The Militant - February 15, 2010 -- ‘I like the paper; it educates me,’ says long-term subscriber

Vol. 74/No. 6 February 15, 2010

‘I like the paper; it educates
me,’ says long-term subscriber
(front page)

BY PAUL MAILHOT
“I like the paper. It brings out a lot of points about the Black struggle and the fight for jobs,” said Dwelley Cauley in Miami upon renewing his subscription. “It talks about working people in general, the hard times we face. And about how to get things done we have to band together. There is always something in there every time I get the Militant. It educates me.”

Cauley is a member of International Longshoremen’s Association Local 1416 and has worked on the docks at the Miami port for 18 years. Supporters of the Militant regularly sell the paper and set up a table with a display of Pathfinder books Saturday mornings during the union members “shape-up” for work. In addition to renewing his subscription to the Militant, Cauley bought a copy of Malcolm X, Black Liberation, and the Road to Workers Power. A longshoreman from Haiti, who also works at the Miami port, bought a copy of the book last week too.

Supporters of the Militant are on a four-week campaign from January 16 to February 17 to visit current and previous subscribers to the paper, find out what they think about its working-class coverage of politics, and ask them to become long-term readers. Those who resubscribe are also being urged to take advantage of a special offer with their renewal to purchase Malcolm X, Black Liberation, and the Road to Workers Power for only $10.

The chart on this page shows that many areas are ahead of schedule to meet their quotas after two weeks of the four-week effort. The international goal for the drive is 375 renewals, which we are now well on pace to go over even though local quotas do not yet add up to the goal. In the course of this effort many new people are also subscribing to the Militant.

In New York, Nancy Boyasko reports that 31 people have already renewed their subscriptions. Supporters of the Militant there had set 45 as their quota. “We are having success everywhere we get into discussions about the working-class politics of the Militant, and the road to workers power,” Boyasko reported. “This week three workers at the garment plant where Dan Fein, a supporter of the Militant, works decided to renew their subscriptions, and they all bought copies of the book. We sold a renewal to a professor who we are working with around defense of the Cuban Revolution. A student who was in the office said, “Hey, can I get one of those too?” We picked up several more by doing house visits to people who subscribed to the Militant in the fall.”

The Militant welcomes local reporting of the campaign to win long-term readers. Results of the campaign, who we are selling to, and what their responses are, help make for lively coverage of the effort.

Related articles:
Subscription Renewal Drive: Week 2
Sell the book on ‘Workers Power’
New feature supplement to appeal to French-speaking workers, youth
The untold history of Blacks’ fight for land

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