In discussing the question of racism, I think the emphasis shifts, depending upon the audience. When speaking to a predominantly white audience, it is necessary to stress that the struggle against racism is a key and indispensable aspect of the class struggle. Without the struggle against racism, one cannot pursue a class struggle, but rather only a struggle on behalf of the limited interests of certain groups of workers, and there is a vital difference between that and the class struggle.
In addressing a predominantly African-American audience, it is necessary to stress that the class struggle is a key and indispensable aspect of the struggle against racism, and that if not conducted from that perspective, then the struggle against racism is not a struggle to liberate the Black masses but, whatever one’s intentions, simply a struggle on behalf of the Black middle class–one that actually solidifies the rule of the white oligarchy.
