HAITI, May 12—Comrades and friends of Progressive Labor Party here participated in our annual May Day celebration on May 1. The main activity was a forum and discussion about the nature of work under capitalism, especially for young workers. That was followed by some cultural activity and socializing, with revolutionary poetry, class-conscious music, and dinner. All told, about 60 people tasted real camaraderie that day.

To set the tone of our day, we began with a history of May Day and its importance to the international working class. The presenter, a young woman comrade, gave a short history of May Day, born in the struggle for the 8-hour work day in the United States. Next was the forum on the nature of work under the current system, moderated by two other young comrades. Several workers with different work experiences (teachers, health workers, clerical workers, rural workers, and unemployed workers) spoke about their jobs or joblessness, and how the rulers exploited them by paying low wages, working under miserable working conditions, or keeping them from working for a salary at all through the massive unemployment faced by Haitian workers. 

Then our young woman comrade took the podium again to provide a communist analysis of what these young workers had just told us. She said that the capitalist system exploits workers and keeps them in inhuman conditions. She compared that to a communist system, in which the working class is in power and rules in its interest, concerned with the well-being of all workers so that they can live up to their full potential as a class. She said that these two systems are antagonistic; in the end, the working class, through the communist revolution, will assume power and destroy the bourgeoisie and its private property and borders between countries, and all the misery, racism, sexism, and wars for profit that keep capitalism afloat.

After her conclusion, we moved on to the cultural/social part of the day. Two comrades gave a spirited reading of the poem “Good Morning, Revolution” written by Black communist poet Langston Hughes from the U.S. and translated into Haitian Creole, the language spoken by the masses in Haiti. Another example of international solidarity.

At this point, the floor was opened to the attendees. Many people, students, and workers, spoke out about how this program helped them understand the true meaning of May Day for our class. They felt now they had the knowledge and language to criticize the Haitian bosses’ idea of May 1 as a celebration of agriculture and work (with lavish displays of food products for the local bourgeoisie) rather than the holiday of the struggle of the international working class.

The musical group performed songs of struggle, which animated the audience, who sang along with gusto. The final activity was dinner, which was enjoyed by all. 

We would like to thank all of those who gave leadership in organizing May Day in Haiti and those who participated in the activities. We have already followed up with some of the attendees who participated in the forum, etc. to continue discussing how to fight against the bosses, both local and foreign, especially in light of the extreme crisis the entire working class in Haiti and the gutter gangs,  gangs in uniform, and the gangsters who live in fancy houses. We are discussing how to make our Party grow into a fighting organization of the working class. 
Yes, the fight continues!