Black Activism Editorial and Format Transition of the Freedom Manifesto Bulletin

The Black Liberation Unity Committee (BLUC) with the completion of the 45th Edition (Monday, Sept 4th, 2017) made a decision to transition responsibility for editing and getting the bulletin out on its established weekly schedule on Mondays to an expanded collective of activist from different regions to begin with the 46th Edition for Monday, Sept 11th).

We see the Bulletin as a singularly important strategic educational and organizing tool for “Uniting the many local Battlefronts.” We see these battlefronts on arenas where our people struggle courageously against the domestic War on Black America, brutally being perpetrated daily and systemically by the forces of Capitalism and Imperialism and the Imperialist State.

Given the Bulletin’s importance in assisting the overcoming of the current major fundamental weakness of the Black Liberation Struggle in the US; its fragmented character. Our transition was to address two identified needs:

(1) Ensure the Bulletins production in a disciplined manner throughout the entire period of building towards the National Assembly while maintaining its high political education content

(2) Facilitate the development of a broader and more inclusive social base taking ownership of the study of the “Freedom Manifesto: A Draft Manifesto to Rebuild the Black Liberation Movement” and the development of local and regional liberation assembly infrastructure.

The new expanded editorial committee embracing its dual responsibility to maintain what the foundation already had in place, while at the same time attempting to carve out some new ground. We thereby made a subsequent decision to create a Bulletin Website titled “Black Activism” with a subtitle of “Building a National Black Liberation Assembly.” In the new website, we created different links to the Freedom Manifesto; key reports from the various battlefronts around the country now titled “Freedom Reports;” core Documents, i.e. the Three Waves Paper; and Commentaries; Videos; and archives. In the core document “The Three Waves,” it examines the transformation of “Activists” involved in mass “battlefront struggles” into revolutionary cadre.

In addition, space provided for people to subscribe, along with and about us, contact, and donation sections. The new technology and new multiple utilitarian features are designed to expand and make more accessible the Liberation Assembly Building Process to new Black Activists and in general younger Black Freedom Fighters.

As with all significant change no matter how well thought out or accompanied with good intentions, our transition has brought about some new challenges and some missteps on our part. The most apparent is not sharing this information more broadly and in a more timely manner as a key component of the actual 46th edition of the Bulletin. Not doing so has unfortunately caused some confusion and problems. We have gotten feedback that some of the key links were not working effectively and we did not take the time to share context and explain more clearly the purpose and the “Why” connected to some to the newly Titled Key Features of the Bulletin Website.

We have gotten and are responding positively and timely to feedback concerns regarding the new format and content of our new “Website Bulletin.” Some of the technical problems with some key links have been corrected. One key new inclusion of the Bulletin going forward soon, regarding content will be a featured “political education section” focused on Freedom Manifesto.

As we look forward to the National Assembly for Black Liberation, May 19, 2018 in Durham, NC, and focus on our role as the editorial committee of the Bulletin we are currently grappling with two key questions, “What Is to Be Done?” and “Where to Begin?”

In our collective work with the coming together of a National Assembly Organizing Committee, we both will continue to benefit from the excellent contributions regarding the Manifesto, the Assembly preparations, and planning from the growing number of networks and organizations endorsing the Assembly in our regularly scheduled Zoom and phone call engagements. We feel positive about how we are collectively identifying remaining tasks to be addressed and the necessary resources to be acquired.

Even as we struggle in an existing localized, fragmented state, as long as we Black revolutionaries and Black Activists remain accountable to each other in all aspects of our collective social practice. We view mass struggle and common study as a way to assist in drawing out strategic lessons with the masses of our people and with each other guided by “Unity-Struggle-Unity;” 80% - 20% agreements; constructive criticism and self-criticism. In this process, we believe, we will not only see individual activists transformed into cadre, but by acquiring clearer vision as too “Who are the Friends” and “Who are the Enemies,” and begin to change the balance of power between the two. We see this process as a critical beginning to building for the Assembly together, and developing a program for revolutionary change.