We Are Balogun: A Black Lives Matter Memoir

We Are Balogun explores the organizing journey of Guerrilla Mainframe, co-founded by Yafeuh Balogun and Erick Khafre. The movement began in 2007 under the name People's Lunch Counter (PLC) in the Pleasant Grove neighborhood of Dallas, Texas. The name Guerrilla Mainframe was later conceived by Seidah Williams while riding on the freeway.

In the summer of 2014, in response to continued police brutality-especially the killing of Clinton Allen-Yafeuh Balogun, Rakem Balogun, and Babu Omowale co-founded the Huey P. Newton Gun Club to defend and empower the community.

The book also provides historical context, examining the early roots of the Original Black Panther Party in Dallas. It traces the local party's development from pre-1969 activity to its official founding in 1973 by Fahim Minkah. The party later dissolved when Minkah refused to return to Oakland, California, disagreeing with an order from Huey Newton.

Ultimately, this book offers a deep look into the evolution of armed Black community defense-from the 1988 patrols by African American Men Against Narcotics (AMAN) to the formation of Guerrilla Mainframe, carrying the legacy of the Dallas Black Panther Party into the present.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Yafeuh Balogun is a veteran organizer based in Dallas, Texas, with over two and half decades of dedication to issues affecting Black, Brown, and economically marginalized communities. In 2008, he co-founded Guerrilla Mainframe alongside Erick Khafre and Seidah Williams, grounded in the revolutionary teachings of Bandele Tyehimba-founder of Pan-African Connection-and inspired by the writings of George Lester Jackson, Field Marshal of the Black Panther Party.

He considers himself a student of Fahim J. Minkah, Charles Laverne Beasley, and Marvin E. Crenshaw, esteemed leaders of the Dallas chapter of the Original Black Panther Party. His commitment to community work is deeply rooted in his family legacy-his father, Abdullah Shamsid-Deen, and uncle, Asadi Shamsid-Deen, were pioneering figures in the local Nation of Islam.

Beyond his activism, Yafeuh is a devoted husband and father. He is currently pursuing his master's degree, with aspirations to one day earn a Doctorate.