BALTIMORE, MD, April 8—With increasing hostilities among the imperialist powers pitting workers against their international class sisters and brothers, our job as communists is to continuously point to international revolutionary struggle as the only reasonable answer. This capitalist system must be destroyed and replaced with an egalitarian communist society run by workers. Twenty-six people, including members (PL’ers) of the Progressive Labor Party (PLP), joined at a local park to celebrate the history and significance of the international workers’ holiday May Day, and to inform people of upcoming local May Day celebrations.
A custom playlist of revolutionary, pop, hip hop, and R&B songs from the 1950s to the present accompanied the outdoor dinner. People brought food, drinks, and desserts—with jerk chicken and homemade deviled eggs being the highlights of the dinner. One comrade’s family member even volunteered to grill burgers and hotdogs. Flags decorated with “Progressive Labor Party” and a triumphant fist were hung from the roof of the pavilion rented for the day.
Building an army to crush the bosses
Baltimore PL’ers are creating a plan to actively recruit more members, with hopes of doubling our size by May Day 2025. Hosting May Day dinners not only emboldens the newer leadership, but also strengthens the confidence that our working class sisters and brothers have in the Party. We are serious about pushing for a revolutionary transformation of the horrendous kkkapitalist system. Hosting dinners and cadre schools with the focus on connecting our local struggles to capitalist terror and war abroad reflects the commitment we in the Party have to our class in Baltimore and worldwide.
The dinner included a program filled with important talks about current reform struggles against police brutality and attacks against transgender students and workers, who have been heavily scapegoated and vilified by gutter racists and politicians. Comrades in Kentucky coincidentally led a rally against these sexist attacks on transgender youth and workers the same day. There was also a spoken word piece about the doomed future of youth under a capitalist system and a short comedic play performed by PL’ers. A friend of the Party, who wrote the play, used it as a tool to describe what communism is.
One comrade illustrated her experience working with college peers in a student organization at a predominantly white, liberal arts college. Everyone engaged in the program, listening as PL’ers upheld working class solidarity and gave critical analysis of capitalism’s deliberate tragedies and destruction of society.
No money, and no nations
Despite the unpredictably cold spring weather (Maryland isn’t known for the smoothest start to spring), everyone enjoyed the company, discussions, and political program. One attendee wrote to a comrade afterward, “I loved reading the PLP paper, and am especially happy about the concept of no money, and no nations.”
A previously active comrade came and also encouraged people to attend the May Day rally in Brooklyn. After a few years away from the Baltimore club, her attendance and enthusiasm to hold up our CHALLENGE newspaper was greatly appreciated. One attendee remarked, at the end of the gathering, that he learned a lot more about communism from the program. Comrades from DC and Virginia also came towards the dinner’s end, reinforcing our practice of local clubs supporting each other in our area.
As we ramp up our efforts for May Day and summer actions, we remember that our daily actions must be rooted in the workers, since we are the ones with the power to shut the entire system down. Workers know this, have seen this, and it is our responsibility as revolutionaries to ensure that the process is pushed with communism and multiracial leadership at the forefront. Until we win!