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Party for Socialism and Liberation | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founders | Brian Becker,[1] Richard Becker, Gloria La Riva,[2] William Massey,[3] and others |
| Founded | June 2004 |
| Newspaper | Liberation News |
| Political orientation | Marxism–Leninism Anti-imperialism |
| Website | |
| https://pslweb.org | |
| Part of a series on |
| Communist parties |
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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.[4] The PSL held its first congress in February 2010 in Los Angeles, California.[5]
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.[6]
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.[7]
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.[7]
Chapters
Contact information of the following PSL chapters is available on the party website.[8] This list is organized by region of the United States.
Midwest
- Champaign–Urbana
- Chicago
- Cleveland
- Detroit
- Indianapolis
- Lexington
- Miami Valley
- Milwaukee
- Springfield
Northeast
- Albany
- Baltimore
- Boston
- Chester County, Pennsylvania
- Finger Lakes
- Lancaster
- 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
- 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,[9] which replaced a quarterly magazine, Socialism and Liberation.[10] The PSL also publishes Breaking the Chains: A Socialist Perspective on Women's Liberation, a quarterly socialist and feminist magazine,[11] and Reds In Ed, a monthly newsletter initiated by teachers who are members of the PSL.[12] 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.[13]
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).[14][15]
Some controversies of the PSL have arisen in recent years as its prominence grows in the public eye, namely associations with right wing entryism Brian Becker[16] and while no political organization is completely without fault, this must also be viewed within the context that communist parties in the US are regularly targeted by intelligence agencies for sabotage, as demonstrated by the FBI's COINTELPRO operation. Some critics said that Brian Becker hosted a radio show with reactionaries.[17]
References
- ↑ https://www.liberationnews.org/global-times-interview-brian-becker-on-socialism-and-the-u-s-campaign-against-china/
- ↑ https://missionlocal.org/2019/08/local-socialists-see-the-fog-of-anti-communism-lifting/
- ↑ https://www.liberationnews.org/william-massey-presente-honoring-life-psl-founding-member/
- ↑ An article from the Answer Coalition depicting their stance on Cuba, sponsored by the PSL
- ↑ Ian Thompson (2010-02-22). "PSL’s First National Congress strengthens the struggle for socialism" Liberation News. Archived from the original on 2019-07-14. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
- ↑ "Building democratic centralism: stages of Party growth and internal development" (2014-07-31). Liberation News. Archived from the original on 2021-01-16. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Program of the Party for Socialism and Liberation" (2010). Party for Socialism and Liberation. Archived from the original on 2022-06-15. Retrieved 2022-06-18.
- ↑ "Contact us". Party for Socialism and Liberation. Archived from the original on 2022-07-07. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
- ↑ https://www.liberationnews.org
- ↑ "Socialism and Liberation magazine is changing". June 5, 2007. January 7, 2018.
- ↑ "About Breaking the Chains". Breaking the Chains. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
- ↑ "Reds In Ed program" (2020-03-13). Reds in Ed. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
- ↑ "Our mission" (2022-01-02). Liberation School. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
- ↑ Medium post that is a directory of various accounts of PSL's bad behavior.
- ↑ Writings of a PSL member who was allegedly abused by Steven Powers
- ↑ Medium Article surrounding the actions of Brian Becker (with its own citations)
- ↑ dotcommunism (2018-01-05). "PSL’s Brian Becker, Loud & Clear Radio, and Right-Wing Entryism"