LA MAY DAY: Lead with confidence in the working class

LOS ANGELES, April 30–The 12 months since last May Day have been a hell of a year for the working class worldwide. With COVID-19, imperialist wars, unending police murders and terror , unemployment, and a housing crisis  ravaging working-class communities, especially Black, Latin and Asian, it can be hard to imagine creating a better world for all of us. Yet, May Day reminds us that we have a communist world to win if we can join together with our class brothers and sisters.
Building struggle for a communist future
This year we in Progressive Labor Party (PLP) hosted our own dinner in a local park. A multiracial, multi-generational group of 60 workers gathered to celebrate May Day with food, speeches, songs, and poetry. It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon filled with the collective efforts of PL’ers, friends, and family to bring together nourishment for the mind, body, and soul.
The program was Emceed by a PL’er and an enthusiastic, artistic student who shared her poetry and free-style rap during the program. Another group of students shared an illustrated history of May Day. In between, musician comrades led us in lively renditions of Bella Ciao and Señor Inversionista. There was the ever popular Table Talk and CHALLENGE Quiz where we discussed capitalism vs. communism and whether the working class ever benefits from capitalism.
Another highlight was a sculpture of Helen Jones, the mother of John Horton, who was murdered by LA Sheriffs in Men’s Central Jail. It captures her revolutionary struggle for her son and inspired another comrade to write and perform a poem honoring her and all the families impacted by a system that fails us time and time again. This was followed by a moving performance of Too Many Names. We continue to fight alongside families that have been forever changed by police murders in Los Angeles and link their struggles to the world-wide fight for an antiracist, antisexist, communist future.
Build confidence in the working class
PLP has been involved in struggles against police terror for many years. In LA, we work directly with several families whose loved ones have been murdered by killer kkkops, some in this last year alone. Together, we have led regular rallies and protests in South Los Angeles. Not only do the families speak about their experiences with the racist LAPD and the County Sheriffs, but we build the confidence of our class to take state power by taking over the street and collectively confronting the police.
PL’ers  are also active in a tenants’ union campaign to make needed repairs to apartments where the slumlord refuses to make the workers’ units habitable. Workers always support us.
Leading up to May Day, one worker from the tenants’ union campaign joined our May Day committee and is learning more about the Party. Hundreds of people were exposed to communist, antiracist politics, and more people understand the strength of the working class when we unite. The future here looks bright for the growth of PLP and our movement to rid the earth of the exploiters and their henchmen in “law enforcement.”