This Juneteenth, Free Shaka Shakur, IDOC Watch, and the Indianapolis Liberation Center held the nationwide launch of Shaka Shakur’s latest book, From the Republic of New Afrika to Palestine: National liberation in context, at Dream Palace Books & Coffee. To properly commemorate Freedom Day means remembering and celebrating the heroic advances of Black/New Afrikan people in the U.S. and rededicating ourselves to continuing that struggle, one that is, as Shaka’s latest book argues, deeply tied to all national liberation struggles worldwide.
Below you can watch, listen, and read Shaka’s remarks that evening, as well as those of Haki Kweli Shakur, a New Afrikan historian and organizer who wrote the book’s preface, see some pictures from the launch, and find out what you can do to help free Shaka right now! Be sure to order your copy of the book for delivery now or, if you live in the area, swing by the Indianapolis Liberation Center or Dream Palace to pick up this essential new work of theory and practice!
Shaka Shakur’s opening remarks
Haki Kweli Shakur: The world needs to know about Shaka Shakur!
Transcript of Shaka’s remarks
“Power Concedes Nothing Without A Demand!!” – Frederick Douglas
It’s only fitting that we are having this book launch on Juneteenth. A day when Union Troops had to ride into Galveston, Texas. and notified the slaves that they were supposedly freed—emancipated. But those of Us who are woke, as We say, know that in Amerika, Free Ain’t Free!!
Again, today is symbolically on point because during chattel slavery, during the initial stages of colonization of Afrikan and New Afrikan People, it was illegal for a slave to be taught how to read and write. It was illegal for a slave to possess such knowledge and skills. And here it is, I, a modern-day slave held behind enemy lines in the Prison Industrial Complex, held by force in the Commonwealth of Virginia which was/is the heart of the Confederacy am able to use the weapon of knowledge, of letters, words, and sentences to fight back, to raise awareness, to educate, enlighten, and organize.
And yet, in these modern times when people talk about being free, they still treat us like it is illegal for us to read and write as they ban Our books, remove Our Beloveds and New Jim Crows from libraries and schools; as they attack Critical Race Theory and equate it with terroristic thought, as subversive thought, as unpatriotic. I will give them the last one!
This is as Trump shouts from the podium that he plans to, if elected, attack and get rid of all Critical Race Theory and so-called wokeness.
For those that doesn’t know, Indiana is one of the places where the Klan originated down in the Terre Haute area. The good ‘ol boy network still exists and is even more entrenched and legitimized within the prison system and the Indiana Legislature, for just two examples.
We have the ingredients right now in Indiana to create a mass movement that is a serious threat to the corrupt and established power base and force it to change if not bring it down or abolish it!
Base build in your community. Form collectives and cooperatives. Block Clubs that hold political education classes. Turn empty lots into community gardens where we can pass out food to the local community and engage around Our politics and programs. Each One Reach One Teach One!!
ReBuild!!
In Struggle/Solidarity!
Shaka Shakur
Photos from the book launch
Help free comrade Shaka!
Everyone can do something to help free comrade Shaka right where you are and right at this moment. You can:
- Write to comrade Shaka
- Donate to the Shaka Shakur Freedom Campaign
- Volunteer to Free Shaka Shakur
- Sign the petition to demand clemency for Shaka now
You can buy Shaka’s latest book here.
