Skip to main content

International Women's Day at Revolution Books, NYC
From the staff of Revolution Books

On March 11, Revolution Books (RB) hosted a defiant celebration of IWD. Some 40 people came to experience part or all of the program, with close to 20 staying for most of it.

It was a diverse audience: several RiseUp4AbortionRights activists/organizers, and others concerned about the attack on abortion rights; several longtime friends of RB from Harlem; a photojournalist whose work has appeared in prominent publications; a Columbia University student; international visitors from Mexico, Colombia, Iran, and Brazil; some visiting activists from Atlanta who came to show their support; and others. The two emcees had never done this before but really rose to the occasion.

We opened with an internationalist salvo: a reading from a statement by the Communist Party of Iran (MLM) about the international significance of the beautiful uprising in Iran against the patriarchal-theocratic regime, followed by the playing of an audio of women political prisoners in Iran's notorious Evin prison singing the rebellious fighting song Bella Ciao. The store audience spontaneously joined in for the chorus. A Rise Up organizer gave a rousing speech about Abortion on Demand.

The heart of the program consisted of clips from The RNL—Revolution, Nothing Less!—Show, including one of Bob Avakian speaking about the pivotal role that the fight against the oppression of women plays in making revolution and its dynamic role under socialism for a total revolution. New people were getting introduced to, and others learning more about, the leader of this revolution. We also played part of the RNL discussion between Lenny Wolff and Sunsara Taylor about how things would radically change after the revolutionary seizure of power. The revolutionary band Outernational closed out this first part of the program with a powerful performance of their song “Free Women” in English and in Spanish, and with the band augmented by a singer and a musician from Colombia. 

IWD 2023 - Outernational at Revolution Books, New York City

 

Outernational gave a powerful performance of their song “Free Women” in English and in Spanish, with the band augmented by a singer and a musician from Colombia.    

A good number of people stayed to celebrate further, to enjoy the food (donated by friends of RB to raise funds), and to get into the themes of the program. Some of the discussion was in small groups and some was one-on-one with revcoms. A grad student born in Turkey wondered if Americans can be shaken out of their complacency—and what the strategy for actually making revolution is. A 35-year-old professional woman was moved by the program but had questions about whether people could break with “greed” and felt that elections (of someone like Bernie) could make a big difference.

Overall, there was real openness and eagerness for further discussion and digging into the big questions and the revolutionary vision. Several people expressed their appreciation for having a place like Revolution Books—a few of the new people want to get more involved in the life of Revolution Books.

We put forth the need for funds for this revolution—how donating money is a concrete way that people can make a meaningful contribution to putting revolution on the map in 2023. Over $400 was raised on the spot.

There was a warm feeling in the room that we were all part of a festive, fierce, and revolutionary International Women’s Day in 2023. 

DONATE to revcom.us. 
DONATE to the revolution.

DONATE

From the genocide in Gaza, to the growing threat of world war between nuclear powers, to escalating environmental devastation… the capitalist-imperialist system ruling over us is a horror for billions around the world and is tearing up the fabric of life on earth. Now the all-out battle within the U.S. ruling class, between fascist Republicans and war criminal Democrats, is coming to a head—likely during, or before, the coming elections—ripping society apart unlike anything since the Civil War. 

Bob Avakian (BA), revolutionary leader and author of the new communism, has developed a strategy to prepare for and make revolution. He’s scientifically analyzed that this is a rare time when an actual revolution has become more possible, and has laid out the sweeping vision, solid foundation and concrete blueprint for “what comes next,” in the Constitution for the New Socialist Republic in North America. 

The website revcom.us follows and applies that leadership and is essential to all this. We post new materials from BA and curate his whole body of work. We apply the science he’s developed to analyze and expose every key event in society, every week. Revcom.us posts BA’s timely leadership for the revcoms (revolutionary communists), including his social media posts which break this down for people every week and sometimes more. We act as a guiding and connecting hub for the growing revcom movement nationwide: not just showing what’s being done, but going into what’s right and what’s wrong and rapidly learning—and recruiting new people into what has to be a rapidly growing force.

Put it this way: there will be no revolution unless this website not only “keeps going” but goes up to a whole different level!

So what should you give to make 2024 our year—a year of revolution? 
Everything you possibly can! 
DONATE NOW to revcom.us and get with BA and the revcoms!    

Your donations contribute to:

  • Promotion of BA on social media and the Bob Avakian Interviews on The RNL—Revolution, Nothing Less!—Show 
  • Strengthen revcom.us as an accessible, secure, robust website able to rise to the challenge of meeting the extraordinary demands of navigating the storms and preparing for revolution in this pivotal, unprecedented year
  • Fund revcoms to travel to national “hotspots,” where extreme contradictions are pulling apart the fabric of this country and creating the possibility of wrenching an actual revolution out of this intensifying situation
  • Expand the reach and coverage of revcom.us
  • Printing and distribution of key Revcom materials including the Declaration and Proclamation

More ways to donate

DONATE