Chairman Shaka Zulu: Resistance is the way forward

by Shaka Zulu

We are faced with a high tide of militancy across the empire that is fundamentally different from anything I have witnessed in my lifetime. The Occupy movement was a different political animal that was primarily centered around privileged children who refused to join with the revolutionary struggle here and around the world. The moment that Occupy turned its face against democratic centralism and vanguard politics, its death as a leaderless movement was inevitable.

Michael-Brown-nonindictment-stepfather-Louis-Head-shouts-‘Burn-this-bitch-down’-112414-by-EPA-271x300, Chairman Shaka Zulu: Resistance is the way forward, Abolition Now!
After hearing that the Ferguson grand jury had refused to indict Michael Brown’s killer cop, Mike’s stepfather, Louis Head, tried to comfort his wife, Mike’s mother, Lesley McSpadden; then, overwhelmed with grief and rage, he turned and shouted, “Burn this b**** down!” to the crowd outside the police station. – Photo: EPA

The high tide – this new and improved movement of resistance against pig (state) terrorism – comes out of broken and oppressed communities, led by people completely fed up with structural and systematic oppression, totally impervious to the pacifying pleas of Black and Brown faces in high office. Witness how the people on the street chased the right reverends approved by the power structure out of Ferguson.

Our study group here has expanded exponentially since these demonstrations across the country. People here with me who only yesterday refused to come to terms with being victims of social injustice are now identifying with the forces of revolution. They no longer have a defeatist mentality. Ferguson has shown that RESISTANCE IS THE WAY FORWARD.

Up to now, we had at most five to eight Brothas in our Sunday classes, but now we are averaging 15 to 20 Brothas asking questions: What is a proletarian? Break down police terrorism? Capitalism means what in layman terms?

We are moving – to what destination, only time will tell. Out of this process of consciousness-raising will come the viable ones who will join you all out there. These Brothas don’t do a lot of talking and they are suspicious of anyone that wants to stop short of breaking the back of the empire. Just recently I literally had to pull a cat off a new Brotha that entered the class, because he suspected the new Brotha of being a plant, an agent provocateur of the prison.

The cynics, prophets of doom, and agents of the oppressive establishment are all over that Brotha who called for the “burning down” of the Ferguson police station. Why, they even hauled his friends and family to the pig station for a browbeating session – all in the interest of defusing the rebellious behavior of the unorganized.

But imagine when the revolutionary, with pen and paper in hand, organizes and politicizes this rebellious spirit prevalent across the empire, when the voices of the power structure no longer resonate, when the Black and Brown faces calling for a compromised peace are drowned out by the implacable vanguardist forces bellowing, by the thousands, “Black lives matter!” Perfect chaos for the system of death!

The high tide – this new and improved movement of resistance against pig (state) terrorism – comes out of broken and oppressed communities, led by people completely fed up with structural and systematic oppression, totally impervious to the pacifying pleas of Black and Brown faces in high office.

The only way for all of us to be made human again is to join this movement against the fascist state. The young people may not know anything about capitalism-imperialism, but we do; so let’s articulate it to them as they put their bodies on the line. Dare to struggle – dare to win!

All Power to the People! Panther Love!

Chairman Shaka Zulu

Send our brother some love and light: Shaka Zulu, 244128, NSP, P.O. Box 2300, 168 Frontage Road, Newark, NJ 07114. Shaka Zulu is chairman of the New Afrikan Black Panther Party-Prison Chapter. This letter was written Dec. 2.