Radical Black Thought
A refresher on where our ancestors and leaders stood politically
We are close to Jim Crow Amerikkka. That is not hyperbole; Never have we been this close since the Civil Rights Movement. Millennials and Gen Z are struggling to come up with a unified voice. Being two generations removed from the Black power movement it seems like a marker in a history book (this was done on purpose). Ruby Bridges posted an Instagram photo of her in a halloween costume; it’s not as far as they make it seem. Over half a century worth of essays, studies, and movements are at our feet to pick up and carry on. It’s now more than ever important to understand not just the actions but the thoughts and ideas of our ancestors (some not ancestors).
In the 60’s and 70’s the Civil Rights Movement was in full swing, but it was more than a movement of gaining rights. This era produced a movement in thinking of Black minds that shook the American government to its core. Leading to Black revolutionaries being tortured, harassed, imprisoned, spied on, and assassinated for their political beliefs.
The framework from this era that drove the revolution came from Marxist-Lennist economic theory. It was the economic foundation of socialist theory at the time. From that foundation Black scholar, activist, and movements would expand on it adapting it the Black struggle (Here is some more information about the theory and communism/socialism).
A Few Thinkers
Before the official timeline of the Civil Rights movement as we know it; Black thought leaders set the ground work for the movement. W.E.B Du Bois life work was surrounded in socialist ideas and lead to him becoming a communist at the young age of 93. HIs essay “Black Reconstruction” he goes into detail about how the elite planter class maintained power of Black workers post civil war. He also talks about the struggles between Black and White workers.
Claudia Jones migrated as child with her parents to US from Trinidad and Tobago. She became the leading woman of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) and is literally buried in England to the left of Karl Marx. her Essay “ An End to the Neglect of the Problems of the Negro Woman!” She breaks down the triple exploitation of being a Black woman under capitalism. She was imprisoned for year in America as political prisoner until the US deports her to England. Her work would play a major role in the Black women’s movement in the 60’s and 70’s.
The Sojourners of Truth and Justice was a Black socialist organization from 1951 to 1952. Although it only lasted 1 year it brought together great minds like Louise Thompson Patterson, Shirley Graham Du Bois, and Charlotta Bass.There were 14 members in total and was the only communist group ran by Black women. The organization focused on the intersectional, systemic nature of African-American women’s oppression and understood their struggle for dignity and freedom in global terms.
The Panthers
The Black Panthers Party became the organization that put socialism in action in the United States for Black people. Bobby Seales and Huey P Newton formed the 10 Point Program and the party’s community contributions stemmed from a Marxist-Lennist framework.
The program that we known the best is the Free Breakfast for Children Program. Giving every child a free meal before they start their day was such a great idea the US government stole the idea after dismantling the Black Panther Party.
There were other programs though. The Panthers had free health screenings for underserved communities; including a free ambulance service in North Carolina. Food pantry’s to help communities in need. The Oakland Community School gave Black kids a high level education and teach children about Black liberation. They used socialism to fight the injustice of Amerikkka on the Black people of the country.
Fred Hampton was a young revolutionary that believed strongly in the power of political education. Spreading the education he took from other revolution to other Black movement groups. In hopes to try and unite groups with slightly different political beliefs. He held rallies that made up of a diverse range of working class people. Stretching the Panther mission from the black communities to all communities.The power of this kind of movement scared the government; leading to the state sanctioned murder of Fred Hampton. Followed by the introduction of crack into our communities further destroying the work done by the Panthers.
Angela Davis
She was a communist; not a Black Panther. Angela Davis expanded on the Black women communist that were mentioned earlier in the article. Her work used intersectionality to criticize capitalism and push for prison abolition. Her book “Are Prisons Obsolete?”. She is able to tie race, gender and class into prison abolition. she documents the history of prisons in Amerikkka and why it is inherently racist. Then explains the different evils between being a Black man and Black woman in prison. At 81 years old you can still find her doing an interview stressing the importance of multiple topics that can be linked to socialist theories.
We are children of the crack era. It is not our fault that we are struggling to find answers right now. Our ancestors left behind their work. We don’t have to start new revolution; we only have to continue the work and let the ancestors guide us (we also have living leaders). Now more than ever we need to study and read about any areas that interest us. Find and participate in communities that share your views (we do have a discord server ya know). Do the work that will unify us once more. Radical Black thought will save the world.
Stay Woke,
Loc
Sources:
Davis, Angela Y. Are Prisons Obsolete? Seven Stories Press, 2003.
“Marxism and the State: A Reply to the CPA.” Red Flag, 26 Aug. 2024, https://redflag.org.au/node/7352.
“Marxism–Leninism.” Wikipedia, 30 Oct. 2025, 14:22 UTC, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxism%E2%80%93Leninism.
“Bobby Seale.” Wikipedia, 27 Oct. 2025, 06:51 UTC, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Seale.
“W. E. B. Du Bois.” Wikipedia, 31 Oct. 2025, 22:45 UTC, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._E._B._Du_Bois.
“An End to the Neglect of the Problems of the Negro Woman!” is: Jones, Claudia. “An End to the Neglect of the Problems of the Negro Woman!”
“This Day in History: Sojourner Truth’s ‘Ain’t I a Woman?’ Speech.” Zinn Education Project, 29 May 2023, https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/sojourners-truth-justice/.
Boyce Davies, Carole. Left of Karl Marx: The Political Life of Black Communist Claudia Jones. Duke University Press, 2008.
