UNIA - ACL Woodson.Banneker.Jackson-Bey Division #330

01/09/2021

It Takes The Village Engineers To Educate, Mentor, Advise, Consult, and Nurture It’s Future Current Generation of Engineers

NSBE DC is partnering with Engineering Tomorrow to host a special virtual NSBE Jr. Lab Day on Saturday, January 30, 2021 from 9:30am-12:30pm (EST). Engineering Tomorrow is a nonprofit organization developed by engineers to increase the number of high school students who pursue engineering degrees with a focus on females and minority populations. This event is free and will be led virtually by professional engineers and college engineering students via Zoom.

Please register for this event by Monday, January 11, 2021:

1. Please email [email protected] with the following information: first & last name, address, city, state, zip code

2. Complete the following Engineering Tomorrow registration form:
https://bit.ly/ETLABDAY

All registrants will receive a box in the mail that contains all materials needed to complete the Bridges and Catapult labs before the Jan. 30th NSBE Jr. Lab Day.

Please share this event with any middle school and high school students that you know. Contact [email protected] for more information.

01/08/2021

Vocational Training For The Community

01/05/2021

Unia-Acl Rehabilitating Committee 2020.

Unia-Acl Rehabilitating Committee 2020.

KWANZAA MESSAGES FROM THE PRESIDENT-GENERAL AKILI NKRUMAH

December 26, 2020, Kwanzaa Umoja/Unity.
Habarigani! Unity, with knowledge of Our Story the Principle of Umoja should breathe some historical truths to its necessity for Us as a people. In 1865 with the Americans (whites) after war which exposed their racism allegedly freed the Negro (African people). it wasn't freedom at all but a foundation in which we built on to the establishment of a Black Wall Street an example of our abilities and Americans with hate and jealousy attacked, murdered and destroyed what we built. Here in Philadelphia we built our community in south Philly and we were self-sufficient. Two examples of what we can do with Unity and commitment. Then arrived Marcus Garvey and the UNIA-ACL. Some may ask if there were others. Yes, but none with a Race First view and a world view to develop our own nation. So, despite the assault and treachery, the knowledge of Pan-Afrikan nationalism continues to manifest in our world. Umoja/Unity is a fundamental principle for our Freedom. We must build our own nation.

Habarigani! Umoja!

December 27, 2020, Kwanzaa Kujichagulia
Habarigani! Kujichagulia - Self Determination.
In 2065 we the Negro will have been unchained from slavery. We have invested 200 years plus 300 hundred years of servitude in America only to still be trying to be accepted. The same amount of time in the world of our continent has been devastated by a foreign occupation. It's time to follow the path of Garvey - Up You Mighty Race You can Accomplish What You Will. The time has come and we must rise. One God, One Aim, One Destiny.

Habarigani! Kujichagulia!

December 28, 2020 Kwanzaa Ujima/Collective Work and Responsibility.
Habarigani! Ujima!
Our communities are a challenge because we continue to function on an American concept that the individual is more important than the whole. Our families are challenged therefore our communities suffer. We put materialism first and therefore we blind ourselves to our self worth. The Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey gave us a message a little more than one hundred years ago, " Up you mighty Race You Can Accomplish What You Will." Kwame Nkrumah gave us a message, "A united Africa for all African people." Harriet Tubman gave us insight " I could have freed more people if only I could convince them they were not free." and Queen NZinga showed us the way. Embrace our truth and we can change our circumstances, end the killings and end the poverty. We can, we must, we will build a government for Afrikan people.
One God, One Aim, One Destiny.

December 29, 2020 Kwanzaa Ujamaa/Cooperative Economics.
Habarigani! Ujamaa Habarigani!

We have been given examples of our abilities to build substantial wealth and yet we as a people remain amongst the poorest. Examples of our ability, the Black Star Line; the Black Factories Corporation; Black Wall Street, just to name a few. We have not built manufacturing firms or communications networks. If poverty is paramount to violence then controlling the economics of our communities is a change agent. Having people of African descent controlling industries, communication networks that impact our developing our own nation is the necessary factor to changing our current circumstances. We have to divorce ourselves from those entities that are systematically against us.
Forward ever! Backwards never! Kwame Nkrumah.

December 30, 2020 Kwanzaa Nia/Purpose
Habarigani! Nia Habarigani!

Perhaps the principle of the Nguzo Saba that best describes why The founding partnership of the UNIA-ACL, Marcus Mosiah Garvey and Amy Ashwood Garvey, is the one that best describes what motivated their effort in forming that organization that shook the foundation of the structure of white racist supremacy in the United states by mobilizing the largest demonstration of the descendants of enslaved Africans in the Americas and from other spaces in the African diaspora with the single purpose of building that government with the objective of One God, One Aim, One Destiny and Africa for the Africans Home or Abroad. It is to remind you that I recite the principle of Nia (Purpose), to make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community, in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness. It is not without significance that the creator of the Kwanzaa festival and author of the Nguzo Saba chose the colors for the bandera (flag) of the festival to be those of the flag created by the UNIA-ACL and adopted by so many Black organizations and individuals as the flag representative of who they are. Or I should say who we are. Similarly, there should be no doubt as to the purpose of the UNIA-ACL Rehabilitating Committee 2020 as to the righteous execution of our duties in objectively pursuing the constitutional Aims and objectives of the UNIA-ACL forged by our ancestral founders and their students and later leaders.
In the coming years, as we embark on rehabilitating the UNIA-ACL to reflect the true values of the founders, we welcome all people of African descent to march with our army of nation builders in Garvey's descriptive whirlwind.

Nia Habarigani!

Harambee!

One God One Aim One Destiny.

December 31, 2020 Kwanzaa Kuumba/Creativity

Let Our Story serve as a guide. Amy Jacques Garvey, Madam C.J. Walker, Queen Mother Moore all worked to improve the life of the Negro and the conditions we were put in beyond our control. they worked to uplift the Negro through hard work and industry building. Men like Malcolm X, Nat Turner, Martin Luther King and for sure Marcus Garvey gave us the Black Print and we must use the knowledge and skill we've obtained to build the Democratic Government for the Afrikan people.

Kuumba Habarigani

Harambee

One God One Aim One Destiny

January 1, 2021 Kwanzaa Imani/Faith

Habarigani - As the Kwanzaa celebration comes to a close let us not forget that the struggle continues and we must believe and work to establish our righteous government. We must believe and understand the human struggle and the ancestors playbook is not beyond us. I know that we are focused but a dream last for moments while a journey lasts until completion. Freedom is the goal.

Imani Habarigani!

Harambee

One God One aim One Destiny.

01/02/2021

Pritzker marks New Year’s Eve by expunging nearly half a million marijuana arrest records, pardoning thousands more

Pritzker marks New Year’s Eve by expunging nearly half a million marijuana arrest records, pardoning thousands more

The process to expunge the records have been completed at the state level but are still being processed by county clerks.

01/01/2021

It’s 2021 the of final victory for the people of West Papua. Free West Papua. Shame on the rest of the world for tolerating the injustice of the Indonesian military occupation of West Papua. Papua Merdeka!

Urgent news from Serui, West Papua. West Papuan elder and leader Jeremias Rabrageri arrested by colonial Indonesian forces for declaring support for the provisional West Papuan government.

Chairman of WPNA waropen regency Jermias Rabrageri 50 years old, human rights and democracy activist today, on 30 December 2020, was arrested along with his son Reiner Rabrageri 36 years old by the Indonesian police unit for providing support to Benny Wenda / ULMWP, a few days ago.

The father Jermias and his son Reiner Rabrageri were arrested at 07.00 am at his residence, in the village of Tevaro in the eastern Masirei Waropen district and then taken to the Kota Waropen police station. Please focus, God bless.

We need international intervention in West Papua. Indonesian colonial persecution of peaceful West Papua people who want to be free.

Please international advocacy for people of West Papua.

Indonesia colonial killing us for 59 years.

We need to be free people.

#PapuanLivesMatter #Melanesia #ACP #FreeWestPapua

12/26/2020

12/25/2020

The Washington Informer

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and Happiest Holidays! May your hearts and homes be filled with abundant blessings, love and infinite joy! New Washington Informer Holiday Special out now on your favorite newsstands or online at www.washingtoninformer.com, get yours today! 🎄✨🎄✨🎄✨🎄✨ #BeInformed #MerryChristmas #HappyHolidays #ReasonForTheSeason #BlackPress #NNPA

12/21/2020

Pre Kwanzaa Celebration (December 19, 2020)

Pre Kwanzaa Celebration (December 19, 2020)

12/21/2020

Pre Kwanzaa 2020 Celebration

Pre Kwanzaa 2020 Celebration

12/20/2020

Former Toys ‘R’ Us manager opens his Own Toy Store | SHOPPE BLACK

Former Toys ‘R’ Us manager opens his Own Toy Store | SHOPPE BLACK

Glendon Warner always wanted to run his own business. So, when he and 33,000 other Toys ‘R’ Us employees lost their jobs this year, he opend up a toy store.

12/19/2020

‘The Best News I’ve Heard in All My Life’: Termaine Hicks Is Exonerated After 19 Years of Wrongful Incarceration

‘The Best News I’ve Heard in All My Life’: Termaine Hicks Is Exonerated After 19 Years of Wrongful Incarceration

Police shot Termaine Hicks in the back three times while he was helping a victim. Then, they covered it up and he was wrongly convicted of attacking her.

12/12/2020

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott Sworn Into Office With Fresh ‘Fro And Fade

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott Sworn Into Office With Fresh ‘Fro And Fade

As the city’s youngest mayor in more than a century, Scott, 36, brought style and flair to his swearing in ceremony on Wednesday as he launches a multi-layered effort built on progressive ref…

12/03/2020

1) Papua Pro-referendum Group Trespasses Into Indonesian Consulate in Melbourne

Just leave! That would be better. Free West Papua!

2) Witness describes how TNI, police stood by in mob attack on Papuan student dormitory 3) DPR Condemns Arbitrary Independence Declaration i...

11/22/2020

Honoring the commitment to involve the WBJ-B Division 330 UNIA-ACL RC 2020 in the clean up campaign, #Cleanward8, President of Division 330, Baba Mosi Matsimela with District of Columbia Ward 8 Neighborhood Commissioner Salim Adofo, NBUF and an assorted group of volunteers at the Congress Heights Recreation Center and environs on the Saturday November 21, 2020 schedule of the Clean Ward 8 initiative.

11/16/2020

KWANZAA NIA 2020. FREE ADMISSION AND CHILDREN FRIENDLY.

11/06/2020

Afrika

Afrika

DISCOVER ME..WITHOUT YOU -- TEEN AUTHORS TALK FATHER ABSENCE: A READING

Nov 14, 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM

online event

https://www.estherproductionsinc.com/events-1/teen-authors-talk-father-absence-a-reading

Contributors to the essay collection Discovering Me...Without You: Teen Girls Talk About Father Absence will read their work from the book, which was edited by Jonetta Rose Barras and published by Esther's Books, a division of Esther Productions Inc. Ana Acevedo who wrote the Preface will also discuss the importance of the collection to understanding the impact of father absence. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.

#mothers #parents #students #teens #girls #dmv #online

10/31/2020

Gitchee Goombey

This is the Youtube livestream for the event happening right now.

10/31/2020

Streaming on the page of the Woodson Banneker Jackson-Bey Division 330 Rehabilitating Committee UNIA-ACL: Facebook.com/uniadivision330/

10/29/2020

Bornday Blessings to BaBa Senghor!

10/28/2020

Unia-Acl Rehabilitating Committee 2020.

This event will be streamed live at facebook.com/uniadivision330/.

10/26/2020

Saturday October 24, 2020. President of UNIA-ACL RC 2020 Division #330 Baba Mosi Matsimela with BASANI International Coordinator and 1st APG UNIA-ACL RC 2020 Baba Senghor Baye; Brother Salim Adofo Commissioner for Washington DC South East and volunteers for the International Be Clean Campaign in the Washington DC South East Congress Heights neighborhood surrounding the Charles Hart Middle School.

10/21/2020

10/19/2020

10/03/2020

The Root

Always the backbone of the struggle.

The #WNBAfinals kick-off tonight.

As y'all tune in, remember the Black women athletes who have stood up, and spoken out in the name of social justice.

Despite these athletes' brave acts of protest, their contributions often go unnoticed. https://bit.ly/2GygUVf

09/27/2020

09/24/2020

Streaming live at facebook.com/uniadivision330/. #gitcheegoombey2020.

This event will be streamed live at facebook.com/uniadivision330/.

09/03/2020

Free West Papua Campaign

Veronica Koman: ‘War in West Papua is escalating’

August marked one year since the racist attacks on West Papuan students in Surabaya that sparked a new West Papuan uprising. More than 100,000 people rose up against the racist violence and for West Papuan self-determination. In addition to several rallies in Jakarta, Papuans demonstrated across 40 cities.

cores of students and human rights activists were detained. According to research released in February by the interfaith group Human Rights and Peace for Papua, 59 civilians were killed between August and September alone.

Indonesian human rights lawyer Veronica Koman has played a critical role in documenting human rights abuses against West Papuans and sharing information from inside West Papua. This was recognised by the Australian Council for International Development, which awarded Koman the Sir Ronald Wilson Human Rights Award last year.

Koman was accused of “inciting” the riots that followed the racist attacks. The Indonesian police issued an international arrest warrant for her and sought Australian government assistance in forcing her to return to face trial. The Indonesian government is continuing, from afar, to try to disrupt her efforts to alert the international community to the brutality of the Indonesian occupation.

Green Left spoke to Koman on August 21 about the significance of the protests last year, the escalating conflict in West Papua and the prospects for independence.

Koman said the protests were “very significant, partly because of the involvement of Indonesians, but also [because] it helped to create more ‘negritude’ among West Papuans. Negritude is the pride of having Black identity.

“Previously, due to the ethnocide by Indonesia, their colonialism often makes West Papuans embarrassed about their identity. Because they are Black, they are different to the Malay Indonesians.

“They are brainwashed to think … that being Black is worse. During the uprising many West Papuans expressed more pride in negritude, their ethnicity and identity.”

Papuan Spring
The incident that sparked the uprising was the release of a video of Indonesians taunting West Papuan students outside their accommodation in Surabaya on August 17 last year – Indonesia’s national day. The students were called “monkeys”, a racist slur.

“But then the movement, the uprising reclaimed the monkey as their resistance symbol,” said Koman. “During that time also there was lots of pride in saying ‘We are Black, we are Melanesian, we are not Indonesian’.

“And the uprising was also significant because the last ‘Spring’ [uprising] in West Papua was in 2000 – so it’s been 20 years since the last Spring.”

Koman explained that, since the Indonesian People’s Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) was established in late 2016, Indonesian students have been protesting together with West Papuan students on West Papuan commemorative days, but “during the uprising, the involvement was even bigger”.

“We also had the first Indonesian ever to be charged with treason over the West Papuan self-determination cause – Surya Anta.” Surya Anta Ginting is the national spokesperson for FRI-WP.

“Indonesians were among those arrested in several cities in West Papua and, for example, in Manokwari.”

The number of Indonesians who know what is happening in West Papua is still a minority of the population, said Koman, “but our numbers are getting larger”.

Indonesia has continued to arrest, charge and jail activists in connection with the West Papuan cause. This number escalated during the protests last year.

Political prisoners
“During the uprising, there were 1013 arrests, resulting in 113 political prisoners, including Surya Anta,” said Koman. “He is free now.”

Koman told GL that twenty-two political prisoners were charged with treason, which carries a sentence of 20 years jail under Indonesia’s Criminal Code and which can be doubled for mobilising others to commit treason. An international campaign has been waged in support of those detained in the protests.

“The majority of these political prisoners are out,” said Koman.

“I think that our international and national campaign to free all the political prisoners worked, but I can still see the racism playing out. Indonesia just cannot free West Papuans.

“During the treason trials, the list of evidence [against the activists] was very weak … For example, the notorious Balikpapan 7 trials, the list of evidence cited by the judges included Bluetooth speakers, belts, USB chargers, phone chargers and laptops.

“It was just very ridiculous to find someone guilty of treason over that evidence. Yet, Indonesian courts must still find West Papuans guilty.

“But … I think that because of our campaign their sentences have been relatively low. That’s why the majority of them are free now, but 11 remain behind bars today.”

Armed conflict escalates
The Indonesian government implemented an extreme crackdown on West Papua during the uprising. The internet was blocked, access by journalists into West Papua was prevented, and about 10,000 additional Indonesian security personnel were deployed. There were also reports of disappearances and extrajudicial killings in West Papua.

While the security forces have since been withdrawn back across the border, Koman explained that the situation on the ground is still fragile, given the escalation in armed conflict between West Papuan independence forces and Indonesian soldiers.

“The extra thousands of security personnel from the uprising were … sent back to Indonesia in January. I think they were waiting for the West Papuan national day to pass, which was on December 1.

“During the crackdown there were fully-armed paramilitary police patrolling everywhere, including the residential areas, inside universities, [conducting] random raids once every few nights at students’ dormitories in the capital of West Papua [Manokwari].

“There was simply no room to breathe.

But, right now … extra security personnel – more soldiers especially – are being deployed to West Papua these past two months, for new military operations, especially in the Tembagapura area, near the Freeport mine.

“So the war between the Indonesian army and the West Papuan national liberation army is escalating – despite the pandemic.”

“The West Papuan national liberation army is getting more active," said Koman. "The conflict in West Papua has escalated into armed conflict.

“That’s one of many other reasons why West Papua should be under international scrutiny and the international community has to pay more attention, because international humanitarian law should be applying in West Papua, because of the intensifying war.”

Self determination
West Papua’s “special autonomy” status is to be reviewed by the Indonesian House of Representatives, in the lead up to the expiration of the Special Autonomy Fund next year.

“The law needs to be revised in order to extend the funds for special autonomy from Jakarta. And during the revision of that law, that is the chance for West Papuans to reject or terminate the law,” said Koman.

One point eight million Papuans have already signed a United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) petition demanding an independence referendum.

“There has been massive rejection by West Papuans on the ground,” said Koman.

In response to the Indonesian government’s announcement in July, Koman said that a coalition among civil society groups called Papuan People’s Petition (Petisi Rakyat Papua) is calling for an end to special autonomy. The coalition has launched its own petition calling for referendum of West Papuans to determine their own fate,

“I can see why,” said Koman. “Because the special autonomy has been used by Indonesia to whitewash colonialism.”

Koman is not optimistic that Indonesia will permit West Papuan independence at this current juncture, however.

“I don’t see that Jakarta will be a firm friend for West Papuans.”

Koman added that 100,000 people rising up and the escalating violence last year did, however, pressure Joko Widodo’s government to act on the West Papuans’ demands.

“Jokowi and two of the main public officials in Jakarta back then actually opened room for dialogue with pro-referendum groups. But then, due to one thing and another – to cut a long story short – it evaporated.

“But the uprising has successfully pressured Jakarta to think of other options. But, unfortunately, it has not [been] realised yet.”

Koman threatened with arrest, charges
While Koman is safe for now in Australia, the Indonesian government is trying to force her back to Indonesia, where she will face immediate arrest. Its latest strategy is to demand she return her student scholarship, for failing to return to Indonesia.

“In November last year, not long after Indonesia’s Chief Security Minister went back to Indonesia after visiting Australia to attend a security-themed conference and to talk about West Papua, the minister suddenly brought up my issue to the media,” said Koman.

“He said that he would use the state scholarship to pressure me back to Indonesia and that I might be charged with additional separatism-related charges — which means maybe treason.

“The Ministry of Finance is now demanding I return the state scholarship for failing to return to Indonesia.

“Well, I don’t return to Indonesia as I will be arrested right when I touch Indonesian soil – I am on the national police wanted list. So basically, the government is penalising me for refusing to return to face arrest.

“This is despite support from more than a dozen national NGOs including Amnesty International, [who] say that this is financial punishment by the government for my West Papua work.

“I cannot see how the Ministry of Finance will back down, because if they back down, it means that they would undermine the efforts by the national police, security ministry, foreign ministry, and the law ministry in attacking me.

“So this is like a collaboration of state institutions to further punish me and I think they want me to suffer so badly to deter other Indonesians from showing public support for West Papua.”

A crowd-funding campaign has been launched by West Papuans in Australia to help raise money to allow Koman to continue her work, and West Papuans at home are also mobilising to collect funds.

“It is very heart-warming to see how West Papuans on the ground on their own initiative, (because West Papuans are in worse conditions than me) they have tried to show solidarity by collecting donations for me at traffic lights or [setting up] an emergency post in the middle of the town.

“But they were forcibly dispersed by police. I was trying to think: ‘What would be the legal basis for that?’ Then I remembered that – yes – the police hate me.”

[To donate to the crowd-funding campaign to support Veronica Koman's work, visit: https://chuffed.org/project/veronica-koman.]

https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/veronica-koman-war-west-papua-escalating

#PapuanLivesMatter