Party for Socialism and Liberation

Party for Socialism and Liberation
Founders	Brian Becker, Richard Becker, Gloria La Riva, William Massey, and others
Founded	June 2004
Newspaper	Liberation News
Political orientation	Marxism–Leninism Anti-imperialism
Website
https://pslweb.org

The Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) is a Marxist-Leninist political party in the United States founded in June 2004 after a split from the Workers World Party. Their platform is closely related to the broader ANSWER Coalition. The PSL has funded numerous movements within the ANSWER Coalition including the movement to liberate Cuba from Statesian imperialism. The PSL held its first congress in February 2010 in Los Angeles, California.

History

At its founding in 2004, the PSL held a two-part congress to establish publications and a party structure. Between 2004 and 2010, it held regular conventions that were open to all members to elect party leadership between conventions. In 2010, the party held its first delegated congress and adopted its constitution and program. The PSL held a second congress in 2013.

Program

Anti-imperialism

The PSL supports immediate independence and reparations for Puerto Rico with freedom of travel between Puerto Rico and the United States. It also supports self-determination and potential independence of American Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Mariana Islands, and indigenous nations on the U.S. mainland.

Social benefits

The PSL advocates for a 30-hour work week, up to two years of paid parental leave, a minimum of one month of paid vacation and 12 paid holidays. It also supports universal citizenship for everyone living in the United States, free education from preschool to college, and reducing housing costs to 10% of total income or less.

Chapters

Contact information of the following PSL chapters is available on the party website. This list is organized by region of the United States.

Midwest

• Champaign–Urbana
• Chicago
• Cleveland
• Detroit
• Indianapolis
• Lexington
• Miami Valley
• Milwaukee
• Springfield (MO)
• Kansas City
• St. Louis

Northeast

• Albany
• Baltimore
• Boston
• Chester County, Pennsylvania
• Finger Lakes
• Lancaster
• Maine
• New Haven
• New Paltz
• New York City
• Philadelphia
• Pittsburgh
• Southern New Hampshire
• Syracuse
• Washington, D.C.

Plains

• Albuquerque
• Dallas
• Denver
• Houston
• San Antonio

Southeast

• Asheville
• Atlanta
• Birmingham
• Central Gulf Coast
• Columbia
• Gainesville
• Ocala
• Raleigh–Durham
• Sarasota
• Tampa

West

• Anchorage
• Boise/Pocatello
• Kennewick–Pasco–Richland
• Los Angeles
• Phoenix
• Portland
• Sacramento
• Salt Lake City
• San Diego
• San Francisco
• San Jose
• Seattle

Publications

The party's main publication is the monthly paper Liberation News, which replaced a quarterly magazine, Socialism and Liberation. The PSL also publishes Breaking the Chains: A Socialist Perspective on Women's Liberation, a quarterly socialist and feminist magazine, and Reds In Ed, a monthly newsletter initiated by teachers who are members of the PSL. Additionally, the PSL publishes Liberation School, which publishes longer-form analysis, Party documents, interviews, and educational resources including study guides, curricula, and video and audio courses.

Controversies

The PSL has been accused for decades of being cult-like in its organization methods and permitting sexual harassment and protecting sexual abusers (in locations across the country including Dallas, Philadelphia, Carbondale, Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Albuquerque).

Some controversies have arisen in recent years regarding some of the affiliations of the PSL, as its prominence grows in the public eye. Among the more prominent examples is its association with Brian Becker, who some critics allege hosted a radio show with "guests being either LaRouchite entryists or outright belonging to the far right," as well as multiple allegedly former CIA analysts.