Link to this page: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/1090/30877
From The Socialist newspaper, 10 June 2020
"We're going to fight racism and capitalism with socialism"
Extracts from a speech by Deji Olayinka, Birmingham Socialist Party, at the protest on 7 June.
My name's Deji. I'm a member of the Socialist Party. And I'm here for the same reason as all of you lot.
Because we've seen too much injustice. We've seen too much brutality. And we've seen too much harm being done to our communities, and to our world around us.
It's not a bug - it's a feature. It's systematic. The country's 'democracy' is a sham. The laws are there to protect the elite. They're there to protect capitalism. They're there to protect the rich who control everything.
But they don't protect our communities. They don't protect us. It's a racist elite that chooses the laws. It's a racist elite that chooses police violence. Because it protects their stores and it protects their wealth.
We don't own these stores, we just work in them. We don't choose these laws, these laws aren't for us.
We need to change the system. We need to protect our communities. And we need to protect ourselves.
We need socialism to fund our libraries. And we need socialism to fund our gyms. And we need socialism to fund our community centres.
This country has weaponised racism for profit. This country's elites got their wealth off the back of slaves. They got their wealth off the back of Africa. And they're still profiting from it.
In America, in the UK, in the Caribbean, in Africa - we are all one people. We are all living under the same system. And nothing will change until we change this system. Until we get rid of racism - until we get rid of capitalism.
We've got to organise. Like the Haitians, when they overthrew slavery. We've got to organise and overthrow capitalism, in this country, and in the world.
We need to educate ourselves after this demo. Because these people, they promised us education, but all they've given us is tests, and scores, and bullshit qualifications.
We need to learn about the Black Panther Party. And we need to read about Huey P Newton. And we need to read about Freddy Hampton. And we need to learn about the Black Panthers' revolutionary programme. And we need to read Karl Marx - because they did!
We'll learn that racism won't go without changing the entire system. Because it's not just a few bad apples, it's structural problems.
Fred Hampton was a leader of the Black Panthers. And he built a Rainbow Coalition, uniting white people, Asian people and black people, against racism, sexism and capitalism.
I'll finish with his words. "We're going to fight racism, not with racism, but with solidarity. We're not going to fight capitalism with black capitalism, but with socialism."
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In The Socialist 10 June 2020:
Black Lives Matter
Fight racism and class inequality. "Seize the time!"
Black Lives Matter protests sweep country: How can the movement win?
Black and white youth rise up against racism - US protester speaks to the Socialist
Capitalism = racism: "You fight capitalism with socialism"
"We're going to fight racism and capitalism with socialism"
France: 20,000 rally against Paris's killer gendarmes
Socialists call for trade unions to join the fight
Schools
Tories backtrack in England - Stand firm for school safety
Oppose the Welsh government's reckless return to school plan
Workplace news
Non-essential retail to open - Organise at work
Debenhams: Workers made to pay for Covid-19 crisis
Workers' union and campaign group fights Derby Rolls-Royce job cuts
Homerton Hospital - withdraw private contract
News
Test-and-trace fiasco - the ringing of the cash till
Coronavirus pandemic news in brief
BAME coronavirus deaths - an indictment of capitalist inequality
Lessons from history
Roosevelt's New Deal programme - reforms to save capitalism
Obituary
Ken Douglas: A tireless and determined fighter for socialism
Campaigns and reports
Why we joined the Socialist Party
Donate so we can raise our socialist message
Readers' opinion
As a health worker, I had to march against racism
Readers' opinion: Things will never be the same
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