Chinese men working on the Union Pacific Railroad in the late 1800s. (source: Western History/Genealogy Department, Denver Public Library) Hui-Ling Chan works as a housing administrator and during the Covid-19 pandemic, has been designated an essential worker. For Chan and countless other Asian workers in the U.S. during the pandemic, there has been a heightened level of … [Read more...] about In the Face of COVID-19, Asian Americans Counter Imperialism
Organizing
Letter to the Socialists, Old and New
Boots Riley addresses the Marxist Center conference.' I joined the labor movement 41 years ago. I had enrolled in the socialist movement two years before that. When I started out my links to the rest of the socialist movement were few; there were dwindling handfuls of people who identified publicly as "socialists." The U.S. Mail and shortwave radio were my links to the … [Read more...] about Letter to the Socialists, Old and New
Abolition Behind the Walls
credit: unknown Practicing abolition is hard, especially behind the walls. Yesterday, I witnessed an argument between two prisoners, one of them a friend. When the other prisoner walked away, I asked my friend if he was okay. He told me that the other prisoner was pressuring him to have sex. I figured that much. The guy is known for predatory behavior. My friend was in debt … [Read more...] about Abolition Behind the Walls
A Mental Health Crisis Among Graduate Students: Uncovering the Root Cause
Rutgers AAUP-AFT members marching during their most recent contract dispute. In the foreground, a sign reads "Equal Pay For Equal Work." (Photo courtesy of Rutgers AAUP-AFT) A recent Nature editorial¹ highlighting student mental health struggles across graduate programs in the United States failed to address the crisis for what it is: a symptom of a greater issue. … [Read more...] about A Mental Health Crisis Among Graduate Students: Uncovering the Root Cause
Organizing the Unorganized: The Left’s Task in the Labor Movement
Strike pickets in New York (1910) Image via Wikimedia Commons The utter rout of the Labour Party in the 2019 British elections has raised serious questions about the immediate viability of an electoral road to socialism “across the pond.” Some commentators have since tried to distance the democratic socialism of Jeremy Corbyn from that of his American counterpart … [Read more...] about Organizing the Unorganized: The Left’s Task in the Labor Movement