By Edward Henderson
Contributing Writer
Black revolutionaries of the 1960s and 70s faced unimaginable discrimination, violence, obstruction and hostility from law enforcement, people who opposed their ideologies and activities — and even undercover agents of the federal government.
But what happens when the pain, torment and sabotage comes from individuals they fought alongside, who they regarded as colleagues and “comrades?”
The newly released memoir “What We Stood For: The Story of a Revolutionary Black Woman,” written with the assistance of Thandisizwe Chimurenga, reveals the untold story of Los Angeles-based activist and advocate Deborah Jones. It details the harrowing experiences of Jones, 73, as a member of the US Organization, one of the leading Black power groups in California and the United States, from 1968 to 1970.
The US Organization was a political rival to the Black Panther Party.
Two years after Jones joined the US Organization’s Taifa (Nation) Dance Troupe, Maulana Karenga, cofounder of the organization known for creating the African American holiday of Kwanzaa, accused Jones and Gail “Idili” Davis, another member, of trying to poison him.
According to Jones, that accusation is false and baseless.
California Black Media spoke with co-writer Thandisizwe Chimurenga about her process working with Jones on the memoir and some of the sensitive subjects it includes.
Jones declined an interview request and deferred to Chimurenga.
Chimurenga says, with the book, she and Jones want to associate faces with the nameless women people often mention were tortured by the US Organization.
“They have names. They are actual people. This is what their life is like,” Chimurenga said. “This is what Deborah says happened to her. I wanted to put the face and the name and her story out there. She’s not just a nameless cudgel.”
Chimurenga, who helped provide background and context in certain areas, was introduced to Jones in 2019 when Jones shared her story as part of Cal State Northridge’s Tom and Ethel Bradley Center Black Power Archives Oral History Project.
The writing process took about two years to complete, Chimurenga says. She started with transcripts of the oral history given by Jones and continued with subsequent interviews via Zoom, in person and over the phone. She also utilized interviews with other revolutionaries from the period who provided additional context for Jones’ story along with her impact.
“What We Stood For: The Story of a Revolutionary Black Woman” is available now via Diasporic Africa Press and Amazon.
Edward Henderson is a reporter for California Black Media.
