Lessons from Fidel: Black Lives Matter and the Transition …
We are feeling many things as we awaken to a world without Fidel Castro. There is an overwhelming sense of loss, complicated by fear and anxiety. Although no leader is without their flaws, we must push back against the rhetoric of the right and come to the defense of El Comandante. And there are lessons that we must revisit and heed as we pick up the mantle in changing our world, as we aspire to build a world rooted in a vision of freedom and the peace that only comes with justice. It is the lessons that we take from Fidel.
From Fidel, we know that revolution is sparked by an idea, by radical imaginings, which sometimes take root first among just a few dozen people coming together in the mountains. It can be a tattered group of meager resources, like in Sierra Maestro in 1956 or St. Elmo Village in 2013.
Revolution is continuous and is won first in the hearts and minds of the people and is continually shaped and reshaped by the collective. No single revolutionary ever wins or even begins the revolution. The revolution begins only when the whole is fully bought in and committed to it. And it is never over.
Revolution transcends borders; the freedom of oppressed people and people of color is all bound up together wherever we are. In Cuba, South Africa, Palestine, Angola, Tanzania, Mozambique, Grenada, Venezuela, Haiti, African America, and North Dakota. We must not only root for each other but invest in each others struggles, lending our voices, bodies, and resources to liberation efforts which may seem distant from the immediacy of our daily existence.
Revolution is rooted in the recognition that there are certain fundamentals to which every being has a right, just by virtue of ones birth: healthy food, clean water, decent housing, safe communities, quality healthcare, mental health services, free and quality education, community spaces, art, democratic engagement, regular vacations, sports, and places for spiritual expression are not questions of resources, but questions of political will and they are requirements of any humane society.
Revolution requires that the determination to create and preserve these things for our people takes precedent over individual drives for power, recognition, and enrichment.
A final lesson is that to be a revolutionary, you must strive to live in integrity. As a Black network committed to transformation, we are particularly grateful to Fidel for holding Mama Assata Shakur, who continues to inspire us. We are thankful that he provided a home for Brother Michael Finney Ralph Goodwin, and Charles Hill, asylum to Brother Huey P. Newton, and sanctuary for so many other Black revolutionaries who were being persecuted by the American government during the Black Power era. We are indebted to Fidel for sending resources to Haiti following the 2010 earthquake and attempting to support Black people in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina when our government left us to die on rooftops and in floodwaters. We are thankful that he provided a space where the traditional spiritual work of African people could flourish, regardless of his belief system.
With Fidels passing there is one more lesson that stands paramount: when we are rooted in collective vision when we bind ourselves together around quests for infinite freedom of the body and the soul, we will be victorious. As Fidel ascends to the realm of the ancestors, we summon his guidance, strength, and power as we recommit ourselves to the struggle for universal freedom. Fidel Vive!
Continued here:
Lessons from Fidel: Black Lives Matter and the Transition ...
- Analysis: Whatever happened to Black Lives Matter? - Church Times - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- How old was Trayvon Martin when he died? A look back at the teen's death that sparked Black Lives Matter Movement - Soap Central - February 11th, 2025 [February 11th, 2025]
- On Trayvon Martins 30th Birthday, Black Lives Still Matter - Word In Black - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action in Olympia School District from Feb. 3-7 - The Jolt News - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Trump could undo everything the UK learnt from Black Lives Matter - inews - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Posters with Black Lives Matter term to be voted on by Lakeville school board - CBS News - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- Lakeville school board to vote Tuesday on use of "Black Lives Matter" posters - CBS News - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- Art by African Americans: From the Protest of the 60's to the Age of Black Lives Matter - TAPinto.net - January 22nd, 2025 [January 22nd, 2025]
- Community continues to demand answers concerning Rayvon Shahid during Black Lives Matter protests - Flint Courier News - November 28th, 2024 [November 28th, 2024]
- Black Lives Matter protests police shooting of 17-year-old in Flint - WJRT - November 24th, 2024 [November 24th, 2024]
- Black Lives Matter Flint hosts three-day protest for death of 17-year-old Rayvon Shahid - WEYI - November 21st, 2024 [November 21st, 2024]
- Davis, Black Lives Matter say police discipline bill is being rushed - WVPE Public Media - November 21st, 2024 [November 21st, 2024]
- Revealed: Starmer called for an export ban on police gear to Trump during the Black Lives Matter protests in 2 - Daily Mail - November 14th, 2024 [November 14th, 2024]
- Black Lives Matter activist to vote for Donald Trump: 'I definitely would not be supporting Kamala Harris' - Fox News - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- Black Lives Matter activist to vote for Donald Trump: 'I definitely would not be supporting Kamala Harris' - MSN - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- Black Lives Matter activist to vote for Donald Trump: 'I definitely would not be supporting Kamala Harris' - AOL - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- Lake County Black Lives Matter co-founder going to jail on contempt charge: They said I was trying to incite a riot - Chicago Tribune - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- Portland Book Festival: Robert Samuels, author of His Name Is George Floyd, reflects on the police killing that ignited Black Lives Matter - Oregon... - October 31st, 2024 [October 31st, 2024]
- Jury awards $6M to family members of Black Lives Matter protester killed by a car on Seattle freeway - Yahoo! Voices - September 16th, 2024 [September 16th, 2024]
- Jury awards $6M to family members of Black Lives Matter protester killed by a car on Seattle freeway - The Associated Press - September 16th, 2024 [September 16th, 2024]
- City of Ft. Lauderdale could stand trial following class action lawsuit after judge rules police have immunity in Black Lives Matter protester case -... - September 10th, 2024 [September 10th, 2024]
- Participating in Black Lives Matter Protest Isn't Protected by Federal Labor Law - Reason - August 29th, 2024 [August 29th, 2024]
- NYPD texted one another to Kick their a before mass arrests at Black Lives Matter protest - Gothamist - August 29th, 2024 [August 29th, 2024]
- One decade later: How Ferguson boosted the Black Lives Matter movement - The Alestle - August 29th, 2024 [August 29th, 2024]
- NYPD texted one another to Kick their a before mass arrests at Black Lives Matter protest - R Street - August 29th, 2024 [August 29th, 2024]
- From Ferguson to Minneapolis, AP reporters recall flashpoints of the Black Lives Matter movement - Toronto Star - August 29th, 2024 [August 29th, 2024]
- J.D. Vances 2020 Black Lives Matter Lie Shows the Threat He Really Is - The New Republic - August 18th, 2024 [August 18th, 2024]
- How Do I Put This? J.D. Vance Thinks Amazon Funded the Black Lives Matter Movement. - Esquire - August 18th, 2024 [August 18th, 2024]
- Black Lives Matter Attacks Democratic Party for Anointing Kamala Harris without Primary Votes - National Review - July 24th, 2024 [July 24th, 2024]
- Black Lives Matter slams Democrats for 'anointing' Kamala Harris without primary vote - The National Desk - July 24th, 2024 [July 24th, 2024]
- California teachers were right to severely punish girl, 7, for writing these words under Black Lives Matter dr - Daily Mail - July 24th, 2024 [July 24th, 2024]
- A 2020 Black Lives Matter protest is revived as a neighborhood celebration in Mantua - WHYY - July 14th, 2024 [July 14th, 2024]
- Plymouth man accused of causing tens of thousands in damage to church, Pride and Black Lives Matter flags - Fall River Reporter - July 10th, 2024 [July 10th, 2024]
- Florida Republicans terrorized a teacher for her Black Lives Matter flag but now she's prevailed - Salon - June 24th, 2024 [June 24th, 2024]
- Black Lives Matter sign to return. Sacramento's Oak Park monument will receive updates - ABC10.com KXTV - May 7th, 2024 [May 7th, 2024]
- Cincinnati Artist Collective Creates Sculptural Series that Spells Out Black Lives Matter - Cincinnati CityBeat - May 7th, 2024 [May 7th, 2024]
- Viral SF Karen who went on rant against Fil Am man speaks out AsAmNews - AsAmNews - May 7th, 2024 [May 7th, 2024]
- Black History Matters; MET Gala Attendee Lewis Hamilton Is Taking On The World With One Outfit at a Time - EssentiallySports - May 7th, 2024 [May 7th, 2024]
- Court revives fired Whole Foods worker's lawsuit over Black Lives Matter masks - New York Post - April 28th, 2024 [April 28th, 2024]
- BLM Protests: Black Women Police Chiefs Led To More Peace - NewsOne - April 28th, 2024 [April 28th, 2024]
- Man who recorded fatal shooting of Ashli Babbitt on Jan. 6 sentenced - The Washington Post - April 28th, 2024 [April 28th, 2024]
- Amid Black Lives Matter flag debate, Milton school board votes to only fly U.S. and Vermont flags - VTDigger - April 13th, 2024 [April 13th, 2024]
- Parkway sub tore down Pride and Black Lives Matter signs. He has no regrets. - St. Louis Post-Dispatch - April 13th, 2024 [April 13th, 2024]
- The mass protest decade: From the Arab Spring to Black Lives Matter - The Real News Network - April 13th, 2024 [April 13th, 2024]
- Substitute teacher escorted off the job in Chesterfield - KSDK.com - April 13th, 2024 [April 13th, 2024]
- Liberal medias latest Black Lives Matter martyr tried to murder police officers - Washington Examiner - April 13th, 2024 [April 13th, 2024]
- O.J. Simpson Is Dead. To Understand His Life, Watch These Two Shows - GQ - April 13th, 2024 [April 13th, 2024]
- What Happened to the 'Glove of Blades' Man Who Threatened Black Lives Matter Protesters? - The Root - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- "Black Lives Mat[t]er" + "Any Life" Drawing "Not Protected by the First Amendment" in First Grade - Reason - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- AP Black History Program Makes Discussing Black Lives Matter Optional and Won't Mention Rape - The Good Men Project - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- Employees have a right to express support for Black Lives Matter while they're on the job, according to a historic labor ... - New Pittsburgh Courier - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- City seeks to avoid trial over Black Lives Matter mural - Palo Alto Online - March 7th, 2024 [March 7th, 2024]
- NLRB: 'Black Lives Matter' insignia allowed New England Biz Law Update - New England Biz Law Update - March 7th, 2024 [March 7th, 2024]
- How parents talked with kids about Black Lives Matter differed by race - Futurity: Research News - February 19th, 2024 [February 19th, 2024]
- Vermont Conversation: What is happening to really ensure that Black lives matter? - VTDigger - February 19th, 2024 [February 19th, 2024]
- RFK Jr Confronted by BLM Leader Over Police Brutality - The Daily Dot - February 19th, 2024 [February 19th, 2024]
- How the Church Can Help Black Women Heal - ChristianityToday.com - February 19th, 2024 [February 19th, 2024]
- Seattle crews remove Black Lives Matter garden in Cal Anderson Park - KUOW News and Information - December 30th, 2023 [December 30th, 2023]
- City clears Black Lives Memorial Garden from Cal Anderson Park - CHS Capitol Hill Seattle News - December 30th, 2023 [December 30th, 2023]
- The City of Seattle Destroyed the Black Lives Memorial Garden - The Stranger - December 30th, 2023 [December 30th, 2023]
- Seattle removes Black Lives Matter garden from Cal Anderson Park - Crosscut - December 30th, 2023 [December 30th, 2023]
- Seattle Supporters Watch Black Lives Matter Garden Leveled After It Was Overrun by Drug Users, Homeless - The Messenger - December 30th, 2023 [December 30th, 2023]
- City finalizes $4.8M payout to protestors trapped by NYPD during 2020 BLM protest - Gothamist - October 26th, 2023 [October 26th, 2023]
- Jason Aldean removes Black Lives Matter protest footage from 'Try That In A Small Town' video - NME - July 30th, 2023 [July 30th, 2023]
- How Christian Theology Created the Need to Assert that Black Lives Matter - Religion Dispatches - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Reckoning With the Marxists of Black Lives Matter 10 Years Later - Daily Signal - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- FBI Hired Social Media Surveillance Firm That Labeled Black Lives Matter Organizers Threat Actors - The Intercept - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Science activism is surging. This is why | Opinion - Pennsylvania Capital-Star - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Black men's resilience in the face of twin pandemics - KU Today - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- The English city facing up to its troubled past - BBC - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Black Lives Matter mural in Hartford unveiled following hateful vandalism - NBC Connecticut - June 20th, 2023 [June 20th, 2023]
- Support for the Black Lives Matter Movement Has Dropped Considerably From Its Peak in 2020 - Pew Research Center - June 20th, 2023 [June 20th, 2023]
- Mayor Bowser Invites Residents to Commemorate Juneteenth 2023 ... - Executive Office of the Mayor - June 20th, 2023 [June 20th, 2023]
- Juneteenth puts focus on preserving enslavement sites - Axios - June 20th, 2023 [June 20th, 2023]
- The Racial Wage Gap Is Shrinking - The New York Times - June 20th, 2023 [June 20th, 2023]
- What does the black heart emoji mean? - Android Authority - June 20th, 2023 [June 20th, 2023]
- Opinion | America's Poverty Is Built by Design - POLITICO - May 22nd, 2023 [May 22nd, 2023]
- Opinion | America Has Become Both More and Less Dangerous Since Black Lives Matter - The New York Times - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- David Starkey in bizarre claim that left-wing wants to replace Holocaust with BLM - The Independent - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Congress should fund the BLM (no, not that one) - The Economist - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]