The U.S. continues to enjoy impunity for crimes against humanity, not only for its conduct outside its borders, but against people in the United States.
That is how Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) National Organizer Ajamu Baraka
recently characterized U.S. government policies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and systematic police violence. He said the decision to re-open the economy after thousands of African/Black people recently died satisfies the definitions of genocide and crimes against humanity.
The United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide defines genocide as "acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: (a) Killing members of the group; (b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; (c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part…"
With the increasing death toll, over 80 million U.S. workers without adequate healthcare, and unemployment benefits and moratoriums on housing evictions coming to an end at the end of July, we can only expect hunger, homelessness and death among Black and Brown workers and the poor to be at catastrophic levels.
It is important to note what the Trump administration has done is in line with how capitalism operates. That is why BAP says that there can be no justice without ending an economic and social system that, by its very nature, does not ensure the human rights for the people of the world.
PRESS AND MEDIA
BAP National Organizer
Ajamu Baraka discussed the
role of the electoral process in advancing progressive demands and building a movement.
Recent reports show the
U.S. military spied on George Floyd-inspired protests in 15 cities using planes, helicopters and drones. But Baltimore has long been under aerial surveillance, according to BAP Coordinating Committee member
Vanessa Beck.
Writer Danny Haiphong discusses in a Black Agenda Report piece that the movement to abolish the police must
prioritize revolutionary politics. In it, he cites
Netfa Freeman, who represents
Pan-African Community Action on the BAP Coordinating Committee, and
Max Rameau, a PACA organizer. Journalist Paul Jay recently
interviewed Netfa and
Max on his theanalysis.news podcast regarding Community Control of Police.
Netfa also
discussed the issue with Jimmy Durchslag on WMUD radio.
BAP says the oppressed and colonized must be clear peace cannot come into being without justice. Professor Nelson Maldonado-Torres
writes, "Peace has to take the back seat until a new world is created."
TAKE ACTION
- Take your anti-war activism further by asking your local, state and federal candidates to sign BAP's 2020 Candidate Accountability Pledge. If you are a candidate, distinguish yourself from the other corporate warmongering candidates by signing the pledge.
- BAP's U.S. Out of Africa Network has begun releasing a bi-weekly AFRICOM Watch Bulletin. Sign up to join the network.
No Compromise, No Retreat!
Struggle to win,
Ajamu, Brandon, Dedan, Jaribu, Margaret, Netfa, Paul, Vanessa, YahNé
