For too long we have been stuck in the doldrums’ of capitalism with no relief in sight. Many of us are sick or hungry and too weak to fight. The billionaires and turncoat politicians are well aware of the plight of the working class. They control our resources and give us just enough to survive so we may continue to work for them. This is no way to live. In the words of Angela Davis “[We are] changing the things we can no longer accept.” For decades, New York City’s Hostos and Bronx Community College have been united in struggle and fighting racist austerity politics.
Most recently, (for the past two years) the student run Common Ground Club has been demanding healthy affordable food on our respective campuses. Now, in addition to fighting for equality and equity within the CUNY school system, we also fight for the same on behalf of working people in our streets and communities.
On August 25, 2025, the Common Ground Club and other student fighters took to the streets of the Bronx (NYC). Our target was 149th Street and Third Avenue, the HUB, the poorest congressional district in all of the U.S.A. Our goals were clearly defined. We set out to connect with the community, feed fellow working people, and inspire our class into action. Armed with 80 healthy bagged lunches which included a sandwich, clementine, protein bar, and bottled water and accompanied with the latest issue of CHALLENGE, we did just that.
Upon our arrival to the HUB, we immediately noticed that the surrounding area had been “cleaned up”, simply meaning that the unhoused population that congregated in this area had been displaced. We can’t help but wonder, however, how many of these individuals got the help they needed? Or had they been inhumanely imprisoned or kidnapped into ICE custody? Nevertheless, we announced our presence and began our mission. Within 30 minutes we had given out all 80 lunches, countless copies of CHALLENGE and Common Ground literature. It was clear that our fellow workers are in serious need of help in this area, as some folks returned crying for more food. We wish we could afford to do more.
Most folks we talked to were receptive to our mission and thankful for the lunch we provided. There were, however, one or two skeptics in the crowd. One gentleman in particular was standoffish and unsure if we were truly there to help. He questioned if we were working with the government and stated, “I hate politicians.” After explaining our position and goals of uniting the working class against the politicians and billionaires, the man took lunch and literature and simply said “Bless you.” This man’s initial reaction is not surprising, as we all have been lied to, let down and neglected by this “democracy” year after year.
Before leaving the scene, we pulled out the trusted bull horn to reaffirm our position to the crowd, in English and Spanish. If our “leaders” wanted to help us, they would have done so by now. A case in point is our own congressman, Richie Torres, who turns a blind eye to the needs of his constituency while agreeing to send BILLIONS of dollars to Israel to help carry out GENOCIDE on Gaza (Richie Torres has received approximately $2 million dollars from pro Israel groups). We reminded them that only we, the working class, can save us, and small revolutionary acts like we executed that day are the foundations of taking our humanity back from the bosses. We assured the crowd that this would not be our last time at the HUB, and we would return because our fight was only just beginning. Common Ground is excited to return next month and we will send updates of our progress.
The road to revolution will not be linear. We must attack from all sides. We must learn with the masses and teach each other how to organize in their workplaces and communities. Furthermore, we must always remind ourselves that it is the working class that holds the power to enact change in our society. We can’t afford to wait any longer. We must act now.