Power to the People!
Thirty years ago several friends and I petitioned for a Malcolm X Park in our city. We'd just graduated from high school. We went to city hall and then the local school board that owned the property. After nearly a year we prevailed. Along the way we started a group called the Afro-American Youth Movement and met every Friday night. You could say we were idealists who had been touched by the movement of the previous decade---the strident militancy that gave rise to groups like the Black Panthers. It was all about love of community and the people. The pledge that we read, though I didn't know at the time, is attributed to the Black Panthers and their commitment to struggling on behalf of black people. I found it on the internet recently. The memories flow freely......
I pledge allegiance to my Black People. I pledge to develop my mind and body to the greatest extent possible. I will learn all that I can in order to give my best to my People in their struggle for liberation. I will keep myself physically fit, building a strong body free from drugs and other substances which weaken me and make me less capable of protecting myself, my family and my Black brothers and sisters. I will unselfishly share my knowledge and understanding with them in order to bring about change more quickly. I will discipline myself to direct my energies thoughtfully and constructively rather than wasting them in idle hatred. I will train myself never to hurt or allow others to harm my Black brothers and sisters for I recognize that we need every Black Man, Woman, and Child to be physically, mentally and psychologically strong. These principles I pledge to practice daily and to teach them to others in order to unite my People.
posted by Edward @ August 27, 2009
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