The war on the African community in DC is in full swing.

In response, the International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement (InPDUM) will hold an event titled, “Stop the war on the black community!” at Everlasting Life Café (2928 Georgia Avenue; Washington DC).

The event will be held on Saturday, December 18th at 2:00pm EST.

Keynote speaker will be InPDUM President Diop Olugbala.

The exchange of leadership between the two imperialist parties during the recent elections has had no effect on oppressed people.

City officials continue their attacks on all fronts, including gentrification, economic oppression, police containment, and a newly introduced attack on DC’s welfare program.

The gentrification problem, in particular, is so severe that DC—historically known as the “Chocolate City” because of its majority black population—is in danger of losing that title by 2020.

Same old. Same old.

Democrat Adrian Fenty is soon to be replaced as mayor of DC by city council chair Vincent Gray, also a Democrat. According to popular media, it would seem that things are about to brighten up.

The popular media reports that Gray lacks the level of arrogance Fenty was known for.

They say he will not build dog parks for white citizens in formerly African communities, or tear down our schools. Allegedly, Gray won't ignore “the people,” as Fenty has.

The question remains though: what will Gray do? He will inherit DC's 150-million-dollar deficit, and, as has been the trend set by Democratic mayors before him, he will make up for this deficit on the backs of Africans.

Already, Gray has co-signed an attack on the DC welfare program, initiated by former mayor, current city council representative and beloved neocolonial stooge, Marion Barry (who also is a member of the Democratic party).

In a time where unemployment in DC’s black community is around 30%—and even the imperialist media admits this is a conservative estimate—Gray stated, “I don't think it is too early to have the discussion.”
The attack on welfare will enforce rules that remove families from assistance after five years.

They disregard that half of the participants in the program currently have already been in it for over that period of time

Then he uses the building of the new headquarters of homeland security—that will be located in Southeast DC, right by the well-known historic Barry Farms housing project—as something that will provide jobs for the African community.

Barry Farms, incidentally, is set to be torn down for “affordable” (unaffordable!) housing for whites, as has been done everywhere else in DC.

In effect, these “job creation” measures leave no place for the black community to live.

The removal and displacement of Africans is one of the most eminent problems today.

Gentrification, the roots of which can be linked to the 1983 opening of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, under the leadership of then-mayor Marion Barry, is a serious problem.

Today, DC police use Gestapo-style tactics to assist in the gentrification effort and move black people out of the city by any means necessary—whether relocating us to the suburbs, prisons, or graves.

For example, they constantly keep their police lights on while doing regular patrol around the city.

This is the same oppressive police force that has beaten, brutalized and murdered many young black men, such as the 2009 murdered of Trey Joyner, and of another youth murdered at a graduation party earlier in 2010. We hear little or nothing of these events in the media, and no justice has been brought for these young men.

It is apparent that, while Gray may not be just like Fenty, he still represents the agenda of the Democratic party, an agenda that has worked well enough that Republicans didn’t bother to run a formal candidate against him.

Democratic party agenda hostile to African community

The Democrats’ agenda has historically been and continues to be hostile to the African community.

This agenda is clear; it holds nothing but suffering for the African community by way of planned future measures of gentrification, police containment, and economic strangulation.

What is ironic about the fact that Africans continue to elect Democratic politicians is that often Democrats are elected in our communities due to fear of the Republican party.

But in DC, when a Democrat fails the interests of black people, all we are left with is another Democrat.

Economic strangulation ahead

DC's economy is largely made up of small businesses, and Georgia Avenue is one of the largest corridors of African-owned businesses—currently 28.2% of all business in DC.

This being the case, promises often are made to small business owners along this corridor and throughout DC to secure votes, due to their likelihood of being active in electoral politics.

Now, we learn that DC is preparing to bring four new Wal-Mart stores into the city in a year’s time, and that one of these stores will be located on Georgia Avenue.

This plan is designed to ruin African-owned businesses and is no accident.

Wal-Mart will be in direct competition with many African-owned businesses, which will be unable to compete with this heartless beast of a corporate conglomerate.

It will be an added blow to corner stores that are already being hit hard by the CVS stores that are popping up all over the city.

And anybody can see that bringing in a Wal-Mart will not add more jobs.

Rather, it will steal what scarce job opportunities there are in DC for black people and replace them with jobs working for a company that has a history of abuse to its labor force, particularly women and blacks.

All of this is being given to these corporations, but what is being done to support, encourage and build black business?

This is a struggle that the black middle class must unite with as well, since these Negro politicians will sell them out, too.

We must have self-determination

The lesson to the African community in DC is this: there must be a struggle for self-determination, the highest expression of democracy for African people led by the African working class.

We must be able to represent our own interests at all times! There is no other alternative than self-determination!

Call to action

The event on December 18 to stop the war on the African community is just the beginning, on the road to InPDUM's national convention February 19 - 21 in Philadelphia, where we are saying African people have both the right and the responsibility to resist!

Join the International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement for real democracy for African people!

Africans have the right to resist! On the Road to InPDUM Convention 2011!