Revolution Books NYC received this challenge from a mental health professional to launch in time for Giving Tuesday:

$1000 Challenge for a Priceless Gift of Hope on a Scientific Basis This Holiday Season

December 14, 2019 | revcom.us

 

It is critical that you join me to support Revolution Books. You can give a priceless gift of "hope on a scientific basis" this holiday season, and I will match all donations up to $1000. These are very dark times. Times that I, as a mental health professional, spend listening to the agony that people feel as they try to cope with depression; anxiety; insomnia and panic…as they watch in horror the brutality of this world. I feel the sense of hopelessness as I witness more people dying by suicide in a perverse system that is inhumane and heartless. There are many people who feel confused, isolated and helpless, and see no way out of an abyss.

Revolution Books, however, is a bright star of hope in this sea of darkness. This bookstore is at the heart of people coming together to discuss and struggle over big questions in the world. It is a place where people can engage with the work of Bob Avakian, Chairman of the Revolutionary Communist Party, a brilliant intellectual and architect of the new synthesis of communism. He is a tireless fighter for revolution. He is committed to bringing forward a world in which people are inspired to be the best of themselves. BA speaks with conviction and humanity about the oppression of Black people and how this fits into the core of how this country was founded. He unpacks the structure of this system and how it operates in a way that reveals why it cannot be reformed and why it must be overthrown and a new system put into place. He gives life and breath to imagining a new world that respects human dignity; that liberates women; that respects people and who they love no matter what gender or sexual orientation. BA provides a scientific analysis of the revolutions in China and Russia and synthesizes a way forward that addresses the mistakes of those revolutions and brings forward the best that they had to offer. BA leaps forward beyond this to forge new ground in communist theory.

BA has allowed me to understand that there is a leader who has such a deep love for humanity—and that this, along with the science of communism that he forges, can help lift a veil of despair. In a recent conference, a group of Black youth sat passively in silence as adults were discussing intergenerational dialogues on race. Issues of slavery and police brutality were put on the table, but the youth said nothing. Finally, when they were pushed to give their thoughts, one after the other reported that racism has been so normalized for them that they were hopeless that anything could be different. I did some agitation, straight from a talk by BA discussing what difference it could make to have the youth learn about this system and why the world does not have to be like this—and that Black youth can lift their heads and be a part of something much bigger than fighting over a street corner that they did not control anyway. How they could be a force, fighting for all of humanity. Well, the whole demeanor of the youth group changed. They seemed to perk up with awe. One of them came and gave me a fist bump at the end of the workshop and grabbed up flyers and stickers.

Revolution Books is a place of vibrancy along with this kind of intellectual ferment. It sponsors prominent authors of the day who reveal needed societal truths. Programs have included Colson Whitehead discussing his novel, The Underground Railroad; Mary Schmidt Campbell with her book on artist Romare Bearden; historian David Blight and his biography of Frederick Douglass; and Jason Stanley and his book How Fascism Works. RB sponsors events such as poetry and music from voices that reflect and examine the experiences of those who are not a part of the dominant culture. Revolution Books sponsors dialogues which serve as a models for how people who might disagree on major issues can come together to put their best scientific argument forward to learn from each other and take on challenging questions of the day. RB introduces us to art and many types of artistic expression. RB provides resources for the Revolution Clubs and fosters lively debate; serious problem-solving; and just plain networking, hanging out, and having fun.

We need Revolution Books. We must support this precious and valuable resource. This is a very dangerous moment in which is it more crucial than ever that we have a place where we can come together to understand and process the world and get "woke" and wake others up to what it will really take to change it.

It is crucial that you act now and give all that you can and get others to do their part as well. We cannot lose Revolution Books. I will match your donations up to $1000. There is no better gift you can give this holiday season…than the gift of hope, based on science.

--from a Health Care Professional