The Weather Underground and the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee

By Cao on 12/5/2009

It was very interesting to me today when I received the email regarding Phyllis Chesler’s piece from December 4th -entitled John Brown, the Weather Underground, and Al-Qaeda at Pajamas Media, in part – because some of my research on Terry Bisson turned up John Brown, but at the time I just filed it away as reference material. But now it has surfaced again; I think I might be able to shed some light on the answer.

Phyllis writes-1

I have previously questioned the outrageous likening of Al-Qaeda’s Khalid Sheik Mohammed to abolitionist John Brown in the pages of the New York Times. Brown opposed slavery; Mohammed believes in practicing it.

Kathryn Cramer2, forever the victim, -complained that I’ve been going after Terry Bisson, lamenting the fact that he is one of the writers whose science fiction is published by her husband. That is one brief moment where she reveals the truth. Of course she omits that the individual at ThinkingMeat.net was pestering me and my blogger friends. In the beginning, we were wondering about the weird name of that website-and discovered it is paying homage to one of Terry Bisson’s short stories. And the writer behind thinkingmeat.net is incessantly engaging in various acts of negative attention seeking. So, Kathryn, just like you yourself- that writer’s pestering an entire group of conservative bloggers was what drew our attention to Bisson’s name in the first place.

In fact, when we first asked him if he was Terry Bisson, he went silent for days.

And so… a number of us went on a little treasure hunt.

Chesler wonders why the New York Times mentions John Brown. Bear with me, I’m on my way to making the point.

For one thing, John Brown is a cult hero to the radicals we’re dealing with today-and the breadcrumbs from those radicals lead to the White House and ‘a guy in my neighborhood’. John Brown is a cult hero to the Weather Underground and Billy Ayers’ types like Terry Bisson. In fact, the name John Brown can be traced back to the Weather Underground itself, because the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee was, in fact, a violent splinter group of the Weather Underground.

The John Brown Anti-Klan Committee (Wikipedia)3

The John Brown Anti-Klan Committee (JBAKC) was an anti-racist organization based in the United States. The group protested against the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and other white supremacist organizations, and published anti-racist literature. Members of the JBAKC were involved in a string of bombings of military, government, and corporate targets in the 1980s. The JBAKC viewed themselves as anti-imperialists and considered African Americans, Native Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Mexicans to be oppressed colonial peoples.4

Notice the language there: ‘anti-imperalists’ and considered all of the associated each-according-to-their-hyphen groups to be ‘oppressed’ colonial peoples. Consider how that same language is being used by news outlets, media and leftwing pundits…and the New York Times.

The JBAKC was started in 1978 by a group of white anti-racist activists with ties to the Weather Underground. They named the organization after abolitionist John Brown, who advocated and engaged in violence as a means to end slavery in the U.S. According to founding member Lisa Roth, the event that triggered the formation of the group was the discovery that the KKK was actively organizing in New York State prisons.5 The JBAKC soon had chapters in several states, but was most active in New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco.6 The group promoted itself by distributing fliers at punk rock concerts, and was supported by benefit concerts from punk bands like the Dead Kennedys, The Contractions, and Dirty Rotten Imbeciles.7 8

The JBAKC shared members with several other radical groups active at the time, and some have claimed that it was a front organization for the May 19th Communist Movement.9

Although Billy Ayers said he’s a communist with a small “c”, I think you can see that the radicals associated with the Weather Underground and the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee are anything but small-”c” communists. They are communist revolutionaries who have been working to overthrow our government and our capitalist system for a very long time.

In 1980, the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee distributed a pamphlet entitled “Take a Stand Against the Klan”, which outlined the group’s “Principles of Unity”:

1. Fight White Supremacy in All Its Forms! Death to the Klan! Support the Struggle of the Black Nation for Self-Determination! Support the Struggle to Free the Land!
2. Follow Black and Other Third World Leadership
3. Support the Struggle of Third World People for Human Rights! Oppose White Supremacist Attacks!

The JBAKC viewed themselves as anti-imperialists and considered African Americans, Native Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Mexicans as oppressed colonial peoples, and they rejected calls for integration of these groups into the wider American society.10

The John Brown Anti-Klan committee published a quarterly national newsletter, originally called Death to the Klan, and later renamed No KKK, No Fascist USA!. The paper had a circulation of 10,000 and focused on issues such as the racist nature of tracking in schools, homophobia, and political prisoners.11 The New York chapter also published a local newsletter called Up South. In 1991 the JBAKC released a video about fascism and anti-fascism in the US entitled Behind the Burning Cross: Racism USA.12

Protests

The JBAKC directly confronted white supremacists when they held rallies, and the confrontations sometimes became violent. In 1983 the group worked with the Brown Berets to disrupt a KKK march in Austin, Texas. The protesters hurled rocks and bottles at the marchers, and the ensuing fights resulted in 12 injured people and 11 arrests. The Austin police chief blamed the violence on the JBAKC and Brown Berets, but one police officer was found to have used excessive force in the arrest of a Brown Beret member.13 Later that year, three members were arrested for participating in a riot outside an Arlington, Virginia high school, where neo-Nazis held a demonstration to mark “White Pride Day”.14

When a group of around KKK members protested at a Gay Pride Parade in Chicago in 1986, they were met by counter-demonstrators from JBAKC and another anti-racist group. A crowd of around 2,500 Klan supporters chased the anti-Klan groups, leading to 17 arrests and minor injuries to eight police officers.15

And you can see how long they’ve been agitating for ‘gay rights’, too. This is a socialist political movement which includes the destruction of the family and feeding unimaginable perversions to our youngsters through the public school system. Evidence of that radical agenda is at Jim Hoft’s Gateway Pundit website in the two posts he did on Kevin Jennings and GLSEN’s recommended reading list. But the subject is the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee, so let’s get back to that:

In addition to confronting white supremacists, the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee also took a stand against what they saw as police brutality. In 1983, 20 members of the Los Angeles chapter demonstrated outside the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to protest the shooting of a five-year-old black boy by a white police officer from the Stanton Police Department. The protesters passed out a pamphlet headlined “Stop Killer Cops!” and claimed that the officer over-reacted because he felt threatened being in a black community. A police spokesperson claimed that the child had waved a realistic toy gun at the officer.16

As part of their effort to challenge white supremacy, the group worked to clean up anti-Semitic and racist graffiti in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. The swastikas and similar graffiti were spray-painted on the 40th anniversary of Kristallnacht, when Jewish-owned businesses across Germany were vandalized. The vandalism was attributed to William G. Leinberger, a member of the neo-Nazi Chicago Area Skin Heads.17

Despite their work opposing anti-Semitism, not all Jewish groups supported the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee. At two California anti-Klan rallies, the JBAKC were confronted by protesters from the Jewish Defense League (JDL), who accused the group of anti-Semitism for their strong positions against Zionism. JDL spokesman Irv Rubin said of the Committee, “They hate Israel with a passion”.18 19 The Anti-Defamation League also criticized the JBAKC, claiming that the organization “actually promotes racism and advocates organized violence.20

Bombings
2/12/85, AP, Wash – Judge found four in contempt for not cooperating with grand jury; all were current or former members of JB; could serve up to 18 mo in prison; Steven Burke, Julie Nalibov, Christine Rico, Sandra Gayle Roland21

6/29/85, Wash Post – US Dist. Judge Aubrey E. Robinson Jr. found Bob Lederer and Terry Bisson in contempt for refusing to answer questions before a grand jury investigating bombings at the US Capitol and three military facilities. Lederer was a member of the New Movement in Solidarity with Puerto Rican Independence and Socialism and Bisson was part of the JBAKC. War College at Ft. McNair, Aug 1983; Washington Navy Yard and Capitol, Nov 198322

As you can see, Terry Bisson has a history with the the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee. His membership and longing for the good-ole’ days-inspired the trip he took in 1988, which retraced the steps of John aka “Owasatamie” Brown’s path through Lawrence to Osawatomie, and then to Harper’s Ferry. Afterward, he wrote “Fire on the Mountain.” That work of fiction, as explained in its preface, is

“a story of what might have happened if John Brown’s raid had succeeded.”

“Owasatamie” also happened to be the name of the Weather Underground’s underground newspaper.23 None of this is a coincidence.

In a sense, the JBAKC—along with the Black Panthers and all those who renewed Brown’s “charter” with similar violence and blood lust—were not far removed from the socialist guerilla Che Guevara, who himself executed hundreds of Cubans. 24 25

In the mid-to late 80’s – and I’m still trying to find more information on this-Bisson was found in contempt for refusing to answer questions before a grand jury investigating bombings at the US Capitol and three military facilities. Lederer was a member of the New Movement in Solidarity with Puerto Rican Independence and Socialism, and Bisson was part of the JBAKC.24 Ward Churchill mentioned Bisson and this incident in his “CointelPro Papers”,26 which documented the FBI’s “Secret Wars”:27 “The six imprisoned JBAKC members were Christina Rico, Sandra Roland, Steven Burke, Bob Lederer, Terry Bisson and Julie Nalibov. They were held up to eight months.”

Bisson wrote “On a Move: The Story of Mumia Abu-Jamal”, and has written numerous articles available over the internet declaring Jamal as a “political prisoner”.

The article that Michelle Malkin wrote for Creators Syndicate about Black Cop Killers – 28not only fits the social justice template, but fits right in with what this revolutionary cadre of individuals have been trying to achieve for decades…some of whom have now been in positions of influence at our Universities and inside of our own government for many years.

The old Arab Saying goes “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Bin Laden had said “Under these circumstances, there will be no harm if the interests of Muslims converge with the interests of the socialists in the fight against the crusaders…”

And so all of these terrorists are banding together with one goal in mind. Is there any doubt as to what that goal is?

  1. Phyllis Chesler (December 4, 2009) John Brown, the Weather Underground, and Al-Qaeda. Chesler Chronicles at Pajamas Media. Retrieved from http://pajamasmedia.com/phyllischesler/2009/12/04/john-brown-weather-underground-and-al-qaeda/[back]
  2. KathrynCramer.com[back]
  3. The John Brown Anti-Klan Committee. Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brown_Anti-Klan_Committee[back]
  4. John Brown Anti-Klan Committee (1980). “Take a Stand Against the Klan”. in Trodd, Zoe. American Protest Literature. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press. 2006. pp. 281–285. ISBN 0-674-02352-8.[back]
  5. John Brown Anti-Klan Committee (1980). “Take a Stand Against the Klan”. in Trodd, Zoe. American Protest Literature. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press. 2006. pp. 281–285. ISBN 0-674-02352-8.[back]
  6. “U.S. Left-Wing Militant Anti-Fascist History V. 1″. Insurgence Records Discussion Forums. http://insurgence.proboards24.com/index.cgi?board=civil&action=display&thread=1144824064. Retrieved 2007-11-28.[back]
  7. “Mike’s Old School Punk Rock Garage Sale”. http://members.aol.com/punksale/15.html. Retrieved 2007-11-26.[back]
  8. Gattesman, Les (June 1984). “The Klan: The Face of Amerikkkan Fascism” (PDF). Maximum Rocknroll (14). http://www.operationphoenixrecords.com/mrrissue14_18JohnBrownAnti_KlanCommitteeArticle.pdf. Retrieved 2008-01-16.[back]
  9. “Adherents.com”. 2007-04-23. http://www.adherents.com/Na/Na_390.html. Retrieved 2007-12-01.[back]
  10. “Adherents.com”. 2007-04-23. http://www.adherents.com/Na/Na_390.html. Retrieved 2007-12-01.[back]
  11. “Police Chief Says Anti-Klan ‘Hoodlums’ Caused Klan Rally Violence”. Associated Press. 1983-02-24.[back]
  12. “3 Demonstrators Released”. The Washington Post. 1983-11-07.[back]
  13. Klan Violence Recalls King Era”. Associated Press. 1986-06-29.[back]
  14. no title”. Associated Press. 1983-03-07.[back]
  15. Man Charged in Anti-Semitic Vandalism”. Associated Press. 1987-11-14.[back]
  16. “Marchers Harassed by Militant Jews”. Associated Press. 1983-10-29.[back]
  17. “Police Avert Clash Between JDL and Jackson Supporters”. Associated Press. 1984-07-17.[back]
  18. Bombings may be work of a single group”. United Press International. 1984-09-27.[back]
  19. Rowley, James (1990-09-07). “Three Leftists Plead Guilty to Bombing the U.S. Capitol”. Associated Press.[back]
  20. Gamino, Denise (2001-04-08). “Unrepentant Radical; Freed from prison by President Clinton”. Austin American-Statesman.[back]
  21. Seppy, Tom (1985-02-12). “Judge finds four in contempt in bombing probe”. Associated Press.[back]
  22. “Two men found in contempt in bombing probe”. The Washington Post. 1985-06-29.[back]
  23. Zombie (November 1, 2008) Osawatomie: the Weather Underground newspaper. Zombietime. Retrieved from http://www.zombietime.com/zomblog/?p=70[back]
  24. Joe Reed, “Fireworks,” in Osawatomie (Weather Underground Organization, winter 1975–76), 14; “What We Stand For,” No KKK–No Fascist USA! (San Francisco: JBAKC, 1989), 16; Lisa Roth, interview with Zoe Trodd (08/20/05).[back]
  25. (2007) Trodd, Zoe Harvard University, “Writ In Blood: John Brown’s Charter of Humanity, The Tribunal of History, and the Thick Link of American Political Protest” Journal for the Study of Radicalism 1.1 (2007) 1-29, retrieved June 21, 2009 from http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/journal_for_the_study_of_radicalism/v001/1.1trodd.pdf[back]
  26. The COINTELPRO Papers. Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_COINTELPRO_Papers[back]
  27. Ward Churchill and Jim Vander Wall (1990) The COINTELPRO Papers: Documents from the FBI’s Secret War Against Domestic Dissent. A history of the FBI’s COINTELPRO efforts to disrupt dissident political organizations within the United States. It reproduces many original FBI memos.

    It was first published in 1990 by South End Press (paperback: ISBN 0-89608-359-4, hardcover: ISBN 0-89608-360-8). In 2002, a South End Press Classics edition was released (paperback: ISBN 0-89608-648-8, hardcover: ISBN 0-89608-649-6); it included a new preface by Churchill updating the cases of several incarcerated Black Panthers, analyzing the events at Ruby Ridge and Waco, and the War on Drugs and War on Terrorism.[back]

  28. Michelle Malkin (December 4, 2009) The War On Cops. Retrieved from http://michellemalkin.com/2009/12/04/the-war-on-cops/[back]

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