Okay context: I had a talk with one of my professors after class today. I was testing the waters for some redness, because he was extremely good about unapologetically exposing the dark reality of past and present racism. Although it seemed a lot of the required reading seemed to skip over the scary words of communism and socialism. I had read through most ahead of time in order to judge how much I will hate the course, and its actually pretty goddamn good. Although it doesn't explicitly claim its marxism, it has the same sort of analysis and conclusions. So, I wanted to see for what reason it seemed that the explicitly communist history of these black american movements were being whitewashed on purpose.

Basically he hadn't really noticed that, but he explained how it made sense with many minority movements having to disguise their communist ideology because of McCarthyism. I knew that, but what about the out and proud? The Black Panthers? The New Afrika movement? MLK was advocating for the destruction of capitalism goddammit! He did know this, and explained very well about his reasoning and how he wasn't skipping over it, there's just a lot to cover. Also liberals freak out at the slightest hint of communism or socialism. He was already teaching a class about racism and Americans still shirk at the word "black" being said aloud (so much for 'allyship' ya dumb liberals lol).

There was also the main part that pisses me off: another reason he didn't want to go on about the explicit socialism was his experience with it (don't do that internal groan thing let me continue, its not what you think).

Everytime he tried to engage with many parties or communists in america, they had dismissed him and the problems of racism as "its all class". I can understand the frustration. He brought up how communists in america were as much allies as they were problems to the racial equality movements. They would reduce every single issue to the bare minimum of the division of working class and capitalist class. He rightly does this because I have run into this all over the place, hell I used to be one of the morons until some nice comrades here got me some good reccs (all hail 'False Nationalism, False Internationalism' and anything by franz fanon)!

I acquiesced that although that is a huge problem, especially in the states, but doesn't reflect communist theory at all. The National Question, etc. there is a lot of communist theory that illuminates that while class is the relationship of a person to the means of production, there is far more that lies beneath the surface. We had a nice discussion, and ended on good terms. I really don't do this professor justice he is really cool, and doing very good work. There's a lot I want to learn from him.

But goddamn, I cannot tell you the amount of POC that i've met turned off from communism because they met people like the idiots that dismissed their plight and said "actually we all suffer the same as working class". There is a divide between the black and white workers, the male and female workers, the gay and hetero workers, and so forth. This is pure fact. It is spitting in their face when you say that white cishet workers suffer the same as say, a black immigrant trans worker. These divides can be breached, but they have to be done on a basis of mutual respect and acknowledgement of the complicated social structures that need combating in order to achieve class liberation.

If you cannot understand these crucial fundamentals, then you are nothing but a pretender. A false communist. We joke about branding people that, but it truly applies to those so divorced from the reality of the people around us. You can't liberate people when you don't respect them, not truly. The liberation of the world will not be done by a mostly white party, especially ones well off economically. That would be one that doesn't represent the working class, and is therefore an effort built on pillars of sand.

I see this pattern throughout history as well, with many promising labor activists in poc communities being isolated due to the ignorance of these "communists". It enrages me like no other. Cosmopolitans also fall under a similar idiocy, because they dismiss the reality of nationality and nationalism in favor of claiming that it is suddenly gone.

It is the same with disregarding sexual and gender liberation, you can't claim to liberate the working class while oppressing the existence of them purely based in ignorance

Comrades that acknowledge these differences and embrace true love and intersectionality, full love and support, and keep learning about the struggles of the working class. Get out there and do good work, with an attitude of respect to the struggles of all.

Others who do not

Read some fucking theory, revisionist

Okay that was longer than I meant it sorry, have a nice day! Love you guys!