Commemorating the Malcolm X Speaks in the 90's meeting in Havana Cuba

[RWalker]

To help us remember the goals and objectives of the symposium "MALCOLM X SPEAKS IN THE 90's", hosted by the revolutionary peoples of Cuba, I submit the following quotes from that very important meeting -- note the signature of such African revolutionaries as Kwame Ture, Assata Shakur, Elombe Brath, Omowale Clay...


1. Excerpt from Fidel Castro's presentation to the Africans at the symposium:

"We are very grateful to you for attending this meeting in Cuba, this seminar in memory of Malcolm X. Malcolm X, Che, and all the heroes of the struggle in the cause of the peoples have to be remembered now more than ever. That is why I am so pleased with the significance and the importance you have attached to this anniversary.

"I always remember when I met with Malcolm X at the hotel "Teresa", because he was the one who gave us support and made it possible for us to be accommodated there. We had two choices: one was the patio in the United Nations; when I told this to the Secretary General he was horrified at the thought of a delegation camping in tents there; and then we received Malcolm X's offer, he had talked to one of our comrades, and I said: "That is the place, Hotel 'Teresa'." And there we went, so I have personal memories of him."

"Statement by Fidel to the African-American people"
Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, First Secretary of The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of The Councils of State and of Ministers, Malcolm X Speaks In The 90's O May 24, 1990, Year 32 of the Revolution

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2.
DECLARATION OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN DELEGATION TO MALCOLM X SPEAKS IN THE 90'S SYMPOSIUM-- HAVANA, CUBA, MAY 19 TO 25, 1990

We the undersigned members of the African-American delegation to the Malcolm X Speaks in the 1990s Symposium held in Havana, Cuba (May 18-25, 1990) make the following declaration:

In the United States at this time popular forms of resistance are emerging to defend Black people against genocidal social conditions and violent racist attacks. Malcolm X is a central political symbol of this resistance. This is a major opportunity to deepen our understanding of the radical Black tradition, to open broad based community discussion and debate critical ideological and political issues, and to forge greater unity in our liberation struggle through alliances, coalitions, fronts and joint statements of unity.

We recognize, acknowledge and deeply appreciate the tremendous sacrifices that the Cuban people and its government have paid in human lives and material resources in advancing the cause of Black liberation, both on the African continent and in the African Diaspora, including the granting of asylum and sanctuary to political prisoners opposing U.S. racism and imperialism.

Therefore, in this spirit we declare the following:

a. We call upon all African peoples and progressive forces to rededicate themselves to the struggle for Black liberation, including political, economic and social justice, as well as the fight for human rights in the tradition of Malcolm X.

b. We deplore and oppose with all our moral and political convictions the insidious U.S. effort to intervene in the internal affairs of Cuba, attack the Cuban people and turn back the gains of their revolution. We unequivocally condemn the U.S. government's systematic attacks: The continued economic blockade, menacing the people of Cuba with the threat of military invasion, illegal media propaganda campaigns to sow seeds of reaction inside Cuba, particularly the lies, disinformation and slander the U.S. promotes as "news." We understand that this is intended to create a grave crisis to undermine the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cuba, and thus we demand:

1) That the U.S. Government cease and desist from all its efforts to intimidate Cuba and its people, life its immoral economic blockade, and call upon all progressive countries and organizations in the world to join us in this demand.

2) That in the spirit of both Malcolm X and Jose Marti, to strengthen our solidarity with Cuba, we call upon all African peoples and progressive organizations to join in an international information exchange program whereby we will provide Cuba with information from INSIDE THE MONSTER while Cuba will send the people in the U.S.A. information from INSIDE THE REVOLUTION as an effort to combat the illegal radio and television aggression, especially so-called Radio and TV Marti

3) We call upon all African peoples and progressive forces to join in building an active mass campaign of information and direct action protests to mobilize the American people around the important and urgent issue of keeping U.S. Hands Off Cuba."

4) We call upon all African peoples and progressive forces to involve themselves in efforts to expose the violation of human rights inside the United States. We remind the world of the scores of political prisoners currently being held U.S. prisons and detention centers. We support the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as socially just principles which are not respected by the United States in terms of its relationship with African-Americans and other oppressed nationalities.

5) We call upon all African peoples and progressive forces to support the movement to Save the Audubon Ballroom, the site where Malcolm X was assassinated, and denounce the plan by Columbia University and New York City to destroy this historic landmark and build in its place biomedical technology experimental laboratories. We call instead for the Audubon Ballroom be renovated and developed into an international cultural center in Malcolm's name where our youth can study his life, his rise from the depths of U.S. society to a world renowned international statesman for human rights. The Malcolm X Cultural Center would also serve as an institution to study Malcolm's predecessors, contemporaries and progenies who struggled for the right to self-determination and national identity of Africans in the United States and the Americas.

6) We call upon all African peoples and progressive forces to establish the birthday of Malcolm X as an African people's national holiday, to commemorate his contributions and their relations to other international heroes whose lives also are commemorated on or about May 19th.

7) We call upon all African peoples and progressive forces to actively build and participate in the International Conference on Malcolm X: Radical Tradition and a Legacy of struggle to be held November 1-4, 1990 in New York City.

We are forever grateful to Casa de las americas and the Centro de Estudios sobre America for answering our call to host this symposium. We have gained immensely from our Cuban brothers and sisters and were pleased to share with them the experiences of our brother and great son Malcolm X-- a dedicated fighter for self-determination and human rights of oppressed peoples through the world. But even more than this we are grateful for the Cuban example that Revolution is possible, that there is a glorious possibility that the centuries old degradation of capitalist exploitation can--and will--be surpassed.

For this we salute Cuba in this declaration and commit ourselves to deepen our solidarity with the Cuban Revolution as we advance our common struggle for peace and social justice through the programs we hereby adopt by the signing of this document.

Done this day, the 25th of May 1990 by the African-American Delegation to the Malcolm X Speaks in the 1990s Symposium, May 18-25 in Havana, Cuba.

Abdul Alkalimat Natasha Russell William Strickland
Elombe Brath Kwame Ture Margarita Samad-Matias
Akinyele Umoja Viki Akiwumi James Turner
Muhammad Ahmad Assata Shakur Lewanda Hernandez
Omawale Clay Rosemari Mealy Odette Polintan-Taverna
William Sales Father Lawrence Lucas Sulaiman Rabab

[Jahness]

Greetings rwalker!

Excellent article! Often times we need to be reminded
of events such as this.

Much appreciation for sharing this important
information.

Peace & Blessings!

[MaafaQueen]

Excellent tribute to Baba Shabazz and a wonderful reminder of his stance in the face of oppression. We must continue to consciously work at warding off the ills of internalized oppression (the hate we turn on ourselves and our brothers and sisters). As Mama Welsing says "The mind has a strong drive to correct and recorrect itself over a period of time, if it can touch some substantial, original, historical base." I say a piece of that base was Baba Castro's testimony.

[Moorbey]

Im am one who can not/will not forget Bro. Malcolm and for what he has done to further the movement by any means necessary.