MARYLAND, July 20—The struggle in Maryland continues on many fronts! The Archie Elliott III rally covered recently in CHALLENGE is one of many arenas where we raise communist ideas among our friends and neighbors.
In Mount Rainier, Maryland, we participated in a Pride Parade and met people who understood how the Pride movement is related to other aspects of capitalist exploitation. We managed to raise a political struggle with beads that had a mini-flyer attached about getting cops out of our schools. There was a van with JUSTICE is GLOBAL calling for vaccines for the world, and “Money crosses borders, why not workers.” Under communism education will be a lifetime process with schools everywhere from the factories to hospitals to offices. Meanwhile cops will be nowhere as there will be no billionaire capitalists that need the protection of cops. And getting vaccines to the world will be a priority, not just political bullshit from politicians. As far as money and borders, they will be relics of the past, long gone. Loved the article on PRIDE in the last issue, which showed how the capitalists try to undercut movements. Our parade was more pro-worker instead!
We are also active in fighting the criminal legal system: a Progressive Labor Party (PLP) member joined a rally and distributed CHALLENGE to several workers at the U.S. Department of Justice to FREE GWEN, a 76 year old woman reincarcerated after failing to answer her phone during her computer class. She is now FREE!
Workers at the University of Maryland are fighting to get a contract to include teleworking. One of the rally leaders was happy to see us because she had been active as a young student with our International Committee Against Racism group years ago! We planted a lot of seeds through that antiracist, multi-racial organization!
Reaching out at the food pantry to tenants has expanded our efforts to meet folks and share our paper. Tenant organizing and support is ongoing in Hyattsville where we have joined with residents to pressure landlords and help with the devilish effort to apply for rental assistance. We went with Eduardo (not his real name), a young father, to court on his eviction and his case was dismissed! It took at least 40 hours of work from several folks including one comrade (a tough bulldog!), a pro-bono activist lawyer, and the folks from Housing Initiative Partnership. A PLP comrade had to gather all the required papers, go to court, file the case and follow up to pressure the county to approve his application for rent relief. Whew! It’s not as dramatic as blocking an eviction with our bodies (or making a revolution!) but a win nevertheless. Under communism everyone would work collectively to share the available housing and to build more and better housing. We would not waste our time filing applications and court papers. So congratulations to all those involved in this winning struggle and join us in the fight for a better world, communism.
Meanwhile, the tenants who have been rent striking for 11 months are now suing their absentee landlord in Langley Park through CASA of Maryland. This campaign is led by one of our good friends in that organization who has also championed the fight against racist police brutality in the County as a member of Community Justice.The class struggle is everywhere! We need to be too, with CHALLENGE and communist ideas and strategies of intensifying the class struggle. Build leaders in the workng class! And get out there!