Communist Party Leader to Visit The University of Memphis

Comrades,

Make sure to pick up today's copy of The Daily Helmsman and check out the front page story on Jarvis Tyner's talk tomorrow at 7 p.m. in Mitchell Auditorium!

The full text of the article by Erica Horton can be read below.

--------------------

With the presidential debates officially over and election night nearing, people are still discussing the issues and needs of the American people.

Jarvis Tyner, civil rights activist and executive vice chair of the Communist Party USA, will speak to students in the Mitchell Hall auditorium Thursday at 7 p.m. on the topic, “We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest: The Great Challenge of the 2012 Elections.”

Free and open to the public, the event is hosted by the Marxist Student Union, the Graduate Association for African American History, the University of Memphis chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Student Event Allocation Committee.

James Raines, former student and vice president of the Marxist Student Union at the U of M, helped plan the event.

“I think this is important because of the challenges that we’re facing in these upcoming elections. There has been a lot of noise from the right wing,” he said. “A lot of the attacks on President Obama have been racist. A lot of noise we hear out of the Romney camp has been sexist and homophobic.”

Raines said Tyner will present an alternative vision to the right wing noise.

“I think he’s going to highlight the fact that the struggle for equality and civil rights is still going on in America,” Raines said.

He said students should pay attention to the election because of the overwhelming debt some students will face when they graduate and because who is elected will affect the laws in their work place and personal lives.

“The overall message I think that’s going to be presented is also of putting people before profits. I think that’s what’s really at stake here,” he said. “As Americans, which do we think is more important — that some multi-billion corporations make 10 percent more or people have jobs where they can earn a living wage and that they can work with dignity?” 

--------------------
In solidarity,

The University of Memphis Marxists

Jarvis Tyner at the University of Memphis this Thursday

Comrades,

Jarvis Tyner, the executive vice chair of the Communist Party USA and founding member of the Black Radical Congress, will be giving a talk  "We Who Believe in Freedom Can Not Rest: the Great Challenge of the 2012 Elections" this Thursday October 25th at 7 p.m. in Mitchell Auditorium.

Thanks to the generous support of the Graduate Association for African-American History pizza and soda will be provided.

Hope to see you all there!

In solidarity,

The University of Memphis Marxists 

Black Panthers and other Histories Video and Audio Recordings

Comrades,

In preparation for Michael Blum's talk, "We Want Power: Black Power and Community Control in Tennessee" on October 17, we have found an excellent resource online for anyone interested in the topic.

At Black Panthers and Other Histories you can find both the 1968 documentary "Black Panthers - Huey!" the 1968 Black Panther newsreels, Angela Davis' talk on the prison industrial complex, the documentary "Prisons on Fire," and Aaron Dixon's "The History of the Black Panthers."

It also has close to one hundred other films and audio files on everything from dialectics to racial violence, from Cointelpro to the struggle of indigenous peoples. It really is a great resource for anyone interested in the topic.

In Solidarity,

The University of Memphis Marxists

  

We Want Power! Black Power and Community Control in Tennessee

Come out and join us October 17 at 7pm in Rose Entertainment Lobby 115 for an exciting talk by Michael Blum, a Ph.D. candidate in African-American History on the history of the Black Power movement in Tennessee! 

Thanks to our friends at the Graduate Association for African American History!

Comrades,

Thanks to the mutual support we enjoy with the Graduate Association for African-American History (GAAAH), and the tireless effort of their president, we will have free food and drink for all attendees of Jarvis Tyner's talk "We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest: The Great Challenge of the 2012 Elections" on Thursday, October 25 at 7pm in Mitchell Auditorium at the University of Memphis!

Check out this great flier designed by their president.

In solidarity,

The University of Memphis Marxists 

We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest

Comrades,

Jarvis Tyner ran for the US presidency twice on a ticket with presidential candidate Gus Hall in the 1970s.

He worked closely with Angela Davis and he is a founding member of the Black Radical Congress.

He is one of the most dynamic speakers on the topic of equality today.

Find out why full voter mobilization and participation in November's elections are crucial in the struggle against racism, gender discrimination, and homophobia!

Join us Thursday, October 25 at 7 pm in Mitchell Hall Auditorium to hear Jarvis Tyner. 


Check out the 9/13 edition of the Daily Helmsman for our first ad promoting the event

and look for our poster on campus and around town!

In Solidarity,

The University of Memphis Marxists

First Meeting of the Marxist Student Union This Semester.

Comrades,

Welcome to the Fall Semester at the University of Memphis! I hope all of you are having a great semester thus far. It was a real pleasure meeting the new members of the Marxist Student Union at our table at the Student Involvement Fair on Monday afternoon. I hope to see all of you wonderful people at our first meeting this semester, tomorrow August 30 at 6 p.m. in the University Center River Room!

In solidarity,

The University of Memphis Marxists 

Meet the Marxist Student Union at the Student Involvement Fair

Comrades,

Make sure to visit the Marxist Student Union table at the Student Involvement Fair on August 27 from 3-5 p.m.

Pick up a copy of our semester schedule and learn more about our work to register voters in Memphis.

Attend our first meeting on August 30 at 6 p.m. in the University Center River Room to learn precisely how much you are being exploited by your employer and why the cost of tuition is constantly increasing.

In solidarity,

The University of Memphis Marxists

Start the new academic year with the Marxist Student Union

Comrades,

Check out the full color 1/4 page advertisement that we will be running in the Daily Helmsman. 

I hope to see everyone at our kickoff event for the start of the academic year. Fall 2012 promises to be a memorable and exciting semester for the members and friends of the Marxist Student Union.

In Solidarity,

The University of Memphis Marxists.

Photos From May Day

Comrades,

Here are some photographs from the May Day march in Memphis.

In Solidarity,

The University of Memphis Marxists

May Day in Memphis

Comrades,

Come out tomorrow at 2pm for our May Day march in celebration of International Worker's Day. We will start the park at the corner of Union and Manasses and march to city hall. Come out and carry a red flag in solidarity with the workers of the world. Do your part. Make a difference.

In Solidarity,

The University of Memphis Marxists

University of Memphis Students Stand Against Injustice. Free the Cuban 5!

Comrades,

Here are a few photos from today's information table and petition drive for the Cuban 5. Thank you to all of you who stopped by the table today especially those of you who brought your friends along. Every signature counts and your individual effort makes a difference.

We had a number of great discussions and collected dozens of signatures in a few short hours. Many of our fellow students were outraged and shocked at the hypocrisy and injustice of the American system in the case of Cuba and its heroic 5.

In Solidarity,

The University of Memphis Marxists

Five Days for the Cuban Five

Comrades,

in support of the "Five Days for the Cuban Five" actions taking place in Washington D.C. beginning tomorrow April 17, we will have a table in the U.C. from 11-3 to collect signatures for a petition to free the Cuban Five as well as to end the blockade of Cuba.

Come by to sign the petitions and say hello and bring your friends. If you have the time, stay a while and help out. Show your international solidarity by lending your support to the Cuban people tomorrow afternoon.

http://www.thecuban5.org/wordpress/2012/03/30/april-17-21-5-days-of-activities-for-the-cuban-5-in-washington-dc/

In Solidarity,

The Marxist Student Union

One Year in The Marxist Student Union

Comrades,

As the spring semester winds down and the last meeting of the Marxist Student Union this academic year comes to a close, I can’t help but look back over the past ten months fondly. In that brief time, we have had over 7,500 visitors to our webpage and established a visible Marxist presence in Memphis.

     We began last July and made our debut on campus at the Student Involvement Fair the following month.

During that first semester we hosted discussions of Lenin’s Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism , What Is To Be Done, and  The Communist Manifesto. Furthermore, our faculty adviser read a selection from The Communist Manifesto during Banned Books Week at the campus library. 
    The Marxist Student Union also actively supported our fellow union member Lee Harris in his campaign for the City Council seat of District 7 and were there at his campaign headquarters on Chelsea Avenue for the victory party when he defeated the Ford machine. 

That semester, the Marxist Student Union  issued a statement of support and solidarity to Occupy Memphis and helped organize its anti-Capitalist caucus. We hosted a screening of The Good Fight: The Story of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in cooperation with the anti-Capitalist caucus and sang the Internationale more than once.

In response to our support of the Occupy movement we were listed as one of the “dangerous groups” who supported OWS by Glen Beck and were also attacked online by Andrew Breitbart.

    The Vice-President of the Marxist Student Union was able to travel to the People’s World headquarters in Chicago to receive invaluable media training and actively participate in Occupy Chicago.

We also helped organize a rally and march at Occupy Memphis in support of OWS when they were evicted from Zuccotti Park. Representatives from Worker’s Interfaith Network, Graduate Students of African-American History, AFSCME, the CPUSA, the MSU, as well as Lee Harris and Steve Mulroy spoke before our march. Part of our preparations for the event were covered by Current TV reporter Christof Putzel. 

In keeping with the internationalist ideals of Marxism, we devoted the spring semester to Cuban solidarity.  Beginning with a screening of Che, we worked to educate the campus community about Cuba and build popular support for the Cuban Revolution. Our adviser, Dennis Laumann, gave a talk (to a packed auditorium) on the pivotal battle of Cuito Cunavale in the Angolan Civil War and its role in ending apartheid.

We were present at the formation of the Memphis Bus Riders’ Union, and continue to support the ongoing effort to empower the poor and working class people of Memphis in their struggle for adequate public transportation.

     The Marxist Student Union also hosted a talk by Dr. Guiomar Dueñas-Vargas, an Associate Professor of History and internationally recognized scholar, titled “Why the Cuban Revolution Did Not Fail.” Professor Dueñas-Vargas discussed the conditions in Cuba that led to the revolution in amazing detail and showed how the Cuban Revolution continues to benefit all of the people of Latin America.

We drew our semester to a close with a discussion of the Cuban Five. In the meeting we detailed the history of U.S. sponsored terrorism in Cuba, the biographies of the five Cuban anti-terrorist officers, and the miscarriage of justice their sham trial represents. Next week we will have a table in the University Center to collect signatures for a petition to free the Cuban Five in support of the “Five Days for the Cuban Five” actions taking place in Washington D.C. April 17-21.

Next year we hope to further educate the campus community about Marxism and advocate social and political action from a Marxist perspective by focusing on the civil rights struggle and the Black Power movement. Join the Marxist Student Union next fall. 2012-2013 promises to be a great year.

In Solidarity,

The University of Memphis Marxists

The Marxist Student Union Speaks Out

Comrades,

Check out this great story in the Daily Helmsman on the Marxist Student Union. Many thanks to Christopher Whitten for the coverage and Brian Wilson for the great photograph.

Marxist Student Union Speaks Out.

Make sure to pick up a copy of the Helmsman on campus tomorrow.

In Solidarity,

The University of Memphis Marxists

Anti-Cuban Sentiment Pervades Southern Florida

Over the course of his career Ozzie Guillen has made it clear, "I don’t admire his [Fidel Castro's] philosophy"(Men's Journal 2008). The manager of the Miami Marlins simply, "admires him [Castro]" for his ability to stand in the face of what many would consider overwhelming odds while maintaining widespread popular support in Cuba. Guillen is on record saying Castro is a "bullsh!t dictator."

Nonetheless, he respects him because, " A lot of people have wanted to kill Fidel Castro for the last 60 years, but that mother—— is still here.” He clarifies that, "“Everybody in the world hates Fidel Castro, including myself,” (Time April 2012).

For this sentiment,Ozzie Guillen is immediately suspended from his job,  due in part to people like Francis Suarez, chairman of the Miami city commission.,Prior to the suspension Suarez said,. “On behalf of many angry residents, I’m calling for real action to be taken and for the removal of Mr. Guillen"(Time).

For his comment, Guillen apologized profusely, "on his knees" and said his statements were "the worst mistake of his life." Guillen explains, “I was surprised that he’s still in power. That’s what I was trying to say to the journalist"(New York Times April 10, 2012). 

The defense attorneys of the Cuban 5 petitioned the court to move the proceedings outside of Miami due to the overwhelming bias of the population against Cuba. The petition of the  Cuban Five was denied despite the fact that it was, and remains, an impossibility for a Cuban to get a fair trial in southern Florida.

Considering that Ozzie Guillen, the manager of a major league baseball team, has been treated so harshly for doing so little how can anyone believe the Cuban Five were fairly tried?

Free the Cuban Five! 

Free the Cuban 5!

Comrades,

Here is the flier for our event this Thursday at 6pm. Please print it out and share it with your friends. I hope to see everybody there.

In Solidarity,

The University of Memphis Marxists

Free the Cuban 5!

Comrades,


Five intelligence officers were captured while monitoring known terrorists responsible for numerous bombings and and death of over 3,000 innocent people.

After a show trial, each was sentenced to no less than fifteen years in federal prison. Gerardo Hernandez, the unit commander, was sentenced to two life sentences and Fernando Gonzales, according to NPR has been placed in the infamous Communications Management Unit (aka Guantanamo North) in aptly named Terre Haute Il.

The next meeting of the Marxist Student Union is Thursday, April 12 at 6pm. Our April meeting will be devoted entirely to the Cuban 5. Join the Marxist Student Union to discuss the plight of the Cuban 5 and find out  what you can do to help them.

Stop briefly and imagine how Gerardo Hernandez, Ramón Labañino, Fernando Gonzalez, Antonio Guerrero and René Gonzalez feel at this very moment.

In Solidarity,


The University of Memphis Marxists

Why the Cuban Revolution did not Fail Room Change

Comrades,

in order to facilitate our numbers and Professor Dueñas-Vargas' technology needs we are moving our meeting up one floor to the Shelby room on the 3rd floor of the University Center. Professor Dueñas-Vargas has limited time to speak with us so we will get started promptly at 6pm.

In Solidarity,

The University of Memphis Marxists

Glenn Beck Calls the Marxist Student Union "a Deadly Group."

Comrades,

I understand that this is technically old news, but I just learned of it today and thought I would share it with you. On November 1, 2011 Glenn Beck read a list of the "hidden supporters" of Occupy Wall Street. Our Marxist Student Union was included among them. Beck goes on to describe us and others as "a deadly group."

See for yourself. I suggest skipping forward about 2.5 minutes in order to avoid his bile.

 Needless to say we and the other organizations included on this list, like the Black Panthers, have nothing in common with white supremacy and find its vile creed worthy of nothing save annihilation. The fact that the ultra-right attempts to associate Fascism with Communism shows their irrational desperation to discredit the people's movement towards peace, equality, and Socialism.

Respect to all our fellow Marxists who we are proud to be counted among including the CPUSA, the SPUSA and Freedom Road. Let's keep up the good work.

In Solidarity,

The University of Memphis Marxists

Why the Cuban Revolution did not Fail

Comrades,

Guiomar Dueñas-Vargas, Associate Professor of History, answers why a tiny island in the Caribbean has continued to work for peace, equality, and Socialism more than twenty years after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Join the discusssion March 16 at 6pm in University Center 203.

In Solidarity,

The University of Memphis Marxists

Why We Fight

Comrades,

I lack the words to introduce this brief and powerful video.

American History

In Solidarity,

The University of Memphis Marxists

Help Form Memphis' First Bus Riders Union

Comrades,

Following a well-attended town hall and several weeks of outreach to Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) customers, the Transportation Task Force is hosting a meeting for the creation of the Memphis Bus Riders Union (MBRU). The Union will be made up of MATA customers and will be dedicated to raising the level of service and dignity provided by the public transit system as well as to ensuring greater public accountability and public input over MATA policies and practices.

Public transportation is a civil rights issue. Bus routes still reflect Jim Crow laws when buses took domestic workers out east on routes running west to east.

Starting on Saturday, February 18th, city bus riders can join the MBRU and stand together to pressure city officials and MATA to improve transit service so that it accurately reflects the realities of Memphis. When 40 percent of Memphians need access to public transit and nearly 25 percent of Memphians live under the poverty line, it is unconscionable to combine fare increases with reduced routes and times. 

The Memphis Bus Riders Union is the next step to improving Memphis’ public transit system. TTF members cite imminent employee pension shortfalls, which combined with long standing route problems, increasing fares, and poor customer service, reveal the deep need for grassroots public organization and direct action. Through this movement, Memphians can pressure city and MATA officials to address these most urgent issues and ensure that rider concerns are the chief priority of MATA.

Interested MATA customers who seek to join in the formation of the BUS RIDERS UNION are invited to attend the kickoff meeting at the AFSCME Union Hall, 485 Beale St., from 1-3 pm on Saturday, February 18th.

Following the meeting, a press conference will be held to announce future actions by the Bus Riders Union, where representatives will be available for comment. For more information, contact the Task Force at TTFMemphis@gmail.com.

Come to the AFSCME Union Hall this Saturday afternoon to fight for civil rights!

In Solidarity,

The University of Memphis Marxists

First Spring Semester Meeting

Comrades,

Here is a flier for our first meeting. Hope everyone has had a good semester so far. See you all there.

In Solidarity,

The University of Memphis Marxists

The Destination this Spring: Cuba!

Comrades,

This semester we are focusing our activities on a tiny island famous for its revolutionaries and doctors. That's right, the mid-south is going south, we're leaving Miami behind and going to Cuba for our lessons on revolutionary theory and action this spring.

Our first meeting will discuss the man whose face millions recognize,  who Stephen Colbert dresses as to 'infiltrate' Occupy Wall Street, and who is simply known as:


Che


In Solidarity,

The University of Memphis Marxists