Professional Documents
Culture Documents
THE ANARCHISM
Blackness
of
73
P
resent incarnations of an unfazed revolutionary critiques of systemic limita-
and empowered far right increas- tions are often dismissed as overly idealistic
ingly demand the presence of a or a utopian fantasy. But it is in the midst
real, radical left. In the coming months and of the real-life nightmare that is the Trump
years, the left and left-leaning constituen- administration that we should now — more
cies of the United States will need to make than ever — be dreaming and striving to
clear distinctions between potentially achieve something better.
counterproductive symbolic progress, and
actual material progress. Liberalism and For many years now, American liberalism
party politics have failed a public attemp- has been a bitter disappointment to many
ting to bring about real change — but there of those who somehow maintained faith in
are solutions. the democratic integrity of the two-party
system. The Democratic Party has seemingly
The Black liberation struggle, in par- been the only choice for those who consider
ticular, has long provided a blueprint for themselves progressives working for a better
transformative social change within the society, but the notion that social inequities
boundaries of this empire, and it has done will be solved through the electoral process
so due to its positioning as an inherently was always naïve at best. The entrails of this
radical social formation — a product of the system are lined with the far-right fascism
virulent and foundational nature of anti- that is currently rising and has been bub-
Blackness in American society. Under- bling under the façade of liberal democracy
standing the significance of this struggle, at the expense of non-whites in a white su-
we can proceed through examinations of premacist society. A system predicated on
the past, present and future to build new the over-emphasis of “order” and “security”
movements, a strong and radical left, and is primed for authoritarianism.
political power that generates and inspires Genocide, enslavement and other forms
rather than disappoints. of violence the empire inflicts have grown
more tepid in their bluntness since this na-
THE FAILINGS OF AMERICAN tion’s birth. Over time, the violence has been
LIBERALISM displaced and restructured by more insidi-
ous and invisible modalities of community
destruction. The reservation, the prison
The United States’ self-ascribed democratic system and austerity policies are just some
traits have long been filtered through op- of the negotiable forms of violence that lib-
pressive forms that the state insists are eralism has facilitated over time.
necessary. Life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness are measured by the success of Over the past few decades, the United States
a capitalist system that only truly benefits has seen a shift in liberal politics leaving the
a few. Meanwhile, every-one else is told to Democratic Party in a completely compro-
believe that our supposedly meritocratic mised position. The emergence of the Tea
chance at being one of those few beneficiar- Party, a populist surge in the Republican
ies is what makes us “free.” True, unfiltered Party, alienated the more “moderate” es-
freedom and deep democracy are far too tablishment Republicans in favor of a more
revolutionary for this state, so radical and explicitly articulated bigoted takeover. The
72 ROAR MAGAZINE
lack of a real response to this moment further enabled the right-
ward shift as a shaken liberal establishment only sought and at-
tempted bipartisan negotiations with the more extreme elements
commandeering the party. Instead of moving left, the Democratic
Party pandered to the alienated “moderate” right as it had been
for years, and facilitated this conservative shift with nearly every
waking opportunity.
BIPARTISAN DELUSIONS
74 ROAR MAGAZINE
Joh
John
hn
n Horse
Ho e and
and the
the
th
B lack Seminoles
Black Sem
eminoolles
THE BIGGEST
G S SLAVE
A REVOLT IN
N THE H
HISTORY
S OR
RYYO
OFF
THE U
T UNITED
IT STATES
TATEES
E S
Thehe biggest
igg slave v revolt vo t iin ththe
he history
t y of of When
W nF Florida
lor d
daa wwas
ass
tthe
h United
U ed States aattees iss o
one
ne tth
that
hat tto o thisi dday yhhas
a acquired
a qui ed b
ac by
y the
h U Un
United
iitted
largely
r l gone unnoticed. n T
Thehe sslave
la e u uprising
p is n States
S ates ffrom
rom S Spain
pai
p
paa n iinn 11821,
821
that
hat ttook
ok
kpplace
lacc iin F Florida
lo
o iin tthee ccontext
on x off the A
Am
American
m riican an g
go
government
ov
veerrn
rnm n nt w
was
as
the Second
S d Seminole
S mn eW Warr ((1834-1842)
1834 8 844 ) is determined
de er n d to o er
eeradicate
radi
dicattee tthe
he independent
ndep peend
not
n o ononly hi
h
historically
or a y importantmp
m p r antt b because
cau
ause o off Black
B ck Seminole
See inolee ccommunities
S omm
o mmunitiiess b because
ecaau
usse o
u off
its size,
iz b but aal
also b because
ca e it it wwass oon
one
ne o off tthe
h the
the h
hope
oppe aand
nd sshelter
helte
te they hey h had
aad
doof
offered
f e eed
ff d to
o ees-
rare
a iinstances
n an n e in n which
hich m maroons,
a oon , sslaves
lave and nd caped
capeed
d plantation
pllan ati n slaves.
p sl ves The The two
tw Seminole
e inol
Native
at Americans
A meri
me joined
oiin d forces
or e in
or in resisting
resi ti g
re Wars
Waars were
W attempts
ere aat
t e pt b y tthe
by he UUSSggovernment
o ernm n
whitee colonial
colon oppression.
pp
pr sio i to
t pacify
acify tthe
he rregion.
egion.
76 ROAR MAGAZINE
the nation for the better for everyone. Those From slave ship and plantation rebellions du-
gains were not a product of any illusion of ring enslavement to post-Emancipation labor
American exceptionalism or melting pots, but and prison camps, to Harriet Tubman’s removal
rather through blood, sweat and community of enslaved peoples from the custody of their
self-defense. Our organization can be as ef- owners, to the creation of maroon societies in the
fective now as it has been in the past, serving American South, to combatting the historic (and
every locality and community based on their present) collusion between state law enforcement
needs and determinations. This much can be and the Ku Klux Klan — assertions of Black per-
achieved through disassociating ourselves sonhood, humanity and liberation have necessar-
from party politics ily called into question
that fail to serve us both the foundations
as Black freedoms and legitimacy of the
cannot truly be se- American state.
cured in any given
While bound to the laws of
election. Our politi- the land, Black So given this history,
cal energy is valuable why do we under-
and should not all be America can be stand Black political
drained by political formations as square-
understood as an extra-
cycles that feed into ly entrenched within
one another as well state entity because of liberalism or as almost
as our own detri- synonymous with
ment. Black exclusion from the supporting for the
liberal social contract. Democratic Party?
While bound to the The reality of the af-
laws of the land, Due to this extra-state terlife of slavery shows
Black America can that the updated terms
be understood as an
location, Blackness is, in so of Black citizenship
extra-state entity many ways, anarchistic. are still inextricably
because of Black linked to the original
exclusion from the sins levied against us
liberal social con- from the moment of
tract. Due to this this nation’s incep-
extra-state location, Blackness is, in so many tion. We are not able to escape a cage that has
ways, anarchistic. African-Americans, as an never been fully removed, though liberal fantasy
ethno-social identity comprised of descen- would have you think we will have a dream or
dants from enslaved Africans, have innova- dignifiedly protest out of harm’s way.
ted new cultures and social organizations
much like anarchism would require us to The simple and increasingly realized reality
do outside of state structures. Black radical is that mass protests, petitions and the over-
formations are themselves fundamentally exhausted respectable methods liberals tout as
anti-fascist despite functioning outside of sole solutions have a purpose, but do not stop
“conventional” Antifa spaces, and Black peo- bullets — that is why Dr. King and many of their
ple have engaged in anarchistic resistances favorite sanitized “non-violent” protesters of yes-
since our very arrival in the Americas. teryear carried weapons to defend themselves.
“Educate,
“E
Educatte
Ed e, m
motivate,
otttiivate
o e,,
organize.”
or
orga
org
rganizze e.”
Rep
RReepub
eepppuuubblliiicc ooff
Republic
New
NNeeeww AAfrika
frrik
riiik
ika
kkaa
One
Onnee of
of the
tth
he RRe
Republic
ep
pub blic o off N Ne
Newew wA Af
Afrika’s
frik
fr ka’s
members
memb
mbeerrs w
whoho ccame
h ame cclosest
am losestt to oa achieving
chiev ev viing
the
th
he movement’s
mo
m ovem
ov emen s g goal
oa
oal ooff eestablishing
ab
bli hiing
an
an independent
ind
indee een
ndent B Black-majority
ack majorri y
ac
country
country iin tthe
hee ssouthern
h out
utth heerrrn
nU US w wa
wasa
Chokwe
Ch
Chokw wee L Lumumba.
ummu
m umba A Ass ttheh
mayor
mayo of
m of JJa
Jackson,
acck ko on n, M
Mi
Missis-
iissiiss-
sippi,
s ppii,, L
Lumumba
um
u mu
mu um mb
m ba w wo
worked
ork keed
closely
closel together ogetth h rw wi
withith
h
the
hee Malcom
h Ma
M allccco
om X G Grass-
rra
ass
roots
rro
oo M Movement
Mo veemmen tto o
introduce
introd e p participa-
pa rtticip
tory
t yd
to democracy
emocr c and d
create
e w worker-run
o r
co-operatives.
c o r ve
78 ROAR MAGAZINE
“Black
“B
Bllla
ack Power!”
Power!!”
Student
Stud
SSt tudenntt NNonviolent
oonnviolent
CCoordinating
ooooorrrdddiinattiing CCommittee
ommi
(SNCC)
((SNCC
SSNNNCCCCCC))
Despite
esppiitte including
ncclludd ng tthehe vveryrry
y term
e m ““nonviolent”
no v in
ttheirr organization’s
ganiz io on name, ma
n s na many
a y llocal
o a o organizers
gani erss
aligned
al gn
g ned w
n with h tthe
h S SN
SNCC
NC CCC realized
l z d tthat
hat sse
self-defense
eel -def n e
was to
w ob be a an
n essential
e ta al pa
partrt off their
h iirr activism.
tiv sm
Refusing
R efusiing to rre rely
eyo onn tthe
h ssecurity y provided
ty rro idded eitherit er
by
b y tth
the
h stateat o orr ttheir
hei w white
h te alallies,
lli s, B
Blackck activists
ti i ts
of the
o he L Lowndesnd s C Co
County
ou ty F Freedom o Organization
rga i ti n
were
w ere amongmo g tthe he firrst
st tto
o ccarry y arms w while
hile ccam-
h
paigning
p ig
gning fo ffor
or B
or Black
lac v voters’
ot r rrights
g inn some
o o
off the
h
mostt heavily
m a ly ly ppro-Klan
o-K n districts
rro i tr ct iin A Alabama.
lab ma
80 ROAR MAGAZINE
the inextricable linkedness of our respective struggles, is our means
of bolstering the makings of a cohesive left in the United States. The
time wasted on dogma and sectarianism, prejudice and incoherence
among leftists is over.
WILLIAM ANDERSON
ZO É SA M U DZ I