The December 12th Movement, is a Pan-African human rights organization based in New York City.

We have organized political actions leading toward local and national mass mobilizations on racism, self-determination, reparations, quality health care, housing, criminal justice, and education. Our signature, dynamic street rallies and  marches and forums have included the NYC “Days of Outrage,” the annual Malcolm X ‘Shut Em Down’ marches in Harlem on May 19, the Million Youth March in partnership with the late Dr. Khalid Muhammad, the first Millions for Reparations rally in Washington DC.

December 12th Movement International Secretariat, a non governmental organization (NGO) with consultative status in the United Nations Economic and Social Council, has participated since 19in the, then Commission on Human Rights now Human Rights Council since 1989, representing 40 million Africans in the United States. The Secretariat has established firm ties and alliances with nations and international organizations around the world. Our consistent and persistent work has resulted in the pivotal hearings on racism and summary executions in the United States.

Further, the Secretariat was instrumental in the call for the third United Nations World Conference Against Racism [WCAR] 2001 in Durban South African, and led the largest U.S. delegation in history dubbed the ‘Durban 400.’ The WCAR final declaration stated “the trans-Atlantic slave trade was a crime against humanity” and called for reparations.


How We Began – Our Struggle is For Human Rights

The December 12th Movement (D12) takes its name from a statewide demonstration against racism and police brutality on December 12, 1987, in Newburg, New York. On December 21st, we organized a “Day of Outrage” whose message was “until there is justice, there will be no peace.” With what the New York Times described as “military precision,” our mass protest successfully shutdown the subways, bridges and vehicular traffic across New York City. This was the first of several “Days of Outrage” challenging police and white vigilante terror. In a historical coincidence, the Palestinians launched their First Intifada on that day. 

What We’ve Done

Over the past 37 years D12 has been a consistent force in the streets to address attacks on the Black people. During that time we: 

  • Organized boycott of abusive grocers in response to their mistreatment of Black people and established the African People’s Farmers Market in 1988. The Market provided quality fruits and vegetables at low costs and regularly held free community programs  on preventive health care, healthy diet, exercise, etc.
  • Opened Sistas Place Coffee Shop in Brooklyn, whose theme is “Culture is a Weapon.” and where some of the world’s most renowned artists perform under our motif, “Jazz – A Music of the Spirit.” 
  • Led campaigns to end drug sales, to stop gun violence in the community (“Stop the Killing”) and to set an example for youth of what a self-determining community entails; held training sessions for young musicians on learning how to own and control what they produce; spoken in schools, churches and at community organizations; organized young people to attend International gatherings
  • Organized grassroots relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina (2005) and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti
  • Gone to Federal court to force New York City to allow us to hold the Million Youth March in 1998 and 1998;
  • Waged a 12 year campaign to secure financial justice (reparations) for the Central Park 5 (now the Exonerated 5).
  • Formed the Freedom Party to run progressive candidates for elected office.
  • Launched an “No to Ethnic Cleansing – We Ain’t Going Nowhere” anti-gentrification street campaign in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
  • Held a march and rally over three decades every May 19th, in honor of the birth of Malcolm X, where stores across 125th Street in Harlem, close in a demand of respect…
  • Organized groups to come together to address the threat of fascism in the U.S. 
  • Raised the demand for reparations both internationally (the 2001 UN World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa; the first CARICOM Reparations Conference), nationally (the first National Millions for Reparations Rally in Washington, DC 2002 and the filing of a Federal lawsuit demanding reparations) and locally (helping to secure the passage of the New York State Reparations Bill).
  • Taken the issue of Black people’s human rights into the international arena through our International Secretariat (IS). Since 1989, the IS has been a regular participant at the United Nation’s bodies in Geneva, Switzerland and New York City. Petitioned the International Criminal Court in the Hague, to charge the U.S. with violations of international law. Established close relations with Cuba and Venezuela. 

What We Believe

  • We believe in freedom and self-determination for Black people to determine their own destiny
  • We believe that housing, healthcare, education, living wages, justice and culture are not privileges but human rights
  • We believe that Capitalism was the basis for Black enslavement and the fundamental source of White wealth whereby Black people are owed reparations from the U.S. government
  • We believe in Pan-African unity with our people on the African continent and the Diaspora
  • We believe in international solidarity and cooperation with all people and governments fighting imperialism and colonialism
  • We believe in our right to an independent foreign policy which is based on real friends and real enemies
  • We believe in Black people’s right to a plebiscite (National vote) to determine the relationship we want with America

NEVER GIVE UP!