You are the Makers of History!
  • Home
  • More Historic Pictures!
  • Books
  • Hit Us Up
  • Blog
  • Coming Events
  • Videos
  • Donations

Remembering Steve Deslouches; A Fallen Young Comrade in Arms

1/7/2019

4 Comments

 
Picture
Steevie - at far right - with others of us from different A-APRP chapters at the October 2015 Million Man March in Washington D.C.
This past weekend, we learned the sad news that our young brother comrade from our All African People's Revolutionary Party (A-APRP) New York, U.S., chapter, had suddenly made his physical transition.  Steve Deslouches - who we called "Steevie" - a mere 26 years old, was gone.  

I first met Steevie in May of 2015 at our annual African Liberation Day commemoration observed in Washington D.C., U.S.  I was working to help build our Oregon A-APRP chapter at the time, but I was asked to go out to D.C., and Philadelphia, and serve as our keynote speaker for both African Liberation Day programs in each of those cities.  Steevie came up to me after my presentation to express his excitement at the information contained in it and the passion in which he felt it was delivered.  I was equally impressed by the fact he had caught a train from New York just to come down to the program by himself.  I also joked with him that his physical appearance and demeanor reminded me of long time A-APRP Central Committee member Macheo Shabaka - who ironically, we also lost in July of 2018.

One of the principle rules I've learned about successful organizing over the years is the absolute importance of follow up.  This is a minor, yet critically important element, that is missing from most work.  I've always viewed revolutionary organizing within a hostile capitalist society as a struggle of gaining any and every advantage that you can.  Consequently, I've always tried to pay special attention to follow up.  What I've learned from this focus is most of time when you collect people's contact information, which I often do, and follow up with them, regardless of your efforts, you most often never connect with them again.  My belief is the reason for this is most people are ready to complain and/or pontificate about our problems, but very few people are actually ready to consistently engage to do anything about our problems.  That's why I was so impressed with Steevie after that African Liberation Day program when he beat me by reaching out to me first.  We talked, mostly electronically, throughout that summer.  He often had questions about my writings on this blog.  He wanted me to refer books to him.  He had questions about how to go about organizing the A-APRP in New York City.  

In October of that same year, I saw Steevie again at the Million Man March event in Washington D.C.  There were about 10 brothers there from the A-APRP from various chapters throughout the U.S.  We met that morning and spent that entire day passing out or organizing materials and having conversations with thousands of our people.  It was a great day and I recall spending hours on our feet working with Brother Steevie and the other young organizers.

After the Million Man March Steevie and I continued to stay in contact.  We would talk every month or so.  Eventually, he began to open up to me some, articulating some of the personal struggles he was battling with.  He was very forthright and honest about his challenges which was refreshing in this day and time when truth and justice are so often completely divorced from day to day reality.  I'm no expert on much of what he shared with me, but he expressed that he wanted to continue to hear from me the things that inspired me to do this work.  How I continued to overcome the negativity.  How I managed to stay positive about the work and my own personal walk through life in a backward society.  I tried my best to give him what he wanted.

The last couple of times I talked to Steevie, a few months ago, we talked for quite some time.  He was actively working on a plan for himself and I encouraged him to do whatever he needed to do to move forward.  I was always impressed with his honesty and willingness to listen to those around him.  To me, he represented the exact potential we have within our young people to rise up and overcome the oppression we experience.  Here was a young person who was so committed to seeing things improve for us.  A person who was willing to struggle to better themselves to be in the best position to make their best contribution.  A person who wanted to take advantage of every resource around them to help them on their journey.  I was honored that Steevie felt I could in some way enhance his efforts.

When a tragedy like this happens, without any details (because I don't have any), the normal response is to wonder if we have somehow failed this person who succumbed and thinking that makes us sad.  It's making me sad, but as I've thought about Steevie all weekend, I've come to a different analysis of this unfortunate situation.  The stark reality is that this system has always, and will always, come to destroy our people.  Its working to destroy everyone, but the African masses will always represent the most serious threat to capitalism simply because that entire system is based on our oppression not just in one part of the world, but throughout the entire planet.  There are no people more widespread on Earth then we Africans and our systemic oppression is the exact reason why this is so.  The capitalist system attacks us physically by using state institutions to repress us e.g. police, social services, prisons, etc.  It attacks us other ways physically by confining us to the slave diet that is causing our health epidemics worldwide.  And, it attacks us psychologically by treating us as if we are less than human.  For many people, this becomes more than they can handle.  This is why its so very important that a central core of our work is always to reaffirm the humanity of our people and of all of the world's populations. 

I'm heartbroken about losing Steevie. I'm heartbroken about all of the loss of life that could be avoided, but I'm going to use this to encourage myself to continue to remember my humanity and your humanity, because this humanity is our best weapon against the forces that are trying to destroy us.  I didn't know Steevie very long, but I'm going to tell myself that this is how he would wish us to honor him going forward.

4 Comments
Christopher Kuttruff link
1/7/2019 04:56:49 pm

I am so sorry to hear about this loss comrade. Thank you for sharing your memories of Stevie and thank you for all the work you do.

Keeping y'all in my thoughts.

Reply
Lovely
4/10/2019 12:16:42 pm

I'm not sure why I’m writing this except to say that Steeve seemed most himself whenever discussing this organization with me. Where he appeared disinterested or disconnected with the rest of the world and those around him, he came off grounded, passionate and sure of himself when it came to this organization. Today is his birthday and I’m not sure why but I googled his name and I came across this. I’m sure he would be happy to know someone genuinely thought of him this way. As his sister, however short lived, this blog made my heart smile. So thank you for that❤️

Reply
Melissa Alicia Lee
1/2/2020 09:56:47 pm

This young man was one of my
First loves, I’m heart broken just to learn of his passing. I just don’t understand what happened I’m still in disbelief he was so quiet n kind I Just don’t want to
Believe he’s gone .

Reply
Godbody
11/23/2020 02:13:00 pm

Peace to this brother. We crossed paths in 2015 & the god built with me about his movement, he was really into it. I mentioned to him that I’m more inclined toward Panther Power and we spoke at length about Kwame Toure’s history w the panthers. I’m not sure what’s the science on this but may he sleep in peace.

peace

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Author

    I don't see disagreement as a negative because I understand that Frederick Douglass was correct when he said "there is no progress without struggle."  Our brains are muscles.  Just like any other muscle in our body if we don't stress it and push it, the brain will not improve.  Or, as a bumper sticker I saw once put it, "If you can't change your mind, how do you know it's there?"

    Archives

    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    June 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.