Making the most of every day of the May 26–June 3 target week in the drive will be the best way for all partisans of the Militant to bring the revolutionary perspective discussed at the May 20 meeting to workers, farmers, and young people, along with news and information about the resistance of working people around the world to the assaults, racism, and wars of the capitalists and their governments.
Cuba and the Coming American Revolution--available to new subscribers for only $5--together with two other pamphlets, is an effective tool to explain why workers and farmers in the United States need to build a communist youth organization and party that will lead the coming battles for power in this country.
Already during the drive Militant supporters have put The Working Class and the Transformation of Learning and Pathfinder Was Born With the October Revolution into the hands of hundreds of people, as indicated in the chart on this page. Cuba and the Coming American Revolution should give a boost to these efforts heading into the final weeks of the campaign. For example, those attending the May 20 meeting purchased 58 copies of the new title and an additional $334 in books along with several subscriptions.
At the meeting SWP leader Mary-Alice Waters said the campaign to double the size of the Young Socialists is simultaneously a campaign to double the number of candidates for party membership, the quality of the Militant Labor Forums, the reach of revolutionary and communist literature, the outreach of socialist election campaigns, and the exposure and face of the Young Socialists and Socialist Workers Party. These political goals and spirit are what the circulation campaign and book distribution efforts are all about.
The day before the meeting socialist workers and Young Socialists set up tables in the Garment District in New York. In one afternoon they sold five copies of Cuba and the Coming American Revolution, another $139 worth of books, and a subscription to a member of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees.
In Upper Manhattan, Don Mackle reports a team sold several subscriptions and copies of the new book at a meeting in Harlem commemorating the birthday of revolutionary leader Malcolm X. A college student who bought a subscription said he has been increasingly angry about the reactionary assaults in the world. "At first I decided to just ignore everything," he said. "But now I decided I should do something about the problems. I want to start reading and get to know more about what is going on." By the end of a short afternoon of sales the team had sold seven subscriptions to the Militant, one subscription to Perspectiva Mundial, and more than $125 in Pathfinder books. Three people took advantage of the special offer of $15 for a Militant subscription and the new book.
Through the circulation campaign partisans of the Militant can look forward to finding the "ordinary working men and women," such as those described in the new book who were responsible for making the Cuban Revolution. There are plenty of places to do that today, such as at the action of coal miners in West Virginia in their fight against the mining bosses; the June 2 march in Cincinnati against police brutality; a June 9 rally demanding justice for the five longshore workers in South Carolina accused of "inciting to riot;" on the picket lines with garment workers in Baltimore; at rallies to demand equal rights for immigrants; and elsewhere. All are opportunities to introduce workers and farmers to the politics found in Cuba and the Coming American Revolution.
Creativity and initiative, along with a well-planned effort during the target week can help put the drive on track.
Back in Birmingham supporters of the Militant made a concerted effort to reach out to the growing number of Spanish-speaking workers in the area. In just two blocks of door-to-door sales, three workers bought subscriptions to Perspectiva Mundial, sending Birmingham over our goal of five. We decided to raise our goal to seven PM subscriptions.
A number of people have filled out subscription forms and asked us to call them back later, and we plan some more door-to-door sales. It was quite a good week for us here and an excellent warm up for the worldwide target week.
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