Detroit: I do mind dying. A study in urban revolution - Dan Georgakas and Marvin Surkin
Submitted by wojtek on Jun 2 2013 20:53
Detroit: I Do Mind Dying tracks the extraordinary development of the Dodge Revolutionary Union Movement and the League of Revolutionary Black Workers, as they became two of the most vital political organizations of the 1960s and 1970s. Widely heralded as one the most important books on the black liberation movement and labor struggles in U.S. history.
Finally got the news
Documentary about the League of Revolutionary Black Workers, a radical black workers' group based in the car factories of Detroit. Through interviews with members, supporters and opponents as well as footage of leafleting and picket lines, the film documents their attempts to build a radical black workers' organisation to take on both management and the union and fight to improve conditions for all workers, black and white.
The occupation of the factories: Paris 1936, Flint 1937
Interesting article comparing two waves of factory occupations that took place little more than six months apart and fundamentally changed boss-worker relations in their countries.
The battle of the overpass - Jenny Nolan
Submitted by Juan Conatz on Jun 1 2012 07:43
An article from The Detroit News describing a 1937 incident in which UAW organizers, in their attempts to leaflet at a factory in the Detroit area, were beat by Ford guards.
The American revolution: Pages from a negro worker's notebook
In 1963, drawing on his own experience as a factory worker and radical militant, James Boggs wrote this pamphlet. It addresses (among many things) the failures of the CIO, increasing automation, rising unemployment and the emergence of new social actors ('the outsiders') that he saw as a threat to capitalism.
Detroit high school students walkout protesting charterization and school shut downs
Submitted by Comrade Motopu on Apr 29 2012 00:44
Detroit students walk out against school budget cuts and in solidarity with a nearby school threatened with closure.
Comparing Fordist cities: urban crisis and union response in Detroit 1915-45 and Turin 1950-75
Essay by Ted Perlmutter comparing the industrial cities of Detroit and Turin, their economies, demographics and the struggles that took place. While we have some criticisms of the article, we reproduce it here for reference as it contains some very interesting information.
Testimony of a black worker - Charles Denby
Submitted by Red Marriott on Feb 9 2012 23:46
Extracts from Charles Denby's excellent autobiographical work, Indignant Heart - Testimony of a Black Worker. The extracts describe his experiences as a black auto worker, factory struggles against both the bosses and the union bureaucracy and the dynamics of race within the workforce and wider society. He also describes his disillusioning experiences with Stalinist and Trotskyist parties and their hypocritical attitudes to black workers.
Detroit: Arm the Spirit
An article briefly detailing the downfall of former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and how a critique and movement needs to go beyond just him.
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