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Kevin "Rashid" Johnson entered the u.s. prison system over 20 years ago, one of countless young Black men consigned to lifelong incarceration by the post-civil right policies of anti-Black genocide. While behind bars, Rashid encountered the ideas of revolutionary Black nationalism and Marxism-Leninism, and of the people and organizations who have used and developed these ideas in previous generations, foremost amongst these being the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. Along with other Black/New Afrikan prisoners, Rashid helped found the New Afrikan Black Panther Party-Prison Chapter, while using both his artwork and his political writings as avenues to advance the cause of liberation for all.
Here, collected in book form for the first time, are Rashid's core writings as Minister of Defense of the NABPP-PC. Subjects addressed include the differences between anarchism and Marxism-Leninism, the legacy of the Black Panther Party, the timeliness of Huey P. Newton's concept of revolutionary intercommunalism, the science of dialectical and historical materialism, the practice of democratic centralism, as well as current events ranging from u.s. imperialist designs in Africa to national oppression of New Afrikans within u.s. borders. And much more.
As Professor Jared Ball explains in his preface,
"Rashid represents the fear expressed by COINTELPRO's fearful question: What happens if this radicalism reaches successive generations and then explicitly calls for the same and more in their time? He both articulates to his contemporaries and those coming behind him the context in which their art exists, the shifts in the landscape that take us from African medallion hip-hop to the bling era. He can also demonstrate with wondrous skill the power artists have in articulating those same ideas, critiques and concepts of revolution. Rashid in this sense becomes the problem he has himself warned is necessary."
Foreword by Jalil Muntaqim, introduction by Jared Ball; afterwords By George Katsiaficas and Tom Big Warrior.
On December 29, 2020, there was a split in the New Afrikan Black Panther Party and all of the organization's members separated from Shaka Zulu aka Zulu Sharod and Tom Watts and reconstituted as the Revolutionary Intercommunal Black Panther Party. The RIBPP still maintains all of the line and ideology of the NABPP; the only change is in the name of the organization and in separating from those two members. The United Panther Movement was the principal mass org of the NABPP. After the split most of the national UPM joined the RIBPP in separating from the NABPP. The National UPM reconstituted as the Panther Solidarity Organization, which is now the principal mass organization of the RIBPP.
