Black History Month: 10 Outrageous Black Rebels From History
Over the course of American history, there have been many inspirational and irreplaceable voices who have spoken to the hearts and minds of book aficionados. They are men and women who reside alongside the canon of great American authors. They defy limitation and spoke truth to power about the concerns of not just Black humanity, but all humanity.
In recognition of Black History Month, we offer a bit of insight into the mind of a rebel and take you through the significant events and eras of the African and African-American experience.
We begin with one of the most interesting cases of revolution in American history. On June 30, a rice farmer named Cinqué from Sierra Leone led a revolt along with 110 others, killing the captain and the cook of the ship and taking their Spanish slave traders captive. When the Amistad ship came into the coast along Long Island, the USS Washington charged the slaves who survived with mutiny and murder.
Cinqué served as the group's informal representative and helped to save the lives of innocent men who were illegally placed into slavery.
Above you'll find nine other Outrageous Black Rebels whose life should be featured in every American's iWhatever (does anyone have bookshelves anymore?). Moreover, please consider telling a friend or a lover about these memorable men and women, not just in February, but all-day, every day, 365. Enjoy!
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2. Sistah Souljah —
"If Black people kill Black people every day, why not have a week and kill White people?" Those words uttered by Sistah Souljah reached the ears of the White House and then-President Bill Clinton. The Hip-Hop author, activist, recording artist and film producer gained prominence for speaking her mind during the 1992 Los Angeles riots. She said what most people had been wanting to say for generations. While giving the establishment a healthy dose of reality, Clinton repudiated her statements in what has now become a "Sistah Souljah moment".
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3. Angela Davis —
Emerging as a nationally prominent activist and radical in the 1960s, Angela Davis was not only a leader of the Community Party in the U.S., but she equally had close relations with the Black Panther Party. This college professor went from teaching minds to ducking one-time as she was placed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitive's list after the aggravating kidnapping and murder of Judge Harold Haley. She now speaks around the globe against the injustices of racism and discrimination.
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4. Assata Shakur —
A member of the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army, Assata Shakur, according to the United States government, is to be considered an escaped convict. She was accused of several crimes and was made the subject of a multi-state manhunt. A revolutionary fighter against imperialism, Assata is still a notorious figure among New Jersey law enforcement officials who are still trying to convict her for a 1973 shootout at the turnpike.
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5. Fred Hampton —
The 21-year-old activist and deputy chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party was a natural born leader. He brokered a non-aggressive pact between the gangs in Chicago; was an instrumental force behind the BPP free food program and was deemed an agitator by the FBI. His natural oratory skills and his ability to gather a collective of spirited individuals made him a target by J. Edgar Hoover. Hoover's goal of destroying the Black Panther Party was made easier when on December 4, 1969, a tactical unit of the Cook County, Illinois State's Attorney's Office and the Chicago Police murdered Fred Hampton while he slept in his home. Thankfully, his legacy lives on as his son, Fred Hampton Jr., continues to take the fight to The Man.
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6. Harriet Tubman —
A Union spy during the American Civil War, Harriet Tubman was not supposed to make it past the Mason-Dixon line. A woman born into slavery, she escaped the Jim Crow's clutches and subsequently made more than thirteen missions to rescue more than 70 slaves. Using a network of anti-slavery activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad, Tubman would go on to help John Brown to recruit men for his raid on Harper's Ferry and when the war era ended, she fought for women's suffrage.
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7. Nat Turner —
No one born into slavery and knows they're in it wants to be trapped in its clutches. Nathaniel "Nat" Turner was one in particular who didn't care for the shackles and chains. On August 21, 1831, he led a slave rebellion in Virginia that resulted in 60 White deaths and at least 100 Black deaths. Sending the state into a tizzy, Turner was convicted, sentenced to death, and hanged. His supporters which came from his home of Southampton County, Virginia, were executed for being a part of Turner's slave rebellion, and 200 hundred Blacks were beaten and killed by White militias hoping to make an example out of the uproar. Turner, to this day, remains a controversial figure by historians, given that he fought for the just anti-slavery cause but he proceeded in acts of violence against women and children that would be deplorable by today's standards.
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8. Steve Biko —
A student leader, Stephen Bantu Biko founded the Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa which would empower and mobilize much of the urban Black population. A martyr of the anti-Apartheid movement, the young man was so feared, so powerful that the government would not allow him to speak to more than one person. He could not hold public court or concert without raising the ire of the authorities. His murder occurred in police custody, but while living, his writings and activism attempted to empower Black people. His slogan, "Black is beautiful," became synonymous with self-love and improvement within urban communities all over the world.
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9. Huey P. Newton —
This Monroe, Louisiana born, Oakland, California raised political and urban activist was one of the founders of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense in 1966. Newton's views of "revolutionary humanism" found him adopting many of the social norms within urban areas and reshaping them to appeal to the larger community. Learning the legal system allowed Newton to arm the Panthers and police the police. His dissertations are still being applied and referred to to this day.
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10. Madison Washington —
The instigator of a slave revolt on board the brig Creole in 1841, Madison Washington incited 18 of his fellow slaves into rebellion. They took control of the Creole and commanded that it be sailed to Nassau, which was under British control. Great Britain had already ended slavery in its nation and colonies, so Washington and his comrades were hoping to sail to freedom. The worst thing to do is to steal slaves from America, and Old Glory wanted the British to return them back to the States. They did not do that, but the British did imprison Washington and his 18 conspirators under charges of mutiny. Madison Washington's efforts did result in the remaining 116 slaves achieving their freedom immediately.
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