March Through Harlem Smash Anti-Muslim Racism

HARLEM, NEW YORK, January 9— In a neighborhood of mostly Black and immigrant workers, the antiracist chants rang down 125th Street and Broadway:
Racism Means We Got To Fight Back!,
Deportations Mean We Got To Fight Back!
Bibi, Bratton, Donald Trump —
Throw Those Racist in the Dump!
Thirty multiracial workers and students, women and men, marched against anti-Muslim racism with homemade signs and posters emblazoned, “REFUGEES WELCOME HERE.” On the bullhorn, a Black woman worker said that no Muslim worker had ever evicted her or denied her food stamps—but the bosses had. These capitalist terrorists are the same super-rich businessmen and politicians building the latest wave of anti-Muslim racism!
A member of the Modern Language Association read a statement against anti-Muslim racism recently passed at its convention. Others attacked the gutter racists emboldened by politicians like Donald Trump. Everyone spoke of the importance of uniting all workers to fight back against every form of racism.
This event was organized by members and friends of the revolutionary communist Progressive Labor Party, various churches, Jewish Voices for Peace, the Professional Staff Congress (the educational workers’ union at CUNY), the United Federation of Teachers, the Yonkers Federation of Teachers, and the American Postal Workers Union, among others.  We distributed more than 800 internationalist, antiracist leaflets and hundreds of CHALLENGEs.
Turn Up for Communism
Following the rally, we chanted and marched to a nearby New York State government building. All along the route, workers raised fists and took multiple leaflets and CHALLENGEs. When we approached a crowd of Black workers gathered around a sidewalk table of music vendors, they turned down the music to focus on our chants. Simultaneously, they erupted with raised fists and chanted along with us!
The building we targeted houses the offices of the liberal Democratic Congressman, Hillary Clinton supporter, and all-around racist viper, Charles Rangel. A self-proclaimed champion of Black and immigrant workers, Rangel was censured on 11 counts of tax evasion and other violations. When he isn’t cheating on his taxes or vacationing at his villa in the Dominican Republic, Rangel is busy preaching to workers about sacrifice and service to U.S. imperialism and openly calling for a military draft (CHALLENGE, 7/18/12, 1/30/13). For years, Rangel sold out Harlem’s Black workers to promote Columbia University’s expansion. The University rewarded his dedication to racist gentrification with a scholarship in his name that recruits Black, Latin and immigrant workers to diversify the face of U.S. capitalism.
Expose the Liberal Bosses, Join PLP!
In response to the New York City cops, who warned us not to use our bullhorn at the busy intersection, a church minister spoke deliberately, one sentence at a time, so everyone in the crowd could loudly repeat what he had said. He denounced Rangel and all liberal politicians as bigger dangers than Trump; while pretending to serve the working class, they actually do the bidding of ExxonMobil and Citigroup. The capitalist rulers and their liberal puppets attack Trump only because they desperately need the loyalty of Black and immigrant workers to slaughter and be slaughtered in the coming global wars of U.S. imperialism.
Students and workers in the Progressive Labor Party also spoke, putting racism and imperialism into class terms. Racism, be it directed against Muslim, Black, Latin or immigrant workers, hurts us all. It enables the bosses to super-exploit certain groups with even lower pay and worse living and working conditions, while dividing workers who share the same interests.
Following up on the minister’s point, PL’ers noted the sharpening rivalry between the U.S. bosses and Russian and Chinese imperialists in the Middle East and the South China Sea—with liberals like Hillary Clinton leading the charge. The PL’ers concluded by calling for workers in all countries to join and help build a mass, international PLP of millions that can smash capitalism and its racist borders and imperialist wars with communist revolution. Today’s event was a glimpse of the unity we need to build a communist world run by and for the working class. With the contact information gathered today, our diverse group of PL’ers and friends will strengthen this vital work.