Category: Party Building & Activism

  • New Year’s 2024 – The Collapse of Socialism & its Rededication

    We have seen our precious banners scattered over the battlefield. Some of them fell when their bearers received mortal wounds. Some were flung down in cowardice. Many of our banners were besmirched by those unworthy of carrying them. Now we begin the process of re-forming our ranks, of soberly evaluating the lessons of our defeat…

  • On Political Criteria for Participation in Election Campaigns

    It would seem useful to have some general criteria in mind in guiding us when considering participation in electoral campaigns. These criteria would seem to apply whether the office is President of the United States or school board member. The criteria enumerated below, which are not meant to be exhaustive  should not be considered to…

  • Why Do We Insist on Rejection of the Two-Party System as a Point of Unity?

    Everything begins with the understanding that the corporations and banks are the enemies of all the people, and especially the working people, and among workers,  workers of color most of all.   We understand that the corporations and banks control all the social institutions – the corporate media, the courts,  most churches, the universities, even…

  • Joe Kaye & Sarah E. Wright – Memories of Cuba [Video] | People’s Forum

    Hear Joe share his & Sarah E. Wright’s beautiful memories of visiting Cuba, witnessing the early fruits of the Revolution, and welcoming Fidel Castro to Harlem in 1960. The full video discussion is available from The People’s Forum.

  • Suggested Principles of a Pre-Party Vanguard Organization

    Originally written c. 1990-1992 The capitalist system is a slave system. One cannot make it humane any more than one could have reformed the old slave institution to make it humane.The aim of our organization is to radically transform society by ending all forms of exploitation and oppression. And nothing short of overturning the present…

  • Why We Need a Firm and Consistent Ideology

    Discussion originally proposed to the People’s Power Movement Steering Committee, 2010. What is ideology? A more or less internally consistent body of ideas, set of ideas, generally concerning politics, economics, society, which usually reflects the interests and/or social position of a particular class or social stratum. In our movements, we need to strengthen our ideology…

  • Reformism vs. Revolutionary Tactics

    There are reformists who sincerely desire to see fundamental social change.  Their view is that they differ from revolutionaries “only” in the matter of tactics, since they share the same goals. It is good to strive for revolution, they say, but that is way down the road, the necessity for which is understood and supported…

  • A Response to: “The Revolution Will Not Be Funded” (Tang, 2007)

    Eric Tang is to be commended and thanked for his historic sketch of the “movement,” as well as for engaging in a long-needed critical examination of the role of NGOs. I am sure Eric would be the first to agree that his reflections were not meant to be exhaustive. And so I would like to…

  • The Culture & Politics of Black Literature – The Heyday of the Real Harlem Writers Guild

    I must pay tribute to Grace Killens, who played a vital role in hosting us and holding the Harlem Writers Guild together for the many years that her husband John Oliver Killens presided. She was an immensely nourishing presence. In assessing the work of John Oliver Killens one needs to begin with World War II,…

  • Remembering a Gross Miscarriage of Justice – The Execution of Ethel & Julius Rosenberg

    Remembering a Gross Miscarriage of Justice – The Execution of Ethel & Julius Rosenberg

    The hurt was deep beyond measure We sat in stunned silence around the table piled up with newspapers filled with dire predictions of the fate descending upon the innocent young parents Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. Found guilty on the perjured and patently absurd testimony of Ethel’s brother of stealing the “secret” of the atomic bomb…