CHICAGO, November 15 — The mothers of the Whittier elementary school here have given workers of the world another glimpse of our ability to establish a society of, for and by the workers. When Ron Huberman, the racist CEO of the Chicago Public Schools, threatened to raze the Whittier field house to build a soccer field for the nearby private school, the mothers collectively occupied the building for 43 days. “La casita”, as the field house came to be known, will remain as a community center and be under the control of a non-profit led by the mothers.
The struggle for “La casita” (our “little Stella d’Oro”) was within the confines of the bosses’ reform struggle, but by participating in the occupation, bringing food, spending the night at the field house, doing the “grunt” work necessary, we gained the confidence of the community and were able to raise communist ideas.
One important struggle occurred around the politician hacks who wanted to use the brave mothers as a photo opportunity. While Alderman Danny Solis and Mayor Daley were vilified for the racist crooks that they are, others, like City Clerk and mayoral hopeful Miguel Del Valle were heralded. Some Whittier moms supported a local community group bearing a “Del Valle for Mayor” pin.
We brought up the bankruptcy of capitalism and ALL of its politician-protectors and wondered aloud why we needed politicians at all. We organized la casita for 43 days while under threat of attack from the government and cops; surely we can organize the rest of society. Even though we did not convince everyone, we did not despair because it is struggles like these that give life to our ideas and allow us to grow in the process.
The necessity for communists to lead the battle against sexist ideas that run rampant in the working class was also evident. Latina mothers, who typically are disempowered not only on the job but at home with their husbands, smashed the sexist stereotype by acting as leaders and fighters. However, this empowerment has created tensions with male counterparts and it has spilled over into the struggle itself. One husband accused his wife, one of the key leaders in the struggle, of having an affair with one of the organizers. Despite struggle from other moms, she has since removed herself from the struggle, a sign that much more work is necessary. In the process, other moms have been going through similar problems. One of the mothers close to the Party was extremely emotional about the accusations because she was accused of something similar. She wisely pointed out that the solution to this struggle “is by involving the dads in the process from the very beginning.”
Of course we can’t change the dynamics of sexist relationships overnight but in the context of the class struggle, as in the fight for la casita, men can learn to accept leadership from the women and struggle side-by-side. In the process of fighting capitalism, we can smash the gender roles that it requires, men and women as competing commodities to be exploited, and instead create new roles as comrades-in-arms. This struggle at la casita and with the Whittier mothers is in its infancy. We will continue to fight and struggle.