Unity & Struggle, Vol. V, No. 4, April Edition 1976

An issue of the revolutionary black nationalist and Marxist-Leninist newspaper published by the Congress of Afrikan People, led by poet, playwright, and political activist Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones). Originally published as Black NewArk, the newspaper became Unity & Struggle in 1974 and served as an important organ of the black radical movement during Baraka's ideological transition from cultural nationalism to Maoist-influenced revolutionary Marxism-Leninism. This issue, published under the headline "People's Struggle Intensifies Against Monopoly Capitalism," addresses domestic racial and economic oppression, international revolutionary movements, and ideological conflicts within the American left. Coverage includes Soviet intervention in Angola and criticism of Soviet "social imperialism"; reports on political repression and organizing among prisoners at Trenton State Prison; a critique of the National Black Assembly's leadership; opposition to Newark's proposed Kawaida Towers housing development; and the Puerto Rican Solidarity Committee's decision to withdraw from CAP over political and ideological differences. Other articles examine the Communist Party USA, the Soviet Union, the struggle against revisionism, and the history of Black revolutionary nationalism. Of particular interest is "Black Liberation Today," by Amiri Baraka, the first installment of an extended essay tracing the ideological development of the black liberation movement from the civil rights era through Malcolm X, the Black Panther Party, and the emergence of revolutionary black nationalism. Baraka criticizes the limitations of cultural nationalism and the Black bourgeoisie, arguing for a broader revolutionary movement based on working-class leadership and solidarity with anti-imperialist struggles worldwide. Additional material includes a discussion of pre-Civil War black revolutionary thought featuring John Brown, excerpts from Bolshevik writings on dialectical materialism, revolutionary poetry, commentary on international finance and imperialism, and organizational news from the Congress of Afrikan People. Tabloid format printed in black & red on newsprint, 12 pp., illustrated. A near fine copy.…