Marie G, Philadelphia, PA
At May Day, I met a former member of the Black Panther Party. He was extremely enthusiastic about the RCA and told me he actually attended the May Day rally we organized last year!
He explained the lessons he’d learned as a Panther, including the importance of a political program as a guide to action and connection with workers. He served jail time because of his activities and learned a lot about the brutality of the state firsthand.
What was the biggest lesson he learned from organizing? “It’s about class, not race! We [the Panthers] needed to organize as a class! There are Black billionaires and politicians and cops, too!” He added, “Lenin was the man! And Trotsky! We need a cadre organization!”
I told him this is exactly what the RCA is building and we’re looking for people just like him. He joined us at our post-May Day organizational debrief, and enthusiastically gave me his contact information. We’re meeting tomorrow for more discussion of communist politics!