The Organization for Black Struggle celebrated its 40th anniversary on Saturday, January 25. The group, which rose to national prominence during the Ferguson uprising, was founded in 1980 by a group of students, veteran activists, and union organizers, among others, who believed that the needs of the black working class in St. Louis were not being adequately addressed. They came together shortly after the FBI’s counterintelligence program, known as COINTELPRO, had effectively decimated the leadership of black radical organizations across the country. Pictured in the middle are special honorees Martha West and Terry Kennedy with cofounder and executive director Jamala Rogers.
