emory douglas – Workers Voice

On January 26 at the Ashé Powerhouse, 150 people attended a public conversation with revolutionary artist and former Minister of Culture for the Black Panther Party, Emory Douglas. Hosted by the New Orleans Peoples Assembly and Take Em Down Nola, artists discussed with Emory the responsibility of progressive artists to serve the people by involving themselves with political organizations that are dedicated to the revolutionary struggle for liberation.

Emory shared: “I was able to share my creativity as part of an organization that gave me the chance to make art that reflected the politics we were involved in.”

“If you’re concerned about police murders, high rates of unemployment, or wars of mass destruction and you’re committed to enlightening and informing people about those issues in a provocative way, you can’t fear what your boss or even your family is going to say. You gotta do something if you don’t do nothing but spit. ”

While in youth detention in San Francisco, Emory Douglas found his art. After meeting Huey Newton and the Black Panther Party, Douglas put his talents at the service of the organization and the people. Douglas was bold in his cartoons. He moved your heart and your mind depicting the suffering of Black people in capitalist white America. Through his cartoons which appeared in every issue of the Black Panther Party Paper, Douglas fearlessly portrayed the right of Black America to self defense against racist police terror.

Emory Douglas is a giant among artists who used their talent in the service of the workers and the poor in their revolutionary struggle for justice. He put this above money and fame. Young progressive artists of today should seek to emulate his contributions.

Workers Voice Socialist Movement

We are workers, employed and unemployed, youth, students, and seniors. We are multi-racial and multi-national and organize for the unity of the working class. We are funded by and for workers, for the liberation of all workers and oppressed people.

We organize for jobs and higher wages, against racism, women’s, and LGBTQ oppression, and for solidarity with immigrants. We organize for community schools, lower rents, and food on our tables. We organize for workers’ power so that everything will one day be removed from the capitalists’ private ownership.

We oppose the Pentagon, which is looting our tax dollars and handing them over to war-profiteering private companies, while social programs are gutted. We oppose war for empire which is pursued only to lower our wages and plunder the world’s resources while destroying the environment. We reject the monopoly media who feed us lie after lie.

The labor of workers produces enormous wealth here in Louisiana, the U.S. and the world– so much wealth that everyone could have housing, meaningful jobs, education, healthcare, and genuine equality. But this wealth is stolen and privately owned by the capitalist class for their greed and profit. We believe that we, the workers of the world, can unite in revolution to overcome capitalism and build a better world.

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Tag: emory douglas

Emory Douglas, Minister of Culture, Black Panther Party, Comes to New Orleans

Emory Douglas: Black Panther, Revolutionary Artist