Vol. 74/No. 20      May 24, 2010

The subscription drive ran alongside a campaign to get out the book Malcolm X, Black Liberation, and the Road to Workers Power by Jack Barnes in response to the interest among workers and youth for a discussion about revolutionary working-class answers to the capitalist crisis. There were 1,870 copies of the book sold.

Supporters of the Militant across the globe reached out to workers in struggle at picket lines, in immigrant rights marches, through discussions on the job, at gatherings in defense of revolutionary Cuba, at political meetings, campaign events, and on street corners. Teams of socialist workers regularly sold to students on campuses. The results were a significant success.

“We just sent more subscriptions,” wrote Edwin Fruit from Seattle on the final day. “That brings our grand total to 153 of a quota of 145. And we raised our quota twice during the drive!” The enthusiasm of distributors in Seattle was mirrored in many other cities.

Supporters of the Militant from Des Moines, Iowa, traveled to Fremont, Nebraska, to close out the drive, where an anti-immigrant measure will be on the ballot this summer.

“Several people invited us into their homes,” said Maggie Trowe. “Within a few hours we had sold 13 subscriptions to the paper and one copy of Malcolm X, Black Liberation, and the Road to Workers Power. Several told us they would pick up the book next time we are to town. We plan to return soon!”

In Atlanta supporters of the Militant topped their goal with a good effort at the Sweet Auburn Spring Festival. The annual event is held along Auburn Avenue, an historic political, financial, and cultural center for Blacks in the city.

Janice Lynn wrote, “Ten copies of Malcolm X, Black Liberation, and the Road to Workers Power and 10 subscriptions to the Militant were bought by festival-goers. Many union members were attracted to the book’s title and contents and bought it.”

“This week we sold 13 copies of the Workers Power book with subscriptions,” wrote Glova Scott from Washington, D.C. “A highlight of the final day’s effort was at a nurses’ informational picket line at Washington Hospital Center. Some 600 people were there, many coming from a nurses’ convention taking place in the city. We sold 5 subscriptions and 3 Workers Power books at the picket line.”

From Montreal, Michel Prairie wrote about a socialist worker who “just got a job at a large United Steelworkers organized factory and sold a copy in English of Malcolm X, Black Liberation, and the Road to Workers Power to a young Congolese coworker. He was interested in learning more about the history of struggle by Blacks in the United States. He did not want to wait until the book is available in French in June.”

Over the coming months distributors of the Militant will be continuing to campaign with Malcolm X, Black Liberation, and the Road to Workers Power. Many recent subscribers, who decided to check out the paper before buying the book, will be good candidates for follow-up political discussion.
 
 
Related articles:
Evolution of Malcolm X’s views on religion
Campaign to sell "Workers Power' with 'Militant' subscriptions (chart)  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home