumed personal command of the African
forces, and under her aggressive leadership, the Arabs were briefly forced to
retreat. The Arabs were relentless, however, and as the African plight
deteriorated, our brave and audacious sister ordered a scorched earth
policy. It is said that the effects of this devastation can still be seen
in the North African countryside. In 701, however, after fierce
resistance, the Africans were defeated. Dahia al-Kahina took her own
life, and sent her sons to the Arab camp with instructions that they adopt
Islam and make common cause with the Arabs. Ultimately, these men
participated in invading Europe and the subjugation of Spain and
Portugal. With the death of Dahia al-Kahina, however, ended a magnificent
and heroic endeavor to preserve Africa for the Africans. –excerpt from Runoko
Rashidi’s DAHIA AL-KAHINA: VALIANT NORTH
AFRICAN FREEDOM FIGHTER
Baker,
Ella Joe, never
allowing her marriage to interfere with political work, said, “Strong people
don’t need strong leaders.” This was her
motto when organizing. She understood
that the people had to lead themselves.
Ella has a long history of organizing.
She was known for speaking out against anti-communist. She also worked with the Organization Workers
Education Project of the Workers Progress Administration, educating workers’
militant Trade union in politics.
Although she graduated valedictorian of her class at Shaw University of
1927, she never really accepted the conservative philosophy. She joined ranks with classmates on social
issues that were deep rooted in resistance.
Born 1903 in Norfolk, Virginia and growing up in Littleton,NC, her
upbringing was also rooted in resistance to oppression through her folks. She felt necessary to organize Harlem during
the Great Depression. Mrs. Baker was a leader of the NAACP in the forties. Ella Joe Baker is more commonly known as
being the Executive Secretary of SCLC, Southern Christian Leadership Conference
in the fifties. Also commonly known as
one of the founders of SNCC, Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee in the sixties. She was a staunch believer that the people
could become a powerful people through organized unity. Ella always said during the fight against
segregation, “Even if segregation is gone, we still need to be free. We will still need jobs. Singing alone is not
enough. We simply need more.” Our great ancestor left this earth in 1986.
Kathleen
Cleaver was born in Dallas, Texas on May 13th
1945. Growing up her family lived in India, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the
Philippines. Kathleen returned to the United States to
finish her education. While studying at Barnard College she became involved in
the civil rights movement. In 1967 she left college to work full-time for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). The following year she met Eldridge Cleaver and moved from New York to San Francisco to join the Black Panther Party (BPP). The couple married on 27th December, 1967. Kathleen Cleaver became the BPP's National Communications Secretary
and helped to organize the campaign to get Huey Newton
released from prison. She was also the first woman to be appointed to the Black
Panthers Central Committee.
Mae
Mallory when the police attacked this woman
attacked back. Mae Mallory was a leading
figure in the movement for Black liberation in the 1960s, and of all her life’s
battles, before her death in 2007, the hardest one established Mallory’s
political role. It began with her support and fundraising for Rob Williams, a
leading advocate of armed self-defense for Black people in the fight against
violent racism. From Monroe, N.C., in
1961, came Williams’ decisive call to Mallory in New York: “Mabel and I need
you down here.” Rob Williams had come
home to Klan-infested Monroe from the U.S. Marines. He recruited Black WW II
veterans into a working-class chapter of the NAACP. They fought to desegregate
the local swimming pool. Some in the
civil rights movement at that time advocated nonviolent civil disobedience.
Williams, however, organized armed pickets, who withdrew only when the city
closed the pool. Faced with increasing threats and deadly violence, Williams
and his self-defense guards protected the resisting Black community. In the
newsletter named “The Crusader,” which Williams printed on a mimeograph
machine, Williams called on all Black communities to do the same. In one confrontation, racists forced
Williams’ car off the road. One held a gun to his head. One of Williams’ young
supporters jammed his gun against the skull of the would-be killer. His bold
action saved William’s life. When 17
Freedom Riders came to Monroe to support Williams, a dramatic debate developed
between the ideologies of passive resistance—which the Freedom Riders
supported—and Williams’ armed self-defense. Williams warned the brave young idealists
that racists would confront passive resisters with violence. This is who Mae Mallory was she was you she
was resistance and she was brave. Most
importantly she was armed. Her motto was
self defense. This was just a couple of
instances, but her contributions to our people struggle made all the difference
a difference that helped us to know and exercise our rights as African people
to armed self-defense.—excerpts from the Workers World by Jeanette Merrill and
Rosemary Neidenberg
Nzinga
of Angola, Queen was determined never to accept the Portuguese
conquest of her country. An exceptional stateswoman and military strategist,
she harassed the Portuguese until her death, at age eighty. Her meeting with
the Portuguese governor, recorded by a Dutch artist, is legendary in the
history of Africa's confrontations with Europe: Representing her brother, the Ngola,
Nzinga arrived at Luanda in royal splendor. Upon entering the room, Nzinga
observed that the only seat in the room belonged to the governor. She promptly
summoned one of her women, who fell on her hands and knees and became Nzinga's
"seat". Outwitted from the start, the governor never gained the
advantage at the meeting, which resulted in a treaty on equal terms, but of
course, the governor could not honor the treaty as Portugal's rapacious
appetite for black slaves had to be satisfied. She appealed to her brother to
repel the Portuguese, but he proved to be a weakling and Nzinga decided to take
matters into her own hands.
Subsequently, Nzinga formed an alliance with the Jaga. She fashioned an organized army out of disparate elements, strengthened the alliance by marrying the Jaga chief, and ultimately created a land for her people by conquering the kingdom of Matamba. The fragile alliance with the Jaga chief ended when he betrayed her and attacked Matamba. Fortunately, dissension among the Europeans—the Dutch were encroaching on Portugal's share of the slave trade—created an opportunity for Nzinga. She established a strategic alliance with the Dutch, pitting them against the Portugese. After the Portuguese routed the Dutch, Nzinga retreated to the hills of Matamba, where she established a formidable resistance movement against the Portuguese regime. She became renowned for the guerilla tactics she employed for resisting the technologically superior Portuguese army. She was a brilliant strategist and, although past sixty, led her warriors herself. Never surrendering, she died on December 17, 1663.
Organization of Angolan Women (OMA), created in 1962 as the women's wing of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) played a crucial role in supporting the guerrilla forces from both inside and outside Angola. Reports on OMA's activities show that its members contributed to food production for the guerrilla army, organized literacy campaigns and basic health care and carried arms and food over long distances. There are no figures on how many women participated in the MPLA guerrilla army but oral testimonies indicate a substantial number. OMA saw women's involvement and participation in the independence struggle as being "a testing ground where all who took part were called upon to make their utmost effort and develop their talents and abilities". As in other women's organizations linked to liberation movements, the OMA leadership comprised mainly educated women with strong family or marital links to the political leadership of the party. Nevertheless OMA's main supporters were ordinary women from all social and ethnic backgrounds, who became involved in political activism and community work. Consequently, by independence, OMA had gained enough popular support to have delegates in every province and had an estimated 1.8 million registered members in 1983.—excerpts from Conciliation Resources
Subsequently, Nzinga formed an alliance with the Jaga. She fashioned an organized army out of disparate elements, strengthened the alliance by marrying the Jaga chief, and ultimately created a land for her people by conquering the kingdom of Matamba. The fragile alliance with the Jaga chief ended when he betrayed her and attacked Matamba. Fortunately, dissension among the Europeans—the Dutch were encroaching on Portugal's share of the slave trade—created an opportunity for Nzinga. She established a strategic alliance with the Dutch, pitting them against the Portugese. After the Portuguese routed the Dutch, Nzinga retreated to the hills of Matamba, where she established a formidable resistance movement against the Portuguese regime. She became renowned for the guerilla tactics she employed for resisting the technologically superior Portuguese army. She was a brilliant strategist and, although past sixty, led her warriors herself. Never surrendering, she died on December 17, 1663.
Organization of Angolan Women (OMA), created in 1962 as the women's wing of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) played a crucial role in supporting the guerrilla forces from both inside and outside Angola. Reports on OMA's activities show that its members contributed to food production for the guerrilla army, organized literacy campaigns and basic health care and carried arms and food over long distances. There are no figures on how many women participated in the MPLA guerrilla army but oral testimonies indicate a substantial number. OMA saw women's involvement and participation in the independence struggle as being "a testing ground where all who took part were called upon to make their utmost effort and develop their talents and abilities". As in other women's organizations linked to liberation movements, the OMA leadership comprised mainly educated women with strong family or marital links to the political leadership of the party. Nevertheless OMA's main supporters were ordinary women from all social and ethnic backgrounds, who became involved in political activism and community work. Consequently, by independence, OMA had gained enough popular support to have delegates in every province and had an estimated 1.8 million registered members in 1983.—excerpts from Conciliation Resources
Pam Africa
is a member of MOVE a revolutionary organization that was based in
Philadelphia. MOVE’s focus has always
been Black Liberation. It was founded by
John Africa. MOVE lived communally and
was always involved in political work where needed such as public
demonstrations related to African People.
Because they were considered radical their activities drew attention from
the local Police department in Philadelphia.
In 1978 the police decided to raid their home or the MOVE headquarters
and as a result of this raid a police officer died and nine MOVE members were
hauled off and imprisoned for this murder.
Pam Africa is a revolutionary African woman whom till this day continues
to battle against the injustice of that event.
Her mission is to rally our people to continue to struggle for the
liberation of the MOVE 9 political prisoners and Mumia Abu-Jumal.
Scde. Kilaika Anayejali Baruti
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