National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR)

In 2021, NAARPR praised the violent protests following the death of George Floyd, referring to them as the “George Floyd Rebellion.” ² The organization supports the release of imprisoned members of the Black Panther Party  ¹ and has called for divestment from Israel. ^{3 4}

Life-long radical-left activist Angela Davis is a founding member of NAARPR, which was formed in part to free her from charges of kidnapping, conspiracy, and murder .^{5 6 7}

History and Leadership

The National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression was founded in Chicago, Illinois, in 1973. ¹ At the time of its founding, NAARPR worked to free life-long radical-left activist Angela Davis from charges of kidnapping, conspiracy, and murder. ^{5 6} Davis is a founding member of NAARPR. ⁷

As of August 2024, Frank Chapman is the executive director of NAARPR. He has worked in this role since the 1980s. ^{8 9} Chapman is also the education director and field organizer for the left-of-center Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR). ^{10 11} Sydney Loving is a co-chair of NAARPR. ⁹

NAARPR re-launched in 2023 claiming more than 800 members. ¹²

Activities

The National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression is a far-left activist organization that focuses its work on issues it considers to be racist or targeting poor communities. ¹

NAARPR claims that police “terrorize and oppress Black, Puerto Rican, Chicano/Mexicano, Indigenous, and other oppressed communities.” The organization works with the far-left Movement for Black Lives to support the critical race theory-influenced concept of community-controlled police, a concept first proposed by the Black Panther Party to fight back against what it considered to be racism and white supremacy in the United States. ¹³

NAARPR supports various far-left and left-of-center changes to the American criminal justice system. It supports the release of imprisoned members of the Black Panther Party, has claimed that the Chicago Police tortured hundreds of African American and Hispanic men, and supports the abolition of the death penalty in the United States. ¹ The organization has released call scripts for its supporters to call prisons, as well. ¹⁴

NAARPR supported the violent protests that took place in 2020 following the death of George Floyd, calling them the “George Floyd Rebellion.” The organization celebrated and commemorated these events ² and called for nationwide protests at the time of the verdict against Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of murdering Floyd. ^{2 15} Subsequently, NAARPR ran a campaign to drop all charges against violent protestors who were involved with NAARPR, the far-left Black Lives Matter movement, and other youth organizations in the violent protests. ¹⁶

NAARPR has called the War on Drugs a “new Jim Crow” and claimed that the incarceration of African Americans for non-violent crimes is driven by what it considers to be white supremacy and class exploitation. ¹ The organization also supports labor unions, fights against what it considers racist and political repression, ¹ and calls for an extension of affirmative action programs in the United States. ¹

In 2024, NAARPR joined with the U.S. Palestinian Community Network and the national Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) to call for a week of action against the alleged U.S. Israel-perpetrated genocide in Gaza in February 2024. ⁴ The organization also partnered with SDS, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), and the Palestinian Youth Movement to oppose Israel’s actions in response to the October 7, 2023, Hamas-backed terror attacks in Israel. ³

Also in 2024, NAARPR organized protests at the 2024 Republican National Convention ¹⁷ and supported divestment from Israel, an academic boycott of Israel, and ending all U.S. aid to Israel due to the country’s response to Hamas-backed terror attacks. ³

NAARPR has attacked Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) for passing legislation to address protests, ¹⁸ and opposed the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson to overturn the Roe v. Wade ruling. ¹⁹

The organization has branches in Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Dallas, Texas; Washington, D.C.; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Seattle, Washington; and Tampa, Florida. ¹

Partners

The National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression’s affiliates include the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Legalization for All, the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Bayan USA, Anakbayan-USA, the Communist Party USA (CPUSA), Low Country, the Community Action Committee, the New York Community Action Committee, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3800/Local 34, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, the Jericho Movement, the Tallahassee Community Action Committee, Centro CSO, the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice, ML Today, Minnesota Workers United, the Denver Community Action Committee, the Jacksonville Community Action Committee, and New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police. ¹

The organization also works with the left-of-center Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, the SEIU, SOUL, the far-left Black Lives Matter movement, and the NAACP Southside Branch to oppose Republican redistricting-related efforts in Illinois, which the group called “racist, Republican-engineered war” against supporters of NAARPR. ²⁰

Funding

The National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression receives funding from individual contributions ²¹ and annual membership dues. ¹²