Film Showing in South Central:

Digging Into Revolution, BA, and the Revolution Tour

May 13, 2019 | revcom.us

 

Saturday afternoon, May 11, people came together from all over Los Angeles to watch Part 1 of the speech by Bob Avakian (BA), Why We Need An Actual Revolution And How We Can Really Make Revolution, at the AFIBA Center at Crenshaw and Slauson. People came from meeting the National Tour to Get Organized for an Actual Revolution on their college campuses and in the neighborhood where the screening took place.

The screening opened with a video introduction to BA over the years, then straight into Part I of his speech (Only an Actual Revolution Can Bring About the Fundamental Change That Is Needed), breaking down why this system cannot be reformed. As he says in that speech: “...we have two choices: either, live with all this—and condemn future generations to the same, or worse, if they have a future at all—or, make revolution!”

The audience listened intently and responded vocally. Nobody had heard anything like this before, and it showed. For some, this was what they had been looking for. Others were clearly moved and wanted to go more deeply.

BA ends the part of the speech that people saw with this challenge:

…[P]articularly because of the work I have done and the leadership I have been providing over the decades since the 1960s, we do have the further development of the scientific method and approach to revolution, with the new communism; we have the strategic approach and plan for making this revolution; we have the Constitution for the New Socialist Republic in North America, a sweeping vision and concrete “blueprint” for a radically new and emancipating society aiming for the emancipation of humanity as a whole. But let’s be straight up: what we do not have, yet, are masses of people who are won to revolution and driven to work for it, especially youth, who are always the driving force of any revolution; and, although we have the foundation and scaffolding of revolutionary organization that could be built on and expanded into a vanguard force capable of actually leading the revolution all the way through, we do not yet have the necessary cadre of leadership, on all levels and in all parts of the country, who have not only the determination but also the scientific grounding to lead the masses who must be brought forward in making revolution. While some of us who came forward during the 1960s have retained, indeed deepened, our revolutionary passion, and the scientific grounding that sustains it, many others have given up on revolution; and, although there are literally tens of millions in this country who hate the injustices and indignities that people suffer under this system, and who can be awakened to the possibility of a radically different and better world, as yet far too few have been brought forward into the ranks of the revolution and developed and trained as revolutionary leaders. This is what all those who cannot stand to live another day under this monstrosity of a system, and are filled with passionate intensity to bring this system down and bring a radically different world into being, need to be actively working toward: building up the ranks of the revolution—first, in the thousands and then, as things develop toward the decisive point, millions—as an organized force, and learning to become leaders of this revolution who can enable those millions to be in a position to fight, all-out, with a real chance to win, when the time comes.

THIS is the challenge being taken up by the National Revolution Tour. Keying off this challenge, Noche Diaz spoke for the Tour. Noche called on people to get organized into the Revolution Clubs. He asked people there to take a minute to look around the room, to appreciate the diversity of who was there, breaking out of the divides this system puts on people: students, people from the neighborhood, Black and Latino and all other people together. People applauded at this, especially those from the neighborhood who felt how different this is than the way life is normally defined and how people relate to each other. He brought to life the plans for the next month (see flyer on this) and, again, challenged—and invited—people to be part of all this.

After this people gathered in a couple knots of intense discussion. People reflected and commented on BA coming out of the 1960s and never having given up or sold out and the importance of not letting the authorities kill or snatch him the way they have revolutionary leaders. People responded to the hard-hitting and truthful agitation BA had done during the film on Obama and the Democrats. Some expressed their dissatisfaction with where their friends are at - how people they knew who were radical in college are just into making money and don't seem to care what is happening to people here and around the world. They criticized how they are trained in school. People in the neighborhood expressed the fear people have about stepping out for revolution and going up against the power of the enemy, in its different forms. Discussion was serious. People were intent. And afterward, several said they wanted to join the Revolution Club.

During the week leading up to the program, the Revolution Club went out to community colleges all over the city, to UCLA, as well as continued to do work in the neighborhood. The Club continued to take out the Points of Attention, the 5 STOPS and the 2 choices that face everyone.¹ The Club continued to put the problems of the revolution before people, as well—especially the big problem that while we have a lot in terms of the science, strategy and leadership for revolution, we don’t yet have the people we need. 

At the same time, the Club put more attention to focusing up controversial questions. The questions were different at different campuses and different times. But in every case the Club polarized people. They generated controversy, and they did it with a good spirit, inviting people to step in and debate the questions. The club worked with students, as well as progressive faculty and campus workers, in spreading the revolution. There were people who came off this, and many more who were reached in a serious way and will be reached again by the revolution.

People left the AFIBA Center with materials to spread the revolution and plans for what they were going to do as part of this. When the date was announced to see Part 2 of the speech at the Center, Saturday, May 25 at 3 p.m., there was applause.

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1. Go here for the 5 STOPS, the 2 Choices and the 6 Points of Attention. [back]