Comments on
Revolution: Why It’s Necessary? Why It’s Possible? What It's All About?
A Film of a Talk by Bob Avakian
Hal Perry on listening to "They Sold Postcards at. the Hangings," from the filmed talk of Revolution, Why It’s Necessary, Why It’s Possible and What It’s All About, by Bob Avakian,
I loved everything about it, including its presentation and its factual basis. In this talk, Bob Avakian says, "White supremacy is built into the foundation of this country." lagree with that and I think it’s impossible to remove under the current system of government.
He talks about the lynchings of Claude Neal, Mary Turner and Hanes Turner, and Emmett Till. In 1955, I was playing basketball for the U.S.F. Dons with Bill Russell and K.C. Jones. The only Blacks in that school were on scholarships and we were the first Blacks who were ever accepted into that college. We faced a lot of pressure. Some people didn’t like the fact that we were even brought into the school.
Bob Avakian in this talk refers to a PBS program on the system of segregation in the south. In that program, a psychologist said that every Black person living in the south under Jim Crow was living actually under a death sentence. It might or might not get carried out, but it was always there.
When Emmett Till was murdered for whistling at a white woman in 1955, we were devastated and felt the same concern. As young Black men, we didn’t know whether they would come after us or not for playing basketball in the south. Our team was the first integrated team to play at the college level in the south. When we played in Oklahoma, the fans called us "N....," and yelled, "Get those n..., off the court!." They threw nickels and quarters at us while we were playing and called us Globetrotters. The Black players weren’t allowed to stay in the hotel. Our team met and decided that we were all going to stay together, so the white and Black players stayed at the University of Oklahoma university dorms. When we won that game, we celebrated by ourselves in the empty dorm.
In New Orleans, it was very segregated. We couldn’t stay in the hotel and we couldn’t go to any restaurants, instead we ate at the university. We couldn’t even walk in the streets. We spent time in the Black neighborhood. We played in the tournament and then left town.
The attitude of the fans and the white society overall was that we shouldn’t be playing in the first place. Not only were we playing, but we beat everyone we played against. Our slogan was, "Show up and get beat." When the other teams lost, their fans finally became very quiet. We were undefeated from 1955-1956.
This experience of oppression for Black people is going to continue and it will get worse, unless there’s a change. I believe a revolution will have to come about for it to change.
Statement from Al Ronzoni Jr. He is a member of Progressive Democrats of America and is also active in the World Can't Wait. He has endorsed the Engage Statement to project and protect the voice of Bob Avakian as an individual and not on behalf of any group.
When I first started watching the Revolution DVD it was like a book I couldn't put down. Bob Avakian is unsparing in shining a light on the darkest aspects of American history and the capitalist system that underlies it. No American should allow fear, pride or prejudice against Avakian because of his communist beliefs, to keep them from facing these truths about their country. Avakian did not just fall out of the sky the other day to preach revolution. He was part of some of the signature movements of the 1960's: the Berkeley Free Speech Movement, SDS and the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. He has been observing and studying the decline of the American political system for decades. Bob Avakian has much that is relevant to say to us. Watch this DVD!
“It’s like we’re in a situation where we don’t know where to go. It feels like an atmosphere of distrust, fear of the future, instability. I feel like there are no guidelines or parameters on where to go. But I think Bob Avakian has a plan full of hope in the face of uncertainty that weighs on people.” [Comment by a woman after showing of the DVD Revolución in Mexico City]
Avakian, speaking in public in the U.S. last year for the first time since 1979, offers a full plan for revolutionary transformation, and he gets the attention of Black Americans right away on these four DVDs in his passionate discussion of lynching, police brutality, racial profiling and issues pertinent to African Americans.
"Recalling the vicious assaults on Claude Neal, Mary Turner and Emmett Till, Avakian provides a brutal and bloody outline of tragedy, and does it with a fervor that is far too uncommon coming from the mouth of a white man. I can think of only Tim Wise who comes close to genuinely evoking white sympathy as he assails racism and white supremacy. " Read More [The Revolution may not be televised, but it's on film by Herb Boyd, The Amsterdam News August 5-August 11, 2004]
“I heard Bob Avakian speak last year on the urgent and timely issue of revolution: why it's necessary, why it's possible, and what must be done to bring revolution about. "
“Avakian first gave a history of the oppression, exploitation and devastation of Black people from the enslavement of Africans, through segregation, discrimination and continued racism. Then he enlarged from this to humankind's history, to include all people's trials and tribulations at the hands of capitalism and its greed, arrogance, and abuse of power. He condemned this intolerable, unbearable situation--and then Avakian made very clear that another world is possible. His explanation of the workings of the imperialist system--and how the struggle of the people can get rid of it and replace it with a just and equitable society--was powerful and uplifting."
“With what the world is going through right now, this moment is crucial--and liberation must be international. We must stop U.S. imperialism! We must create a vision of that just and equitable world, and collectively work to make it a revolutionary reality. This speech needs to be heard by others. It could take many more people onto the path toward that world liberation.” [Yuri Kochiyama]
“Just like landmark art work or historically seminal music Bob Avakian's delivery and timing is truly inspiring. The only thing more inspiring is the vision and message he presents to us. Avakian is a revolutionary leader whose voice must be heard far and wide today.” [Wil-Dog, Jiro and Uli from Ozomatli]
“In times like these, this clear voice for social change is a welcome relief from all the confusion and lies. Listen, and you will truly hear a voice of reason, with sharp analysis and deep understanding, going up against the tide of injustice and oppression. Of crucial importance is the fearless opposition to the rise of the Christian right and its pernicious effect on the political and cultural life in this country. While you might not agree with everything he says, he will challenge you with his insights and a clarion call to what must be done. ” [Reverend Earl Kooperkamp, Pastor, St. Mary's Church, Harlem, NYC]
“As an avowed anarchist, and a committed anti-capitalist, I try to learn from the lessons of history in order to devise better tactics, and recognize viable strategies for overthrowing capitalism. And while I'm an anarchist, I do recognize that in 1917 a small group of revolutionaries did achieve one of, if not the, greatest anti-capitalist transformations in world history. Indeed the Bolshevik Revolution thrilled millions of anti-capitalist anarchists around the world when it occurred, including Emma Goldman. The October revolution was led by a brilliant geo-political analyst, Vladimir Lenin. Having watched this video, I'd say if Lenin were alive today, he'd sound a lot like Bob Avakian. ” [Alan Minsky, Senior Producer at KPFK in Los Angeles and co-founder of the LA Independent Media Center]
“I highly recommend this talk as a starting place for study or an update to review the Marxist Leninist Maoist approach. Bob Avakian hurls an impassioned, articulate challenge to capitalism and US imperialism. Women's liberation cannot be achieved without defeating these forces, therefore Avakian's presentation is an important contribution.” [Carol Downer, Founder, Federation of Feminist Women's Health Centers]
“Whatever your political orientation or religious background, this comes across as a challenge that must be heard and wrestled with. There is great depth and seriousness in Bob Avakian's analysis of a situation which most of us have failed to fully recognize. But he is confident that we can create a viable future for the planet.”[Reverend George W. Webber, President Emeritus, New York Theological Seminary]
“Bob Avakian, a thinker and activist of remarkable critical insights, sums up the lessons he has learned and the conclusions he has determined during more than thirty years of activism and leadership and guides present and future activists through a tough course which leads to the understanding of the imperatives for a new society. ”[Dr. Juan Gomez Quinonez, historian and writer, UCLA]
“If my people had a leader like this, we would have been free a long time ago.” [A young worker from the Mixtec national minority of Mexico]
“Quite frankly, many people have never heard anyone say the things Chairman Avakian said, or have ever heard anyone talk about this world, this social system, this society, and another possible society and way of living in the way he did before. This talk addressed questions that literally millions of people all over the world are agonizing over at this moment.” [A communist artist]
“He was showing the kind of system we live in and what it does to all humanity... he was inviting people to rise up their sights, their views and look at things at this moment of history we’re in and the need to transform and change things.” [A young construction worker from Latin America]
“He speaks from the heart and at the same time with such a sweeping understanding, with total resolution, and not just with hatred for the bourgeoisie but confidence in the masses of people.” [a young immigrant woman from South Asia]
“A journey to be savored.” [a veteran communist]
