“Dhoruba Bin Wahad is a towering figure in the Black freedom struggle for the past five decades! His love for Black people and courage to serve and sacrifice for Black freedom are legendary! Don’t miss this monumental book!” —Dr. Cornel West

“Anyone who knows Dhoruba Bin Wahad knows he is never at a loss for words. And so it is that in this age of reactionary politics, revisionist, and opportunist narratives lining the pockets of those beneficiaries of corporate book deals, paid activism, nonprofit funding, social media and mainstream accolades, this collection of his writings couldn’t come at a better time. For seven decades and counting, Dhoruba’s life has been one of stiff resistance, love for the people, and insightful analysis.” —dequi kioni-sadiki, Black Panther Collective member, former chair of Malcolm X Commemoration, Spirit of Mandela Coordinating Committee member, Northeast Political Prisoner Coalition 

“Black Panther Party members have similarities in their pre-party backgrounds, but never the same story. I was a recruiter for the BPP in the Bronx, where Dhoruba and I are both from, back in 1968, but I didn’t meet him until years later in the Southern District federal lockdown in November 1982. The truth remains: Dhoruba was solid then and he is solid now.” —Bilal Sunni Ali, veteran Black Panther, saxophonist with Gil Scott-Heron’s Midnight Band

“True to his name, Dhoruba Bin Wahad is a human being made of lightning and thunder. He was the very first Black revolutionary that I met with who really talked it, and walked it, to tell it. He took it and still shook it. His razor tongue is backed by laser wit. Still, all these years on, he is a strategist teaching us how to move on the chessboard of this ongoing struggle. Pick up Revolution in These Times and keep it moving.” —Chuck D, Public Enemy

“Revolution in These Times is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in reading the analyses of those silenced by mainstream media” —Robert J. Boyle, attorney for Dhoruba Bin Wahad 

“All that you want to know more deeply about the wisdoms and lessons of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army will be here in this book, in the words of someone who was intimately familiar with its core ideology and practice. Years in prison did not dim his light nor douse his fire. What Dhoruba Bin Wahad courageously shares is given freely and with blunt warning for those who take on or stay on the path of revolution without blinders. My own entry into the membership of the BPP and ranks of the BLA recognized his brilliance and dedication to the ‘Power to the People’ in building the United Front ‘by any means necessary.’ I am still in awe of his lumpen brilliance. A must read!” —Ashanti Omowali Alston, anarchist writer and activist, former member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army 

“Dhoruba’s voice is timeless and much needed in an era where Black voices are marginalized and, in many cases, criminalized. His lessons are critical in providing a historical framework of Black nationalism and encouraging control over our economic and political destinies. As a former member of the Black Panther Party and leader of the Black Liberation Army, Dhoruba is instrumental in teaching readers about the failed policies of the past and the importance of self-determination for the future.” —Teri Thompson, attorney for Mutulu Shakur and Kamau Sadiki 

“Dhoruba Bin Wahad’s analysis is hard hitting, uncompromising, and forward focused. This book is an ideological weapon to cut through the fog of lies and propaganda perpetuated by capitalism and imperialism, helping us plot a course to a revolutionary future.” —Eugene Puryear, journalist, Breakthrough News 

“Revolution in These Times should be required reading for young people to understand our struggle. Political education is needed more now than ever considering the time we live in. Educate to liberate.” —Yasmeen Majid, veteran Black Panther 

“My comrade Dhoruba Bin Wahad is an organic authentic revolutionary whose analysis is ‘right on time’ for these twenty-first century revolutionary times! Keep speaking truth to power, Brother Dhoruba, you paid enough dues! Our victory is certain!” —Charles Barron, founding member Operation Power, veteran Black Panther, former member of NYC Council and former member of NYS Assembly

“In these conversations Dhoruba Bin Wahad proves that the liberation movement still lives. His work and his experience are inspirations and a blueprint for us to act upon.” —Margaret Kimberley, Black Agenda Report 

“Revolution in These Times is not just a book, it’s a blueprint for Black liberation. Dhoruba Bin Wahad confronts the harsh realities of systemic oppression and lays out a path toward true freedom and self-determination. Wahad’s words are a powerful reminder that our struggle is far from over and that revolutionary change is necessary to dismantle the forces of white supremacy.” —Rahiem Shabazz, award-winning filmmaker and journalist 

“The perspective of Dhoruba Bin Wahad remains a valuable strategy as we continue the revolution for liberation.” —Malik Ismail, author of From Old Guard to Vanguard: A Second Generation Panther and host of The Vanguard Show 

“Dhoruba Bin Wahad is a revolutionary for every era. Wahad’s work, analysis, and reflections bear a timeless quality and acute relevance to the present. Revolution in These Times is a powerful, indelible proclamation, and guide in the resistance against fascism and the forging of a united front against repression. This publication represents a victory over the machinations of empire which seek to erase warriors like Wahad. Indeed, the text and the enduring example of Wahad urges us to remember: ‘We will not give up the fight.’” —Jenipher Jones, attorney for Leonard Peltier 

“Since his release from prison in the early 1990s, Dhoruba Bin Wahad has been an inspiration to generations of young activists and organizers. This former Black Panther and nineteen-year political prisoner continues to provide a revolutionary and insurgent analysis that offers a radical way forward in the current era of global genocide and the duopoly of domestic repression.” —TJ Whitaker, New Jersey teacher, organizer, and cofounder of MapSO Freedom School

“Even as more Black Panther veterans are getting a little more media attention, the words and wisdom of Dhoruba Bin Wahad are especially unique, poignant, and profound. Well beyond his own experiences as an organizer, political prisoner, and educator, his international analysis as a Pan-Africanist are unparalleled and need to be carefully read—by academics and activists alike.” —Matt Meyer, Secretary-General, International Peace Research Association 

“One thing about Dhoruba, he is going to make it plain. He’s direct, yet thorough, and mindful of the varying levels of knowledge within the room, ensuring the audience can walk away with a solid understanding of his position. In the age of rampant misinformation and Al personification, going directly to the source is top-tier knowledge acquisition. Get you some.” —Sajdah Asmau, Public Voices Fellow, National Black Child Development Institute

“Dhoruba Bin Wahad is more than merely a pragmatist; he is a pivotal figure that stands among other notable African world figures who, without hesitation, risked everything to achieve liberation by any means necessary. His writings, interviews, and foresight reflect his activism, dedication, and deep involvement in the movement’s actions.” —Cimarron Reed-Bandele, Marcus Garvey Society

“Dhoruba Bin Wahad is that truth-spitting OG mentor who happens to double as a living legend. His consistency and tenacious approach for our people stretches well beyond five decades of service, despite personal pains, trials and tribulations. This level of dedication and commitment highlights the profound fact that true revolutionaries who continuously fight on behalf of Black liberation must learn to love us, more than we hate ourselves.” —Marcus Coleman, Save OurSelves founder and Fulton County Reparations Taskforce founding member, Vice Chair

Foreword: Remember the Panther Resistance
Joy James

Introduction: The Storm and the Whirlwind
Kalonji Jama Changa

Glossary

List of Figures

1. Lessons from the Black liberation tradition
Black leadership, state repression, and self-defense

2. To be Black is necessary, but it ain’t sufficient
On Black encapsulation and appropriation

3. The Unstoppable power of self-determination*
From “Power to the People” to the Congressional Black Caucus

4. Recollections of a Black revolutionary
On Assata Shakur, Angela Davis, and COINTELPRO

5. You cannot reform the police in a police state
Antifascist organizing and community control of police

6. The limitations of a hashtag movement
Leadership by victimhood and organizing for power

7. Soldiers’ stories**
A conversation with BLA veterans Sekou Odinga, Thomas “Blood” McCreary, and Dhoruba Bin Wahad

Afterword: Ode to Dhoruba Bin Wahad
Bibi Olugbala Angola

The conversations in this book are edited and abridged versions of a series of interviews conducted for Black Power Media. The conversation in Chapter 3 is an abridged version of two interviews conducted for Black Power Media on August 1, 2020 and December 4, 2020. The text has been edited for clarity and flow. *The interview in Chapter 7 was conducted by Dr. Jared Ball, Kalonji Changa, and Kamau Franklin on May 23, 2021.