United Socialist Movement of the Americas- Buffalo Chapter

Day of Indigenous Resistance: How Capitalism Destroyed Western Civilization

2010-10-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

Date: October 12th 2010
Place: 145E Student Union UB North Campus
Time: 4-6pm

October 11th of every year in the United States is celebrated as the day Christopher Columbus discovered the Western Hemisphere. On the other hand in Venezuela it's celebrated as the "Day of Indigenous Resistance" to commemorate the first and ongoing fights against European oppression and its social system, capitalism.

Join USMA as we discuss the actual events of 1492 and the aftermath of Columbus landing on Hispaniola (would become Haiti and Dominican Republic) such as the near eradication of every culture in the Caribbean islands within a century of his arrival. We will also discuss how capitalism itself led to those actions and how that system continues to affect the non-white western world today. Any questions can be directed to usmabuffalo@gmail.com or go to unitedsocialistbuffalo.blogspot.com

What is Power Really?

2010-03-23T22:27:00.000-07:00

By William Richardson

What shall we say about politics? Is it just a game that rich white men play or is it a serious game that we all should play. What is its role in society? Is it just something that affects the rich and when we go to war (which is bound to happen anyways) or is it the means by which one takes control of society? For both question I shall say the latter. Politics defined as the societal interactions that divides power amongst individuals and groups is among the most important thing for one to be involved in. Once one realizes this they will understand how society works and why many things happen the way they do.

Now that we define politics as a means to power we must ask what is power and why does it matter. Power is a very abstract but real thing that more than anything defines one’s life and path. For any people, if they have not power than they have not existence except through the generosity of others. Power is the means by which one can shape their future and for a group of people the means by which they may shape society in their image or whoever’s they chose.

Now why should you a student care about all this abstract talk about power? The reason is because without power we students are unable to do anything about anything. Look at the budget cuts, we signed petitions and spoke to Albany and yet the cuts passed anyways. We ask why and the answer is because we had no power to stop them. In order to secure education or freedom in the case of Africans we must have power, period.

How do we get power? We gain power through the channels specified by society. In America power is transmitted through the political process mostly amongst the rich. This process is not accessible for the majority of us including students and the poor therefore we must find another way to gain power. The only other kinds of power there is is power over the mind through persuasion or the power to coerce through numbers, economic power or military means. We the people and students have no tanks or large corporations to wield power but we do have numbers and ideas. We all have ideas about how to make society better and there usually are many people who think the same. With a sound ideology or idea and an organization that brings likeminded people together we the people can make anything happen.

The only question now is, are we ready to wield power and take control of our own destinies or will we allow the rich and powerful tell us what it is?

Speaking Truth to Perceived Power

2010-03-23T22:25:00.000-07:00

Why was the BSU, ASA, CSA upset with my letter? What can I say about their criticisms and/or personal attacks concerning my opinion piece?

Why did I go to the Spectrum before coming to them? The Spectrum reaches thousands of students and many Africans every day. If I want to make sure the issues I have are addressed then why not go to the public which supports and pays for these organizations to exist? We all have a right to know African or not. Why must I get the tacit approval of the e-boards to voice my opinion about them? Let’s get this straight, as an African student and a UB student that pays for the Spectrum I can voice my opinion without anyone’s input or approval.

The next set of issues arises from a collective idea of "who are you to criticize us?" Some express a view that because our organization is not doing anything for Africans we cannot criticize them. First we are making history as UB first socialist organization in many years. Next we have an archive of our past work and activities that anyone can look at. As for the black community we are spreading the ideology for African liberation (Pan-Africanism in particular and socialism in general) which is more than we can say for the BSU which barely knows or educates its membership on its own ideology (go look up Pan-Africanism, aka Nkrumah-Toureism for yourself). Remember the truth is the truth regardless of who speaks it.

             Why didn't I “reach out”? We have 30 weeks a year to spread the message on campus using limited resources have not time to come to every organization and have a long talk about revolutionary politics especially when they claim they are such already. Now when I seen that the BSU was a Pan-Africanist organization I felt that I could rightly make an assertion about them as I have grown up with Pan-Africanists myself. It's the BSU's responsibility to uphold THEIR ideology not ours to "reach out" and make them do it what they’re already suppose to do. As for ASA and CSA consider: how can you protect your culture without the political power to do so? African slaves learned this lesson the hard way.

              Lastly the most damming criticism of my letter is that I outright lied about their activity. I said that they failed to do anything for the African community. They assert the fact that they have done community service, political work with Brown's Administration, do joint meetings with ASA and CSA and charity. The problem is that they are not giving us power which is what we need. We are not thinking on a “club” level or charity level but the level of revolution and power building structures. Once again Pan-Africanism is a revolutionary ideology and if the work is not primarily to destroy capitalism, the root of oppression (the conclusion of King, Malcolm, Du Bois et al) then you aren’t really doing anything ACCORDING TO THE IDEOLOGY. I hope that clarifies that issue. The BSU is giving our people a fish; I want to teach them how to fish.
            To conclude, I’ll reiterate my requests from my previous letter. I want political education to happen in all our organization. Use African Must Unite or Class Struggle in Africa by Kwame Nkrumah as templates for the education I speak of. Also cease with this entitlement mentality. None of us are here because we were so great, but because of the struggle of our forbearers. Therefore cease thinking simply because you exist you can’t be criticized, that’s a logic fail. I also reach out to African students that they should hold their organization (including ours) accountable to their needs. There are many African students for instance who don’t join BSU because they think they don’t do anything. If that’s the case then go and take it over and make it work for the people, join some other organization, or start your own. Lastly I’d like to restate two things, “Truth is such wherever it comes from” and “Power only concedes to power”. I am speaking the first and trying to build the 2^nd. The African organizations used to be revolutionary and now’s the time to make them such again. The voices of the people demand such.

Pan-Africanism What? (Posted in the UB Spectrum)

2010-03-17T08:22:00.000-07:00

To the editor,

As we end black history month, a month of remembrance of the struggles now and then for freedom of the African nation I am very disappointed. The reason why I am so is because of the lack of historical or current social awareness amongst the African organizations at UB.

The awareness I am speaking of is that of knowing the history of our people, which was one struggle and the necessity for the struggle to continue today. On campuses, this awareness was once the entrusted property of organizations such as the Black Student Union and other African organizations. It seems that they have forgotten their duty to our people.

On the BSU Web site, there is a document under their history tab that was submitted to The Spectrum in 1969. In it they outlaid their ideology as an organization as Pan-Africanist. That is an ideology that calls for the unity of African people across the world politically and socially and to united under a socialist African flag. This ideology rejects sectarianism amongst African people knowing that oppression across the world.

This ideology rejects sectarianism amongst African people knowing that regardless of where we were dropped off at we are till one people sharing common interests. This ideology is one of liberation and consciousness and demands constant political action and education.

My problem therefore is the lack of the BSU and other African organizations of adhering to their chosen ideology. This is illustrated in part by lack of any black history program during Black History Month. They opting instead for self-improvement series, which being good and all lacked understanding of the situation we are in. We need those in the forefront against budget cuts, tuition hikes, and even against Zionism (note not anti-Semitism) which is the traditional enemy of the African people.

As for the CSA and ASA they are also at fault because they failed to understand that they too are part of Black History contributing much to the “African-American” struggle and vice a versa. What I ask, no demand is that we go back to our roots. We must cease with things such as fashion shows, which only objectify our women and take up arms against the injustices, which are rampant on this campus. I demand that we remember that capitalism was never the African friend and act accordingly.

We must become political again, taking up arms against things such as Israeli apartheid, police brutality and poverty in the buffalo community, which host us. We must lastly cease seeing ourselves as just cultural institutions, but as social and political institutions also and act accordingly. If anyone from the BSU, ASA or CSA would like respond to my constructive criticism feel free but be assured our people’s history is on my side.

William Richardson

President of the United Socialist Movement of the Americas

wjr2@buffalo.edu

March 4th Protest Reports (Reposted from Socialistalternative.org)

2010-03-17T08:06:00.000-07:00

A new movement of students and education workers has erupted in response to the vicious budget cuts raining down on public education in state after state. The media coverage of March 4th actions across the country – and particularly in California, the epicenter of the new movement – was extensive. But this was by no means a spontaneous outburst of resistance. The protests were organized by student and public sector union activists who are on the front lines of this growing movement.

Below is a compilation of reports from activists with Socialist Alternative, many of whom played leading roles in their areas building for March 4th actions. Check back on socialistalternative.org for further analysis and reports which will be published in coming days.

NEW YORK, NY
Multiple Protests Erupt Across the City as Movement Builds
By Leon Pinsky

Over 700 students, transit workers, school teachers, left activists and socialists participated in a high-energy day of action to defend public education, mass transit and jobs and fight against the massive budget cuts proposed by state and city hall officials. Several unions including the Transit Workers Union (TWU) and Professional Staff Congress (PSC) endorsed the action, connecting their struggles into a united action against the attempt to make working people paying for the capitalist crisis.

About five colleges had local actions, including hundreds of demonstrators in Hunter Community College, Brooklyn College, City University of NY and Borough of Manhattan Community College. Over 100 people also took part in a protest outside city hall.

After gathering in front of Governor Paterson’s office in Midtown for the central rally we marched to the M.T.A hearing, chanting “From NY to California – Save our schools!” and “Hands off my MetroCard!”, a reference to the vicious cancellation of free MetroCards for students.

Standing outside the Hearing, we demanded “Let us in!” but were prevented from getting in by a large police force.

This successful mobilization was only the first of many in the next period. Workers around the city, especially school teachers and transit workers are under serious threat of losing their jobs. More struggles are expected in the next period around issues of education, transit and union democracy.

BOSTON, MA
Workers and Students Rally on Three Campuses
By Genevieve Morse

March 4th was a new turning point in the fight to defend education. In Massachusetts students on three campuses in the University of Massachusetts system held rallies and teach-ins to discuss and take action against crippling budget cuts.

Socialist Alternative played a leading role in organizing the rally and teach-in at UMass Boston. Despite the snowy conditions, students, union staff members and activists totaling about 150 people rallied for two hours. The event had a lot of energy with people chanting slogans like, “We don’t want no corporation, we want our education” or “Education under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!

The highlight of the rally was when people decided to march through the buildings. We chanted in and out of the buildings, marching around the campus with banners and signs. It was obvious by the end of the rally that people wanted to do more but with out larger forces we ended the rally and prepared for the teach-in.

During the teach-in students, union activists and community members totaling about 75 were again present. The discussion had a strong anti-privatization and anti-corporate message, and it was broadly agreed that the UMass administration has been crystal clear about its agenda to privatize. An example was Robert Manning, the chairman of the UMass Board of Trustees, who has stated that UMass is “privatizing whether we like it or not.” During both events people were outraged about the recent raise that the president of the UMass system received. His bonus came after asking all the unions on all the campuses to take further concessions in their contracts!

It was raised a number of times during both events that workers and students have the same interests. Everyone saw these actions as a first step in an ongoing campaign to stop the cuts and fee increases. A coalition was formed to build for these actions. Coming away from March 4th the coalition will be meeting again to discuss the next steps in building a broader movement of pre-K–12 teachers, working more closely with the Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts and continuing unity with the unions and students. Education is under attack and Massachusetts is fighting back!

OLYMPIA, WA
State Legislature Disrupted by Funeral for Public Education
By Ben Gallup

Our protest in Olympia began with a funeral ceremony, which at least 100 people attended over the course of the ceremony. The scene was complete with funeral music, a coffin, and most people in black clothes. Workers in the campus cafes wore black armbands that we provided to show their solidarity. Three members of Socialist Alternative gave eulogies for education, jobs, health care, etc.

Next we had a funeral procession to the capitol with 25 to 30 cars, all of which had purple flags and on their windows were written things like, “R.I.P. Education . . . the bankers got all the bailouts,” and “R.I.P. Jobs . . . the government thought war was important.”

When we got to the capitol the cops were expecting us. We marched in silence, pallbearers at the front with 75 people behind (number according Huffington Post), and brought the coffin up to the capitol. They wouldn't let us bring it in, but eventually they said we could go in but that if we disrupted the legislature we'd be arrested. We went in quietly, and filed up to the senate balcony. After a couple minutes, all 75 of us started singing “Amazing Grace,” but with new leftist lyrics.

They then proceeded to kick us out, but the singing, which began quietly, became a roar, and we sang it all the way through the halls and out of the building. No one was arrested.

After we were removed, many mourners went to testify for legislation that would significantly shift the state tax burden from workers and the poor onto the shoulders of big-business and the rich. Washington has the most regressive tax system of all 50 states (http://www.ctj.org/itep/).

All in all the funeral was a great media stunt and there were many journalists there from campus all the way to the capitol. Democracy Now! reported on us and, today, we are on the front page of The Olympian, the local newspaper here in Olympia.

The funeral event solved a number of problems. It allowed us to have a high-profile event on campus, a high-profile event in town, and a high-profile event at the capitol building too, all with strong media coverage. It was plenty disruptive enough to make a statement, display slogans, etc. but innocent enough to get away with it.

Also important is that on Tuesday, March 2, we had an all-night study-in at the Evergreen State College computer center, which is supposed to close at midnight. The workers helped organize it and the cops didn't hassle us. There was a teach-in about the budget cuts and the Evergreen Board of Trustees, a group of ruling-class elements with deep connection to Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, the FBI, etc. We estimate 40-50 people attended.

Here's a video of us getting kicked out of the capitol! http://www.youtube.com/v/0ojNkOPkftw&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1
Some media:
http://www.theolympian.com/2010/03/05/1161183/students-mourn-budget-cuts.html
http://www.theolympian.com/2010/03/04/1160948/higher-education-budget-cut-protests.html (photos)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/03/05/1096833/olympia-students-mourn-education.html
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kplu/news.newsmain/article/0/1/1620141/KPLU.Local.News/Students.Protest.Higher.Education.Cuts (great photo)
http://olympia.komonews.com/content/students-protest-tuition-hikes-capitol
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/04/day-of-action-update-rowd_n_486276.html

SEATTLE, WA
Community College Students Take the Halls
By Aditi Kaushik

The Seattle branch of Socialist Alternative organized a March 4th Day of action to save public education at the Seattle Central Community College (SCCC).

We began the day's action inside the main college building in a common lunch and gathering area for students, faculty, and staff. The action began with the emcee standing up with a bullhorn in the atrium and addressing the audience present about the state budget cuts and the national day of action, and saying “Join us in telling Governor Gregoire that we will not accept the budget cuts.” The crowd of students, initially small, grew as the enthusiasm and the energy of the students rose, and the chants became louder and stronger.

After a few other short speeches interspersed with chants, the protesters marched through the hallways of the third and fourth floors, their chants reverberating. The march was led outside into the plaza, where the main rally began.

The emcee explained how public education was facing cuts of $90 million dollars in the state of Washington and how the Democrats had proven to be “loyal servants of big business.” Her speech, as well as that of speaker Philip Locker, rejected the Democrats' excuse that there was no money, pointing out that big banks were given bailout gifts and the war machine was kept running, while public education and social services were being attacked.

Also speaking were SCCC students, Richard Curtis, a 2010 independent candidate for Washington state senatorial race, who is also a professor of philosophy at SCCC, and Kraig Schwartz, a professor of history.

An estimated 80-85 people participated in the rally. The audience was constantly engaged with the speakers, cheering each other, booing the Democrats and the budget cuts, and raising their fists in the air and chanting loudly. Some of the chants that went over well were “No cuts, no fees, education should be free,” “They say cutback, we say fightback; They say layoff, we say back off.”, and “Whose schools? Our Schools; Whose College? Our College”, “Money for jobs and education; Not for war and occupation.”

We then marched across the streets of Capitol Hill. The protesters remained enthused all through the march, unfazed in their chanting.

The march culminated at the plaza, with the emcee exhorting the crowd to continue their activism beyond March 4th. As the emcee concluded, one of the new and energized members of SA stuck his fist up in the air and shouted, “We will win!” The crowd dispersed on that high note.

BELLINGHAM, WA
Students Confront University President
By Logan Steele and Ramy Khalil

The rally on March 4th at Western Washington University spearheaded by Socialist Alternative drew a crowd of over 50 students and workers eager to protest the state government’s proposed tuition hikes and cuts to campus services and jobs. Students spoke of how cuts to financial aid and the Work Study program would seriously jeopardize our education.

Students marched through campus chanting loudly, not only outdoors but also as we marched through the Old Main building where all the top university administrators have their offices. As soon as we entered the Old Main building, we marched right up to the president’s office and asked to see the president.

The president came out, walked around to shake every protester’s hand, and he thanked us for our efforts.

We presented him and three university vice presidents with 200 signatures on petitions against education cuts and told the administrators we needed them to do more to stop the budget cuts.

The president claimed, however, that they were doing all that they could to push for more state funding for education.

So a working-class Latino student asked the president if he would be willing to issue a public statement against the tuition hikes – to which the president adamantly replied “No.”

The president tried hard to convince students that it was in their interest to raise tuition because it would prevent the quality of education from deteriorating as state funding for education “inevitably” declined.

He also argued that raising tuition would mainly affect upper-middle class students because working-class students could supposedly obtain financial aid.

Students argued back (although the president tried to dominate the discussion and made it difficult to get a word in.) Students questioned the logic of how it could be in students’ interest for tuition to increase, particularly as financial aid has been consistently reduced year after year.

Students insisted that administrators needed to demand an increase in funding for education from state politicians who should tax the wealthy and corporations or get a bailout from Obama, like the $14 trillion in bailouts that banks received.

However, the president claimed that it was not politically realistic or popular for politicians to tax the wealthy. This argument was also challenged by students who pointed out that taxing the working class and middle class may not be popular, but taxing the rich certainly was. In fact, a majority of Oregon voters just voted in recent months to tax the rich.

Yet one of the vice presidents still talked down to us, saying we “needed to be better educated on the issues and get more informed.”

After debating back and forth for 20 minutes, it became clear to most students that the administrators were either too well paid and/or unwilling to agree with our point of view. (The president receives annually a $300,000 salary, $25,000 for stock investments, and a house—all paid for by our tuition and taxes.)

This successful protest was sponsored by Western United to Defend Education—a coalition created by Socialist Alternative that includes the Black Student Union, Students for Educational Equality, and Western Votes. It was also endorsed by the United Faculty of Washington State, Veterans for Peace-111, and Whatcom Peace and Justice Center.

The rally had a diverse range of speakers from the Public School Employees union of WWU, the Black Student Union, and MEChA (a Latino student organization). Of all the people at the rally, the members of the Black Student Union, MEChA, and Socialist Alternative seemed the most determined to confront those in power about the budget cuts.

Reports were published in at least the Bellingham Herald, Tacoma News Tribune, and the Western Front campus newspaper. A number of journalism students also interviewed Socialist Alternative members for their class.

We sincerely thank everyone who helped with this protest for their support, and we hope more people will contact us to get involved in the struggle to defend education and social justice:
(713) 458-0366 Bellingham@SocialistAlternative.org

Photos and 2-min. audio recording:
http://westernfrontonline.net/2010030511978/news/rally-opposes-tuition-hikes/

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA
By Marlon Pierre-Antoine

The Cedar Rapids branch of Socialist Alternative contributed its part to the March 4th Day of Action by organizing a protest and rally outside of Kirkwood Community College. About a dozen workers and high school students, carrying signs with slogans such as "The rich made this crisis, let them pay for it!" and "March 4 our education, March 4 our futures", stood outside the campus building, receiving an enthusiastic response from passers-by. We even received media attention, with a speech by S.A. member and alternative high school student Tiffany Van Tomme being listened to by participants and news reporters. That evening, the local stations reported that the struggle of the students and workers was alive in Iowa, if small, and that there are those in the state who are standing up and saying NO to the endless tide of cuts, hikes and layoffs.

Media:
http://www.kwwl.com/Global/story.asp?S=12087439
http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/86428902.html

MINNEAPOLIS, MN
200 Students and Workers Demand “Chop from the Top”
By Brandon Madsen

The March 4th demonstration in Minneapolis was an impressive and exciting event, despite the late start in building for it and the limited overall level of mobilization. Over 200 people showed up for an outdoor rally at the University of Minnesota, where youth, students, and university workers spoke out against the budget cuts and tuition hikes while calling for good jobs and affordable education for all. This was followed up by a march that went through Coffman Student Union and eventually took to the streets on Washington Avenue, pausing to point out the location of a follow-up demonstration next week when the Regents are meeting.

The demonstration was built by a number of campus and community groups, including Students for a Democratic Society, who initiated planning for the event, Women's Student Activist Collective (WSAC), AFSCME 3800, Black Student Union (BSU), Graduate Student Workers United (GSWU), and ourselves in Socialist Alternative, all of whom had speakers at the rally. Also present were members of SEIU Local 26, fresh out of a bitter contract struggle with the cleaning companies.

During the march, the most common chants were: "Chop from the top!", "Fund education, not administration!", "Education is a right! Now is the time to fight!", "Hey hey, ho ho! Tuition hikes have got to go!", and "Whose university? Our university! Whose crisis? Their crisis!"

This demonstration showed the potential that currently exists to build around anti-cuts, affordable education demands, and reflects a changed situation from this same time last year, when the mood to fight budget cuts was less. This national movement appears to have some real momentum behind it and in Minnesota, socialists should continue to organize a fight-back.