On December 10, 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations proclaimed a Universal Declaration of Human Rights "as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations," and as a step toward insuring freedom, justice and peace throughout the world.

In 1966, after nearly 20 years of having the Declaration as a basically moral document, the United Nations General Assembly adopted two "International Covenants" (agreements) on Human Rights which would give legal force to the Universal Declaration.  Up until this time, the Declaration had been an internationally endorsed statement of principles.  The purpose of the agreements was to establish legal obligations on the part of each government that signed them.. The governments that signed these documents were then required by law to uphold the principles laid forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Among the many things that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms are the right to life, employment, decent education, a standard of living adequate for the health/wellbeing of his/her family, freedom of thought, freedom from cruel and inhuman punishment, and the right to a nationality.

Although the Universal Declaration of Human Rights only "came into being" during the 20th century, the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement understands that Afrikans in America (Black folks) were born naturally with these rights, but that they have been systematically denied to us since we were taken from our Motherland, Afrika, over 300 years ago.  Afrikan people in this country have historically been denied access to jobs, decent health care, housing and education.  In fact, we have the worst housing, the lowest paying jobs, the worst (mis)education, and the highest rates of cancer, heart disease, AIDS, and homicide among any group in this country.

The illegal drug trade which flourishes in our communities could not exist without government sanction; police departments, which are supposed to protect and serve people are in fact killing our people; many of the most notorious toxic (poison) waste dumps in the country are located in our communities; health conditions unfit for animals are routinely forced on our people.  Any government that does not take stepls to alleviate these social ills is in direct violation of the Declaration.  The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement is calling for the full recognition f the Human Rights of Afrikans in America.  Our situation in this cuntry, contrary to what the "hype" says, is not a case of laziness or a failure on the part of Black folks to pull ourselves "up by the bootstraps," but it is a systematic denial of the most basic Human Rights of our people and not a problem of domestic Civil Rights.  The only way that these violations can be stopped is when Black people stand together and organize themselves to do this.  The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement is committed to organizing our people for this purpose.

    "The only alternative that Black people have in America today is to take it (our freedom struggle) out of (US) jurisdiction and take it before that body (the UN)...which represents International Law and let them know that the Human Rights of Black people are being violated in a country that professes to be the moral leader of the free world."