I know we have resources on this. I feel like we’ve seen this on one of our comm’s sidebars, but I just can’t find anything currently.
We have many great thoughts on getting people onboard with theory, but I think we should also be focusing on some praxis as well. In trying to find what I was looking for, I came across this little thread from a few years ago: Forget Theory, Read Praxis! or: How to organize!
I think we can expand on this idea. There are already women in red states who are being killed at the hands of abortion policy. People looking for “what to do next” might benefit from some information they can read and implement quickly. Hopefully, this gives potential comrades in these states something to build that can help protect themselves and their communities, and eventually lead them to more critical theory.
Also, this is something I, personally, would like to have in my back pocket as well.
I’ve updated the links in that old thread I found with new links:
In this thread, share your favorite books on praxis: Guides on how to organize rather than guides on what to organize against.
Protest and blockades:
Earth First Direct Action Manual How to run blockades, organize protests, do tree sits, etc. Great for environmental actions, but applicable to other campaigns as well.
Recipes for Disaster An anarchist how-to on protests, sabotage, dumpster diving, non-monogamy and more. Like the edgiest table at a zine fair in a single book
Labor and Tenant organizing:
Secrets of a Successful Organizer A how to on organizing written by Labor Notes, a militant, pro-democracy conference and newspaper for the American Labor Movement.
Building a Solidarity Network A SolNet or SolFed is like a worker center, but entirely volunteer run and focused on direct action. Example
EWOC organizing guide this is a collab of the DSA and United Electrical, which is one of two remaining “red” unions from the original CIO (the other being the ILWU).
Running Meetings:
I guess I’m really taking my time but I’m currently reading through The Anarchist Teapot Mobile Kitchen’s Guide to Feeding the Masses. Basically it’s a first hand account on how to cook a lot of food for a lot of people.
I’ll put this on my reading list too.
“Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next)” by Dean Spade
The Black Panther programs welcomed people into the liberation struggle by creating spaces where they could meet basic needs and build a shared analysis about the conditions they were facing. Instead of feeling ashamed about not being able to feed their kids in a culture that blames poor people, especially poor Black people, for their poverty, people attending the Panthers’ free breakfast program got food and a chance to build shared analysis about Black poverty. It broke stigma and isolation, met material needs, and got people fired up to work together for change.
Recognizing the program’s success, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover famously wrote in a 1969 memo sent to all field offices that “the BCP [Breakfast for Children Program] represents the best and most influential activity going for the BPP [Black Panther Party] and, as such, is potentially the greatest threat to efforts by authorities to neutralize the BPP and destroy what it stands for.” The night before the Chicago program was supposed to open, police broke into the church that was hosting it and urinated on all of the food. The government’s attacks on the Black Panther Party are evidence of mutual aid’s power…
Definitely going to be reading this, thanks for the recommendation!
The BPP did some really inspiring stuff
A gap in my knowledge I need to patch, for sure.
Highly recommend Huey P Newton’s autobiography, it’s extremely approachable and a great read
