PSL resources on the Black liberation struggle

Introduction

In the history of the struggle between oppressor and oppressed, victories are much less common than defeats; there are many uprisings and far fewer revolutions. As our Party argued in 2016, defeats “are not the exception to the rule. On the contrary, victories of the oppressed classes are the exception.” Our situation in the U.S. is unique. Whereas previous defeats, accompanied by intense repression, still advanced the struggle by providing time for reflection and reorganization, our current situation differs in that the actuality of revolution, or the possibility of and necessity for a revolution in the U.S., was rejected by many after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Since 2016, the situation has changed drastically. Although socialism is back on the agenda, we still need to promote a more popular and precise definition of it and, in particular, its relationship to the Black/New Afrikan liberation struggle.

The Party has, since 2016, worked to bridge the gap in ideological continuity. PSL Indianapolis compiled this list of resources—including analyses and videos from the Indianapolis branch and online courses, study guides, articles, and more from PSL outlets like Liberation School, Liberation News, and Breaking the Chains magazine.

We chose to release this curriculum on the relationship between the struggle for socialism and national liberation after Black History Month because, for us, every day is an opportunity to advance Black history by advancing the struggles for socialism and national liberation. As a living archive, check back often for updates and, if you’re interested in studying or hosting a class on any of the resources below, please reach out by emailing contact@pslindianapolis.org.

Online Courses

Black struggle is class struggle

This four-part course, developed for Liberation School, focuses on Black Revolutionary History in the United States and its central role in the development of U.S. society today.

Prison abolition: A Marxist perspective

This two-part video course provides a Marxist analysis of prison abolition. The core institutions of the capitalist state, including the police, prisons, military, and courts, must be abolished, but how?