Kentucky—The Progressive Labor Party (PLP) cadre in Owensboro expanded upon their first food drive last month by hosting a “lunch and learn” on the 25th at a local park in one of our members’ communities. This community is primarily made of Black and Latin workers, and hosts several local homeless shelters. As soon as the first couple comrades arrived on scene to set up, we were immediately approached by several workers in the area, who heard about the event through the flyers put around locally. They immediately left to go and tell everyone at the local shelter, and anyone else they came across on the way. We began passing out CHALLENGE and engaging with the workers. Many were receptive to the reality: we need communism to free our class from this capitalist hell!
Feeding and educating
The event’s goal was to host a public educational forum while simultaneously addressing racist local food insecurity in the community. The idea of holding public education came from how receptive the community was to our ideas at the previous food drive. In our goals of agitating the local community we were wildly successful. After about an hour or so the people started coming in waves. This culminated in a small crowd of around 15-20 at about 2 pm. Several, at least half, holding the newest issue of CHALLENGE, listened to a comrade speak about the disparity between the capitalist ruling class and the working class. Words of affirmation came from the crowd while another PLer kept the grill going and ensured that everyone received a helping, and a second helping if they wanted it!
Fighting for workers…even Trump supporters
One interaction stuck with us: A man came up and began speaking to us. He told us at first that he was a Donald Trump voter, to which we replied, “We don’t care. You’re a working class man. You deserve dignity, a home, healthcare, and education.” To which he replied, “You’re damn right I do!” He then began saying that he strongly agreed with what we were doing but “that word” (communism) made him think twice. We told him that was natural. Then, later on he asked: what do you guys want to achieve? We told him we want working people to own and control the means of production. He said, “I find that hard to believe! That’s what everyone in this country wants!” We then asked, “Well, do you remember when you said that word makes you recoil? That’s the point. They don’t want you to embrace your own liberation!”
Reenergized for the battles ahead!
All in all we fed a maximum of 70 or so people. We made contacts and friends, along with the numerous issues of CHALLENGE distributed. The workers also took extra to hand out to their friends, many of whom said they’d never even considered much of what we were talking about, that we had their heads spinning with all these new perspectives. The comrades in the local club feel vindicated, energized, and excited to continue going out to the community and engaging with the masses. More on our antiracist, antisexist, working class fightback to come!
