Remaking Radicalism: A Grassroots Documentary Reader of the United States, 1973–2001

528 Pages·2020·3.801 MB·English

by  Dan Berger, Emily K. Hobson

Remaking
Radicalism
SERIES EDITORS
Lynn Itagaki, University of Missouri
Daniel Rivers, Ohio State University
FOUNDING EDITORS
Claire Potter, Wesleyan University
Renee Romano, Oberlin College
ADVISORY BOARD
Mary Dudziak, University of Southern California
Devin Fergus, Hunter College, City University of New York
David Greenberg, Rutgers University
Shane Hamilton, University of Georgia
Jennifer Mittelstadt, Rutgers University
Stephen Pitti, Yale University
Robert Self, Brown University
Siva Vaidhyanathan, University of Virginia
Judy Wu, University of California, Irvine
Remaking
Radicalism
A GRASSROOTS
DOCUMENTARY READER
OF THE UNITED STATES,
1973–2001
Edited by Dan Berger
and Emily K. Hobson
The University of Georgia Press
ATHENS
© 2020 by the University of Georgia Press
Athens, Georgia 30602
www.ugapress.org
All rights reserved
Set in 8.75/12 Stone Serif ITC Pro Medium
by Kaelin Chappell Broaddus
Most University of Georgia Press titles are
available from popular e-book vendors.
Printed digitally
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Berger, Dan, editor. | Hobson, Emily K., 1975– editor.
Title: Remaking radicalism : a grassroots documentary reader
of the United States, 1973–2001 / edited by Dan Berger and
Emily K. Hobson.
Description: Athens : The University of Georgia Press, 2020.
| Series: Since 1970: histories of contemporary America |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: lccn 2020028111 (print) | lccn 2020028112 (ebook)
| isbn 9780820357263 (hardback) | isbn 9780820357256
(paperback) | isbn 9780820357270 (ebook)
Subjects: lcsh: Radicalism—United States—History. | Right and
left (Political science) | Social movements—United States.
Classification: lcc hn90.r3 r466 2020 (print) | lcc hn90.r3
(ebook) | ddc 303.48/4—dc23
lc record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020028111
lc ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020028112
CONTENTS
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xv
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xvii
INTRODUCTION Usable Pasts and the Persistence of Radicalism 1
Part 1: Bodies and Lives 23
SECTION A. FEMINIST AND QUEER FLASHPOINTS
1.A.1. Combahee River Collective, “A Black Feminist Statement” (1977) 27
1.A.2. Iris Morales, “Sterilized Puerto Ricans” (1970) 32
1.A.3. United Front, “Forward Macho” (1973) 34
1.A.4a. The Feminist, “Racist Sexism in the Trial” (1974) 35
1.A.4b. The Feminist, “We Need the Power to Defend Ourselves!” (1975) 37
1.A.5. Yvonne Swan, witness statement (1976) 37
1.A.6. Lavender and Red Union, “Gay Liberation/Socialist Revolution”
(1976) 40
1.A.7. Robin McDuff, Deanne Pernell, and Karen Saunders,
“An Open Letter to the Antirape Movement” (1977) 41
1.A.8. Daniel Tsang, “Third World Lesbians and Gays Meet” (1980) 44
1.A.9. Joseph Beam, “Caring for Each Other” (1986) 46
1.A.10. AIDS Action Pledge, “AIDS Action Pledge” (1987) 47
1.A.11. Vito Russo, “Why We Fight” (1988) 49
1.A.12. ACT UP/Golden Gate, “Say It!! Women Get AIDS” (1991) 54
1.A.13. Transgender Nation, letter to the editor (1992) 57
1.A.14. Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics, brochure (1993) 57
1.A.15. Critical Resistance and INCITE! Women of Color against
Violence, “Gender Violence and the Prison-Industrial Complex”
(2001) 61
SNAPSHOTS: A Brief History of SisterSong (Loretta J. Ross) 30
Video Activism, AIDS, and New Queer Cinema (Jih-Fei Cheng) 52
The Formation of Queers for Economic Justice
(Joseph Nicholas DeFilippis) 59
SECTION B. FIGHTING THE RIGHT
1.B.1. Ellen Shaffer, “Bakke: Fighting and Winning Together” (1977) 65
1.B.2. John Brown Anti-Klan Committee, “Principles of Unity” and
“National Program” in The Dividing Line of the 80s:
Take a Stand against the Klan (1979) 69
1.B.3. National Anti-Klan Network, “Call for February 2nd
Mobilization, Greensboro, North Carolina” (1980) 72
1.B.4. Tede Matthews, “Speech at Anti–Moral Majority
Demonstration” (1984) 73
1.B.5. Feminist Anti-Censorship Taskforce, “Feminism and
Censorship: Strange Bedfellows?” (1985) 75
1.B.6. WHAM!, No Choice, No Liberty (1991) 78
1.B.7. Washington Area Clinic Defense Task Force, “Goals and
Guidelines” (1990s) 82
1.B.8. Anti-Racist Action, “Points of Unity” (1990s) 83
1.B.9. “African American Women in Defense of Ourselves” (1991) 85
1.B.10. Marcy Westerling, “Rallying against the Right: A Case Study in
Rural Organizing” (1992) 86
1.B.11. Korean Immigrant Workers Advocates, editorial (1996) 91
1.B.12. Kiwi Collective, “Race and Sex: Who’s Panicking?” (2000) 92
SNAPSHOTS: NC Senate Vote ’90 (Isabell Moore) 81
The Northwest Coalition against Malicious Harassment/
Coalition for Human Dignity (Vernon Damani Johnson) 89
SECTION C. LABORS OF SURVIVAL
1.C.1. Las Vegas National Welfare Rights Organization,
“Attention, Sisters” (1971) 96
1.C.2. White Lightning, “Drug Plague—a Revolutionary Solution”
(1973) 97
1.C.3. Great Lakes Steal, “Women at Great Lakes Steel” (1973) 99
1.C.4. Women’s Brigade of the Weather Underground,
“Message from Sisters Who Bombed HEW for International
Women’s Day” (1974) 101
1.C.5. Coretta Scott King, statement to House Subcommittee on Equal
Opportunity and Full Employment (1975) 104
1.C.6. Auto Workers United to Fight in ’76, “Letter from Rich Off Our
Backs July 4 Coalition” (1976) 107
1.C.7. Victoria Frankovich, “Frankovich Reflects on Our Past—
and the Evolution to Today” (1986) 111
1.C.8. September Alliance for Accessible Transit, “Why Are We Here?”
(1987) 114
1.C.9. John Mehring, “Union’s AIDS Education Committee Helps
Health Care Workers, Patients” (1987) 116
1.C.10. Marian Kramer, “Remarks on the National Welfare Rights
Union” (1993) 119
1.C.11. Milwaukee Welfare Warriors, “Apologies Don’t Help” (1996) 123
1.C.12. Mary Beth Maxwell, interview on Jobs with Justice (2013) 124
1.C.13. Tyree Scott, “Whose Movement Is It Anyway?” (1997) 127
SNAPSHOTS: The Watsonville Cannery Strike, 1985–1987 (Patricia Zavella) 109
The Disability Rights Movement in the 1970s
(Paul K. Longmore) 115
Defending Welfare Rights in the 1990s (Marisa Chappell) 121
Part 2: Walls and Gates 131
SECTION A. RESISTING REPRESSION
2.A.1. Lynn Cooper, Elliot Currie, Jon Frappier, Tony Platt, Betty Ryan,
Richard Schauffler, Joy Scruggs, and Larry Trujillo,
The Iron Fist and the Velvet Glove: An Analysis of US Police (1975) 135
2.A.2. Lesbians against Police Violence, interview with
Barbara Lubinski (1979) 138
2.A.3. Leonard Peltier, “Convicted for Being Chippewa and
Sioux Blood” (1977) 141
2.A.4. National Coalition for Redress/Reparations, postconference
brochure (1980) 143
2.A.5. James J. Zogby, “Senate Subcommittee on Security and
Terrorism: A Threat to Arab Americans?” (1981) 145
2.A.6. Michael Zinzun, “Zinzun on Police Abuse” (1983) 147
2.A.7. Red Guerrilla Resistance, communiqué on the bombing of
the Police Benevolent Association (1985) 150
2.A.8. Terry Bisson, “RSVP to the FBI” (1985) 153
2.A.9. “Draw the Line” advertisement (1985) 155
2.A.10. Brian Glick, War at Home: Covert Action against US Activists and
What We Can Do about It (1989) 156
2.A.11. Labor/Community Strategy Center, A Call to Reject the
Federal Weed and Seed Program (1992) 159
2.A.12. Love and Rage Revolutionary Anarchist Federation,
“Copwatch: Keeping an Eye on the Cops” (1995) 163
2.A.13. Herman Bell et al., “An Appeal from US Political Prisoners/
POWs: Mobilize to Save Mumia Abu-Jamal!” (1999) 164
SNAPSHOTS: The National Alliance against Racist and Political
Repression (Keona K. Ervin) 140
New York City Coalition against Police Brutality, 1996–2000s
(Lumumba Akinwole-Bandele and Joo-Hyun Kang) 161
SECTION B. UNDERMINING THE PRISON STATE
2.B.1. The Red Family, “War behind Walls” (1971) 166
2.B.2. off our backs, “How Many Lives?” (1971) 168
2.B.3. North Carolina Prisoners’ Labor Union, “Goals of the North
Carolina Prisoners’ Labor Union” (1974) 170
2.B.4. National Council on Crime and Delinquency/Unitarian
Universalist Service Committee, National Moratorium on
Prison Construction flyer (1976) 174
2.B.5. George Jackson Brigade, communiqué on the bombing of the
Washington Department of Corrections (1975) 177
2.B.6. Sundiata Acoli, “Prison Struggles and Human Rights” (1978) 180
2.B.7a. Black Liberation Army Coordinating Committee, special
communiqué on the freeing of sister Assata Shakur (1979) 182
2.B.7b. Assata Shakur, “Statement from Assata Shakur” (1979) 182
2.B.8. “Letter from North American Political Prisoners” (1986) 185
2.B.9. Rafael Cancel Miranda, speech to stop the Florence Control
Unit (1990) 186
2.B.10. Laura Whitehorn, “Collectively Asserting Life over Death
Creates Power!” (1993) 190
2.B.11. Bill Dunne, “Crack in the Federal Scheme: The October
Rebellion of 1995” (2000) 192
2.B.12. Safiya Bukhari, “Q&A on Jericho 98” (1998) 195
2.B.13. California Coalition for Women Prisoners, “Critical Resistance:
Expanding Our Vision of What Is Possible” (1998) 198
2.B.14. Brigette Sarabi, “Building the Prison Reform Movement” (2000) 202
SNAPSHOTS: Southern Coalition on Jails and Prisons, 1974–1990
(Lydia Pelot-Hobbs) 173
Out of Control: Lesbian Committee to Support Women
Political Prisoners, 1987–2009 (Brooke Lober) 188
California Prison Moratorium Project, 1998–2018
(Craig Gilmore) 200
SECTION C. FIGHT FOR THE CITY, FREE THE LAND
2.C.1. Yellow Seeds, “Unite to Fight for Democratic Rights” (1975) 205
2.C.2. Chester Hartman, “The Struggle for the I-Hotel: What We Won,
What We Lost, What We Learned” (1977) 207
2.C.3. James Yaki Sayles, “War for the Cities” (1978) 211
2.C.4. Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now,
“People’s Platform” (1978) 214
2.C.5. Willie Baptist, “Five Main Slogans: Lessons from the History of
the National Union of the Homeless” (1993) 217
2.C.6. James Boggs, “Rebuilding Detroit: An Alternative to Casino
Gambling” (1988) 220
2.C.7. Crips and Bloods, “Plan for the Reconstruction of Los Angeles:
Give Us the Hammer and the Nails, We Will Rebuild the City”
(1992) 223
2.C.8. Eric Mann, A New Vision for Urban Transportation (1996) 227
2.C.9. Elizabeth Betita Martinez, “Be Down with the Brown!” (1996) 231
2.C.10. CopWatch Atlanta, “Atlanta ’96: No Room at the Inn but
Plenty of Room at the Jail” (1996) 234
2.C.11. Queer to the Left, “Housing Is a Queer Issue” (2002) 236
SNAPSHOTS: The Puerto Rican Cultural Center and Its Work Fighting
Gentrification, 1973–2000s (Michael Rodríguez-Muñiz) 210
Black-Led Urban Agriculture since the 1960s (Jessi Quizar) 222
Student Liberation Action Movement, 1995–2004
(Suzy Subways) 230
Part 3: Borders and Maps 239
SECTION A. ANTI-IMPERIALISM BEYOND VIETNAM
3.A.1. Association of Arab-American University Graduates, “Statement
Adopted at the AAUG Sixth Annual Convention” (1973) 243
3.A.2. Fuerzas Armadas de Liberación Nacional, “Communiqué
No. 1” (1974) 245
3.A.3. US Out of Korea Committee, “When People Here Are Hungry,
Should Your Dollars Go for War and Dictatorship in South
Korea?” (1977) 247
3.A.4. International Indian Treaty Council, “Decolonization,
Liberation, and the International Community” (1977) 249
3.A.5. National Resistance Committee, “Resistance Statements” (1980) 250
3.A.6. Women’s Pentagon Action, “Unity Statement” (1980) 253
3.A.7. Armed Resistance Unit, “Communiqué from the Armed
Resistance Unit, April 26, 1983” (1983) 257
3.A.8. Palestine Human Rights Campaign, “No Vietnams in Central
America or the Middle East” (1984) 259
3.A.9. Lesbians and Gays Against Intervention, “Principles of Unity”
(1983) 262
3.A.10. Marisa Pruitt, “Victoria Mercado Brigade” (1985) 265
3.A.11. Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador,
“Convention Decisions” (1985) 267
3.A.12. Witness for Peace, brochure (1985) 270
3.A.13. Pledge of Resistance, “The Pledge of Resistance: A Growing,
Nonviolent Movement for Peace in Central America” (1986) 274
3.A.14. Rio Grande Defense Committee, statement regarding US policy
in Central America and description of the Border Witness
Program (1991) 276