Omali Yeshitela facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Omali Yeshitela
Yeshitela in 2023
Born	Joseph Waller (1941-10-09) October 9, 1941 (age 83) St. Petersburg, Florida, United States
Political party	African People's Socialist Party
Spouse(s)	Ona Zené Yeshitela

Omali Yeshitela (born Joseph Waller on October 9, 1941) is an American political activist and writer. He is a co-founder and the chairman of the African People's Socialist Party, which he started in 1972. This party leads a political organization called the Uhuru Movement.

Yeshitela has been a strong voice for reparations. Reparations are payments or other forms of compensation given to the descendants of people who were wronged in the past. In 1982, he acted as a "People's Advocate" at a special meeting in Brooklyn, New York, to discuss reparations for Black people in the U.S.

Early Life and Background

Omali Yeshitela was born Joseph Waller, Jr. in St. Petersburg, Florida, on October 9, 1941. He grew up in a Black community known as the Gas Plant District. This neighborhood was later torn down to build Tropicana Field, the stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team. As a child, he went to Jordan Elementary School, Sixteenth Street Junior High School, and Gibbs High School.

Yeshitela grew up during a time of major change for Black people in America. He was part of what some historians call the "Black Power Generation." These were young, working-class Black activists who were inspired by events like the murder of Emmett Till in 1955 and the assassination of Malcolm X in 1965. The killing of 14-year-old Emmett Till had a big impact on Yeshitela, who was 13 at the time.

Joining the U.S. Army

In the late 1950s, the Civil rights movement and the fight for independence in Africa were growing stronger. During his senior year of high school in 1959, a teacher said that Black people had to "prove" themselves to white people to be free. Hearing this, Yeshitela decided to leave school and join the United States Army.

He was stationed in Germany, where he began to learn about imperialism. Imperialism is when a powerful country extends its influence over other countries. He saw how the U.S. and other powerful nations treated people in places like the Congo, who were fighting for their freedom.

Even in the army, Yeshitela faced unfair treatment because he was Black. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, a white restaurant owner refused to serve him. This experience helped him connect the struggles of people in other countries with the unfair treatment of Black people in the United States. He wrote a long letter to President John F. Kennedy, saying he could not serve in an army that protected unfair leaders and policies.

Becoming a Civil Rights Activist

After leaving the army in 1963, Yeshitela returned to St. Petersburg, Florida. He worked several jobs, including at a newspaper, and attended Gibbs Junior College. He soon became involved with other students who were organizing against Jim Crow policies, which were laws that enforced racial segregation.

Yeshitela looked at different groups in the Civil Rights Movement. He attended meetings of the NAACP but didn't agree with their methods. He admired Malcolm X and explored the Nation of Islam but did not join. He eventually became involved with the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and later joined the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).

Working with SNCC

Yeshitela joined the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in 1966. SNCC was a very important organization in the Civil Rights Movement. It was known for organizing at the local level and building connections with leaders from other countries, especially in Africa.

The year Yeshitela joined, Stokely Carmichael became the leader of SNCC and made the phrase "Black Power" famous around the world. In St. Petersburg, Yeshitela organized the first SNCC chapter that was based on members, not just staff. This made it similar to the Black Panther Party, which was forming at the same time in California.

SNCC worked to defend the Black community in St. Petersburg. One major issue was a large federal grant given to the city. The city planned to use the money to make downtown look nicer. Yeshitela and SNCC argued the money should be used to create jobs and improve the Black community instead.

The City Hall Mural Incident

On December 29, 1966, SNCC held a protest at St. Petersburg City Hall. They wanted to draw attention to a racist mural that had been hanging there since 1945. The mural, called "Picnicking at the Pass-a-Grille," showed musicians in blackface with cartoonish features entertaining white people. The Black community had been asking for the mural to be removed for 20 years.

The mayor, Herman Goldner, dismissed their concerns. He said that minority groups needed to "be less sensitive."

During the protest, an elderly Black woman spoke about the problems her community faced. When reporters and police officers laughed at her, Yeshitela became angry. He marched into city hall and tore the large mural off the wall. The event made news across the country. For this act, Yeshitela was sentenced to five years in prison.

Founding New Organizations

While in prison, Yeshitela continued his work as an activist. He created new organizations to continue the fight for the rights of Black people.

Junta of Militant Organizations (JOMO)

In May 1968, Yeshitela formed the Junta of Militant Organizations (JOMO). The name was inspired by Jomo Kenyatta, a leader in Kenya's fight for independence. The Swahili word for freedom, "Uhuru," which was used by Kenyan freedom fighters, became a guiding principle for Yeshitela.

JOMO became a leading organization for Black rights in Florida and other parts of the South. It started The Burning Spear Newspaper in 1968, which is the oldest Black Power newspaper still being published today. JOMO also created a blood bank to help Black people who couldn't afford the high cost of blood at hospitals.

JOMO had seven main demands for the community:

• Control of their own schools.
• A police review board made up of community members.
• An end to unfair business practices in Black neighborhoods.
• Control of public housing in Black communities.
• Forcing landlords of poor-quality housing to turn the property over to the city.
• Redrawing voting districts so Black people could elect their own representatives.
• Complete control of the Black community.

The Burning Spear Newspaper

The Burning Spear Newspaper was started in December 1968. Its name, "Jomo," means "burning spear" in the Kikuyu language of Kenya. The newspaper was created to connect the struggle for Black rights in the U.S. to independence movements in Africa.

Yeshitela was the first editor. He said the newspaper was born out of the struggles of the 1960s. He wanted it to be a "contending force" against the mainstream media, telling the story from the perspective of the Black community. The newspaper became popular across the U.S. and even in other countries.

African People's Socialist Party

In May 1972, Yeshitela co-founded the African People's Socialist Party (APSP). It was formed by combining JOMO with two other Florida-based groups. The APSP's mission was to "complete the Black Revolution of the Sixties."

Yeshitela believed the Black Power movement had been weakened by government programs like COINTELPRO. These programs targeted and disrupted Black leaders and organizations. The APSP aimed to rebuild the movement and continue the fight for freedom and justice.

Later Work and Activities

Yeshitela has always believed that political and economic development are key to ending the oppression of African communities. In 1981, he moved to Oakland, California, where he lived and worked for many years before returning to St. Petersburg.

In his hometown, he served on city committees dedicated to bringing jobs and investment to South St. Petersburg. He also ran for mayor in 2001. Although he did not win, he received strong support from the city's Black and mixed-race neighborhoods.

In 2019, Yeshitela took part in a debate at the Oxford Union in England. The topic was about creating a closer union among African nations.

Influence on Popular Culture

• Excerpts from Omali Yeshitela's speeches can be heard on the album Let's Get Free by the hip-hop group ... Prez.
• His speeches are also featured in the movie Loren Cass (2006), which is about events in St. Petersburg.
• The rapper Benny the Butcher used a part of a Yeshitela speech on his 2019 EP The Plugs I Met.

See also

• African socialism
• African People's Socialist Party
• Uhuru Movement
• Ujamaa