Delivered: At rally in Harlem, October 3, 1984.
This edition: Marxists Internet Archive, December 2022, thanks to Liz Blaczak.
During his trip to New York, Sankara spoke to a rally of more than 500 at the Harriet Tubman school in Harlem. The event was organized by the Patrice Lumumba Coalition.
Imperialism!
[Shouts of "Down with it"]
Imperialism!
[Shouts of "Down with it"]
Neocolonialism!
[Shouts of "Down with it"]
Racism!
[Shouts of "Down with it"]
Puppet regimes!
[Shouts of "Down with them"]
Glory!
[Shouts of "To the people!"]
Dignity!
[Shouts of "To the people!"]
Power!
[Shouts of "To the people!]
Homeland or death, we will win!
Homeland or death, we will win!
Thank you comrades. [Prolonged applause]
I'm not going to be long, because those who spoke before me have said what the revolution should be. The comrade who is a member of the Central Committee [of the All-African People's Revolutionary Party] did a good job explaining what the revolution should be and what our commitment should be. The comrade reverend said in very ironical terms what the revolution should be. The comrades from the other regions of the continent and outside the continent also explained what the revolution should be. The singers, dancers, and musicians said what the revolution should be.
What is leftfor us to do is to make the revolution! [Applause]
A moment ago, as I watched the ballet, I really thought we were in Africa. [Applause] That's why I've always said, and I'll say it again, our White House is in Black Harlem. [Prolonged applause]
There are many who think Harlem is a dump. There are many who think Harlem is a safe place to suffocate in. But there are many of us who believe that Harlem will give the African soul its true dimension. [Applause] There are many of us Africans, very many in fact, who have to understand that our existence must be devoted to the struggle to rehabilitate the name of the African. We must wage the fight to free ourselves from domination by other men and from oppression.
Some blacks are afraid and refer to swear allegiance to whites. They must be denounced. They must be fought. We must be proud to be black. [Prolonged applause] Remember, many of these politicians think of blacks only on election eve. We must be black with other blacks, night and day. [Prolonged applause]
We understand that our struggle is a call to build. We don't ask that the world be built for blacks alone and against other men. As blacks, we want to teach others how to love each other. Despite their meanness towards us, we will be capable of resisting and then teaching them the meaning of solidarity. We also know that we must be organized and determined. [Applause] Our brothers are in South Africa. They must be freed. [Prolonged applause]
Last year I met [Grenada's Prime Minister] Maurice Bishop. We had a lengthy discussion. We gave each other mutual advice. When I returned to my country, imperialism had me arrested. I thought about Maurice Bishop. Some time later I was freed from prison thanks to the mobilization of the population. Again, I thought about Maurice Bishop. I wrote him a letter. I never had the opportunity to send it to him. Once again, because of imperialism. So we have learned that from now on imperialism must be fought relentlessly. If we don't want other Maurice Bishops to be assassinated tomorrow, we have to start mobilizing as of today. [Applause]
That's why I want to show you I'm ready for imperialism. [Unbuckles belt and brandishes pistol in its holster, Prolonged applause] Please believe me, this is not a toy. These bullets are real. And when we fire these bullets, it will be against imperialism. It will be on behalf of all black people. It will be on behalf of all those who suffer domination. It will also be on behalf of those whites who are genuine brothers to blacks. And it will also behalf of Ghana, because Ghana is a brother country.
Do you know why we organized the Bold Union maneuvers with Ghana?[1] It was to show imperialism what we are capable of in Africa. Many other African countries prefer to organize their military maneuvers jointly with foreign powers. When we hold our next maneuvers, there should be fighters from Harlem who come to participate with us. [Cheers and prolonged applause]
Our revolution is symbolized by our flag. It's our country's new flag. Our country has also changed names. As you can see, this flag resembles the flag of your party. It's because we too are in that party. It's because we're working for the same cause as that party. That is why, quite naturally, the colors of the two flags resemble each other. And these colors have the same meaning. We didn't use the color black because we're already in Africa. [Applause, cheers, shouts of "Down with imperialism!"] But you can consider the two flags to be equivalent.[2]
You know, it's important that every day each of you remember one thing. While we are here discussing, while we are talking to each other as Africans, there are spies who are here in order to make a report tomorrow morning. We say to them that they don't need to bring secret microphones because even if television cameras came here, we'd be repeating exactly the same thing. [Applause]
So I have to tell you that we have the strength and the capacity within ourselves to fight imperialism. The only thing you need to remember is that when the people stand up, imperialism trembles. [Applause]
I admired very much the ballets that were performed. That's why I'd like to invited you to the next National Week of Culture taking place in Burkina Faso in December. Even if you can send only one person, you must send someone. [Applause] I also invite you to the next pan-African film festival in Ougadougou in February. All the African countries will be presented. South Africa will be represented by the African Liberation movement. Harlem should be represented. [Applause]
We will do everything we can to send troupes from Burkina Faso to you here in Harlem to perform on behalf of our African Brothers and sisters who are here. I ask you to encourage and support them and allow them to go to other American cities to meet other Africans who are in those cities.
I've noticed that you hold Comrade Jerry John Rawlings in high esteem, so we'll send you some African wrap-around clothing printed with his picture. And we've also printed on this clothing, "Ghana-Burkina Faso: same fight." These clothes should be worn everywhere, to work, in the street, while shopping, everywhere. Be proud of them, show that you are Africans. Never be ashamed of being African. [Applause]
I said I wouldn't take long. Before ending I'd like to ask you to stand up, because tomorrow, when I address the United Nations, I will speak about the ghettos. I will speak about Nelson Mandela, who must be freed. [Applause] I will speak about injustice. I will speak about racism. And I will speak about the hypocrisy of the leaders around the world. I will tell them that we and you, all of us, are waging our struggles and that they would do well to pay attention. Because you represent the people. Wherever you stand up, imperialism trembles. That is why I ask you to repeat:
When the people stand up, imperialism trembles!
[Shouts of "When the people stand up, imperialism trembles!"]
Again!
[Shouts of "When the people stand up, imperialism trembles!"]
Again!
[Shouts of "When the people stand up, imperialism trembles!"]
Imperialism!
[Shouts of "Down with it"]
Imperialism!
[Shouts of "Down with it"]
Puppet regimes!
[Shouts of "Down with them"]
Racism!
[Shouts of "Down with it"]
Zionism!
[Shouts of "Down with it"]
Neocolonialism!
[Shouts of "Down with it!"]
Glory!
[Shouts of "To the people!"]
Dignity!
[Shouts of "To the people!"]
Music!
[Shouts of "To the people!"]
Health!
[Shouts of "To the people!"]
Education!
[Shouts of "To the people!"]
Power!
[Shouts of "To the people!"]
All the power!
[Shouts of "To the people!"]
Homeland or death, we will win!
Homeland or death, we will win!
Thank you, comrades.
[Prolonged applause]
Notes
[1] Burkina Faso and Ghana held joint military maneuvers in Ghana, November 4-8, 1983.
[2] The flag of Burkina Faso is red and green with a yellow star. The red represents the revolutionary struggle; the green agriculture, abundance and hope; and the yellow the country's riches. The Black Liberation flag, adopted in 1920 by the Universal Negro Improvement Association and other organizations, is red, black, and green.