Reprinted from Struggle Newspaper

White Reactionaries in Revolutionary Trimmings

Published: The Call, Vol. 3, No. 2, November 1974. Transcription, Editing
and Markup: Paul Saba Copyright: This work is in the Public Domain under
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The recent events have revealed many things. One thing that has been
revealed with crystal clarity is the deep rooted racism, national chauvinism, of
large sections of the white working class. And out of this has been revealed the
tremendous task of white revolutionaries, in particular, to take this racism head
on, and win the majority of white workers out of the hands of the racist system
and into the tide of revolutionary struggle against this system; the enemy of all
people.
But also it has been revealed that many white so-called revolutionaries are
backing away from this task. Some are retreating so far and so fast that they have
left the bourgeois liberals like Kennedy and Mayor White in the dust. Some have
retreated damn near to the camp of Hicks and Kerrigan.
This is seen in the position taken by certain revolutionary organizations
calling for an end to the Boston school desegregation plan as the principal slogan
of this entire struggle. This slogan takes many forms; Black and white unite to
smash the Boston busing plan or Busing: Imperialist plot to divide the working
class. Whatever its form it is the same slogan raised by Hicks, Kerrigan and
other arch-racists. When explaining why they raise this slogan, the
revolutionaries respond that busing is not the issue-quality education is. The
response from Hicks and Kerrigan is the same.
To mask this essentially racist, reactionary line, they, the so-called
revolutionaries will have as a demand equal, quality education for all,
community control of schools for Black and Latin people. But they do not also
raise the democratic right of oppressed nationality children to go to any school
that they wish, that they not be attacked and that the government foot the bill,
that is, provide transportation. This essentially reduces that demand to a call for
separate but equal education for Black and other third world children.
Another aspect of this position is that it blames busing for the attacks on Black
children and not the deeply rooted racism instilled in white workers by the
capitalist system. It does not see the deep pitted flame of racism being fanned by

fascist elements to incite attacks on Black and other third world people as a real
thing. As far as these so-called revolutionaries are concerned its all a matter of
forced busing. So the way they will fight white racism is to call for an end to
forced busing. Louise Hicks couldnt have done it better herself. These
reactionaries in revolutionary trimmings go so far as to say that the basis of unity
between white and Black people is opposition to the busing plan. Following this
logic, Black people should march out to South Boston tomorrow and join arms
with the white mobs to oppose busing (even though wed be stoned to death
trying).
An important and good thing is that Black people have been educated and
steeled in a long, arduous struggle against the forces of racism, segregation, and
discrimination of all sorts, so this reactionary line put forward by so-called
revolutionaries will not gain foothold among the Black masses. Our struggle is a
struggle for full democratic rights, and in this case, the right to a decent
education in the schools in our communities, under community control and
anywhere else we wish to go. But the choice must be ours. If we are bused to
schools outside of our community that should be our choice and we should not be
attacked upon arriving at these schools.
A condition of unity between white and Black people is defense of the
democratic rights of minorities. The task of white revolutionaries is not to tail
behind the most backward section of the white workers and parrot Hicks and
Kerrigans slogan end the Boston school desegregation plan, and then tell Black
people we should unite with whites on the basis of their racism. This is a stab in
the back to white workers as well as to the masses of oppressed nationality
peoples. Racism keeps its adherents (in this case the white people of South
Boston) ignorant and backward as well as fostering attacks on non-white people.
The task of white revolutionaries is to go into South Boston, yes go into South
Boston and meet this racism head on; drive a wedge between the racist and
fascist leaders, such as Hicks, and the masses of white working people; win them
away from the ideology of racism, to support for the democratic rights of
minorities; and, indeed to the point of laying down their lives if need be in
defense of these rights; in short white workers must be won from reactionary
national chauvinism to proletarian internationalism. This is the task of white
revolutionaries. It is a long, extremely difficult task- but it must be met head on
in a resolute fashion. Back sliding and retreating must be scorned, and those who
practice it exposed for what they are; weak-kneed liberals at best, reactionaries at
worst!