Revolution #230, April 24, 2011
On
May 1st, 2011…
May 1st is the holiday of the international proletariat, a day to boldly put forward our aims of revolution and communism. It is time to both celebrate and to step back, to take stock and to lift our sights even further. A time of struggle and of celebration.
2011 has already witnessed major upheaval in the world. People have heroically stood up, and resisted repression. The hopes of millions have been raised, and questions have begun to sharpen about what will be required to realize those hopes. Bob Avakian's statement on Egypt speaks to this—extending heartfelt support to the millions in the uprisings and challenging those who would see the uprisings lead to liberation to take up the science of communism and build communist organization among the masses. These are key questions of the day in the whole world.
May 1, 2011 also comes right on the heels of the publication of BAsics, from the talks and writings of Bob Avakian. This book can play a major role in guiding thousands at first, and then millions, to dig into and answer those questions, and to provide a handbook for revolutionary practice. May 1—and the whole week leading up to May 1—should this year feature, as one key part of the activity surrounding the holiday, creative promotion of BAsics.
BAsics read-ins and readings should happen on the streets, in coffee shops, on campuses, in community centers, at farmers' markets... There should be posters for BAsics up wherever it is appropriate to post them. The political terrain should be enlivened with Bob Avakian image cards in places prominent and unexpected. Wear revolutionary T-shirts—with the BA image, the new BAsics shirt or the Revolution newspaper shirts. The poster of Bob Avakian's "3 Strikes" quote, from the back page of Revolution issue #229, should be a big part of the picture (available for download as PDF at revcom.us).
Along with this, let's widely get out the new Constitution for the New Socialist Republic of North America (Draft Proposal), the statement from the Revolutionary Communist Party "On the Strategy for Revolution," the Message and Call from the RCP ("The Revolution We Need… The Leadership We Have"), the new communist Manifesto from the RCP and Revolution newspaper.
Powerful and provocative mobile displays of images from the RCP's Message and Call—which many revolutionaries printed and used in taking out the Message and Call when it was first printed—should be used building up to and on May 1st, along with enlarged quotes from BAsics (PDFs of quotes from the back pages of recent issues of Revolution are available at revcom.us).
On May 1st itself, there should be grand celebrations—with culture and food—and creative and militant manifestations for revolution, communism and a whole new world.
Then, on the weekend following May 1st, teams should gather up and get the revolutionary message out to Cinco de Mayo celebrations, along with protest marches by immigrants or in support of immigrants rights if they are taking place, along with other gatherings and events where people who want change may gather.
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