In early preparation for September’s upcoming Bi Visibility Week, we have chosen readings that centre the admirable bisexual freedom fighter Kuwasi Balagoon. While the two readings don’t place especial emphasis on Balagoon’s orientation, they do provide a thorough overview of his contributions to the struggle for Black liberation in the 70s and 80s. Both texts, Maroon: Kuwasi Balagoon and the Evolution of a Revolutionary New Afrikan Anarchism by Akinyele K. Umoja and Kuwasi at 60 by Kazembe Balagun, chronicle Balagoon’s daring acts of insurgency. Their scope includes Balagoon’s time before and after joining the Black Panther Party, his organizing in prison, and his later criticisms of the Black Panther Party from an anarchistic standpoint. These accessible historical accounts are sure to stoke more curiosity about the revolutionary figure and time period they illuminate.
Maroon and Kuwasi at 60, respectively, can be downloaded below this paragraph. Alternatively, Maroon and Kuwasi at 60 can both be read online or printed in zine format courtesy of the Anarchist Library.
As always, we meet at Camas Books and Infoshop, 2620 Quadra Street, on unceded Lekwungen Territory at 6:30pm on Sunday September 1st.