“There is no such thing as Rambo or Superman. It exists only in Hollywood.”
When you live in a society that constantly tells you you don’t have a history, a society that constantly tells you that you have no culture, it is important to talk about your heroes and the things they accomplished.
You and I live in a society that denies Black history and Black culture at every turn.
Black children—and Black adults—have plenty of people to look up to. We have plenty of heroes who have done incredible things. People from all around the world know who Amiri Baraka is. And he is just ONE example of this here in Newark.
But when we get caught up in celebrating heroes, we can overlook the fact that real power—genuine people power—comes through organizing.
Kwame Ture, who popularized the term “Black Power,” knew this well. And he emphasized the importance of organizing every opportunity he got. Including this one (watch the 1 minute 50 second video below):
“The American capitalist system has so confused some of us that we will actually think that we by ourselves can lead the people to their freedom. There is no such thing as Rambo or Superman. It exists only in Hollywood.” Wise words worth memorizing.
It’s important for you to know that we do not believe that everyone in Newark will (or should) become a member of Community Movement Builders.
But we do believe, as Kwame Ture says in the video above, that “every [person] who truly seeks to advance the world must belong to an organization.”
If you do decide to join the Newark Chapter of Community Movement Builders, here’s some of the work you can expect to be doing. . .
What CMB-Newark has been up to
Webinar Watch Party + Community Discussion on Migration, State Violence, and Global Displacement
On April 13th, CMB-Newark, along with the Black Alliance for Peace NYC/NJ Citywide Alliance and the Newark Solidarity Coalition, hosted a watch party for a Black Alliance for Peace webinar on Migration, State Violence and Global Displacement at the REFAL Center.
After the webinar, we had a community discussion that connected the roots of migration to Newark, specifically the reopening of Delaney Hall (Delaney Hall is a privately-owned immigrant detention facility that recently signed a $1.2 billion—with a B—contract with ICE).
Community Discussion: 1967 Newark Rebellion + 1967 Black Power Conference
On August 2nd, CMB-Newark hosted a community discussion which focused on the 1967 Newark Rebellion and the Black Power Conference which took place just a few days after the Rebellion. Elders who were present shared stories about their experiences of the Rebellion. Because the event took place on the first Saturday of August, we also uplifted the campaigns to free Imam Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin and Reverend Joy Powell in the spirit of Black August.
Nobody Can Give You Freedom: Documentary Screening and Book Event (A Conversation with Kehinde Andrews)
On September 10th, CMB-Newark hosted a conversation with Kehinde Andrews, the author of Nobody Can Give You Freedom: The Political Life of Malcolm X. This event also featured a screening of a documentary with the same title. (Photo: Dennis Hill Photography)
“Pack the Bags” Event with the Returning Citizens Support Group
On September 29th, we hosted a “Pack the Bags” event in collaboration with the Returning Citizens Support Group. The purpose of this event was to support formerly incarcerated and recently released community members by providing them with essential materials like food, toiletries, and clothing.
Coordination toward Liberation, not Competition for Position
Guided by the core values of self-determination, sustainability, leadership, humanity, solidarity and Black love, our Newark Chapter of Community Movement Builders seeks to reexamine, revitalize, and extend Newark’s rich history of Pan-African revolutionary organizing.
We are not here to steal shine from other organizations, boast about how we have all the answers, or compete for resources with other people who are doing community work.
Our primary objective is to build genuine people power through survival programming, targeted campaigns, and popular and political education.
Because we believe in the importance and necessity of organizing to build power in our communities, our work also involves coordinating and supporting the critical work of new and established grassroots organizations in Brick City. Our work aims to transform Newark into a solidarity city which sustainably serves the people and communities that make up each and every ward.
If you never give a dime, if you never join our chapter, our message to you is still the same: Join an organization and do the hard, long, often thankless work of organizing our people for survival, self-determination, and liberation.
We’re depending on you.
Peace,
Newark Chapter of Community Movement Builders
