Building Unity Among Oppressed People of Color

A letter to People of Color Organize! from a locked-down comrade in Texas.

What is unity? Unity is power! Unity is when people of color come together and set aside their personal agendas and perceived differences and take on a common goal.

Working together as one, looking past narrow horizons and bringing about changes for the great good of the people. Knowing what works for the people through the unified minds and bodies, aching as one to promote the happiness for all us oppressed.

Beginning with your area helps one understand the dynamics needed to further our cause, because it is within our area where we first understand what is wrong with society. Building one’s knowledge according to that, one expands to a state of elevation, with world knowledge to further improve our society. We work closely together, aiding each other through the steps that need be in order for us to educate and awaken the people of color.

Confusion is not unity! We should not force feed to each other some theory that won’t work due to it not being planted on scientific facts. A lot of people argue and complain about the different theories without proper study or analysis, without dissecting the matter fully.

Assumptions can’t be counted as facts. This is where confusions sets in because instead of research and study to find the scientific fact of the core idea, they allow for their feeling to make their opinions for them.

Unity is helping each other when one is disconnected from what is affecting as a whole. Unity is stepping in when one is down and lonely, helping to guide and lead the blind and lost. Unity is turning confusion into understanding.

The struggle that we face and the environment we live in automatically brings us under the same repressive system, which should trigger unity.

We are not only in a struggle to liberate ourselves from the ignorance, which has penetrated our minds and bodies most of our lives. However, we are also in a constant struggle to liberate from the arrogance, which keeps us in a cloud of confusion, repeating the same concepts every time, thinking that things will change on the sheer basis of repeating the cycle of ignorance.

Mao told us that an army, “is powerful because all of its members have a conscious discipline; they come together and they fight not for the private interest of a few individuals or a narrow clique, but for the interest of the broad masses and of the whole nation.”

More than one person creates a society. A nation is built by a mass of people of color and unity is maintained by a strong nation! Does not all five fingers clenched form a fist? Unity is coming together to serve and fight for something positive, or achieve goals through a common interest that alone are unattainable, e.g. the injustice we face when we are incarcerated and have no free world support.

Moving forward together, step by step, to evolve from one stage to the next stage of humanity and mature awareness. Creating avenues for the people; one soul in many bodies of color, bearing knowledge of the same tree.

Unity is not taking advantage of those you love or think you can exploit. Unity is working in concert for a common goal and purpose!

Our aims should not be divided into fractions, but those fractions should be added and should be turned into a whole nation: unity!

Having unity is having trust in your fellow komrades and being able to express yourself without having to feel disconnected. To believe in the same cause and demonstrate firmly is called unity!

Unity is working with those outside prison as well as with those inside prison. Communication bring about unity, participation aloes brings about unity.

The fact that Latinos and people of color continue to suffer from racism, prejudice and discrimination, however, should be reason enough for us to unite. The aims of the democratic revolution (the first step in Maoist revolution) are to unite all those who can be united against the common enemy.

As an intelligent being, man can still overcome the worst human failings present in each of us. Conscious living, self-awareness, a deep understanding and appreciation of our history as Latinos (oppressed people of color) and a steadfast resolve to not let our differences divide us is necessary to overcome these failings.

To overcome these failings, Latinos and oppressed people of color must cultivate an almost superhuman consciousness, will and effort to override these tendencies we all have in us. Let us not lose sight of the fact that slavery has left a tainted legacy that remains in existence to this day in prisons. Amendment XIII: “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as punishment for anyone whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States.”

To erase it will mean overcoming each other’s differences instead of allowing them to divide us. To do this means keeping others apprised of what you are planning or currently working on, and have the good sense to listen well and learn from what others are saying. Communicating with others about activities often provides access to information of which you may not be aware.

Unity is something we can all look forward to when we are confident that we have the right people who also want the same change as a whole nation. Unity creates power.

Victory can be achieved, drawing through unity. Unity. What does it mean to you?

- Rey Tokatzin

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