Comrade Malik of N.A.B.P.P. (P.C.)
Responds to article by Michael Novick Regarding T.A.C.O. and BRLP
By
Keith “Malik” Washington
2/5/2018
“Our point of departure is to serve
the people wholeheartedly and never for a moment divorce ourselves from the
masses, to proceed in all cases from the interests of the people.”
- Mao Tze Tung, “On Coalition Government”
Revolutionary Greetings, Comrades!
I am responding to an article penned by
Comrade Michael Novick which appeared in the Jan-March 2018 edition of Turning
the Tide (Vol. 30 No. 1). Michael’s
article was entitled “Self-Criticism:
Regarding My Relationship with T.A.C.O. and the Black Riders Liberation
Party.”
In Comrade Michael’s article he referenced a
statement released by the NABPP (PC) concerning T.A.C.O. and the BRLP. For the record, I can state that I am
intimately familiar with all of the circumstances which led to the NABPP (PC)
statement. Self-criticism and criticism
are integral parts of revolutionary practice.
We (revolutionaries) engage in this practice in order to address
problems and to resolve contradictions which expose themselves while we are
engaged in this protracted struggle against Imperialism and White Supremacy.
Comrade Michael states in his article that he
is not a Maoist. In fact, I am a
Socialist and I also spend a huge portion of my time studying Marxism and
Anarchism. Many of my close friends and
comrades are Maoists, Anarchists, Marxists, and most importantly to me, Abolitionists! Prison abolitionists to be exact. Now allow me to give you a little history on
our Party.
The New Afrikan Black Panther Party (Prison
Chapter) was founded in April, 2005, as a pre-vanguard organization that pushes
the “Theory of Revolutionary Intercommunalism” and “Science of Revolution,” as
theorized and practiced by Marxist-Leninist-Maoist parties around the
world. Our co-founders are Kevin
“Rashid” Johnson and Shaka Sankofa Zulu.
Our job/mission as Black Panthers fall under
two categories:
1)
To situate the original Black
Panther Party as an aggressive proletarian organization committed to the
ultimate remedy of “Revolution” as the solution to the immiseration of New
Afrikan (Black) people everywhere. Our
co-founders and respected elder and mentor Tom Big Warrior felt this Party was
necessary to create because the original BPP was being subjected to the
revisionist’s knife of petty bourgeois intellectuals who wanted to portray the
party as reformist, with a social democrat bent; we reject that history. That was our first mission and that
ideological struggle against the party’s detractors remain alive and kicking.
2)
To engage and mobilize the energy
of those in the lumpen-proletariat class who are fed up with existing on the
margins of the nationalist capitalist economy and who have encountered mass
incarceration as an instrument of counter-insurgency as a result. The drug dealers, pimps and gangsters who
prey on the people have found themselves struggling with a whole new reality
when confronted with the viciousness of mass incarceration, which has posed
several problems that necessitate immediate solutions.
Why was I given 50 years for a petty coat
robbery; why was I placed in solitary confinement torture chambers for refusing
to work; why does it seem as if the police, prosecutor, public defender and
judge are working in cahoots to jail my black body?!
We the NABPP (PC) are not advancing a
non-materialist view here when we say that the New Afrikan youth’s first
thought of “something here is wrong” starts right there in kindergarten, when
the filthy, gun-slinging pig places plastic handcuffs on her for “talking
back.” The encounter between the New
Afrikan youth and the enemy pig consists of state repression and state oppression;
of a despised people who continue to be the floor-mat for the ruling capitalist
class to walk on!
Most of these words are those of our Chairman
Shaka Zulu who is currently in the transition stage from slave pen to free
society. Eventually, our goal is to see
our Party constituted as a free-world political party that can provide an
alternative to the current corrupt Imperialism two-party system in Amerika.
The NABPP (PC) is an above-ground, legal
movement. We do not advocate or support
any illegal activities. Our party stands
for the liberation of Black people and all oppressed people everywhere!
Enter
the Black Riders
Now that I have given you a little background
and insight into the political philosophy of the NABPP (PC), allow me to state
for the record that from a Revolutionary’s standpoint, I love General T.A.C.O.
and I love the Black Riders Liberation Party.
However, in Black Skin, White Masks, Fanon
said: “Today I believe in the
possibility of love; that is why I endeavor to trace its imperfections, its
perversions.”
Comrades, what happens when an individual you
love and an organization you love begin to engage in actions and behaviors you
despise or even hate? What happens when
you refuse to acknowledge those mistakes and you remain silent?
Well, obviously a contradiction arises!
I was appointed to the position of Deputy
Chairman by the Central Committee of the NABPP (PC), and when the information
about General T.A.C.O. surfaced I was privy to all information as well as all
of the recommendations made by the African People’s Liberation Tribunal which
was initiated by the Committee to look into the matter. The members of the Tribunal and the Committee
were made up of the respected elders and veterans of the Black Liberation
Movement; their credentials were and are impeccable.
It’s been a couple years since I first saw the
allegations against T.A.C.O. and the BRLP.
There were intense inner-party conversations pertaining to this
subject. I am not at liberty to reveal
the contents of our inner-party conversations, but I can reveal my thoughts and
input.
When I first reviewed the documents which
included T.A.C.O.’s response to the allegations of commandism and inappropriate
behavior, I scoffed at them, thinking to myself and sharing with my comrades
that this was an FBI, COINTEL-PRO move to attack one of our “shining stars” in
the revolutionary Black Liberation Movement.
You should know that to many of us prison
Panthers and politicized freedom fighters, General T.A.C.O. had become our
hero! For real! But it gets deeper than that. The BRLP for self-defense does real work in
the hood!! They love New Afrikan
people!! When Black and Brown people
needed clean water to drink in Flint, MI, the Black Riders were there! When Hurricane Harvey hit the city of
Houston, TX and devastated neighborhoods and communities of color, the Black
Riders teamed up with the National Black United Front in order to provide
survival supplies to the people!!
When Comrade Michael first told me a couple
months ago that he was planning to embark on this self-criticism path, I backed
him 100%! It hurts, you know? However, a lot was happening in regards to my
education as an activist and humyn being and Michael had the courage to do that
which I did not!
Sisters and brothers, the NABPP (PC) does
not promote, condone, or sanction commandism, patriarchy, male chauvinism,
msysogynistic behavior or actions, and we damn sure don’t condone the sexual
abuse or assault of our fellow sisters in the struggle: hell no!
I want y’all to think about something for a
minute: if I will confront the President
of the United $tates in regards to his bigoted and sexist behavior and remarks,
do you think I am going to allow T.A.C.O. to “make it”??
I can’t tell the Black Riders what to do, but
I can offer a few suggestions in reference towards a program of restorative
justice and accountability. I don’t know
about you, but I believe we need the Black Riders Liberation Party to survive
this.
Restoration
and Accountability
Comrades, in the fall semester of 2017 a
fairly well-known LGBTQ activist, scholar and freedom fighter/abolitionist
professor named Dean Spade reached out to me and asked me would I be interested
in participating in a course he was teaching entitled “Policing, Imprisonment
and Justice.” His teacher’s assistant
Danny sent me the syllabus and professor Spade purchased all the required
textbooks and sent me all the required reading and more!
A key topic in our class was violence
against Black wimmin and wimmin of color!
I was introduced to a who’s-who of Black feminist scholars, activists
and survivors!! I was introduced to
transgender folks who are confronted by abuse daily. But most importantly, I was taught about
methods and programs which can be used to heal the victims of abuse and
violence and also the abuser!
In retrospect, especially after finishing this
course taught by Professor Spade, I firmly believe that the African People’s
Liberation Tribunal was trying to give T.A.C.O. and the Black Riders the
opportunity to engage in something called “transformative justice and community
accountability.
Sister Mariame Kaba of Project NIA says that
the goals of transformative justice are:
-
Safety, healing and agency for
survivors
-
Accountability and transformation
for people who harm
-
Community action, healing and
accountability
-
Transformation of the social conditions that perpetuate violence (systems
of oppression and exploitation, domination and state violence)
During the college course, I learned that community
accountability is not just a reaction we have when someone behaves violently;
it is also a pro-active, ongoing thing negotiated among everyone in the
community.
You see, sisters and brothers, we the members
of the NABPP (PC) are fallible; we make mistakes in our analysis of conditions
sometimes, but we are not afraid of facing our citics or admitting wrong and
fixing these mistakes.
I am positive that our Minister of Defense,
Rashid, as well as our Chairman Shaka Zulu will weigh in on this topic. I am going to end my statement with some
words concerning accountability directed directly toward T.A.C.O.:
Comrade T.A.C.O., I have been one of your most
avid supporters within my organization.
But I can no longer associate with you or remain silent. I am asking that you embrace accountability
for the good of the Black Riders.
To me, accountability means being responsible
to myself for my choices and for the consequences of my
choices. For me, accountability is an internal
skill, not an external process.
T.A.C.O., nobody can force you to be accountable. And lastly, I will tell you that
accountability is a rigorous and difficult process.
May Allah (SWT) direct your path and may Allah
(SWT) protect all the Black Riders from the shaitan and the snares of this
corrupt-ass white supremacist in the White House!! I could say more but I’ll end there.
Dare to struggle; dare to WIN! All power to the people!
---------
Malik
Washington Bio:
Keith
“Malik” Washington is a humyn rights activist currently incarcerated in Texas.
He is a co-founder and chief spokespersyn for the End Prison Slavery in Texas
Movement. Malik is a proud member of the Incarcerated Workers Organizing
Committee (IWOC) and he is the Deputy Chairman of the New Afrikan Black Panther
Party (Prison Chapter). Malik has been instrumental in calling for the
abolition of legalized slavery in Amerika and he is very active in the Fight
Toxic Prisons campaign. You can view his work at comrademalik.com or write him directly at:
Keith
'Comrade Malik' Washington
TDC#
1487958
Eastham
Unit
2665
Prison Road 1
Lovelady,
Texas 75851
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