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The Watts Rebellion
From a Revolutionary Perspective
By the Revolutionary Communist 4
The
following is an op-ed piece written by on the occasion of the
40th anniversary of the L.A. Watts Rebellion of 1965. The
RC4 are currently in Los Angeles and will be speaking on August
20th at the Crenshaw United Methodist Church.
What are the lessons of the Watts rebellion?
First, when Black people rise up against their oppression,
people around the world are impacted. When Watts erupted
in righteous rebellion in 1965, it sent shock waves around the
world. People from Germany to South Africa know of this small
place in Los Angeles because of the rebellion.
Second, when Black people rise up against the
hell this system puts them thru it inspires many other sections
of people to join in the fight against oppression and injustice.
And it gives a harder edge to the resistance already being
waged. The rebellion in Watts played an important part in
the transformation of the movement among Black people in the
1960s from civil rights to Black liberation. When people
like Martin Luther King came to Watts in '65 to try to get
people to cool out, he got shouted down and run out of town.
Watts contributed to the development of revolutionary resistance
among many different sections of people in the '60swomen,
Latinos, people opposed to the war in Vietnam.
The rebellion in 1992 in Los Angeles
underscored these lessons. It jumped off first among Black
people enraged at the acquittal of the cops who beat Rodney
King. And it quickly spread like wild fire among our
Latino brothers and sisters who also face impoverishment and
discrimination. Graffiti appeared that spoke directly to
the spirit of unity: "Bloods, Crips and Mexicans
united. April 29th 1992." White people also directly
participated in this rebellion.
What's changed in the 40 years since Watts?
When people were asked why they rebelled in 1965, many answered
that it was because there were no jobs, the education Black
people got was second rate and the police beat and even killed
people and got away scot free. Isn't all this still in
effect today? Doesn't the murder of Devin Brown, a 14 year
old kid gunned down in cold blood in 2005 bring to mind the
murder of 14 year old Emmitt Till in Money, Mississippi in 1955?
Only this is South Central LA and Devin Brown was murdered by
the police while Emmitt Till was murdered by the KKK. In both
cases those who are responsible are still walking around.
What has changed for the great mass of Black
people over these years? Not a damn thing! Black people are
still catching mo' hell than a little bit!
How long will all this continue to go on?
Until Black people get with a movement rooted among people
locked on the bottom of this society of all nationalities that's
aiming to end the oppression this system inflicts on Black
people and all the other problems people face today.
Our nationwide tour, the Revolutionary
Communist Speaking Tour, hits LA on August 20th, at the Crenshaw
United Methodist Church at 3740 Don Felipe Drive, and we will
bring a challenge to Black people, other oppressed people and
everybody who hates the many foul things this system does to
peoplethere is a different possible
future than the one Bush and the Christian fundamentalists
around him have in store for the country and the world.
A future where people consciously learn about
and transform the world, and are not imprisoned in the chains of
tradition and ignorance. A world without racism and without
borders. A vibrant place, where people together debate and
decide how to develop society. A world where people no longer
wonder where their next meal will come from, or if they will be
homeless, or abandoned or sick in their old agea world of abundance, where
people together hold all of society's resources in common. A
world where people not only work to produce the necessities of
life, but get into art and culture and scienceand
have fun doing it! A world without the domination of women by
men, where people interact with each other based on mutual
respect, concern and love for humanity. A world that looks out
for and takes care of the environment.
That is the communist world envisioned by Bob
Avakian, Chairman of the Revolutionary Communist Party. We will
bring out that people need to get with this revolution and this
leader. And we will challenge people to get out of the things
that stand in the way of them realizing their revolutionary
potential: Viewing preachers as the spokespeople for Black
people, even as some Black preachers hang out with Bush and his
crowd. Buying into Bill Cosby's line that Black people are
responsible for their own oppression. Disrespecting women,
thinking hip-hop capitalism is the answer to our problems when
it's really the source of them. Getting caught up in
"pimpin' and playin'" and "bangin' and slangin.'"
It's Way Past Time to Throw Off the Chains of
Oppression and Get With the Emancipators of Humanity!
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For Tookie
posted 17 August 2005 /
updated 24 February 2008 |
