Reparations in Action

Episode 1: Shattering the white lie that "Europeans brought civilization to the world"

On the premiere episode of "White Lies Shattered," a special series hosted by Reparations in Action, Penny Hess, Chairwoman of the African People's Solidarity Committee explores the genocidal origins of capitalism and uproot the lies white people tell ourselves about slavery, colonialism and how Europe and the white world came into existence.

In the first episode of White Lies Shattered, Penny Hess and co-hosts Jamie Simpson and Jesse Nevel will use the historical record and the theory of African Internationalism developed by Chairman Omali Yeshitela to obliterate the myth that Europe brought civilization to the world. Join this whirlwind tour of history through the eyes of the African working class.

On today's episode we interview four members of the Uhuru Solidarity Movement - Claudet Yavrom from San Diego, California, Mads Ambrose from Portland, Oregon, Halley Murray from Boston, Massachusetts, and Len Demmer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - about the historic six-state-wide March for Reparations to African People that took place on last Saturday, October 17th and was part of a U.S.-wide campaign to raise over $20,000 towards the African self-determination programs of the Black Power Blueprint.  

On today's episode we interview Bakari Olatunji, Western Regional Party Representative of the African People’s Socialist Party, Vice Chair in Uhuru Foods & Pies, Sales and Distributor for the Pies Campaign; based in Oakland, California, about the recent re-opening of the case of Oscar Grant who was murdered by Oakland police 11 years ago. We also discuss the ongoing struggle for Black Community Control of the Police and the role of the Party in fighting for reparations to African people.

On today's episode begin with a report back from a recent political action coordinated by the Uhuru Solidarity Movement here in St. Petersburg, Florida. In response to escalating tensions between mostly white protestors in downtown St. Petersburg and a group of pro-police, pro-Trump “MAGA motorcycle” caravan called “Blue Thunder,” The Uhuru Solidarity Movement announced a Rally Against White Nationalism on Saturday on the Steps of City Hall. Then we move into a discussion with African People's Solidarity Committee Chairwoman Penny Hess about the forty-fourth anniversary of the founding of APSC and the history and ongoing struggle of African people against French colonial domination in Africa.

On today's episode we had an incredibly powerful discussion with Secretary General of the African Socialist International, Luwezi Kinshasa, joining us from London. Secretary General Luwezi Kinshasa is a brilliant leader, speaker and writer whose political leadership in building the African People’s Socialist Party worldwide is felt throughout Europe, Africa, the Bahamas and elsewhere. SG Luwezi’s profound writings in the Burning Spear newspaper, Africa and African Internationalism are known for their depth and their sharp analysis. 

Also joining us is Penny Hess, the Chairwoman of the African People’s Solidarity Committee, the white organizaation formed by the African People’s Socialist Party to build solidarity with the African revolution and organize white people for reparations. Penny Hess is the author of Overturning the Culture of Violence and has been working under the leadership of the APSP and Chairman Omali Yeshitela since 1976.

On Friday of last week news broke of the passing of 87-year-old supreme court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Though tributes to Ginsburg’s supposed legacy as a champion of women’s rights have flooded news stations and social media feeds, other commentators from the African and Indigenous communities have pointed out that Ginsburg’s record as a supreme court justice holds a different meaning for the colonized and oppressed than it does for the women of the white oppressor nation population.

Joining us to sum up the life and death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg is Amanda Carlozzi, a member of the African People’s Solidarity Committee and the Vice-Chair of the Uhuru Solidarity Movement. 

Also joining us is Jesse Nevel, our engineer and co-host, Chair of Uhuru Solidarity. 

On this episode we interview Akile Anai, Director of Agitation and Propoganda for the African People's Socialist Party. Director Akile is well known for running for political office in St. Petersburg, Florida in 2017 and 2019, as the first reparations candidate who brought the struggle for black self determination into the electoral arena, under leadership of APSP and Chairman Omali Yeshitela who himself ran for mayor in the early 2000s.

On today's episode we interview Ticharwa Masimba, a member of the African People’s Socialist Party as well as the Economic Development Director of the Black Power Blueprint project in St Louis. The Black Power Blueprint was initiated by the Uhuru Movement in the wake of the murder of Mike Brown on August 9th, 2014 and the subsequent African uprisings.

Chairman Omali Yeshitela traveled to Ferguson to build the movement there and later Deputy Chair Ona Zene Yeshitela spent over a year in Ferguson leading up the visionary Black Power Blueprint project which has created an Uhuru House community center, outdoor venue space and marketplace, community garden, housing, and so much more, in the context of a struggle to advance the political and economic power in the hands of the African working class. 

Ticharwa Masimba plays a key role in that work. 

Jesse Nevel, Chair of Uhuru Solidarity Movement and Jamie Simpson, host of Reparations in Action, discuss the powerful struggle of the African community and the Black Power Blueprint against the colonial Land Reutilization Authority that is trying to facilitate gentrification of the north side of St. Louis. They also discuss the campaign to demand reparations from Germany for the colonial atrocities against African people in Namibia. 

Penny Hess, Chair of African People's Solidarity Committee and Jesse Nevel, Chair of Uhuru Solidarity Movement discuss the Democratic Party Convention, the vice presidential candidacy of Kamala Harris and the crisis of imperialism.