Fighting Racist Murders and Slumlords

New York City, January 19 — PLP and friends upped the ante against racist cops and slumlords under the leadership of Black, Latin, and Asian women this Martin Luther King (MLK) weekend. Over 1,000 CHALLENGEs were distributed. This weekend was yet another demonstration that workers will fight back under communist leadership. The ability for the international working class to abolish capitalism hinges on making anti-racism and anti-sexism central to our fight. With PLP, such a world is possible.
Church Avenue: Trail of KKKillings  
We kicked off the weekend with a long march against racist cops down Brooklyn’s Church Avenue in the bone-chilling cold. The rally began at the site of murder of Kimani Gray, a 16-year-old Black teen killed by racist cops Mourad Mourad and Jovaniel Cordova in March, 2013. Over 50 workers and students shut down the street. Many, some pushing their children in strollers, joined the march.
We stopped traffic in all directions with a picket on E. 38th and Church, where 23-year-old Black woman Shantel Davis was killed by the racist black detective Phillip Atkins in June, 2012. Though all these cops have a history of racist assaults and the city was forced to pay out millions to victims of previous attacks, NYPD awarded some of these cops for “heroism.”
The march ended with a rally on E. 18th and Church, where we regularly protest for Kyam Livingston, a 37-year-old Black woman worker. Kyam was killed in by the cops who deliberately refused to give her medical attention at Brooklyn Central Booking in July, 2013. Three powerful women took the mike; all three were brought into the struggle by the murderous NYPD. It is no accident that Black women, who are ruthlessly exploited by the bosses’ state, are leading the fight against the racist cops and courts.
Reds, Not Experts
Saturday’s mini-communist school was led by fresh recruits from PLP’s Ferguson project. Three Black and Asian women introduced the recently published Fight Racism pamphlet and facilitated discussion. In one group, participants talked about how to live an antiracist life while living under racism. Capitalism has divided our class so much that we must make a conscious effort to foster multiracial relationships in our lives. Another group pointed out that racism is an international fight and that abolishing borders is crucial to abolishing racism.
Why is it significant that this school was led not by the veteran white comrades, but by the handful of Black and Asian women who recently joined the fight for communism? PLP doesn’t believe in experts! For a communist revolution to succeed, masses of workers must learn and fight for our ideas. Under capitalism — where women workers are silenced, objectified, battered, abused, raped, and exploited — it is no small victory that our fight for workers’ power is led by Black, Latin, and Asian women. We train those most oppressed to be in leadership, for it is their class experience that will advance the revolution.
Turn Up the Heat on Slumlord
One Black woman, a youth worker who recently joined PLP, and her family have been suffering under their racist and sexist slumlord, Fred Basal, who refused to provide heat during winter. This forced the family to boil water to keep warm. One pot accidently fell on two children. They got second-degree burns. Basal not only refused to help with the medical bills and provide heat, he also pushed for rent!
This is no isolated incident. During the coldest months of 2013 and 2014, New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) received over 200,000 heat and hot water complaints. And so, this Saturday, a PLP contingent went to Basal’s office in Jamaica, Queens to turn up the heat against this racist and sexist slumlord. We chanted, “Fred Basal, Just Face it! You’re a Slumlord and a Racist/Sexist!”
The youth worker is the main breadwinner of over seven people in her home. This system gets away with oppressing Black women and their families through poverty wages, slum housing, abusive healthcare, and the systemic terrorization of our kids in the schools and on the streets. Under capitalism, Black mothers don’t have “the right to raise their children in a healthy environment.” Our working-class kids are dispensable for the bosses. Only a communist system will allow Black workers, women workers, and youth to live to their full potential. The basis of racism and sexism — exploitation and profit — will be smashed.
Small But Strong
A multiracial crowd of over 400 gathered at the “Dream4Justice” march in Harlem on MLK Monday. Local black politicians like Jumaane Williams preached from the podium about upholding the traditions of peaceful protesting. These misleaders have nothing to offer us but rotten ideas like voting for our next capitalist dictator. The ruling class will only fund politicians, organizations, and ideas that will sustain capitalism.
Liberal imperialist George Soros, funder of movements like Occupy and the Color Revolutions worldwide, granted $33 million to organizations such as the Hands Up Coalition and other Black Lives Matter organizations. In the crowd, a small but strong group of PL’ers held a banner for communist revolution — the solution that needs millions of workers and youth, not politicians and grants. We attracted many who took up literature and followed our chants.
In particular, a group of high school students from the Bronx gathered around us. They loved the chant “Racist Cops You Can’t Hide — We Charge You with Genocide!” For many, it was their first time at a march or on a bullhorn; they were inspired by the young PL’ers who encouraged the students to chant. It is under communist leadership that we see the potential for our Black, Latin, and immigrant youth unfold.  
Ready for May Day!
This weekend also included initiating the May Day organizing committee. May Day is a celebration of the international working class, the day we look back on our year of organizing, and look forward to what more must be done. Come celebrate May Day, a communist holiday, with the international communist Progressive Labor Party on May 2!