Is America falling----before her time? As a result of this Administration's Actions around the WORLD?

www.engagewithbobavakian.org
Phone: 415.902.7936

contact: D’Andre Teeter, 415.902.7936

Over 130 people, from many different perspectives, have signed their names to a statement titled, “Dangerous times demand courageous voices. Bob Avakian is such a voice.” The growing list of signatories includes influential academics, musicians and artists, as well as award-winning poets, clergy, writers and actors.

The statement, appearing in this week’s Nation Magazine, in print and on-line, the Harlem-based Amsterdam News and BlackCommentator.com, is calling on others to engage with the works of Bob Avakian, leader of the Revolutionary Communist Party. It is also making it known that those who have signed this statement intend to protect his voice from suppression and repression.

Statement & complete list of signatories: http://engagewithbobavakian.org/statement.htm

The following signatories are currently available for press interviews:

Rev. Jon Eckels, a Methodist minister, human rights activist, poet and essayist. He has written 14 volumes of poetry, and won the American Book Award in 2000 for Sing When the Spirit Says Sing. His other written works include Pursuing the Pursuit: The Black Plight in White America, a study of slavery and contemporary oppression of African Americans. His Home is Where the Soul Is (1969), published by the influential Broadside Press, is considered one of the seminal works of the Black poetry movement. He is currently working on three books, including one about the relationship between Blacks and Jews, and one containing critical social essays. Rev. Eckels has taught at Stanford, Mills and was a visiting scholar at the University of Ghana in Ligon and as an instructor of English, American literature, poetry, and creative writing at Mills College and Merritt College in Oakland, CA. At Mills, he was instrumental in developing the Black Studies Program.

Dr. Tony Jackson, Professor of Psychology at Skyline College. He coordinates the ASTEP (African-American Success Through Excellence and Persistence) program. As a teenage parent and single black father he struggled to pursue and complete his education while maintaining involvement in the entertainment industry. As a songwriter/producer he has continued to promote constructive messages for youth. Tony's experience growing up in South Central Los Angeles has been a catalyst for work in substance abuse prevention, counseling, gang intervention and mentoring.

Michael "Slim" Lange, an actor, playwright and director. He is known for his more than 150 performances as Malcolm X on stages around the country. He has also starred in "The Meeting", a portrayal of a fictional conversation between Martin Luther King and Malcolm. He is presently working on a play about Nat Turner. Michael is an instructor at San Jose State University, a former high school wrestling coach, and an accomplished guitarist.

Lucia Marano, an actor/writer/producer raised between Italy and New York. Her NYC stage credits include roles in “No Exit,” “Lysistrata,” “The Rose Tattoo” and “Macbeth.” Los Angeles roles include playing Tina Modotti and Frida Kahlo in “Artists and Revolutionaries,” “Anger Mis-Management,” “Love & Secrecy Unveiled,” and in the play “Deseo” with the Mexican theater ensemble Mexicali a Secas at theater venues in Mexican cities.

Heriberto Ocasio, is a supporter of the Revolutionary Communist Party. Raised in the South Bronx, he was part of the Puerto Rican liberation movement of the 60’s and 70’s, active with the Young Lords Party. He is also a practicing emergency medicine physician. In 1982, during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, he traveled to Beirut where he cared for patients with extensive burns and cluster-bomb injuries.

Adam Shapiro, radio program host, whose "Current Events" show is featured on WRFG, Radio Free Georgia, a community-based Pacifica affiliated station in Atlanta. He grew up in New York and has lived in the Atlanta area since 1983. He is a member of the Georgia Council of the Blind and the Georgia Green Party, and an advisor to the Atlanta Transit Authority for people with disabilities. His interests are in building a third party in Georgia and disability activism. He considers himself a socialist who wants people to have power over the services available to them.

Bob Weick, National Touring Actor of Howard Zinn's, “MARX IN SOHO.” The celebrated actor and 2003 Barrymore Award nominee has presented over 100 performances of Zinn's play from Maine to California. A Graduate of Lehigh University and a farrier by trade, Bob began his acting career in 1995 and in the aftermath of the 2000 election, 9/11, and the 2003 invasion of Iraq, chose to use his talent to contribute to the education and engagement of students and citizens.

The following are commentaries from signatories:

“Bob Avakian is a long distance runner in the freedom struggle against imperialism, racism and capitalism. His voice and witness are indispensable in our efforts to enhance the wretched of the earth. And his powerful story of commitment is timely.”
-- Cornel West, Professor of Religion, Princeton, Commenting on From Ike to Mao and Beyond, my Journey from Mainstream America to Revolutionary Communism

“...Bob Avakian’s new and innovative conception of ‘Communism’ deserves consideration.”
-- Tom Harker, Free Press review of From Ike to Mao and Beyond…

“There is insight and truth-speaking in this vital book which those of us of religious faith need to hear and to which we need to respond.”
-- Rev. George W. Webber, Professor of Urban Ministry and President Emeritus of N.Y. Theological Seminary, on Preaching from a Pulpit of Bones: We Need Morality But Not Traditional Morality.

“Everything he’s saying about sports, I lived through it... I couldn’t believe how deeply and accurately Bob Avakian described everything. It’s unbelievable how it describes what happened to Black players. It is so excellent and incredible...”
-- Hal Perry, USF Dons Basketball NCAA Champions, 1955-56, on the talk, “The NBA: Marketing the Minstrel Show and Serving the Big Gangsters.”

“This present day [is a] political cocktail of deception, Christian zealots, environmental & wildlife decay, war, and divided countrymen & women... Can I –can we-- collectively strive for a rich understanding of yesterday, a better today, & an even greater tomorrow. The voice of Avakian says, yes, WE CAN... Open your heart & mind—not just for today, but everyday. Avakian says he has committed to a better way of life. Okay. I am willing to listen. I am willing to be engaged.”
-- Lucia Marano, Actor and Writer

"’History is not over!’ The truth of these opening words from Benjamin Barber’s book Jihad vs. McWorld are obvious, and yet this simple fact also serves as a compelling call to action. It is a hopeful reminder that we the people can continue to shape the future and work towards a truly just world. In order to achieve that end, we must engage all the great thinkers of the past as well as those in our current epoch. Bob Avakian, with his informed critique of the history of capitalism and his vision of the future of communism, deserves a place at the table of any national discussion seeking tools to create a better world for the mass of humanity.”
-- Bob Weick, National Touring Actor of Howard Zinn's, "MARX IN SOHO”

”[Avakian] ...offers a full plan for revolutionary transformation, and he gets the attention of Black Americans right away on these four DVDs in his passionate discussion of lynching, police brutality, racial profiling and issues pertinent to African Americans. Recalling the vicious assaults on Claude Neal, Mary Turner and Emmett Till, Avakian provides a brutal and bloody outline of tragedy, and does it with a fervor that is far too uncommon coming from the mouth of a white man…”
-- Herb Boyd, Amsterdam News, commenting on the DVD Revolution, Why it’s Necessary, Why it’s Possible, What it’s All About

“In times like these, this clear voice for social change is a welcome relief from all the confusion and lies... Listen and you will truly hear a voice of reason, with sharp analysis and deep understanding, going up against the tide of injustice and oppression.”
-- Rev. Earl Kooperkamp, Pastor, St. Mary’s Church, Harlem, N.Y.

“... Bob Avakian is in a special category for me, because he is not only engaged with the attempt to theorize the world and what it would take to change it, but he is also playing a special role in organizing and leading that change.”
-- Bill Martin, Professor of Philosophy, DePaul University in the introduction to Marxism and the Call of the Future.

____
The following statement appeared in the Amsterdam News and The Nation:

”Dangerous times demand courageous voices. Bob Avakian is such a voice.

Bob Avakian combines an unsparing critique of the history and current direction of American society with a sweeping view of world history and the potential for humanity. He has brought forth a fresh, relevant and compelling approach to Marxism, deeply analyzing the history of the Communist movement and the socialist revolutions and upholds their achievements. At the same time, he honestly confronts and criticizes what he views as their shortcomings, opening up new paths of inquiry in the process and initiating dialogue with people who hold a wide range of views. He’s addressing the burning problems before society from a unique vantage point, and we consider his revolutionary analysis and solutions to be an important and necessary part of the ferment and discourse required in this society and the world in this dark time. While those of us signing this statement do not necessarily agree with all of his views, we have come away from encounters with Avakian provoked and enriched in our own thinking, and we invite others to hear and engage that voice.

Bob Avakian is also the leader of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA; as such he not only theorizes about the world, but plays a special role in organizing and leading that change. He’s been called a “long-distance runner in the freedom struggle against imperialism, racism and capitalism” and he draws on deep connections and engagement with people from all walks of life and all corners of the earth. All this informs and animates his work.

Unfortunately, such voices in this country are, and have been, all too frequently the objects of suppression and repression. This repressive edge in American society has been particularly brought to bear against those who advocate revolution and especially those who do so effectively. Surveillance, harassment, suppression, political trials, prison terms, exile and even assassination have been the fates of many revolutionaries throughout U.S. history and many of those measures have, in fact, been visited upon Avakian. The current administration has instituted serious repressive measures like the Patriot Act, instituted the use of preventive detention and isolation of those whom the president deems to be “terrorist”, and has created a climate where, for example, radical or even liberal professors find their reputations and even their livelihoods under assault; all this makes the ability of Bob Avakian to freely function even more of a concern. The statement by the German pastor Martin Niemoller – which begins, “First they came for the communists, and I did nothing because I was not a communist” and which goes on to describe how Niemoller did nothing while Hitler peeled away the victims of the Nazi regime one at a time, until there was no one left to defend Niemoller when his time came – sounds with particular resonance today.

Thus, in addition to calling on people to engage with the thoughts of Bob Avakian, and bring them into what needs to be a rich and diverse dialogue, we are also serving notice to this government that we intend to defend his right to freely advocate and organize for his views, and to engage broadly with people about those views.”

INITIAL LIST OF SIGNATORIES:
Charles Aikens, journalist, Oaktown News*
Jaafar Aksikas, Prof., Cultural Studies, Columbia College*
Aladdin, actor, comedian
Bob Anderson, Prof., College of New Mexico*
Rafael C. Angulo, Assoc. Clinical Field Faculty, USC*
Bernardo Attias, Prof., CA State Univ., Northridge*
Fr. Luis Barrios, John Jay College*
David Best, artist
Robert Bloom, attorney
Herb Boyd, author, journalist
Anne Bray, artist
Michael E.
Brown, Prof. of Sociology, Northeastern Univ.*
Leroy Bryant, Sr., Prof. and Chmn. Emeritus, History, Philosophy,
Political Science, African-American Studies, Chicago State Univ.*
Kevin Burgess, Black Vietnam Vet
Rev. Richard Meri Ka Ra Byrd, KRST Ctr. of African Spirituality*
Angelica Carapia, Editor, Laney Tower*
Robert Keith Collins, PhD, Homalusa: Ctr. for African and Native
American Research*
Jeff Cooper, Dir., Freshman & Transfer Summer Progs., UCLA*
Chuck D
Jesse D.iaz, Jr, UC
Riverside*
Victor Diaz, Principal, B-Tech High School*
Dr. Roger Dittman, Pres., Scientists Without Borders*
Lynn Domingo, human rights activist
Derek Dorsey, music publisher, co-owner, The Fire*
Judy Drummond,
teacher
Richard Duardo, artist
Ramona Dvorak, MD, Harvard Univ.*
Quentin Easter, theater producer
Rev. Jon Eckels, poet, human rights activist
Dick Eiden, Dir., North County Forum*
Amon Emeka, Assist. Prof. of Sociology, USC*
Sonny Espinoza, Prof., Loyola Marymount Univ.*
Jeffrey Felshman, writer
Leslie Fields-Cruz, media arts administrator
Joe Fortunato, attorney and NJ Green Party*
reg e. gaines, director
Jim Geraghty, Marin Peace and Justice Coalition*
Joan P. Gibbs, Natl. Conf. of Black Lawyers*, Jericho Movement*
Lois Gish, nurse-midwife
Bill Goodman, civil rights lawyer
Connie Grappo, theater director
Tom Harker, singer, songwriter
Lilith Hazard, student
Bob Helmick, retired contractor
Julia Butterfly Hill, activist, author
Jack Hirschman, SF Poet Laureate
Danny Hoch, actor, playwright
Rachel Holmes, author
Phil Hutchings, civil & human rights activist
John Hutnyk, Academic Dir., Ctr. for Cultural Studies, Goldsmiths Univ.
of London*
H. Range Hutson, MD, Harvard Medical School*
Dr. Tony Jackson, psychologist, artist
Bill Jennings, It’s About Time Committee*
Russ Jennings, radio producer
Talbert
Jennings, producer, Carl Stokes Forum*, Community TV
Steve Johnson, activist, thinker, writer
Larry S. Jones, retired adjunct instructor, Chaminade Univ.*
Rickie Lee Jones, singer, musician
Pa Joof, Africans On the Move*
Paul Kangas, Vice Pres., Veterans for Peace*
Erin Aubry Kaplan, journalist, writer
Yuri Kochiyama, civil rights activist
Rev. Earl Kooperkamp, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church*
David Kunzle, Prof., UCLA*
Mike Ladd, writer, producer
Ray Laforest, staff organizer, Dist. Council 1707 AFSME* Member
Pacifica Natl. Board*
Michael Lange, actor, playwright
Aron Laub, attorney
Kenny Leon, theater
director
Calvin Levels, actor, playwright
Brian Lloyd, Dept. of History, UC Riverside*
Dennis Loo, Assoc. Prof. of Sociology, Cal Poly Pomona*
Raymond Lotta, Maoist political economist
Fr. Lawrence Lucas, Our
Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church*
Paul Magno, Catholic Worker Movement*
devorah major, author
Lucia Marano, actor, writer
Bill Martin, Prof. of Philosophy, DePaul Univ.*
Timothy Patrick McCarthy, Harvard
Univ.*
Peter McLaren, Prof. of Education, UCLA*
David Meltzer, poet, Professor, New College of California*
David Meyerhof, teacher
Alan Miller, teacher, Berkeley H.S.*
Eric Mofford, filmmaker
Will Napoli, teacher, writer, artist, inventor
Not a Number, store, Seattle
Susan Nussbaum, actress
Heriberto Ocasio, MD
Denise Oliver, Instructor of English, Cuyahoga Community College*
Tomás Olmos, civil rights attorney
Claire Ortalda, novelist
Gary Pak, Prof. of English, Univ. of Hawai’’i*
Jose Palafox, lecturer, UC Santa Cruz*
Hal Perry, basketball player
Peter
Phillips, Prof. of Sociology, Sonoma State Univ.,* Dir. , Project
Censored*
Townsand Price-Spratlen, PhD, sociologist
Jerry Quickley, playwright
Ruth Reese, Black Studies Prog., Cleveland State Univ.*
Rhadames Rivera, SEIU Local 1199, New York*
Phil Rice, MD, Harvard Medical School*
DJ Riddm
Wilson Riles, Jr., former Oakland City Councilman
Walter Riley, attorney
Tara Rivera, librarian
Victoria Robinson, lecturer, UC Berkeley*
Al Ronzoni, Progressive Democrats of America*
Floyd Salas, author, poet
Dorothy Salem, Prof. of History
Ricardo Salinas, actor, Culture Clash*
Vicky Scheidler
Thomas Willy Sepe, artist
Elias Serna, lecturer
Nick Setka, bookseller
Adam Shapiro, Current Events WRFG*
C. Zadik Shapiro, attorney
Joann Shapiro, theater artist
Herbert Siguenza, Culture Clash*
Henry Silverman, Prof. and Chairperson Emeritus, Dept. of History,
Michigan State Univ.*
Rick Simonson, Elliott Bay Book Co.*
Ted Sirota, musician
Michael Slate, host & producer KPFK*, journalist Revolution
Jimmy Slater, Black Panther Party*
Tolbert Small, MD, George Jackson Free Clinic for the Black Panther
Party*
Sparrow, poet
Carol Steiner, tenacious misfit
Lynne Stewart
Brenda C. Stokely, Million Worker March* convenor
Ula Taylor, Assoc. Prof., UC Berkeley*
minimum tek, musician
Hank Willis Thomas, artist, photographer
Dwight Trible, musician
Daniel Tsang, KUCI Subversity Show*
Katherine Turner, St. Vartan Armenian Church*
Morrie Turner, cartoonist
Kinan Valdez, writer & director, El Teatro Campesino*
Jose Luis Valenzuela, Artistic Dir., Latino Theater Co.*, Prof. of
Theater, Film and Television, UCLA*
Collins Van Nort, teacher
Chuy Varela, radio producer & writer
Tony Vick, DJ Vick
Paul Von Blum, Prof., African American Studies, UCLA*
Michael Tarif Warren, attorney
Rev. George W. Webber, Prof. of Urban Ministry, Pres. Emeritus, NY
Theological Seminary*
Bob Weick, actor, “Marx in Soho”
Cornel West, Prof. of Religion, Princeton Univ.*
Susan Wicklund, MD
Michael Williams, Black Studies Prog., Cleveland State Univ.*
Saul Williams, artist
Dr. Donald E. Winters, author Soul of the Wobblies
John Wood, poet, Prof. Emeritus, McNeese Univ.*
Kriss Worthington, Berkeley City Councilmember
Marvin X, The Univ. of Poetry*
Malik Yakini, educator, activist
Al Young, California Poet Laureate
David Zeiger, filmmaker, “Sir! No Sir!”

* for identification purposes only.