for the League of Revolutionary Black Workers
Say it loud.
I’m Black and I’m proud.
Say it loud enough that the bumpers
turn on the foreman
and demand that our wages
make up for how mournful
our handprints are on they hardware.
Say it loud.
I’m Black and I’m proud.
Say it loud enough that
my nipples get hard at how sexy
a strike can be.
All them brothers in all that sun
and that sweat and all that fight.
The revolution got to have sex appeal first
and foremost.
Say it loud.
I’m Black and I’m proud.
Say it loud enough
to water my man’s
fingers back from the nub.
He lost his digits putting a passenger seat in a plymouth road runner —
fucking around and doing what he told.
They still made the nigga come back to the line.
Say it loud.
I’m Black and I’m proud.
Say it loud enough
that James Brown
remember he singin’ about something
and not just running at the gums
to loosen up some bloomers.
Say it loud.
I’m Black and I’m proud.
Say it loud enough
that the white boys remember they
some niggas too.
Say it loud.
I’m Black and I’m proud.
Say it loud enough
so that the little nickles
and dimes they give to grift and gag us
only good for shoving up they ass
because I’m talkin’ bout gold when I say pay me,
baby.
Give me gold
for the good years this job done took from
my blood and the woman in my bed.
Give me gold
or shut the fuck up
and free me free
from Henry Fords
Old Testament hell
on my body.
In an interview in The Fifth Estate publication, organizer John Watson describes the nature and purpose of LRBW:
The League of Revolutionary Black Workers is a federation of several revolutionary movements which exist in Detroit. It was originally formed to provide a broader base for organization of black workers into revolutionary organizations than was previously provided for when we were organizing on a plant to plant basis. The beginning of the League goes back to the beginning of DRUM, which was its first organization. The Dodge Revolutionary Union Movement was formed at the Hamtramck assembly plant of the Chrysler Corporation in the fall of 1967. It developed out of the caucuses of black workers which had formed in the automobile plants to fight increases in productivity and racism in the plant ... With the development of DRUM and the successes we had in terms of organizing and mobilizing the workers at the Hamtramck plant many other black workers throughout the city began to come to us and ask for aid in organizing some sort of group in their plants. As a result, shortly after the formation of DRUM, the Eldon Axle Revolutionary Movement (ELRUM) was born at the Eldon gear and axle plant of the Chrysler Corporation. Also, the Ford Revolutionary Union Movement (FRUM) was formed at the Ford Rouge complex, and we now have two plants within that complex organized.
Watson continues,
Our analysis tells us that the basic power of black people lies at the point of production, that the basic power we have is our power as workers. As workers, as black workers, we have historically been, and are now, essential elements in the American economic sense. Therefore, we have an overall analysis which sees the point of production as the major and primary sector of the society which has to be organized, and that the community should be organized in conjunction with that development. This is probably different from these kinds of analysis which say where it's at is to go out and organize the community and to organize the so-called "brother on the street". It's not that we're opposed to this type of organization but without a more-solid base such as that which the working class represents, this type of organization, that is, community based organization, is generally a pretty long, stretched-out, and futile development.
Excerpt from FINALLY GOT THE NEWS, Icarus Films
Learn more about the League of Revolutionary Black Workers:
The League of Revolutionary Black Workers: A Historical Study—article
Detroit: I Do Mind Dying—book
General Baker Institute—media project with video interviews
League of Revolutionary Black Workers—study guide
New Labor Press—article
Finally Got the News—documentary (paywall)