San Francisco Bay Area Potluck and Fund-raiser for BA Everywhere
April 14, 2013 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
On April 5, over 40 people gathered to enjoy delicious and plentiful food, getting into all kinds of conversations about revolution, the real history of this country, and what people thought about the film BA Speaks: REVOLUTION—NOTHING LESS! Many had been at the premiere at Laney College three weeks earlier, including some high school and college students.
The mixture of people of different ages and nationalities, people new and old to the revolution, was good. This movement for revolution is attracting those people whom the system has cast out and cast down. Black and Latino youth came with friends who attended the premiere. Some people new to the movement for revolution left with newly purchased DVDs.
The potluck celebrated the release of the new DVD and was part of building community around this movement for revolution. It drew people together to become a "real force, powerfully impacting and influencing all of society," as BA has called for in "A Fundamental Point of Orientation, Approach and Objective." It was both serious and fun, where people found other like-minded people, where they could feel free to talk about their thinking, questions and hopes about revolution. People in small and large groups got into what they liked about the film and how to take it out into society. Some talked about projects to raise funds and others made plans to go out the next day with the DVD.
A short speech welcomed everyone and talked about the many facets of the movement for revolution, the BA Everywhere campaign to raise massive funds, and the specific focus on getting this film known and seen very broadly in society. Plans were announced for a major fund-raiser in the next six weeks. The Revolution Club was introduced to the crowd and as they stood, people clapped and cheered. A clip from the film was shown: "Emancipating Humanity... Transforming Conditions and Transforming Human Nature." It ended to loud applause.
In the middle of the potluck, what started as a small and serious discussion between a few people quickly drew about a dozen people into it. It started with some people new to this movement wanting to know what the experience was of the neighborhood patrols and what they were about. They had a lot of questions and wanted to help out. Also discussed was how to take out the DVDs. Some people had seen the film for the first time at the potluck. People had ideas about showing it to friends and family. One student at a community college thought he could show it to his school club.
Statement from someone who came to the premiere and the potluck:
"I have already read the book, BAsics, by Bob Avakian and enjoyed it. I also enjoy Revolution the publication. But the film REVOLUTION—NOTHING LESS! actually really shows Bob's love for the masses. I most enjoyed his analogy of people who evoke 'the founding fathers' who were nothing but racist, sexist, slave owning, native killing, white male property owners. Bob also called out people who were in their comfort zones, but see the everyday injustices done to young African Amerikkkan males being murdered by police, as well as the mass deportation of Latino (Brown) people. The scapegoating of Muslims, etc... we live in an economic system that thrives on exploitation to survive. Bob does a good job of pointing that out."
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