The Militant (logo)  

Vol. 74/No. 8      March 1, 2010

 
Sell the book on
‘workers power’
 
LOS ANGELES
“This is a time when workers need more knowledge, more insight, so we can fully understand what we need to do,” said R. Henderson, a worker at American Apparel. “That’s why I got Malcolm X, Black Liberation, and the Road to Workers Power when I renewed my subscription to the Militant.”

Five workers at the nonunion garment factory have picked up the book—four with renewals and one with an introductory subscription. The new subscriber commented that as an African American he likes Malcolm X and supports Black liberation, but was particularly interested in workers power.

Militant supporters have been calling former subscribers about renewing their subscriptions and purchasing the new book by Jack Barnes. This led to a house visit with one of the workers fired from American Apparel following the government’s audit of workers’ documentation last summer. She renewed her subscription and is interested in getting the Spanish edition of the book once it’s available in March.

A UNITE organizer also renewed his subscription and picked up a copy of the book at the immigrant rights march in Phoenix in mid-January.

—Arlene Rubinstein

MIAMI
This week we sold five renewals, all of them with Malcolm X, Black Liberation, and the Road to Workers Power. One was to a longshoreman, another to a professor who is an activist in the Haitian community.

Two Haitians from Fort Lauderdale bought the book in English, but also plan to buy the French edition when it comes out in April. They just didn’t want to wait that long before they could start reading it, even though they are more comfortable reading French.

Commenting on the Militant, Silas Jean Baptiste said, “It defends me as a member of the working class. It does a good job in raising the consciousness of working people and shows what can be done to make a change.”

Marcel Jean Louis said, “It not only informs me about national and international news, the newspaper educates those who want a change. It does good work helping us achieve the change we are aiming at.”

—Rollande Girard

ATLANTA
So far, I’ve sold five copies of Malcolm X, Black Liberation, and the Road to Workers Power. Three were sold to coworkers with Militant subscriptions at a ceramics manufacturing company here. All three had previously purchased the Militant supplement featuring the introduction to the new book.

My barber, who is 27 years old, also got a copy of the supplement. He then got a sub and the book. The barber in the chair next to him read the supplement and said he wanted the book. He got it and an introductory subscription.

—Maceo Dixon

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND
Two copies of Malcolm X, Black Liberation, and the Road to Workers Power were sold at a festival at Waitangi February 6. The Northland town is the scene of an annual commemoration of the 1840 signing of a treaty between representatives of the British Crown and Maori tribal chiefs. Over the years, the official festivities have also been the scene of protests by fighters for Maori rights.

Thousands of Maori working people from the region came to the festival. Our display of the new book caught the eye of many walking by.

Both who bought the “workers power” book took advantage of the special discounts available. One subscribed to the Militant. The other chuckled, “I buy too many books. My wife wants me to go on a book diet,” as he bought other books including The Working Class and the Transformation of Learning: The Fraud of Education Reform under Capitalism, also by Jack Barnes, and a copy of The Working Class and the Fight for Maori Rights: Resolutions of the Communist League. We also sold 25 copies of the Militant.

—Baskaran Appu
 
 
Related articles:
Goal surpassed: Nearly 400 readers renew subscriptions
Montreal store features ‘Workers Power’ book
Subscription renewal drive: Final results (chart)  
 
 
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