#uhuru movement

[aspiringbelle]

On the one hand, it is depressing for the US to be criminalizing their free speech. It's worse that they are still trying the "Russian Agent" canard.

That said, it is nice that the jury acquitted the defendants of actually being foreign agents, which will hopefully help dismiss their case on appeal.

One hopes that the government will go after the actual nations that have interfered in our politics, such as Israel (who also sought to steal our secrets), Ukraine (which admitted interfering, and their American agent, Alexandra Chalupa was praised(!) for it), and the nation that has sought to interfere in our politics longer than any other one, the UK (Their first interference was in 1800, and most recent being Christopher Steele and Simon Bracey-Lane in 2016.)

[sleepynegress]

A COMPREHENSIVE & AUTHENTIC UHURA LOVE/HISTORY POST

The above is where Roddenberry 1st employed Nichelle Nichols [click to watch the full clip]. It was a military show based on Roddenberry's own experiences, the episode is called To Set it Right (I highly suggest reading the wiki article about it).

You should note two other actors, whom he later pegged for Star Trek are in the episode.

They dated briefly and then became good friends way before Trek came about.

Miss Nichols was already an accomplished singer and dancer who performed regularly w/ Billy Eckstine and Duke Ellington

Roddenberry's 1st show, The Lieutenant, was canceled/pulled from the air before these scenes bluntly dealing with racism could air (there's blackface as punishment for the racists at the end of the show, in a case of 'he 'a little confused but got the spirit' for the times, so tw)

He created Star Trek to try to soften the blow of all the social messaging he wanted to insert from his military experience. Star Trek was basically, a submarine drama placed in a sci-fi setting. He made it diverse on purpose because the military helped him travel and serve with all kinds of people. Roddenberry was inspired by that.

Uhura was the first person to read for Spock and in fact, helped to shape the character with her reading and based many of the traits of Uhura (formerly Uhuru) on Spock.

She was basically a glorified secretary. She played the part with poise, joy, and the 60's style womanism she got to play out for those times... Everything from her mini-skirt (which Nichelle herself called very comfortable) to her smile, and teasing lines, and quips were about her playing "big" in a small role. She made every moment, every look, every line, and movement count:

Roddenberry cracked jokes about the fact that the network never figured out that Uhura was fourth in command.

Nichelle was the only main cast member who was not salaried. She was paid by the hour. This attempt at marginalization actually resulted in her being the highest paid at times, because of the long hours.

Nichelle was not let in the front entrance at times, her fan-mail was kept from her, and she grew frustrated with the constant cutting of her scenes, lines and storylines. This is why she justifiably attempted to leave. The bigots in production did not like her being there (and if we're being real, were it not for Janice Rand's actress Grace Lee Whitney having gone through so much and thus losing her job in the 1st season...Uhura might have had even LESS presence)

The lost context in MLK convincing her to stay was that YES she was minimized and could make more money and be more fulfilled on broadway, but her symbolism and presence meant so much at a time when Black women weren't on TV unless as a racist caricature cleaning a house, and even that was rare...that she stayed.

One of her best allies was DeForest Kelly, who threatened to quit if they fired Nichelle. George Takei was her absolute best friend on the show and in life (she served as his Best Woman at his wedding).

There was an unfilmed episode in which Uhura and Deforest would have played reverse roles in "racial dynamics" on a planet they visit

Spock and Uhura were originally supposed to kiss in the alien mind control episode, but Shatner demanded to do so for the publiicity.

Her work to recruit marginalized people as astronauts, as in personally going to colleges and talking to candidates after the show is a staggering achievement that arguably is the most potent of any castmember in any of the Trek series post-show. Sally Ride, Guy Bluford (she personally recruited the 1st woman and 1st black astronaut), Mae Jemison (the 1st black woman credits her for inspiring her to become an astronaut).

Uhura did finally command the ship in the animated series. She would not have gotten to voice the role, but for Leonard Nimoy making it an obligation that all the original actors voice their parts for him to come on.

Scotty and Uhura in the film was definitely a pair the spares situation, in which both were the leftover senior citizens with the writers just going "why not?"

it was beyond insulting and she did protest about the scene where she's bumbling through a giant translation book to speak to klingons for laughs in trek 5 ...but her best moment IMO is her pulling a gun on the young ensign in the transporter room in Trek 3...sadly her ONLY scene in the damn movie.

Miss Saldana got to play to MANY corrections in JJ Abrams rebooted Trek, from being amazing at languages to having an actual life & love, to confidently turning down Kirk at every turn.

FUN FACT!! Both JJ and Bob Orci both expressed disappointed shock that the love story between Spock & Uhura got more hatred from fans than BLOWING UP PLANET VULCAN.

another FUN FACT!! The love story between Spock & Uhura is what grabbed the old school Star Wars fan (JJ Abrams) enough to come aboard to direct. Yep. JJ ships Spock & Uhura.

Zoe's iteration became the 1st version of Uhura to speak confidently in Klingon

Celia Rose Gooding becoming Uhura brings around a lot of Uhura's qualities full circle, IMO. As she is also from theatre (like Nichelle) and has a beautiful singing voice as well as the charm. Zoe's iteration was sharper, and much more protective, professional, & mature, about her life and love.

Celia Rose has the youthful curiousity and stars in her eyes and had vulnerability from her first intro... I loved the eagerness the crew showed to being in her orbit, seeing the glow of her talent and being drawn to that, to have a part in nurturing that.

As I've said... Celia IMO has the most dazzling smile, giant warm brown eyes, fantastic curves, and an energy that feels essentially Uhura, & that is all light, joy, a bit of uncertainty, -from the light singing (!) and the growth to her joy in discovery... I'd love to see her writing move away from serving and be more about her wants needs and growing in friendships/loves.

But Celia is a gift and is perfectly cast.

Essentially Uhura = femininity, graceful carriage, gorgeous smile, excellence in engineering and translation (canon!), ability to sing and play the Vulcan lyre, sharp womanist wit, love for her U.S. of African-Kenyan culture and being beloved by all crew...

When Miss Celia hummed those gorgeous notes to the alien entity on that comet?? That Solidified that she IS Uhura IMO.

I 100% think they fucked up by killing Hemmer, because that mentor-mentee relationship was giving marginalized coming together and bonding over everybody else's bullshit and I was here for it...it was giving me Data and Geordi updated...and since then, IMO they've lost track and given us the same kinda backwards wingwoman role BS, that people who like to pretend to be her fan shoehorn her into.

...but I have high hopes that they'll course-correct.

All this to say ALL OF THE ABOVE is Uhura and anyone calling her ugly, bossy, pushy, annoying, whatever is just sad little hater who doesn't know wtf they are talking about.

[arinzechukwuture]

Members of the Uhuru Movement, Omali Yeshitela, Penny Hess, and Jesse Nevel – the “Uhuru 3” – were sentenced to three years probation and community service after being convicted in September 2024 of supposedly conspiring with the Russian government to interfere in U.S. elections. The Black Alliance for Peace recognizes that this sentence is confirmation that the charges against Uhuru members by the Biden Administration Justice Department were baseless.

[ptseti]

WANGARI MAATHAI ON AFRICA’S MICRO NATIONS

On 1 April, the world commemorated Kenyan activist Wangari Maathai’s 84th birthday.

Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement, an organisation that championed tree planting, environmental conservation and women’s rights.

In 1989, the government of Daniel Moi, who exerted control over the judiciary and turned Kenya into a one-party state, proposed erecting a British-designed and -owned 60-storey glass skyscraper in Uhuru Park, a popular recreational spot in Kenya’s capital of Nairobi. Maathai’s protests were enough to force the government to relent. But that did not come before the government referred to her as a ‘crazy woman’ who, in Moi’s words, should be a proper African woman who respects men and stays quiet.

Maathai developed an environmental consciousness through her ethnic community, the Kikuyu, who revered nature and, therefore, believed in conserving the environment. To the Kikuyu, trees are holy and shouldn’t be cut down. Conserving trees reduces landslides and increases access to underground water.

Maathai also became the first woman to receive a doctoral degree in Kenya, where she served in the parliament and, later, as a minister. Maathai went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.

In this clip from an unknown date, Maathai said that before European colonisers arrived in Africa to extract resources, African communities governed themselves, functioned like a well-oiled machine, and economic and social affairs were in the hands of the people. Before colonialism, people, such as the Kush in the Nile River Valley and the Songhai in West Africa, built civilisations on the continent that prioritised nature. Maathai articulated in this clip that colonial oppressors only had one way to subjugate and gain control: Through a ‘divide and conquer’ strategy that would ease colonial extraction. She also replaced the word ‘tribe’ with ‘micro-nation’ to describe our people’s ethnic groups.

Maathai became an ancestor on 25 September 2011. We honour and remember her great works as we celebrate her in a week when she would have turned 84. Rest in power, legend.

[sataniccapitalist]

On Tuesday, September 3, the US government put four Americans citizens, all of whom are currently, or were formerly members of the African People’s Socialist Party (APSP) and/or the Uhuru Movement, on trial for “illegally” spreading “pro-Russian propaganda” in order to “cause dissension in the United States and to promote secessionist ideologies.”

[chaosmenu]

this is old news but im thinking about how the federal government raided the st pete hq and revoked $100,000 from the uhuru movements nonprofit arm because of "possible pro-russian sentiment"

[t4t4t]

Controversy and criticism [of the Uhuru Movement]

...At the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, the General Students' Committee (AStA) broke apart in April 2015 as a consequence of internal dispute over purported antisemitism after having organized an information event about the Uhuru Movement on JGU campus in January.[19] The AStA distanced itself both from the Uhuru Movement, African People's Socialist Party and its leader Omali Yeshitela stating that "the struggle against racism and the consequences of colonialism should not blind us to other reactionary ideologies" and regretted providing a platform for this movement.[20]

Russian foreign influence controversy

The Uhuru Movement has been accused by state prosecutors of collaborating with alleged Russian foreign agent Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov to sow social divisions in the United States.[21] Members of the group have traveled to Saint Petersburg, Russia, to attend an anti-globalization conference, and the group has also acknowledged that it supports Russia in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.[22][23] On July 29, 2022, the Uhuru House in St. Petersburg, Florida, was raided by the FBI due to an indictment by a grand jury alleging a conspiracy between Ionov and the Uhuru movement to spread Russian disinformation under the guise of domestic political movements. An FBI Tampa Special agent said that "The facts and circumstances surrounding this indictment are some of the most egregious and blatant violations we've seen by the Russian government in order to destabilize and undermine trust in American Democracy."[24][25] On December 23, 2022, the Uhuru Movement organized an emergency meeting via Zoom, stating that the APSP expected new indictments by the FBI and the Department of Justice "in early January 2023 and possibly sooner", for violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act.[26] On April 18, a federal indictment was unsealed alleging that the Uhuru Movement, including the founder of the African People's Socialist Party, worked on behalf of the Russian government to spread pro-Russian propaganda and influence local elections.[27][28]

[ncfcatalyst]

Black leaders from St. Petersburg indicted by FBI for allegedly "sowing dissent"

“Come out with your hands up,” boomed a voice from a mobile intercom on Jul. 26, 2022. This according to longtime Uhuru Movement leader and Black rights advocate Omali Yeshitela, who at the time was sitting  across the dinner table with his wife, Ona Zené Yeshitela, at their home in St. Louis. Deafening explosions from flashbang grenades began as the 81-year-old Yeshitela descended his staircase…

[blackhistorychatgpt]

Black in Brooklyn - Study guide for The Sun Rises in the East

Study Guide: The Sun Rises in the East

1. Summary of the Documentary: The Sun Rises in the East explores the history and impact of The East, a cultural and educational organization founded in 1969 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. The documentary highlights how The East created a hub for Black liberation through education, arts, and economic empowerment. The film traces the rise of institutions such as the Uhuru Sasa Shule (Freedom Now School), which offered Afrocentric education, and cultural centers that celebrated Black art and identity.

2. Importance in the Black Liberation Movement: The East was a cornerstone of the Black Power and Pan-African movements in Brooklyn, fostering self-determination and community control over education. By emphasizing African heritage, cooperative economics, and artistic expression, The East empowered Black communities and influenced a generation of activists, educators, and artists. Their commitment to self-reliance laid the groundwork for future community-controlled institutions.

3. Key Figures and Organizations:

Jitu Weusi: A founding member of The East and a leader in the African American Teachers Association, Weusi was a driving force for Black-led education reform.

Al Vann: An educator and politician, Vann was instrumental in advocating for community control of schools.

Fela Barclift: Founder of Little Sun People, a preschool rooted in African-centered education.

Adyemi Bandele & K. Menusah Wali: Cultural leaders deeply involved in The East's arts and educational initiatives.

Bayard Rustin: Though not part of The East, his work in civil rights and education influenced the movement’s emphasis on self-determination.

Organizations from The East:

Uhuru Sasa Shule: Afrocentric school emphasizing African history and culture.

Little Sun People: Early childhood education program with an African-centered curriculum.

Dwana Smallwood Performing Arts Center: Promotes arts education and community engagement.

African American Teachers Association (AATA): Advocated for Black educators and community-controlled schools.

Richard Beavers Gallery: Supports contemporary Black artists and cultural expression.

4. Questions for Further Exploration:

How did The East’s model of Afrocentric education impact public school reform movements in the 1970s?

What role did cooperative economics play in sustaining The East, and how can those principles be applied today?

How did The East intersect with broader Black Liberation movements across the U.S.?

5. Books for Further Reading:

A View from The East by Kwasi Konadu - Link

The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual by Harold Cruse

Education at the Crossroads by Carter G. Woodson

From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor

The Miseducation of the Negro by Carter G. Woodson

How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective edited by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor

Blues People by Amiri Baraka

Black Against Empire: The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party by Joshua Bloom and Waldo Martin

Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire

We Want to Do More Than Survive by Bettina Love

6. Related YouTube Videos:

"The Sun Rises in the East | Official Trailer" (YouTube)

"Jitu Weusi on Black Education" (YouTube)

"Bayard Rustin: The Forgotten Civil Rights Leader" (YouTube)

"School Colors Podcast: The Fight for Education Equity in Brooklyn" (YouTube)

"The History of the Uhuru Sasa Shule" (YouTube)

7. Prompts for Further Research:

Investigate the relationship between The East and the Black Power movement.

Research the history and impact of the CCNY takeover.

Explore the role of WBAI’s Education at the Crossroads in spreading Afrocentric education.

Compare The East with similar movements such as the Black Panther Party’s Oakland Community School.

Study the contributions of women leaders in The East.

8. Prompts for MidJourney Image Creations:

"Afrocentric classroom at Uhuru Sasa Shule, filled with students learning African history and art." (Tags: Afrocentric, classroom, education, black liberation)

"A bustling 1970s street scene in Bedford-Stuyvesant, with community murals and vendors celebrating Black culture." (Tags: Brooklyn, Black culture, street scene, 1970s)

"A vibrant community meeting at The East, with speakers addressing the crowd under a Pan-African flag." (Tags: community, activism, Pan-African, Black liberation)

9. Tags for Social Media: #TheEast #BlackLiberation #AfrocentricEducation #BrooklynHistory #JituWeusi #UhuruSasa #PanAfricanism #BlackHistory #CulturalRevolution

[emmabeverage]

DANGEROUS Gov’t Prosecution Of Black Uhuru Movement! w/ Omali Yeshitela

[lboogie1906]

Omali Yeshitela (October 9, 1941) Pan-Africanist, socialist, and activist, was born Joseph Allen Waller Jr. in St. Petersburg, Florida to Lucille Waller and Joseph Waller.

He served in the Army where he completed his GED and first publicly critiqued US imperialism and challenged racism. While enrolled at the all-Black Jonathan C. Gibbs Junior College he proofread for the St. Petersburg Times. St. Petersburg Police arrested him for not having identification. He reported on the 1965 Watts rebellion for the SPT.

He established St. Petersburg’s SNCC, managed the unsuccessful campaign for state House candidate Frank W. Peterman Sr., initiated the successful boycott to desegregate ABC Liquors & Lounge, and removed from the St. Petersburg City Hall Picnicking at Pass-a-Grille, the George Snow Hill mural that depicted Blacks as minstrel caricatures. His arrest by the SPP during that protest led to the SCOTUS ruling Waller v. Florida, which that decreed no two courts can try someone for the same crime. He served two years in prison.

He was arrested in Gainesville, for asserting that the “assassin’s bullet that killed Dr. Martin Luther King also killed nonviolence.” He co-created The Burning Spear newspaper and he was arrested for yelling “white pig!” during the St. Petersburg sanitation strike.

He changed his name to Omali Yeshitela and formed the International People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement and the African People’s Socialist Party, he fought for the release of Florida death-row inmates Wilbur Lee and Freddie Pitts. He moved to Oakland, championed neighborhood rent control, objected to interracial adoptions, and protested the war on the Black community. He was arrested for chanting “The police and Klan work hand-in-hand!”

He demanded justice following the SPP murder of TyRon Mark Lewis, which led to the St. Petersburg Rebellion and teargassing of UHURU headquarters. He unsuccessfully ran for SP mayor.

He authored 13 books including The Road to Socialism is Painted Black. He has been married to Ruth Ann Munnerlyn, Linda Leaks, and Ironiff Ifoma (aka Harriet Waller) and has five children. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[ptseti]

ANOTHER HERO EXECUTED BY THE BRITISH

The execution of Kenyan freedom fighter Dedan Kimathi occurred 68 years ago today. He led the Mau Mau uprising against British colonial rule in Kenya. Dedan was captured in 1956 and hanged on 18 February 1957.

Almost seven decades later, his graves whereabouts remain a mystery. It’s rumoured the British buried him at Kamiti Maximum Security Prison, but efforts to have the body exhumed have had no luck. His hanging symbolised the brutal repression of the independence movement and galvanised support for the struggle against colonialism.

This revolutionary elder was born into a poor family on 31 October 1920, in Thege village near Nyeri in central Kenya. Known for his brilliance as a child, Kimathi’s school records show he stood out in English and poetry and was a debating society member. Kimathi was one of thousands who joined the independence movement in 1951 and rose to become a key figure in the fight against imperialism.

The Kenya Land and Freedom Army which he led came to be known colloquially as Mau Mau - short for ‘Mzungu Arudi Ulaya, Mwafrika Apate Uhuru.’ That is Swahili for ‘Let the foreigner go back to Europe, so the Africans can regain independence.’

African Stream’s Wambura Mwai walks us through the life and legacy of Dedan Kimathi, highlighting why his name is one to remember.

Continue to rest in peace, comrade!

[bobguz]

NOT GUILTY The Uhuru Three Are Cleared Of Being Russian Agents in Landma...

Chairman Omali Yeshitela is the 82-year-old leader of the African People’s Socialist Party and the Uhuru Movement, political theorist and strategist who developed the theory of African Internationalism. November 2: Black People's March on the White House. See http://www.blackisbackcoalition.org November 25: Sentencing hearing for Chairman Omali, Penny Hess and Jesse Nevel. Calling for people to again pack the Federal Court in Tampa. They are asking people to write ”character letters" for any or all of the Uhuru 3. Instructions at handsoffuhuru.org

[sossupummit]

On September 12, 2024 a jury in the federal courthouse in Tampa, Florida repudiated the more serious charge of the U.S. government’s frame-up of the Uhuru 3 by finding myself,…

[blacknarrative]

FBI Targets Black Uhuru Movement!

[vejito2]

Black Socialists On TRIAL: The Uhuru Movement