Revolutionary Intercommunalism
Before discussing Revolutionary Intercommunalism, it is essential to first lay the foundation by examining Black Nationalism and Revolutionary Black Nationalism.
Marcus Garvey was a key figure in Black Nationalism, promoting the idea of a unified, independent Black nation, particularly through the concept of returning to Africa. His movement, the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), aimed to foster racial pride, economic independence, and self-determination among people of African descent worldwide. Garvey's influence extended to the Black Power movement and continues to inspire movements for social justice and Pan-Africanism.
Garvey's ideology blended Pan-Africanism, which emphasizes the unity and solidarity of all people of African descent, with Black Nationalism, which seeks self-determination and independence for Black people.
Garvey advocated for the repatriation of African Americans to Africa, establishing the UNIA headquarters in Harlem in 1917 and aiming to create a powerful Black nation in Africa.
Garvey believed that economic self-sufficiency was crucial for Black Liberation, and he promoted Black-owned businesses and industries through organizations like the Black Star Line.
Garvey's ideas significantly influenced later Black Nationalist movements, including the Nation of Islam, Malcom X, and the Black Power Movement of the 1960’s.
Black Nationalism is an ideology that expresses the need for Black People to control the social-cultural institutions in their community, the economy of their community, the politics and politicians in their community.
The Black Panther Party (BPP) embraced Revolutionary Black Nationalism because it combines elements of Black Power and revolutionary socialism. In addition, the BPP adopted it because it emphasized collectivism and people power to address the community’s needs. Revolutionary Black Nationalists maintain that African Americans cannot achieve liberation within the existing political and economic system. Therefore, they call for revolution to rid the society of capitalism, imperialism, racism, and sexism. It is this call for revolution that distinguishes Revolutionary Black Nationalism from Black Nationalism. For those who are looking to join a revolutionary organization, remember that just because an organization has “Revolutionary” in its name, this does not mean that it is a revolutionary organization. If the organization’s political ideology explicitly calls for revolution to replace the existing unjust political/economic system with a new just political/economic system, it is a revolutionary organization. If this is not the case, the organization is not a revolutionary organization.
In his book entitled “Revolutionary Suicide”, BPP Co-Founder, Dr. Huey P. Newton stated in regards to revolutionary struggle “I do not think that life will change for the better without an assault on the Establishment, which goes on exploiting the wretched of the earth. This belief lies at the heart of the concept of revolutionary suicide. Thus it is better to oppose the forces that would drive me to self-murder than to endure them. Although I risk the likelihood of death, there is at least the possibility, if not the probability, of changing intolerable conditions.”
Intercommunalism is an ideology which was adopted by the Oakland chapter of the Black Panther Party after its turn away from revolutionary nationalism in 1970. Intercommunalists believe that most forms of nationalism are obsolescent, because international corporations and technologically advanced imperialist states have reduced most nations down to a series of discrete communities. Dr. Huey P. Newton asserted the analytical assessment that “The ruling reactionary circle, through the consequence of being imperialists, transformed the world into what we call 'Reactionary Intercommunalism.' They laid siege upon all the communities of the world, dominating the institutions to such an extent that the people were not served by the institutions in their own land. The Black Panther Party would like to reverse that trend and lead the people of the world into the age of 'Revolutionary Intercommunalism.' This would be the time when the people seize the means of production and distribute the wealth and the technology in an egalitarian way to the many communities of the world.”