139.-black-armed-joy.pdf
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BLACK ARMED





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he Black Communes must arise

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Designed by Post.Chicans:

Submitted anonymously to
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Black Armed Joy:

Some Notes Towards a
Black Theory of Insurrectionary
Anarchy
This essay is dedicated
to the memory of our
revolutionary elder,
theorist, and warrior

Russell Maroon Shoatz


“Tiss prilly by one of ur comrades whe we woe discussing
the failures of non-violence asa tactic and philosophy. She said something along
the lines of “I was raised by radicals from the 1960s and 1970s. If you were a Panther
and you got caught, you were doing something wrong”. The zine is a product of a
variety of conversations among Black anarchists in che post-George Floyd rebellion
although many of these strands of thought have existed prior to this moment. We
have three questions we hope to address inthis zine.

‘What would an insurrectionary anarchist position thoroughly rooted in black
radicalism and black revolt mean? How does the current white insurrectionary
anarchist milieu fail? How can Black revolutionaries extend the insurrection?

What is Insurrectionary Anarchy?
To those who are unfamiliar, “anarchism” does not mean “chaos” nor does
“insurrection” mean “mindless destruction”. Anarchism is the concept of social
self-rule etymologically translating from *anarkhos” in Greek meaning “no rulers’
‘Therefore, In the words of Elder Lorenzo Komboa Ervin, “Anarchists are social
revolutionaries, who seck a stateless, classless, voluntary, cooperative federation
of decentralized communes-based upon social ownership, individual liberty and
autonomous self-management of social and economic life’. When we discuss



insurrectionary anarchism, we are discussing a tendency within the anarchist
movement that focuses on insurrection as the primary revolutionary practice.
Insurrection meaning, the social phenomena of unmitigated rebellion; the forceful
redistribution of private property, land, and justice by the unsettled masses. The
concept of attack and constant conflictuality with hierarchical forces is central to
insurrectionary anarchism. Insurrectionary anarchists do not believe that we can
simply “d
uphold racial capitalism and all other forces of domination must be smashed. There
‘ean be no revolution without revolutionaries who must be engaged in taking militant
actions against the State and Capital. Finally, insurrectionary anarchists value the self
activity of the masses as important. While not neglecting organization, insurrectionary
anarchists understand that insurrections as a revolutionary phenomenon are social
not military. The self activity of the exploited and the oppressed drives revolution,
not the actions of Leninist parties or so-called revolutionary unions. Insurrectionists
emphasize the informal nature of revolution and organization. The revolution to
destroy this world happens from the bottom up and includes all or does not occur at
all. We define the terms of insurrectionary anarchism here before we launch into our

I power” or "vote" our way to freedom. The institutions which currently



critique to clarify for readers who are unfamiliar and to avoid any confusion.

IUiie


Towards a Black Insurrectionist Anarchy

11s our duty 0 fight for our freedom.
eis our duty twin

We must love each other and support each other
We have nothing to lose but our chains.

~ Assata Shakur

‘The Critical Moment
Ik is imperative that we develop a Black insurrectionary anarchist position. ‘The
history of Black struggle in this kountry isa history of revolt by any means necessary.
Ie isa history of constant attack by the Black masses against the capitalist and colonial
powers which enslaved Black people. 2020 reminded many of us of this history and
legacy. Despite this, many Black liberals hope to erase the George Floyd rebellion
from our memories. Many on the Black “Left” hope to do the same so they can suck
us into the same 50 year old organizations that have failed to produce anything other
than symbolic protests and useless conferences.

Our History
Going even further, many on the more reformist and authoritarian ends of the Black
Left wish to reduce the history of Black people and Black radicals down to simply
formal organization. Despite lifting up figures such as Assata, they label any sort of
Black rebellious activity as “too fast” or “not ready" or complain about the ulera-left
“ruining” their plans for revolution despite the rebellious actions of Black youth in
the summer of 2020. They do not want black people to study the Black Liberation
Army's tactics. They wish to erase Kuwasi Balagoon and his rebellious ways. They
swish to erase how Assata Shakur was liberated. They wish to erase the general strike of
the Slaves. They wish to ignore the Maroons. They just want us to participate in their
reformist campaigns to “Defund the Police” or "Community Control of the Police”.

‘The Black insurrectionary must reject these positions.

‘The Coming Insurrection
‘We seek unmediated and uncompromising conflict with State and Capital. It is
abundantly clear that last summer, the Black masses proved they were uninterested in,
“Defund” or “Community Control” instead opting to fight cops and loot businesses.
‘We reject non-violence and compromise. In the words of Elder George Jackson,
“We must accept the eventuality of bringing the U.S.A. to its knees; accept the
closing off of critical sections of the city with barbed wire, armored pig carriers eriss-
crossing streets, soldiers everywhere, tommy guns pointed at stomach level, smoke
curling black against the daylight sky, the smell of cordite, house-to-house searches,
doors being kicked in, the commonness of death.” We all saw the Third Precinct in
Minneapolis burnt to ashes. We reject “tactical” arrest. We reject symbolic protests

Black Armed Jey 6
and marches that continually lead to more violence from the police with nothing
in return. We share a fundamental belief that the Black insurtectionist should seek
to dismantle all oppressive systems even within the so-called “radical” organizations
and scenes. Living anarchy means living by principle. Living by principle means we
dismantle systems (as best we can) in this world at this moment.

‘The Importance of the Attack
Although there have been some formations such as Salish Sea Black Autonomists
which have linked Black radicalism and insurrectionary anarchy, we feel that itis
continually important to point to how attack and conflictuality are central 10
any serious Black anarchist politics concerned with revolutionary change. With
the resurgence of interest in Black anarchic forms of radicalism with the works of
William C Anderson, Zoe Samudzi, the Anarkatas and Lorenzo Kom'boa Ervin,
we think ic is importane that Black anarchists do not fall into the trap of believing
that only prefiguration will be enough for revolution. We must physically attack the
white power structure by any means necessary. Simply building Black owned co-ops
is not enough. While we believe the work of che people in Cooperation Jackson is
important, itis insufficient to simply build co-ops to “opt-out” of capitalism when
the realty is that the Stace could easily repress these “communes” through laws or
through just sheer force. ‘There is no way out of this capital nightmare, but through
relentless attack, struggle, experience, and introspection.



‘On so-called “Mutual Aid”
‘We find thar the resurgence of “mutual aid” as practice isimportant for us to criticize.
A loc of “mutual aid” work being done is in reality just redistributive work with
a radical label. While we are not opposed to this type of work on principle as ic
helps build relationships between revolutionaries, the issue is that real mutual aid
asa concept is more present in black queer communities doing GoFundMes for
‘one another than in radical organizations doing what amounts to leftist branded
charity. We posit if the act of mutual aid does not contribute to the development of
2 revolutionary subsistence economy, then itis not “mutual aid” that is inclusive of
society and must be criticized. Unfortunately, most “mutual aid” chat happens now
is not mutual in nature. Further than that, it does not confront power. We believe
the the mutuality of mutual aid is critical as well as an insurrectionary element. For
instance, many on the Left have dismissed the mass looting that happened in 2020
as the actions of criminals or as “not political” while in fact, Black people liberating
resources and commodities from corporations is far mote revolutionary than
much of the “organizing” done by leftist or abolitionist formations in this kountry.
Expropriation from the capitalists will create the basis for our subsistence economy.
‘We must think of the revolutionary bravery and solidarity these acts inspired as
wwe look toward militant property, land reclamations, and capital expropriations in
the furure, We should look more toward these types of examples of mutual aid as
‘opposed to a more charity-NGO driven model. Our critique of mutual aid is similar
to our critique of “dual power” or the “solidarity economy”. Alone, mutual aid is not
‘enough to confiont and destroy capital. We cannot simply “opt-out” of capitalism.

Some Notes Toward Black Theory of Irvectionary Anarchy - 7
‘We must become ungovernable. ‘The Black Communes must arise out of the Black
insurrection as we learn from our elder Lorenzo Kom'boa Ervin.

Against White Insurrection

We dedicate this ection tothe memory of Antonio Mays Jr who was
murdered by a whitelist at the so-called CHAZ, We alo dedicate this
section to Michael Reinhoel, Eric G. King and David Gilbert. We encourage

white revolutionaries in amerika to follow your revolutionary examples. If
there isto be a revolution realiced there must be les talk, more action.

From our vantage point, the insurrectionaty anarchist milieus in the United States
are mostly white in composition and analysis. ‘Theie racial analysis does not really
recognize the insurrectionary capabilites of the Black masses, and their attempts to
are often festishizing. Most insurrectionary anarchist analysis and theory focuses upon
Europe as the primary example of revolt. When the insurtectionary milicus such as
the white boys at Ill Will do focus on Black revolt, they downplay the racial dynamics
of the riots by labeling everything as “multi-racial”. Without a proper understanding,
of the experience of being Black, there can be no understanding of how to nurture the
Black revole beyond its infant stages. Needless to say, chis experience and leadership
rust be led by those living berween the margins of racial capitalism; women, trans-
folk, lesbian, gay, and other sexually and racially oppressed groups. Beyond that, we
understand the youthful character of the insurrection as those young.people living in
‘our cities have the most to gain from he beginning stages of our revolution. While
the character of the 2020 George Floyd rebellion was not limited to just Black people
participating, the white insurtectionists seeking to universalize the black revolt are
the “All Lives Matter” types of the anarchist movement.

‘We risk being accused of perpetuating the “white outside agitator” myth by writing
this essay but the reality is thar whiteness and anti-Blackness continues even during a
riot and after i, Iris anti-materalist to ignore these realities by suggesting that once
wwe all get into street, all of our actions are the same in the eyes of the State. These
white insurrectionists fail o grasp how their own whiteness continues to exist within
and beyond the ror, instead opting to believe that race is magically transcended when
they smash a window. White insurrectionists fail to engage with the long histories
of Black insurrectionary history in this kountry by trying to import strategies and
tactics from other revolts here into the United States...please shut the fuck up about
France. This is not to say there are not elements of struggle in places like Palestine
and Rojava or Central &¢ South amerikan struggles against the state and police. Our
‘oppression is similar in form and structure and so, our methods of resistance will also
be similar. Indeed, we believe white insurrectionists have very litle to teach us about
‘our struggle. For instance, the fear and critique around guns at demonstrations that
‘emerged last summer from a number of “anarchist” publications and report-backs
speaks co this. Armed struggle has always been a part of Black insurrectionary activity.

Black Armed Jey
Further, it makes absolutely no sense to struggle against state and fascist violence
using lesser means of violence compared to their own.

Let us remember, amerika has the largest amount of civilian arms available to public
citizens in the “developed” world. In fact, armed struggle isa core part of this kountry’s
founding documents and cultural development. We plan on using every element
of amerikals creation to destroy it. Why is it not asked why George Washington,
Lincoln, even Stalin, Mao, and white anarchists across the world, utilize(4) armed
struggle? There are no changes to power or domination, but with force. Intuitive

‘we are well aware of the existence and “doomsday preparation” of far-right militia
and fascist cells that are intent on furthering our extinction. We are also aware of
the infiltration of these accelerationist fascists into our so-called federal, state, and
local law enforcement agencies and the national military. Therefore, we will wage war
against white supremacy on all fronts. The white left may believe that either we have
a death wish or that our lives are dispensable and we are intent on proving otherwise.

“The white anarchists handwringing about “symmetrical warfare” or “horizontal
violence” reflects a, perhaps willful, misunderstanding of history and power in this
ountry. This kountry has already been in a civil war, che remnants of which form
the foundations of the current cultural war. The 2020 rebellions resurfaced white
anarchists historic apprehension toward Black insuerectionary methods, namely guns
at protests/direct actions. We recommend they take a moment to reflect on the reality
that, in the United States, Black people have been and will continue to be forced to
face down white people who continue to act as proxies of the State. We intend to do
as our ancestors did and use any means available to fight these people regardless of |
some white anarchists’ fear of guns. Idris Robinson speaks directly to this white fear
in his open leter co Michal Reinoehl (shor and killed a fascist in Portland):

“What the double-standard with regards to your situration reveals is how violence
in America will always necesarily have a profoundly racial dimension. And it is
precisely this~the terrifying core of racialized violence~that they are tying «0
repress when they lie to both themselves and others when they say that their issue
‘with what you did is a question of strategy or tactics. I mean, give me a break:
in a country that is literally saturated in violence, from blind mass shooters to
murderous police, no one can honestly claim that the few shots that you let off
could in some way be miscontrued as an escalation. ‘There is simply no way to
avoid the spiral of violence that began at the very moment when the first wooden
ships reached the shores of the Atlantic.

‘The white left in the current era must become willing to not only come to terms
with the fact that some of their own family members, so-called friends, and idols
will have to be put down by revolutionary violence if they act as violent state proxies,
fascists, oF racists. Those that do not understand our struggle may see this position
as “adventurism’, but itis only common sense to mitigate racialised violence with a
united front of counter-violence that transcends the psychological and social racial
boundaries of setter-colonialism at subsequent stages of the armed conflict. In other

Some Notes Toward Black Theory of Inrvecionary Anarchy 9
words, we seek to generalise the armed conflict amongst the people on the north
amerikan peoples united against the state, all states until the hegemonic machinery
and points of production for ruling class consumerism are reduced to ashes

Greg Jackson critiques the white left in his “Authoritarian Leftists: Kill the Cop in Your
Head" in the world of anti-blackness, whiteness is law and order and white people
are deputized (made into cops) by the state meaning their actions are a result of the
“natural way of things". White led communes and autonomous zones replicate the
state's actions on a smaller scale. Ths is what Jackson alludes to in his essay, real white
comrades’ know the importance of Black autonomy is killing the cop in your head.
‘Thus, We will fight against white led “autonomous zones" as they replicate the state
and antiblackness as shown in 2020 in the aftermath of George Floyd rebellion,
when in the autonomous zone named CHAZ two black boys ended up shot and one
ended up dead. This is not insurrection at all. Insurrections require deep networks
of care and love or they will die out before they can develop into a revolutionary
movement. These white led anti-black autonomous zones must be attacked with
the same ferocity that we attack the cops and the white militias. It goes without
saying that whice leftists who kill black people and reimpose white supremacy onto,
supposedly liberated spaces are our enemies.

Supposed black anarchists or leftists who cover for the White lef'’s violent and
Ak tendencies must be considered enemies as well. Tokenism exists within
anarchist spaces. We are tired of yt people claiming that their groups are multi-racial
and unproblematic because they have the one token black anarchist. It is strange
that anarchists and the Left in a broader sense seem to understand tokenism less
‘well than liberals though this speaks to the failure of any sort of yt anarchist political
orientation towards race. It is clear that anarchism exists as a scene rather than a
revolutionary movement when there are multiple majority white “anarchist” projects
in majority black or POC cities. Furthermore, publishing a black anarchist book
or hi project does not mean your anarchist project is
not colonial. Ifyou ae a black anarchist covering for white anarchist nonsense, you
should stop. We don't care if these people are your “friends”. If they reimpose white
supremacy on black people even as “anarchists”, they are enemies












‘one black anarchist



“The white left, for the first rime in human history, must
collectively prioritize the rest of the world’s wellbeing in
mind over their own culcural racism and privilege. It is
the job of all other oppressed affinity groups across the
kountry to ensure that they have no choice but to act
in our interests. We are not our elders. We do nor have
the time or patience to wait for the white lefe to garner
the moral capacity to become true revolutionaries while
we are slaughtered like dogs in the stret. Either you will
aid the revolution as comrades or we will attack you as,
enemies until you do.



Black Armed Joy -10
‘So, What Should Be Done?

We must begin 0 realize that oly the community will effectively deal with
the matter. Not the racist capitalist sytem, with its represive police, courts,
and prisons. Only we have the psychology and understanding to deal with it:
now we must develop the will. No one ese cares.

- Lorenzo Kon'boa Ervin

‘We believe in evolutionary and revolutionary change. Evolutionary change means
prefiguring ourselves and immediate comrades cowards organizational changes we
‘ean make on a daily basis towards our end goal of revolutionary abolition of the
state. Our evolutionary changes opens the door to an insurrectional opening once
the catalyzing event occurs. Revolutionary change is the accumulation of actions
by che whole of the people that result in a mass movement with the goal of aiming
(of all humanity’ resources towards the abolition of the state, capitalism, authority,
and domination, simultaneously. It involves the whole of humanity in constant
conflictualty with forces of oppression on an interpersonal, community, national,
and international level. The insurrection is a social event which means it has social
implications that span international borders. ‘Thus, as the shackles of empire and
militarism are attacked and destroyed in this nation-state, it should be made it all
the more clear in other nation-states how to attack and destroy the nation-state
If amerika falls, so t00 does the manager of international capitalism and colonial
oppression



“The Black Insurrectionary position seeks to replicate the destruction of “3rd Precinct”
everyday and the takeover of an “Attica” every hour, until the amerikan project is
deceased and the land has been reclaimed from those who it was stolen from. In
‘order words, it seeks endless rebellion and uncompromising counter-violence to
deconstruct our violent world into the peaceful one from which it came. Since the
state and fascists will noc hesitate to use all weapons at their disposal to achieve its
ims, so will we to achieve the complete abolition of amerika as a nation-state in the
social, economic, political, and cultural sense.

In order to prevent the isolation of Black & Indigenous revolutionaries and
subsequent concentration of repression by the repressive state and fascist populists
‘on our communities, the movement will necessitate the courageous actions of
revolutinaries of every color, creed, and age but especially, white revolutionaries.
‘We say this because of your historic failure to act. We refer to the words of Black
Liberation Army's “Open Letter To The White Left In The US.”

“It should come as no surprise then, that the White-lft in modern western nations
is inhibited by their own urge for bourgeois legitimacy, by their own cultural
racism, and by the very process of western, working class cooptation. The sum of
these parts add up to the revolutionary bankruptcy of the traditional White left in
the modern capitalist nations”

Some Notes Toward a Blac Tear of Isuretonary Anarchy - 11
‘We believe that for any actions taken by white anarchists, socialists, communists, and.
whatever else you all call yourselves to be truly “revolutionary”, not only must they
attack the white power structure at the pressure points of capital in solidarity with
other assisting forces, but they must attack the white power structure at home. ‘This
‘means creating the psychological break with whiteness and privilege required for
establishing new relations amongst human beings and nacure itself. In other words,
to preserve the lives of countless of oppressed Black and Brown folks across the
world, you all will have to betray your white privilege to become a white infitrator
with intentions of eliminating your former family, friends, and compatriots who
refuse change. Third World peoples do not have the time to wait for the “difficult
conversations” you had during summer 2020 while now at the beginning of
2022 we have endured numerous show trials since the 2020 uprising illustrating
the amerikkkkan justice systems desire to avoid further rebellions by the masses by
convicting infamous murderers like Chauvin and Porter while the rest of the pigs get
away with murder and assault everyday. ‘This means white revolutionaries organizing
their own anti-fascist teams to combat the state and fascist racism beyond just staging
ccounter-demos. In the example of Michael Reinhoel, shoot to kill.



‘We do not believe in statist solutions. We do not support efforts to “seize” state
power, cither. Each of our methods is means towards an ends of abolishing the state.
‘We prefer methods of decentralized organizations based on common affinities. Once
they are formed we should grow these networks among local groups to national and
international networks of aboveground and underground self-organized resistance.
‘We prefer making decisions in a series of votes and consensus gaining meant to garner
understanding and establishing solidarity among comrades in our network and in
‘our communities. We encourage exchanging skills, arts, and trades and exploring
new ones to eventually teach to others as we create new structures for employment
and self-organization within our communities. We will have to develop our own
autonomous trade unions and apprenticeships to challenge the state and white racism,

‘We currently observe what can be considered low-intensity warfare among the young,
people in our communities. We must initiate the creation of forums and safe spaces
to discuss community-led interventions to deter, redirect, and reduce the violent and
fy in our community at which point the hatred, despait, and desolation
that plagues our community will be converted into revolutionary armed joy against
the state and capitalism.



We observe that we must cultivate a revolutionary culture to provide a counter-
hegemony to the dominant themes of intracommunal violence and personal robbery
offered by reactionary rappers Lil Durk, King Von, Pooh Shiesty, Dolph, Nudy, other
celebrities in cheir music, and even the sports celebrities. These celebrities have been
given amenities and been propped up by the white power structure for a reason.
“This does not mean we cannot mourn them or enjoy theie ats and talents but that
wwe should understand their purpose and function, ‘There is a reason that rap went
from an artform thac was inherently conflictual, underground, and counter-culeural
to one that has been coopted and mass-produced for profits and for white people.

Black Armed Joy -12
A reactionary life of drugs, money, and fame may be appetizing to some but we
‘must somehow invent ways to make the coming insurrection more appealing to
black youth, We can build new futures based on our own dreams and communities.
‘We must develop a new sense of care for one another and develop solutions to the
violence by any means necessary. Let it be known, we can attack the state and white
supremacy and build our community simultaneously. “Black-on-Black’, is a white
invention as is “crime” itself. Abolish the kkkriminal justice system. Free all political
prisoners. Free Larry Hoover. Free Tay-K. Free Palestine.

A failure co act is an implicit approval of state-sanctioned genocide. For example,
as of December 2021, Black people comprise 29.6% of Chicago’ population but
wwe account for over 80% of all homicides. So-called “Hispanics” comprise 28.8%
of the city and just 13% of all homicides. Whites comprise 50.0% of the city and
just 3.89% of all homicides. We observe that the vast amount of mental health and
‘educational resources, healthy food options and after-school opportunities lie in the
white communities. These resources must be seized and reproduced in all underserved
communities over the course of the insurrection to benefit all. Otherwise, they
must be destroyed to benefit none. Revolutionary violence must be spread to the
affluent areas in the suburbs to create a new field of conflict for the state. It must
bbe understood that the city, county, and state police, and by extension, the army are
swhat holds this violent arrangement in place, by force and so, they must be destroyed
by force. We must build networks of protection and movement from within our
communities and without.

History tells us to be wary of the inactive white left, We believe that inaction is
complicity with white supremacy: In fact, we believe it to be intentional, willful
inaction due to the characterization of collective movements for liberation by white
people since we were brought here as slaves. Throughout our time on this continent,
a status quo with Black people as victims of racialised violence via slave owners and.
later police has been quite acceptable. We understand that we are til slaves in this
system and you understand this as well. A failure by the white left to organize a
counter-violence to white supremacy in coalition with us will result in the Black
people left with no other choice but to move on the white community with force
Ifnothing, we will prove that we are all humans that can live and die by violence all
the same and at the same rates. In the words of Elder George Jackson, “Our pledge is
to arms, our enemies are institutions and anyone with vested incerests in them, even
if that interest is only a wage. If revolution means civil war — we accept, and the
sooner begun the sooner done.” That is our pledge, in the event that a revolutionary
‘movement against the ruling-class is made impossible by the white masses across the
kounty,

Black youth matriculating through the amerikan university system must accept the
tuniversiy as a site of white supremacist machinery and work to bring its operations to
halt, We must take whatever information is useful from the universities back to our
‘communities to educate, organize, and propagandize those both younger and older
than us. ‘The university, much like the state itself, only serves the further development

Some Notes Toward a Blac Tear of Isuretonary Anarchy - 13
of the neo-colonial class of Blacks and the cooptation of movements led from the
bottom-up. ‘The university in amerika whether “historically black” or otherwise is
the pit of “crisis management” that will never find actual solutions for the problems
i creates. It is a cesspool of student loan debt and worker exploitation. We must
leave bourgeois afliations and corporate opportunities behind at the universities in
preparation for the coming insurrection.

‘The only alternative for the masses to revolution is death. ‘The protracted genocide
of the oppressed masses are reacting to COVID-19's political, social, and economic
crisis and the slow collapse of this system. The time for change is now.

“The current insurrectionary tendencies in the United States tend to lack any sort of
‘genuine polities which are anti-oppressive or move from the Margins as the Anarkatas
say. They instead tend to be dominated by men who just want to fight. We do not
believe there is revolt without care. This is completely erased by the “insurrectionary”
tendencies who dismiss all collective care work and long term organizing which
prioritizes building relationships as “liberalism”. We fil to understand how a serious
insurrection will be sustained without deep networks of care and love let alone
supplies and infrastructure



‘We must begin to build dual-power. We want co be clear that dual power if itis
buile must be tied to the insurrection. Leftist cooperatives or projects chat do not
serve the spontaneous revolt of the black masses are simply vanity projects. We see
this with how most “infrastructure” built by leftists was irrelevant to the George
Floyd uprising, Dual Power, as defined in anarchic terms, i che strategies of building
self-organized counter-instiutions to combat the current decadent, capitalistic
instiutions. Emphasis on the combar part of that sentence. As we build our affinity
‘groups we must come up with new alternatives to the current power structure 10
begin building. New systems of justice, fesh food gardens, community entertainment,
‘community defense, etc. As institutions are destroyed, new consensus-based, horizontalized,
self-managed structures will take their places. At the same time, we must begin armed
squatting of our homes and community centers to defend ourselves from gentrification
sand forced displacements. Ie may end up being inevitable, but we will also need to find
suitable places for communities inthe event our homes are destroyed by the capitalists)
military bombs. Ific happened to MOVE in 1985, ic can and will happen today. We
‘must build solidarity networks and create anarchic solutions to the problems faced
by those seeking refuge at the southern border. We must do this ll atthe same time
and the revolutionary anarchist minority can start action in these areas immediately.

‘We should especially prepare for an escalation in repression and likewise in resistance
should a general strike develop among the Black masses over the course of the next
insurrection.

‘We must have support and love for our homies who are locked inside of the prison
for making the ultimate sacrifices for the revolution. We must also devise clever ways
of aiding in their liberation. ‘The actions of building care neworks (we dk
mutual aid as we feel that this term has mostly been co-opted) is an insurtectionary



Black Armed Joy = 14
act if done in a way that does not mediate conflict with the State, Many of our
‘comrades cannot risk artes, injury or death because they are providers for others or
they cannot participate on the strets because of disability. If insurrections are meant
to be social and not military, why do most insurrectionist formations and theories
‘seem (0 nor include the most marginalized in our society? Everyone must take part in
an insurrection, and that requites us to center the most marginal

‘The Prospect of Revolutionary Violence

This section is dedicated to Sandra, Rekia, Breonna, Korryn, and many
‘more we lost to0 soon, We love you. We fight in your memory

1 donic have any illusions, Words are or are not comprehensible according to
their actual situation, We only give them space and credibility if they fall nto
cour patterns and certainties. Defence mechanisms become automatic and
prevent the very reception of the message. If that was not so the illuminists
would have definitively changed the world two hundred years ago

~ Alfredo Bonanno

Make no mistake —- we intend to use every method at our disposal to create a
new world, This means in a literal sense, changing ourselves, the world around
us and the conditions of those changes by any means necessary. We understand
the revolutionary potentiality of violence over the course of the insurrection and
subsequent revolution and we also understand the reactionary propensity for violence
in the current era of fascism, racial, sexual, and cultural oppression. We understand
one of the tools historically at our disposal has been the utilization of arms in the
struggle. It is important ¢o note that this is not the only tool at our disposal but an
‘ongoing development and synthesis of current and past struggles. Indeed, both the
life and blood of our current youth, elders, and ancestors has been spilled to provide
the economic impetus for che current ruling-class corporatist arrangement and the
sociological impetus for the pervasive racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia
plaguing our current society. This system cares nothing about our lives, families,
homies, or hopes and dreams which we intend to protect with arms as we attack each
of capital’s major productive points. These strategies will develop as future rebellions
develop into longer insurrections, as society shifts into a condition favorable for the
revolution that is fomenting amongst the masses of dispossessed peoples. We will
unite, inspire, and protect our community and build bonds with autonomous armed
revolutionary projects across the world. We desire the destruction of capital, policing,
racial and sexual hierarchies, and all forms of sexual and cultural oppression. ‘The
insurrectionary movement of the near future will build upon the aforementioned
networks of care developed through revolutionary reclamations of capital and
property to create conditions favorable to the growth of a Black Commune. The only.
way to begin 0 protect these revolutionary projects while delivering blows to the
state is by the understanding and proliferation of Armed Joy.



Some Notes Toward a Blac Tear of Insuretonary Anarchy - 15
By “Armed Joy” we mean the self-organized armed struggle of the committed Black
anarchist minority affecting and proliferating among the Black masses at-large t0
provide the gasoline fuel for the wildfire chac will eminently burn the amerikan
plantation in ll is capitalistic splendor and initiate the long,awaited social revolution
at the critical moment. By initiating this attack, we intend to give our children a
fighting chance to survive on this planet regardless of the fears of white amerika
in general and the almost non-existent white let in particular here in amerika. We
understand from the fatalities in kenosha that che state will aid fascists that kill whites
that stand against their occupation whether peaceful or otherwise. We encourage
dedicated non-Black comrades to struggle against oppression in their own unique
‘ways while genuinely learning from che struggle and leadership of Black comrades
‘We must find the best ways to resist together. However, we will not hesitate to use
arms against those “allies’ who willfully misinterpret our actions to justify state
repression or whose reckless actions engender harm upon our communities. Due to
the capitalists greed and reckless oversight in placing copious amounts of drugs and
{guns in our community, our communities are already well armed and proficient in
the use of arms as tools of destruction and self-hate. They will be made to see who the
real enemies are. ‘The weapons the capitalists created to destroy us will destroy them,
“The capitalists’ international weapons manufacturers are also our enemies. ‘There
can be no peace until all the oppressive modes of production are destroyed. That is,
‘our last gun will be stripped and destroyed when the last capitalist is dead and the
methods of reproduction for firearms are no longer necessary. Until then, no cop is
innocent and no military officer will be spared our bullets. We urge the new klan-type
militias to chink cwice before attacking our communities as well. We will not hesicate
to defend ourselves. We argue that the violence that once made racial capitalism in
general and amerikan fascism in particular the cultural and economic center of the
‘world will destroy it and all ic represents from the inside-out.

Conclusion
“This document by no means speaks to the objective will of the black masses as a
whole, Ic is simply a reflection by a few anarchist comrades in our an attempt co
document insurtectionary anarchism and the path forward to insurrection as we see
it. This document was a product of conversations and scruggle. We welcome critique,
study, and practice, The social revolution in the context of the United States will
flow from the actions of the black masses. While anarchists and insurrectionaries
‘must participate, we understand the black masses guide the course of history. We
cannot emphasize enough that black anarchists and revolutionaries must take up
the critical questions of revolutionary strategy in the coming years. We cannot allow
white anarchists or Black vanguardists to dictate how we move. We hope to see
this document generate discussion, organization, and further action within black
anarchist circles. While many black anarchists are busy doing anarchy, we do feel that
black anarchist throught needs more reflection and theorization in order to broaden
the scope of what is possible. Forward ever towards black insurrection and the black

Black Armed Joy -16


References/Recommended Reading Lis

We Will Shoot Back by Akinyele Umoja
Assata: An Autobiography by Assata Shakur
Armed Joy by Alfredo Bonanno

A Soldier’ Story: Revolutionary Writings by a New Afrikan Anarchist by Kuwasi
Balagoon

Revolutionary Struggle & Insurrection by Alfredo Bonnano
Anarchy by Extico Malatesta

In Defense of Looting by Vicky Osterweil

Reparations asa Verb by Salish Sea Black Autonomists
Anarchism and the Black Revolution by Lorenzo Komi'boa Ervin
Some notes on insurrectionary anarchism by sasha k

Blood In My Eye by George Jackson

Wretched ofthe Earth by Frantz Fanon

Anarkata Statement

Wild Thing Wisdom by AFA

Move Like Mycorrbizae: Suggestions for Praxis by AEA
Building a Midwest Revolutionary Abolitionise Movement

A Brief History ofthe Black Panther Party and its Place in the Black Liberation Movement
by Sundiata Acoli

Black Fighting Formations by Russell Maroon Shoatz
‘The Dragon and the Hydra by Russell Maroon Shoat

Real Resistance to Slavery in North American by Russell Maroon Shoat
‘The Black Liberation Struggle in Philadelphia by Russell Maroon Shoatz

16 Things You Can Do To Be Ungovernable by Indigenous Action


Notes:






Notes:




What would an insurrectionary anarchist position
thoroughly rooted in black radicalism and black
revolt mean?

How does the current white insurrectionary
anarchist milieu fail?

How can Black revolutionaries extend
the insurrection?

“We must become

ungovernable...”