If you guys wanted to organize a working class film festival down there I would also suggest the classic Workers Leaving the Factory as well the Italian classic, The Working Class Goes to Heaven.

That was a beautiful film. It is truly inspiring to see workers speaking such raw truth in such a precarious position.

Can anyone speak to what became of the the League?

Thanks so much for putting this up.

In response to the question of what became of the League, in short it split. The book "Detroit: I Do Mind Dying" is a solid history of the LRBW and explains the demise of the League. My understanding is that due to personal, strategic, and political differences the group split with one group becoming the Black Workers Congress and the other joining the Communist League. The online <a href="/http://www.marxists.org/history/erol/1960-1970/index.htm#lrbw" rel="nofollow">Encyclopedia of Anti-Revisionism at marxists.org</a> has documents from the League and the groups that came out of it. If anyone wants to correct anything I said, I'd be grateful.

I think the League is one of the most important and inspiring developments of the 1960s cycle of struggle that brought together the Black Liberation struggle and workers resistance at the point of production. I'd be interested in folks thoughts on this experience and the lessons we can draw from it.

Along with "<a href="/http://books.google.com/books?id=3LJ6vokGlA0C&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;dq=detroit:+I+do+mind+dying&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=pNKXRCjVcS&amp;sig=OxcrEIqygd9WNgAiPsLtdAy2CoE&amp;hl=en&amp;ei=61Y7TavGBYS8lQf9yeSOBw&amp;sa=X&amp;oi=book_result&amp;ct=result&amp;resnum=5&amp;ved=0CDkQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false" rel="nofollow">detroit: I do mind dying</a>", another book to check out is "race, class, and worker insurgency" by ____ geschwender (the first name may be james). I know that General Baker considers it more fair to his side of the split where "detroit: i do mind dying" kind of implicitly sides with the group around ken cockrel. Writing this from a cell phone, may have time to add more later.

G Rowan


<blockquote>
"I think the League is one of the most important and inspiring developments of the 1960s cycle of struggle that brought together the Black Liberation struggle and workers resistance at the point of production. I’d be interested in folks thoughts on this experience and the lessons we can draw from it."</blockquote>



I agree,the League was an important and very inspiring development of the 60's.
But like so many other movements of that era it too eventually met it's demise,much to the disappointment and disillusion of those wanting revolution.Inner weaknesses and objective realities helped bring down these promising movements.

Several observations here.
objective conditions have profoundly changed since the 60's.
capitalism and the ruling class have weathered the political storms of the 60's which then threatened their hold on power.They have increased their power and stranglehold over the working class and much of the world.

The steady decline-the corruption of labor unions,the explosive growth of capitalist corporate globalism,the outsourcing of export of US industrial infrastructure and jobs to foreign countries has greatly weakened and decimated the working class and labor unions.

Against this backdrop we have also seen the growth of the service industry,temp agencies,part time and low wage unstable jobs,greater participation in the economy by undocumented workers.Factor in Labor Laws and governmental policies which have undercut and sabotaged workers gains and benefits brought into existence by previous working class struggles.

And of course the tragedy of betrayal,set back of world socialism by the forces of revisionism and counter-revolution in the USSR and the PRC.
These two factors alone have had devastating and long term effects on the movements for socialism.

the political co-optation of minorities by the neo-liberal wing of the ruling class:
made more possible by the significant growth of a minority middle class,perception of greater class mobility.
More minority political representation in government,perception of greater democracy.

Now more recently,the cynical calculated manipulation of people of color(Obama and others) by the ruling class for gaining credibility and legitimacy from the working class in order to deepen domestic exploitation,subvert democratic gains,extend tyranny and domination,broaden imperialist wars.

To a significant degree Black people have been temporarily co-opted by neo-liberalism through the election of Obama to the presidency.But this situation could drastically change at any moment if the forces of reaction,the conservative right wing succeed in removing him from the presidency.

From my viewpoint,for now and in the immediate future the main arena for militant action-mass movements having the greatest potential for mass movement and rebellion within the US is to be found in the struggles for self-determination and justice by Latinos and undocumented workers.

The struggles of Latinos and undocumented workers is loaded with revolutionary implications and unresolved historical contradictions (domestically and internationally) which are latent dagger points aimed at the heart of so called "American" legitimacy and credibility.

Undocumented workers make revolutionary statements every time they cross the border...they vote with their feet.

Crossing the border undocumented is a dangerous and risky act of defiance,of not recognizing and respecting the legitimacy of American imperialism-it's bloody and violent history of racist,genocidal conquest and brutal theft of Native American and Mexican lands and territory.In this sense such acts become revolutionary and direct challenges to the USA.The vast majority of Mexicans and Native Americans do not recognize nor respect the legitimacy of the entity known as the united states of america.

The National Question,the struggle for justice,self-defense,self-determination-the rights of nations to self-determination is becoming less of a theoretical construct and distant concept and becoming a more of a reality.What's happening in Arizona and the US Southwest today has tremendous revolutionary potential.It is alive,electric and dynamic.

It is my belief that Communists should respect,support and express solidarity with this growing dynamic trend.

As a Marxist,I believe ultimately the doctrine of class struggle will prevail-lead us to a socialist future.
But,I also believe that the Marxist doctrine of class struggle will lie dormant for the foreseeable future eclipsed by the National Question-National Struggle.

Class struggle will be resurrected and reborn after the demands and resolution of the "National Question" are realized through the creation of some form of regional national autonomy or republic.

you can find the october league-produced documentary 'wildcat at mead' about the 7 week wildcat strike led by black workers at mead packaging corp. in atlanta here:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xex9un_wildcat-at-mead_shortfilms

IWW branches are going to be doing events surrounding this film during the month of February. I'll give more information as it comes.

Grand Rapids, MI IWW will host General Baker and John Williams. February 25th 6pm Kent-Ionia Labor Council 918 Benjamin Grand Rapids, MI 49503. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=150876771636695&amp;pending

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1891728455646&amp;saved#!/video/?id=1314542423 /> 2-25-11 Kent-Ionia Labor Council
Sponsored by: Grand Rapids IWW, Bloom Collective, IATSE Local 26
An event to not only celebrate and keep alive the League's legacy but also to use what we learn from their powerful example in our fights for justice and democracy at our jobs and in our communities today. Organized in conjunction with a dozen IWW branches across the nation holding similar events.
Videos includes:
General Baker (Dodge Revolutionary Union Movement)
Marian Kramer (DRUM)
William Mitchell (Jefferson Revolutionary Union Movement)
Alonzo Chandler (Eldon Avenue Revolutionary Union Movement ELRUM)
John Williams (JRUM)