Almost a year ago, Micah Xavier Johnson decided to shoot back.  Between war in Afghanistan and the rash of racially motivated violence that leaves us all questioning if Black lives matter in America, Micah Johnson struggled with mental illness.

Now, that's no excuse for his actions...

But a more important basis for his rage is what James Baldwin alluded to in The Fire Next Time. The title alone should say enough. But Baldwin spoke as a "transcendent Negro" to his nephew - angry in the face of racial oppression. He pleaded with his nephew and other young Blacks to not resort to violence. Yet even as he makes this appeal, Baldwin is well aware that next time there'd be no peace...only the fire.

It was that fire that compelled Micah to shoot back. And his actions beg the question...
Does the Decision to Shoot Back Ever Become Part of the Strategy to Make Black Lives Matter?

Of course no one wants to ask that question. But it's an important question...especially as we continue to see incident after incident of State sanctioned murder.

And that's what I talk about with Prof. Akinyele Umoja of Georgia State University. We talk about the historic role of armed resistance in Civil Rights Movement and the need for Black Nationalism.

Listen to the show below. Or, you can watch Blacks with Power on YouTube!

What do you think about armed resistance? What about Black Nationalism?

I definitely want to hear from you and know your thoughts.
Join the BWP Group on Facebook!

Share your thoughts, questions and comments and let's continue the discussion!

Dr. Umoja said you must study, organize on your own campuses and connect with likeminded students on other campuses. If you want to know how to start that process, click here to download my eBook.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

* Dr. Umoja's Recommended Black Power Reading List
* Malcolm X Grassroots Movement
* The Birth of a Nation (MOVIE)
* The Second Amendment & White Supremacy
* Population control and the White Majority
* The Republic of New Afrika