(Here's what the red stuff says)

Statement in Support of American Black People's Anti-Repression Struggle
(April 16, 1968)

Recently, the Black American Martin Luther King was suddenly murdered by American imperialists. Martin Luther King was an advocate of non-violence, but this did not lead the American imperialists to be lenient to him, rather they used counter-revolutionary violence to bloodily suppress him. This was a profound lesson to American Blacks, arousing a new storm of anti-repression struggle unprecedented in American history, engulfing over 100 American cities. This makes clear that within the over 20 million Black Americans there is an extremely strong revolutionary force.

That this storm of struggle by Black people should occur within America is a vivid manifestation of the political and economic crisis afflicting American imperialism. It has struck a heavy blow to the imperialists who are beset on all sides, at home and abroad.

This struggle of American Blacks is not merely a matter of the oppressed and exploited Black people taking up the struggle for freedom and liberation, it is a clarion call for all the oppressed and exploited people of America to oppose the tyrannical rule of monopoly capitalism. It is of tremendous help and encouragement to the struggle of people all over the world against American imperialism, and the struggle of people of Vietnam against American imperialism. I represent all the people of China in expressing steadfast support of the righteous struggle of America's Black people.

Racial discrimination in America is a product of colonialism and imperialism. The contradictions between the broad masses of American Black people and the ruling clique are class contradictions. Only by overthrowing America's monopoly capitalistic regime, and smashing the colonialist and imperialist system, can Black Americans achieve thorough liberation. The broad masses of American Blacks and the White working masses have common interests and a common goal for their struggles. Therefore, the struggles of American Black people are receiving more and more sympathy and support from working people and progressives among American Whites. The struggle of American Blacks must unite with the American workers' movement, and put an end to the nightmarish regime of American monopoly capital.

In my 1963 "Statement in support of the righteous struggle of American Blacks against American imperialist racial discrimination", I said: "The evil colonialist and imperialist system arose in the wake of slavery, and it must end with the thorough liberation of Black people." I still insist on this view.

Presently, world revolution has entered a great new era. The struggle of American Black people for liberation is one part of the world struggle against American imperialism, one part of the world revolution. I call upon the entire world's workers, peasants, revolutionary intellectuals, and any people willing to oppose American imperialism to take action and give the struggle of American Black people strong support! The entire world's people should unite even more closely to make a long lasting and ferocious attack on our common enemy, American imperialism and its accomplices! we can be sure that the collapse of colonialism, imperialism, and all systems of exploitation, and the emancipation of all the oppressed people and oppressed races of the Earth, is close at hand.

(Here's what the black stuff says)

(At the top)

A Diagram of the Situation of Black Americans' Anti-Tyranny Struggle

A historically unprecedented new storm of anti-tyranny struggle by Black Americans spread with astonishing speed through over 100 American cities. This makes clear that within the over 20 million Black Americans there is an extremely strong revolutionary force. It has struck a heavy blow to the imperialists who are beset on all sides, at home and abroad.

(In the boxes pointing to places)

Kansas City: Black snipers bravely and skillfully fired on reactionary forces for five days and nights, forcing 4,000 police and troops into retreat/

Memphis: Anti-violence advocate Martin Luther King was murdered by American imperialist on April 4th in Memphis. This was a profound lesson to American Blacks, arousing a new storm of anti-repression struggle unprecedented in American history, engulfing over 100 American cities.

Chicago: America's largest city is ablaze. Black snipers with appear and disappear mysteriously, frightening reactionary forces out of their wits.

Pittsburgh: In America's iron and steel city Pittsburgh, the authorities declare martial law. But the Black masses are uncowed. Many large fires burn within the city.

Baltimore: In America's sixth largest city Baltimore, Black people's fighting spirit is high, they fight resolutely in spite of suppression. The Black masses light over 500 fires of retribution in the city, and snipers' gunshots ring out without a stop.

Washington: The Black masses, unafraid of brutal violence, rebel against the American rule of the monopoly capitalist class. Black people's fires of retribution burn near the Capitol and the White House. Black snipers attack the police everywhere. This heart of American imperialism, the nest of White racist oppressors, is blackened by smoke, lit by flames, filled with rubble. The imperialist ringleader Johnson is so frightened he cannot sleep, his eyes bloodshot, paces around the White House like an ant on a hot griddle.

(torches)

(torch legend): Major cities of the Black peoples' Anti-Tyranny Struggle

(Cities with torches on them)

Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco

Seattle

Tucson

Minneapolis

Des Moines

Kansas City

Pine Bluff

Baton Rouge, New Orleans

Chicago, Joliet, Carbondale

Grand Rapids, Lansing, Niles

Indianapolis

Columbus, Canton, Cleveland, Cincinnati

Memphis, Nashville

Jackson, Meridian

Mobile, Birmingham, Montgomery

Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Gainesville, Ft. Pierce, Miami

Atlanta, Macon

Columbia (SC)

Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro

Richmond

Wheeling

Trenton, Newark

New Haven

Boston

return to Chinese posters