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How Betty Shabazz Changed My Political Goals
Betty Shabazz is most known for being the wife of Malcolm X. What I learned about her recently blew me away. Three years after witnessing her husband be tragically assassinated, she fearlessly carried on his legacy and picked up where he left off. In March of 1968, 500 black activists, including Betty Shabazz met at a conference in Detroit, and 100 out of the 500, signed a Declaration of Independence.
This conference was gathered by an organization called the
“Malcolm X Society” and “The Group On Advanced Leadership”. Influenced by Malcom X, they believed that black people would never achieve equality in America, so they wanted to build their own independent Black Nation within America. These activists formed something called the Republic of New Afrika. Their plan was to pick 5 states in the South as territory. Jackson, Mississippi was chosen as the capital of their nation. Betty Shabazz became the 2nd Vice President.
The RNA began acquiring land, but then.. the FBI. Similar to every story of every black organization during that time, the RNA was crushed by the FBI’s counterintelligence program. I truly believe they were on to something. I heard about the RNA a few years, ago, but two weeks ago is when I first noticed how involved Betty Shabbaz was. After all the trauma she experienced (while married to Malcolm X ) such as her house being bombed and watching him being gunned down while she sat with her daughters, she still kept fighting for what her husband died for. Learning that Betty Shabbaz was apart of this organization, put that extra stamp of approval on it.
In terms of an independent nation, Native Americans living on reservations in America, have something called “Tribal Sovereignty.” This means they have the right to govern themselves. Although Native American’s still face oppression from the U.S. government, they still have their own nations.
Black Americans do not have this right, we live under a system of colonialism.
(The next article I post tomorrow will show in depth how black people live under a system of colonialism)
Up until last week, I was running for the At-Large Seat. Due to the ideology of Republic of New Afrika, I am now running for the Ward 7 seat. Ward 7 is right next to Ward 8, sharing the same land.
Ward 7 and 8 is :
- 90 percent black.
- The poorest part of DC.
- The most neglected part of DC.
- Systematically isolated and cut off from the rest of DC, due to 295.
That being said, why not make it official. If elected to the Ward 7 seat, by the end of my term in 2024, I WILL have used my voice and political platform to help Ward 7 and Ward 8 combine and form into one government and city. It will be a city/nation, that will be governed by black Washingtonians and not exploited by the DC government. Ward 7 and Ward 8 combined already have a higher general population, than multiple cities in America.
*It is worth nothing that California is planning to vote to become independent from America in 2021.*
I know when some people hear independent black nation, they think of segregation. Just how Native Americans can leave their reservations and travel wherever in America, black people living in the “new city” (Ward 7 and Ward 8) should still be allowed to come into every other ward in DC if and whenever they want. It would be no different from how people from Virginia and Maryland can come into DC.
Within four years this can and will be done. Historically speaking, black people have always been in our most prosperous when we were building our own. Why not use the formula that works?
