As someone who became a student of the black radical tradition over three years ago, it is somewhat disheartening that a few months ago was the first time I was introduced to black anarchism. I think that inevitably I would’ve eventually stumbled upon the rich works, theory, and practice of black anarchists, but it found me at the perfect time as it was exactly what I had been searching for all this time. Lorenzo Komboa Ervin’s necessary and thorough critique of classical anarchism, hierarchy, plus an astute analysis of the oppressive state we live under, has become a core tenet of black anarchism. 

Ervin is one of many black anarchists that began their revolutionary journey during the black liberation movement of the 60s and 70s. Lorenzo reflects on his time in various organizations such as the Black Panther Party. Most of us are aware of COINTELPRO’s hand in the party’s split, however it’s important to recognize how BPP’s top-down organization strategy was ultimately its downfall. When people are in subjugation to authority this leads to an abuse of power by the authority. Anarchism advocates for bottom-up/horizontal organizing where the people decide for themselves what would best meet their needs. 

To keep this brief, anarchism has been misrepresented to the masses for far too long, hence why it is rarely mentioned when radical/leftist politics are discussed.  Anarchism is not exclusively for white folks although for years it has been a majority white movement. Anarchism and the Black Revolution provides the critique of European anarchism that is essential for those of us that seek to be free not only of the violent state, but of hierarchy in all forms. To be an anarchist is to be ungovernable, autonomous, and to recognize those same attributes in others. Anarchism seeks to dismantle all hierarchy   that harms us, thus leading us to see the humanity in all of us. We have never needed leaders, we have always just needed us because it’s only us who will take care of one another.