Today is Black Solidarity Day!
For those that do not know, BSD is an African American holiday day celebrated annually on the first Monday of November in the United States beginning in 1969.
It was founded in Brooklyn by Dr. Carlos E Russell who was so inspired by the popular and controversial play ‘Day Of Absence’ by Douglas Turner Ward which explores the extreme social, political, and economic consequences that would ensue if all Black people were to disappear for one day that a call for Black people to observe what a new holiday called ‘Black Solidarity Day’ was established.
Community groups, families and Black Student Unions around the country often recognize this important observance by participating in some of the following activities.
- Attend educational/cultural events addressing Black power and liberation
- Boycott white businesses and industry
- Chanting and beating drums in burial grounds
- Not using public transportation
- Only buying products and services from black owned community businesses
- Refrain from attending school or going to work
- Singing of the black national anthem “Lift Every Voice And Sing”
- Wearing all black clothing and displaying of black and silver ribbons
Russell and others felt these activities would demonstrate our collective strength and value to ourselves and the modern-day robber barons of the United States (corporations).
As Black Solidarity Day is now 47 years old, more radical demands are now being made this year to truly overturn this system of discrimination, mass incarceration and state authorized murder against against black people in this country for far too long.
- Withdrawal of funds and closing of checking and savings accounts with corporate banks and reinvest with only community banks and credit unions
- Strategically voting against candidates such as Trump and Clinton that support more oppression and wars against people of color by voting for more radical political party candidates that are on the ballot for the Green Party, Party For Socialism and Liberation, Socialist Party USA, Socialist Worker Party, Workers World Party to name a few
Black Power and Black Solidarity to all the fearless individuals that will be participating in the traditional and non-traditional actions highlighted above!
