About Us

The ideas of the present Let’s Organize the ‘Hood--Black Autonomy Federation (BAF) go back to 1994, when the Black Autonomy Collective was created in Atlanta, Ga., by seven black college students and five community activists. The collective soon spread to ten other cities in the U.S. and Canada and eventually involved several hundred people.

We believe that poor and working class people of African descent are the ones who can free us--not traditional civil rights leaders or politicians. Our first loyalty is to poor and working class black people because that is who we are, but we defend the rights and liberties of working class people of all nationalities. We want a revolution by the poor against the rich.

Our local Memphis chapter is part of what is called a “federation.” A federation is a mass membership organization in which each member has an equal say in running the organization. There is no single “leader” or group of “leaders” in our organization. The membership is the leadership!

All members work in their local chapters. The larger federation helps us to coordinate widespread strategy and tactics with each other and the people in each community in which we work.

Who Are We?

1. We are advocates for black revolution worldwide.

Unlike some other activist groups on the scene today, we are not satisfied with fighting for hand-outs or reforms. We don’t believe that African and non-white workers in the U.S. or anywhere in the world will receive their freedom under capitalism. We work toward building a social and economic system in which all land and machinery is held in common and all goods and services are produced and distributed based on the needs of the community--not the profits of a boss, corporation or “socialist” state. We utilize many methods to achieve this end while at the same time defending the minimal rights of workers and poor people.

2. We are opposed to politicians.

We believe in the total liberation of all people from all oppressive social conditions in work places, in schools, in the ‘hood, and in our cities. Not only do we fight against the oppression of the black community by the white power structure and those who support it, but also against the oppression of governments over people. It is for these reasons that we see no good in government. It is the government which is keeping us in prison and in poverty.

Poor and working class people are capable of running our own affairs. No so-called “leader” or politician has superior knowledge over us or anyone else. Our opposition to authority is what we call the philosophy of Black Autonomy, which guides our thoughts and actions.

3. We organize poor people.

We believe that it is black poor and working class people who have nothing to lose and who can change things--not middle class leaders or politicians. The Black Autonomy Federation is a black working class and poor people’s organization. We work toward building a society run by today’s “homeless,” “pimps,” “whores,” “gangstas,” “welfare moms,” “low income elderly,” “laborers,” “at-risk youth,” and “permanently unemployed”-- basically anyone who does not benefit from living in the so-called “land of the free.”

We Need You!

As we reorganize the Black Autonomy Federation, we are always looking for talented people to join our organization and represent their ‘hood. We are planning to again publish our newspaper, Black Autonomy, and to reorganize the Black Autonomy Prisoner Support Program and our grassroots organizing group against police brutality, (Memphis Copwatch).

The Memphis Black Autonomy Federation is open to all people of African descent.

For more information, contact us:
Black Autonomy Federation
P.O. Box 16382
Memphis, TN 38186-0382
organize.the.hood@gmail.com