Freedom Road Socialist Organization

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México 2018: The People Say ¡ya basta!

April 3, 2018 /

Javier Bravo Guanajuato, México As internationalists, we’ve been following the efforts in neighboring countries to resist the influence neoliberalism and U.S.-imperialism. Many friends in Mexico are deeply involved in the campaign of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) for president and

Statement on the Current Struggle Against Violence

March 6, 2018 /

A statement from a Black cadre in Freedom Road: An incredible struggle against mass violence is taking place across the United States. Hundreds of thousands of people across racial and gendered lines are creating social movements against both the silence

Let the Games Begin: 20 Things You Need to Know About the US Playing with Korea’s Right to Self Determination

February 12, 2018 /

As we all watch the Winter Olympic Games in South Korea, we are fed all types of images and narratives from U.S. mainstream news outlets. There is a lot of information, about North and South Korea and their relationship to

Official Comrade Valentine’s Day Slogans

February 12, 2018 /

Freedom Road is proud to publish the official Comrade Valentine’s Day slogans for 2018. Translations into some of the many languages spoken by the world’s peoples will be forthcoming directly. Workers, Peasants, Students, Unite on February 14: Unfurl the scarlet

Reparations: What’s the Idea of an African-American Nation Got to Do with It?

November 10, 2017 /

by Meizhu Lui Events in Ferguson and elsewhere have cut through the white noise (yes, white) of ‘post-racial’ blather to reveal the state of race relations in the US. Shortly before Ferguson, Ta-Nehesi Coates movingly made the case for reparations

Defending the Public Sector

November 3, 2017 /

This pamphlet on Defending the Public Sector explores the importance of building social justice unionism. It provides an intersectional look at organizing around race and class within the union sector. Additionally, the pamphlet gives an analysis on the current hegemonic

Which Way Is Left (Spanish Version)

November 3, 2017 /

This is a copy of the FRSO/OSCL Which Way Is Left pamphlet in Spanish.

The October Revolution and the National-Colonial Question

October 29, 2017 /

By Bill Fletcher, Jr. Many of the reflections on the experience of the October Revolution and the Soviet Union have and will focus on economics, democracy, and to some extent foreign policy. Yet there is a frequently overlooked chapter that

Marx’s Capital: Still Indispensable 150 Years On

October 27, 2017 /

The 2008 economic meltdown, spiraling economic inequality and the resurgent appeal of socialism have driven many to look at Marx’s Capital. This short video outlines why this work remains essential for understanding capitalism and the contradictions, oppression and resistance it

Flipping the Historical Script

October 25, 2017 /

Flipping the Historical Script is a pamphlet produced by Freedom Road Socialist Organization the looks at the intersection of race and class to offer a clear analysis of how working class and people of color issues are environmental issues. This

Suspected for Being Black

October 20, 2017 /

Suspected for Being Black is a piece written by Bill Fletcher, Jr., a writer, racial justice activist, and global justice activist. His pamphlet sheds insight on the greater systemic violence that people of color, particularly Black folks, face in the

“This is Bigger than Football…”

October 9, 2017 /

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to

A Fragile and Amazing Trail: The Generous Life of Yvonne De Los Santos

October 5, 2017 /

By Bill Gallegos What can you say about Yvonne? She was tough as hell. She was private as the darkest night. She was independent beyond belief. She was amazingly generous. She was a survivor. She was a warrior. Yvonne was

Which Way is Left?

October 3, 2017 /

Cover art adapted from a painting by Harlem Renaissance artist Aaron Douglas entitled Spirits Rising. “Study because we will need all your intelligence. Agitate because we will need all your enthusiasm. Organize because we will need all your strength.”

Working People’s Assemblies: Social Justice Unionism for the 21st Century

October 3, 2017 /

In this pamphlet, we focus on the challenge and promise of Social Justice Unionism in this century, and in particular the opportunity to overcome the historic failure of the U.S. trade union movement to consistently challenge white supremacy, by

Get a Rank & File Job! A Note to Young Activists

October 3, 2017 /

The student movement has been fertile ground for the left. Time away from the daily grind of work, exposure to a wide variety of ideas and experiences changed many people’s lives. Thirty years ago political activists coming out of college

El Huracán Irma: La Intersección de Raza, Clase, y Ecología

September 26, 2017 /

Por Badili Jones Vine a Miami hace unos diez años. Miami es un destino turístico y un centro bancario internacional, entre otras cosas. Es un lugar donde, debido a circunstancias sociales e históricas, el español es prácticamente el idioma principal,

Freedom Road Revolutionary Book Club

September 22, 2017 /

Welcome to our new study series! Socialism and the Crisis of Socialism Historical Materialism and Marxist Theory of Knowledge The State and Hegemony White Supremacy, National Oppression/National Liberation Political Economy Part I. Capitalism Political Economy Part 2. Imperialism and Monopoly

Hurricane Irma: The Intersection of Race, Class, and Ecology

September 19, 2017 /

By Badili Jones I came to Miami about ten years ago. Miami is a tourist destination and an international banking center, among other things. It is a place where, due to social and historical circumstances, Spanish is de facto the

Black August Reflections: Now We are Free

August 25, 2017 /

For the month of August, the Black Organizing Commission of Freedom Road Socialist Organization is collaborating with Malcolm X Grassroots Movement and BOLD (Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity) to commemorate Black August. Black August is a time to honor

Crush the Fascists, Isolate Trump and Build a Path to Power!

August 19, 2017 /

Statement from the National Executive Committee of Freedom Road Socialist Organization/Organización Socialista del Camino para La Libertad (FRSO/OSCL) Here is some of our thinking on our immediate and longer-term tasks as revolutionaries in the wake of Charlottesville. We must unmask

#Charlottesville: Our Tasks as Revolutionaries

August 14, 2017 /

Below are two responses to the Charlotte terror attacks on August 12, 2017. By Dennis O’Neil August 14, 2017 As we mourn Heather Heyer and wish the other victims full recovery, we owe it to her, and to them, to

Black August Reflections: Week 2

August 10, 2017 /

For the month of August, the Black Organizing Commission of Freedom Road Socialist Organization is collaborating with Malcolm X Grassroots Movement and BOLD (Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity)to commemorate Black August. Black August is a time to honor

El Primero de Mayo Más Importante de Todos

August 9, 2017 /

Photo credit: Joaquin Salvador Formento Por Bill Gallegos, miembro de Organización Socialista Camino para la Libertad 19 de abril de 2017 El presidente de los Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, ha declarado la guerra contra el pueblo chican@-mexican@. Él ha prometido

MORENA and the Gasolinazo

August 9, 2017 /

Javier Bravo Guanajuato, México Bravo offers a brief history of the National Regeneration Movement, MORENA, Mexico’s broad-based left party, and he analyses the explosive mass response to President Peña Nieto’s hiking gas prices on December 28, 2016. He also expresses

El Gasolinazo y MORENA

August 9, 2017 /

por Javier Bravo Guanajuato, México Morena inició su actividad en 2009-2010 como un movimiento social orientado a la lucha contra la corrupción, la impunidad y el neoliberalismo, a apoyar a las candidaturas de presidente de la República, gobernadores, diputados de

Limpieza Étnica de Latinas/os

August 9, 2017 /

por Bill Gallegos Ha comenzado. Donald Trump prometió durante esta campaña y después de ser “elegido” para llevar a cabo un programa de limpieza étnica masiva, es decir, la deportación de más de 11 millones de indocumentadas/os, la abrumadora mayoría

Ethnic Cleansing of Latin@s

August 9, 2017 /

by Bill Gallegos It has begun. Donald Trump promised during this campaign and after he was “elected” to undertake a program of massive ethnic cleansing, that is the deportation of more than 11 million undocumented persons, the overwhelming majority of

La Introdución del Proyecto Izquierda Latina

August 9, 2017 /

Photo credit: Tina Modotti Organización Socialista Camino para la Libertad anuncia el lanzamiento de una nueva iniciativa, Proyecto Izquierda Latina / Latin@ Left Project. En colaboración con amigas/os de México, como MORENA, este proyecto publicará artículos que ofrecen información y

Introduction to Latin@ Left Project

August 9, 2017 /

Photo credit: Tina Modotti Freedom Road Socialist Organization announces the launching of a new initiative, the Proyecto Izquierda Latina / Latin@ Left Project. In collaboration with friends in México, such as from MORENA, this project will publish articles that offer

Frente al Balance, Mañana

August 9, 2017 /

FRENTE AL BALANCE, MAÑANA Y cuando se haga el entusiasta recuento de nuestro tiempo, por los que todavía no han nacido, pero que se anuncian con su rostro más bondadoso, saldremos gananciosos los que más hemos sufrido de él. Y

Before the Scales, Tomorrow

August 9, 2017 /

And when the enthusiastic story of our time is told, for those who are yet to be born but announce themselves with more generous face, we will come out ahead —those who have suffered most from it. And that being

Declaración de la Unidad sobre Racismo, Opresión Nacional, Autodeterminación

August 8, 2017 /

Declaración de la Unidad sobre Racismo, Opresión Nacional, Autodeterminación, y Estrategia para el Socialismo en Estados Unidos Nuestra Declaración de la Unidad sobre la opresión racial y nacional es una de las principales posiciones que demarcan el Camino de la

Black August Reflections: Week 1

August 4, 2017 /

For the month of August, the Black Organizing Commission of Freedom Road Socialist Organization is collaborating with Malcolm X Grassroots Movement and BOLD (Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity)to commemorate Black August. Black August is a time to honor

Our Black August Commitment

August 3, 2017 /

Marxism, the 21st Century and Social Transformation

July 27, 2017 /

This article was originally published June, 2012 on the website: Philosophers for Change, philosophers.posterous.com. By Bill Fletcher A discussion of the future of socialism and social transformation must be grounded in two realities. The first reality is the broader economic,

The Struggle for Healthcare in Historical and International Context

July 27, 2017 /

Photo credit: Public Citizen This piece was written in 2009 and is just as relevant almost ten years later. The struggle for universal healthcare in the U.S. has been long and difficult. Since the late 1800s, there have been multiple

Karega Hart, presente!

July 26, 2017 /

Joe Navarro wrote this poem in June 2014 to commemorate the passing of Karega Hart, a beloved comrade and lifelong revolutionary. That Was Karega Anyone who knew Karega Knew that his baritone voice, even though soft, Was full of courage

FRSO / OSCL Statement on the Orlando Massacre

July 26, 2017 /

Written June, 2016 Freedom Road Socialist Organization/Organización Socialista del Camino para la Libertad (FRSO/OSCL) wants to express our sadness and anger at the Orlando massacre and to affirm our ongoing commitment to gender liberation as central to all struggles for

BLACK POWER IS THE SOLUTION: Statement on Black Movement, Police Violence, and the Dallas Shootings

July 26, 2017 /

Wings by Carole Jahmil Written July, 2016 by the FRSO/OSCL National Executive Committeee Freedom Road Socialist Organization/Organización Socialista del Camino para la Libertad (FRSO/OSCL) stands in solidarity with Black activists, protesters, organizers, and communities in the fight for Black Lives.

¡Tim Thomas, Presente!

July 25, 2017 /

Tim Thomas (right) with family of Alan Blueford and community supporters on the one year anniversary of Blueford’s murder at the hands of OPD officer Miguel Masso. Priginally published April 21, 2016 by FRSO/OSCL National Executive Committee Please join us

On the Crisis of Socialism

July 21, 2017 /

Originally written May 1991, reaffirmed November 1997 With the collapse of Soviet-style “socialism” throughout Eastern Europe, the crushing of the 1989 democracy movement in China, and the general disarray of the Marxist left internationally, a phase of socialist experimentation has

Declaración de los Principios de la Unidad

July 21, 2017 /

Introducción Camaradas y amigos. Ésta es una declaración de los principios de la unidad de la Organización Socialista Camino de la Libertad (FRSO, siglas en inglés) y la Red Organizativa Socialista (SON, siglas en inglés). Ésta es un breve resumen

Sobre la Crisis del Socialismo

July 21, 2017 /

Mayo de 1991 Con la caída del “socialismo” estilo-Soviético en toda Europa del Este, el aplastamiento del movimiento pro-democracia de 1989 en China, y el desorden general de la izquierda marxista en todo el mundo, una etapa de experimentación socialista

Facilitator’s Guide: Mass line & revolutionary organizing

July 18, 2017 /

Mass work is a critical area of concentration for socialists. Joining with and helping develop and lead the reform fights of the people is an essential part of how we will build a revolutionary movement for socialism. How do we

An In-Depth Look at the Ferguson Eruption: Organization for Black Struggle Leader Lays It Out

July 18, 2017 /

Montague Simmons. Photo from http://alternateroots.org/spotlightonferguson In Spring 2015, the New York/New Jersey District of Freedom Road sponsored a forum entitled “Ferguson: The Movement So Far and Lessons for Coming Struggles.” The first speaker was our comrade, Montague Simmons, Chair of

After Murder and Church Burnings: Organize the South! Black Lives Matter!

July 17, 2017 /

On June 17th, 2016, Dylann Roof, a 21 year old white man, entered Mother Emanuel AME Church, a pivotal institution in the Black liberation struggle in Charleston, South Carolina. He joined the evening’s prayer meeting. An hour later he took

Rescue May Day

July 17, 2017 /

Photo credit: Joaquin Salvador Formento In spite of the rightist conservatives who lead the institutions and who fear activists and left militancy, in Mexico this May Day organized workers held independent marches and kept alive the commitment to continue the

Rescatar el Primero de Mayo en México

July 17, 2017 /

Por: Javier Bravo y Bruce Hobson A pesar de los conservadores que encabezan las instituciones (y odian el activismo y la militancia de izquierdas), en México hubo marchas independientes de trabajadores organizados, y eso mantiene viva la esperanza de que

Dialectical Historical Materialism for Community Organizers

July 9, 2017 /

If you are an organizer working in any way to make progressive change, this framework is probably familiar: Work to build power by recruiting members and developing their leadership abilities. Center the work on issues. Use collective, direct-action strategies as

The Young and the Leftless: An Open Letter on Organization

July 9, 2017 /

The following letter, written in 2008 by young members of FRSO/OSCL, is an attempt to bridge the generation gap on the question of organization. In our years of work in mass movements and Left organizations, we have found that the

A Note to Socialist Union Staffers: Build Working Class Power!

July 9, 2017 /

The crowd cheers as President Barack Obama addresses the Milwaukee Laborfest at Henry Maier Festival Park in Milwaukee, Wisc., Sept. 6, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson) Many of our friends and members hold staff positions in unions.

Unity Statement on Ecological Justice

July 9, 2017 /

The following unity statement on Ecological Justice that was adopted at our January 2013 Congress. With a strong focus on ecology and the necessity of left analysis and practice that centers and emphasizes ecology, the statement is the outcome of

The Mass Line: What It Is and How to Use It

July 9, 2017 /

While organizing people on the bus, I met a Black janitor who was very supportive of our work to fight for better buses and lowered fares, but thought that “immigrants” caused the bus fares to cost more. Instead of agreeing

Let’s Go Public: Reframing the Health Care Debate by putting Health Back into the Discussion

July 9, 2017 /

The national policy discussion around health care reform ignores the big question—“How do we improve the people’s health?”—and concentrates instead on a narrow question: “How do we get people insured?” The debate is couched in language that is designed to

Islands of Poverty in a Sea of Prosperity

July 9, 2017 /

It’s now commonly accepted that a person’s zip code is the best predictor of how healthy a person is and will be. And what determines your zip code? Income, wealth – and the racialized public policies and practices over generations

Is My Union Gomperist?

July 9, 2017 /

(This piece was published in 2009) The American Federation of Labor (AFL) leader for most of the early 20th century was Samuel Gompers, an English immigrant cigarmaker. His strategy and method of unionism was so well-established that it has since

Principles and perspectives on the revolutionary process

June 19, 2017 /

The following theses, written February, 2015, are the result of a lengthy process of research and discussion carried out by Freedom Road Socialist Organization. We view it not as the end point of that discussion but rather as a living

Bridging the Chasm Between Environmental and Economic Justice: A Conversation with Bill Fletcher and Bill Gallegos

June 19, 2017 /

Steelworkers President Leo Gerard said about the choice between a clean environment and good jobs, “You can have both, or you have neither.”A rift exists between those good trade unionists who fight for decent jobs and a just economy, and

Eleven Talking Points On 21st Century Socialism

June 19, 2017 /

1. Socialism’s fundamental building blocks are already present in US society. The means of production, for the most part, are fully developed and in fact are stagnating under the political domination of finance capital. The US labor force, again for

Points of Unity on Gender Liberation

June 18, 2017 /

Document Outline We are committed to full gender liberation. We live in a capitalist patriarchy fundamentally opposed to gender and sexual freedom. We must understand the current conjuncture of capitalist patriarchy. We use a feminist method combining theory and collective

Unity Statement on Racism, National Oppression, Self-Determination, and Strategy for U.S. Socialism

June 18, 2017 /

Photo credit: Alejandro De La Cruz Our Unity Statement on racial and national oppression is one of the main positions that demarcates Freedom Road from much of the rest of the socialist left. We understand that racism is woven into

Unity Statement

June 18, 2017 /

This is a statement of the principles that unite the members of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, adopted June 1994. This statement represents our best understanding at this time of the important issues facing socialists in the United States. We

Interview: Ajamu Dillahunt

June 5, 2017 /

This interview originally appeared in Scalawag magazine. Jonathan Michels: You are a part of the New Great Migration of African Americans from the North who moved back down to the South following the Civil Rights Movement. Why did you decide

Meizhu Lui receives 2016 Asset Builder Champion Award

June 5, 2017 /

Every year, Closing the Racial Wealth Gap Initiative honors people who have dedicated their careers to helping low-income communities and communities of color build wealth and attain economic self sufficiency. Our loved one and dear comrade Meizhu was one of

Talking points on the Trump disaster, the New Confederacy and the Left

June 4, 2017 /

This piece was written in early January, 2017 after the Nov. 2016 elections. 1. The New Confederacy won. The New Confederacy is composed of the most reactionary factions of capital allied with racist/nativist, right-wing populists. The Republican Party is the

May Day in the Time of Trump: Going Beyond Resistance to Build Political Power and Organization

June 4, 2017 /

Written by the National Executive Committee of Freedom Road Socialist Organization / Organización Socialista del Camino para la Libertad (FRSO/OSCL), May 2017 Growing Mass Resistance This May Day we will see millions of immigrants, young and old, strike to defy

#Juneteenth: Look at the Past to Find Our Way Forward

June 4, 2017 /

Monument to 1795 Slave Revolt, Curaçao Written collectively by the Black Organizing Commission of Freedom Road Socialist Organization/ Organización Socialista del Camino para la Libertad, June 2017 Donald Trump has been in office for 149 days. This is a clear

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