Day 23 of the 28 Days of Black Liberation 2024 series
Ken Saro-Wiwa, born October 10, 1941 in the Ogoniland of Bori, was a Nigerian author, television producer and environmental activist that brought widespread attention to the plight in his homeland caused by political corruption as well as environmental and human rights abuses. As a member of the Ogoni people, he led a nonviolent campaign particularly focused on combating the environmental degradation caused by oil extraction in the Niger Delta region at the hands of Royal Dutch Shell.
He was an organizer within the organization Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), which advocated in favor of the following: “Promote democratic awareness, protect the environment of the Ogoni People, seek social, economic and physical development for the region, protect the cultural rights and practices of the Ogoni people; and seek appropriate rights of self-determination for the Ogoni people.” Their movement for political autonomy, resistance to the military dictatorship, compensation and remediation for environmental damage caused by oil companies gained plenty of momentum, mobilizing around 300,000 attendees at a demonstration that became known as the First Ogoni Day.
Ken had been imprisoned numerous times in the past but was re-arrested and falsely accused of participating in the murder of four Ogoni chiefs. He, along with 8 others, were executed by the Nigerian government in 1995 as the result of a fraudulent trial, sparking international outrage. His legacy lives on through his children, MOSOP, the Ken Saro-Wiwa Foundation, and his writings, including Sozaboy: A Novel in Rotten English, A Month and A Day: A Detention Diary, and A Forest of Flowers.
Silence Would Be Treason, a compilation of poems and letters he’d written before his execution (PDF)
Poems of Protest from Prison: Nigeria, 1995
In the United States, the Black liberation struggle is the vanguard of the revolutionary class struggle. Black resistance to white supremacy has been the catalyst for nearly all critical social ruptures throughout american history. White workers choosing an alliance with the bosses instead of siding with the rest of the working class is the primary roadblock to revolutionary anti-capitalism in the US.
The GDC celebrates the Black liberation struggle and draws inspiration and lessons from its proud history in our struggle for the new world we are fighting for. In February we celebrate Black revolutionary culture, political prisoners, international figures and struggles, and moments in direct action that guide us in our continued, collective fight for liberation!