Kwame Ture, crossed over to the land of his ancestors, Nov 15, at 3:30 PM in Conakry, Guinea, West Africa, at the age of 57. He struggled two years with cancer (for further information on the cancer read Kwame's blog " The Last Words").

Born as Stokely Standford Churchill Carmichael, on June 29, 1941 He spent his first 11 years under the watchful eyes of his grandmother and his aunts in Port of Spain, the island of Trinidad and Tobago. He, along with his two sisters, joined their parents in New York City in 1952. Kwame became a household name in the USA during the 1960s when after enrolling as a student of Howard University in Washington D.C., Kwame decided to join the freedom rider efforts to integrate the southern portion of the United States. As a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, SNCC (pronounced SNICK), Kwame was arrested 26 times between 1964 and 1966 because of his work to register Africans in Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia, to vote.

In June, 1966, Kwame defeated now usa Congressman John Lewis to become Chairperson of SNCC. Kwame's election as SNCC Chairperson signaled the growing militancy within SNCC, and the movement, and a desire on behalf of many in the membership to take a more militant and uncompromising stance on African liberation. During the summer of 1966, Kwame became known as the person who popularized the phrase "Black Power" when he articulated that demand in Greenwood, Mississippi, during the great Civil Rights march of that summer (It should be noted that although Kwame has been credited with creating that phrase, the phrase has a long history that extends back to the 1700s and the movement and writings of Martin Delaney). During his tenure as Chairperson of SNCC, Kwame helped the organization develop into one of the most militant African organizations in the USA. SNCC became the first African organization to come out against the Vietnam war. SNCC was also the first African organization to take a position against the zionist state of Israel.

In 1968, Kwame briefly spent time as the Honourary Prime Minister of the Black Panther Party (BPP) that was founded in Oakland, California by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. By the end of 1968, Kwame had resigned from the BPP, not because, as the imperialist press has consistently claimed, the BPP "forged links with whiter radicals", but because the BPP's ideological framework was not completely consistent with Kwame's developing ideological orientation.

In 1967, while still Chairperson of SNCC, in the height of U.S.A. imperialist war against Vietnam, Kwame had the privilege of going to Vietnam and visiting the Great Nguyen Al Thouc (Ho Chi Minh), the leader of the Vietnamese war resistance against American imperialism. It was during that visit when Kwame expressed his disillusionment with the direction of the struggle in the USA, that Al Thouc told Kwame "why don't you go to Africa? It is your home."

Taking Al Thouc's advice further, Kwame took up the offer made by Guinean (West African) President Sekou Ture made three years prior to a visiting SNCC delegation, to come to Guinea, stay, and help to build the African revolution. In 1968, Kwame moved to Guinea and began to live and study under Sekou Ture, and Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana who was overthrown in a central intelligence agency-organized Coup in 1966. After the coup in Ghana, Ture invited Nkrumah to come to Guinea and become Co-President of Guinea. At that time, Guinea was struggling to build the Democratic Party of Guinea (PDG), as a mass, Pan-Africanist political party that would function as a base within West Africa in which to launch the Pan-African struggle to unite Africa under one continental, socialist, government (see Nkrumah; Handbook of Revolutionary Warfare pg. 56-59). Kwame Ture stayed in Guinea from 1968, until his death in 1998, working to bring about Pan-Africanism.

Ture and Nkrumah passed on in 1984 and 1972 respectively. In 1977, Kwame changed his name from Stokely Carmichael to Kwame Ture in order to honor the Pan-Africanist work of Sekou Ture and Kwame Nkrumah. From 1968 to 1998, Kwame worked tirelessly to build the All African People's Revolutionary Party (A-APRP), which is the revolutionary Pan-Africanist political party that Nkrumah discussed in his handbook as the logical vehicle to bring about unity and socialism to Africa. In the Handbook, Nkrumah talked about the inability of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), which he founded, to bring about genuine African unity. He offered up the A-APRP, through it's organization of the All African Committee for Political Coordination (A-ACPC) as the vehicle to bring about true unity. The A-ACPC, unlike the OAU, would not depend on the governments to unite, but would instead unite the genuine African revolutionary political parties and movements under the direction and guidance of the A-APRP to bring about continental unification.

Kwame Ture spent 4 years at Howard, three years in SNCC, less than one year in the BPP, but thirty years in the A-APRP. He didn't run away, disappear, or become irrelevant after 1968, as the imperialists, and many so-called progressives and revolutionaries would have you believe. Instead he worked tirelessly to build the A-ACPC and the A-APRP. Today, five years after his physical transition, no one can deny the fruits of his work. The A-APRP, in its efforts to build the A-ACPC, has developed strong principled brother/sister relationships with the Democratic Party of Guinea, Pan-African Union of Sierra Leone, African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau, Azanian People's Organization of Azania/South Africa, and Pan-Africanist Congress of Azania/South Africa, all of which consider themselves A-ACPC organizations as called for by Nkrumah. The A-APRP has organizers on the ground, openly integrated with the A-APRP and those respective parties and organizations in each of those countries, as well as Ghana, Senegal, The Gambia, Britain, Canada, Barbados, Virgin Islands, Brazil, and throughout the united snakes of amerikkka. These organizers are working to build the A-ACPC which will serve as a worldwide fighting force of Pan-African revolutionaries who are dedicated to fighting America led imperialism to liberate Africa under one unified, socialist government. As Kwame Nkrumah and Sekou Ture predicted, once Africa is free, unified, and socialist, Africa, and Africans, wherever they live on the planet, will be empowered to make a proper forward contribution to all of human civilization.

Kwame Ture's life, from Civil Rights, to Black Power, forward to Pan-Africanism, is the logical forward progress of the international struggle of African people to achieve self-determination. He should be remembered, three years after his death, as Rev. Jesse Jackson described him in 1998, as "a man who never made peace with capitalism, racism, and American policy.

Sent: Thursday, December 02, 1999 9:46 AM

Subject: Mother of Kwame Ture Launches Worldwide Recruitment and Fundraising Drive

Kwame Ture Work-Study Institute and Library

1819 East 71st Street

Chicago, IL 60649

Tel: (773) 324-0494 - Fax: (773) 324-6678

[email protected]

December 4, 1999

Dear Friend and Supporter of Kwame Ture:
My name is Mabel Carmichael. Two generations of Movement youth know me as "May Charles." Kwame Ture (also known as Stokely Carmichael) is my son. Fifty-eight years ago, I brought Kwame into this world. Thirty nine years ago, I gave him to the people, to the Movement, to the Nonviolent Action Group at Howard University and the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee, its parent organization. The rest is history!

It has been one year since Kwame died, and I would like to tell you about some of our activities and achievements this past year. You have perhaps already heard, that Kwame asked me, on his deathbed in the hospital in which he died in Conakry, to build a library so that his books and papers could stay in Africa, in Guinea, and be accessible to future generations of students and youth. I promised him that I would, with God's help, build that library, here in Conakry. We have already started, little by little, and we need and ask for your help!

Over the past few months, our family has traveled to a number of events worldwide, in order to receive posthumous awards and recognition on Kwame's behalf. Some of the highlights include traveling to:

Washington, DC in May, to accept an honorary Ph.D. from Howard University. Later that evening, the Howard University Student Association hosted a community reception and dinner at New Bethel Baptist Church. Mr. Rock Newman and Rev. Walter Fauntroy co-sponsored this community-based event. On Monday, Dr. Dorothy Height and the National Council of Negro Women hosted a reception at their National Headquarters. Mrs. Jackie Jackson (Rev. Jesse Jackson's wife), Mrs. Cora Masters Barry (Mayor Marion Barry's wife), Dr. Barbara Skinner, Ms. Julienne Malveaux and a host of other women were present. Contributions were made at both events towards the building of the Institute and Library.

Banjul, Gambia in June, to accept a posthumous award from the Government of Gambia during the "4th Annual Roots Homecoming Festival."

Port of Spain, Trinidad in August, to receive recognition by the Emancipation Support Committee at its annual Emancipation Celebration and Pan-African Conference.

Since our return to Conakry two months ago, with God's blessings, we have completed work on Kwame's gravesite. On November 15th, the date that Kwame died, members of our family who are in Guinea, a number of Kwame's close friends and associates, and 25 students from the Gamal Abdel Nasser University held a "Gravesite Ceremony" in Kwame's honor. The Ambassadors of Libya, Cuba and Palestine were present and offered brief remarks. We then walked to the home of El Hadjj Thiam and family, one of Kwame's friends for the past thirty years, where a cow was sacrificed and its meat given to the poor, ten Moslem Marabouts read from the Koran, and a sumptuous feast was enjoyed by all. The Sisters and family of President Ahmed Sekou Toure stopped by to pay their respects.

On November 20th, the students at the Gamal Abdel Nasser University, and the Guinee-Conakry Chapter of the All-African People's Revolutionary Party held a Symposium to discuss "Kwame Ture, the Man, his Works, and his Philosophical and Political Vision for the Continent of Africa."

On November 21st, three hundred and seventy days after Kwame's death, we moved into a new house that will serve as the headquarters of the Kwame Ture Work-Study Institute and Library, until we can acquire a small piece of land here in Conakry, upon which to build. We are presently very busy organizing and cataloguing the library's core holdings, which include in excess of 1,700 of Kwame's books (126 linear feet), and more than 125 magazine boxes (144 linear feet) of Kwame's personal papers, letters, manuscripts, photographs and recordings.

More than 100 cartons of Kwame's intellectual property await shipment here to Conakry. Dozens of Kwame's former associates in the Non-violent Action Group, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, the Lowndes County Freedom Organization, the Black Panther Party, the Movement to Take Kwame Nkrumah Back to Ghana, the Democratic Party of Guinea and the All-African People's Revolutionary Party have agreed to donate their personal papers and archives to the Library as well.

In addition, Kwame authorized us to file a comprehensive and massive Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with every level and branch of the United States government. The responses from the federal level and branches are pouring in. We estimate that Kwame's FOIA files will exceed one million pages. They will be housed here in Conakry, and at several of the many universities and libraries in Africa and the world, such as Howard University in Washington, DC and the Gamal Abdel Nasser University in Conakry, with which we hope to affiliate. We know that Kwame is smiling at the work that has been done so far. This is just the beginning!

I am an eighty-year old woman, living on a fixed income. I can not build Kwame's institute and library alone! I need and ask for your help, personally, materially and financially. I brought Kwame into this world, and gave him to the Movement thirty-nine years ago. He chose to work, study, struggle, suffer and die for Africa, and her children who are scattered in every corner of the world. I supported him as best I could, and continue to do so. Kwame never valued or sought money or material things. He died like he lived, without two nickels to rub together. But, he was and remains rich in a worldwide network of friends and supporters like you.

With your help, and God's, the Kwame Ture Work-Study Institute and Library will become the largest non-governmental and non-profit repository in the world, of primary source material by and about Kwame Ture, and the movements and organizations with which he worked. It will also be a Pan-African and International work-study institute that will help educate, nurture and train future generations of students and youth, of scholars and organizers, and inspire them to give service to Africa and other Oppressed Peoples in every corner of the world.

Today, December 4, 1999, we are launching a worldwide campaign to recruit 1,092 members and raise $364,000 in one year, that's 3 new members and $1,000 each day. You can help us meet this modest goal, by:

Endorsing the Kwame Ture Work-Study Institute and Library, and becoming a Charter Member. Membership is open to all progressive and revolutionary governments, institutions, organizations, movements and individuals in Africa and the world; and is free.

Making a tax-exempt contribution to our "Building Fund", and to help defray the costs of our "Freedom of Information Act" and "Oral History Documentation" Projects. Supporters are asked to contribute a minimum of $50 US. Sponsors are asked to contribute a minimum of $100 US. Sustainers are asked to contribute a minimum of $250 US. Patrons are asked to contribute a minimum of $500 US. Other contributions will be greatly appreciated. All donations are tax deductible.

Donating a copy of any material, i.e. correspondence, photographs, audio-visual tapes, films, books, theses, dissertations, posters, buttons, t-shirts, newspaper and magazine articles, or other memorabilia that you might have by or about Kwame Ture, and the movements and organizations with which he worked. All intellectual property rights, copyrights, privacy rights and publicity rights will be fully respected and protected.

Please send your contributions, (financial and material) to the Kwame Ture Work-Study Institute and Library, c/o the Black United Fund of Illinois, Inc., 1809 East 71st Street, Chicago, IL 60649. Address all correspondence to the attention of Mr. Henry English, President and CEO of the Black United Front of Illinois, Inc. He also serves as the Treasurer of the Kwame Ture Work-Study Institute and Library.

To keep in touch with how we are doing with this recruitment and fund raising campaign, please subscribe to our electronic discussion group for the Kwame Ture Work-Study Institute and Library. Just send us an email at: [email protected]

Thank you in advance for endorsing, becoming a Charter Member, and making your tax-exempt contribution. We ask that you forward this letter to at least ten other people or organizations whom we might have missed, or who you think might be interested in helping us fulfill Kwame's dying request.

Sincerely,

Mabel Carmichael (May Charles)

Chairperson of the Kwame Ture Work-Study Institute and Library