Workers World Party is a radical-left “Marxist-Leninist political party” dedicated to starting and fighting a “socialist revolution in the United States and around the world.” 1
Workers World Party supports the far-left Black Lives Matter movement, disarming and abolishing the police, 2 the abolition of capitalism, 3 and the release of convicted murdered and former Black Panther Party activist Mumia Abu-Jamal. 4 Workers World Party supports the critical race theory concepts of anti-racism, reproductive justice, 5 and climate justice 6 and has also called for the shutdown of U.S. Department of Defense. 7
In the 1960s, Workers World Party organized support for the release of radical-left activist Angela Davis and worked with radical-left extremist group Weather Underground 8 and the left-wing Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). 9
History and Leadership
Workers World Party was co-founded in 1959 in New York, New York, by Vincent Copeland and Sam Marcy after they became disenchanted with the Communist Party. 10 11 12 13 Founding members of the Workers World Party were active in the radical-left Socialist Workers Party for several years before the Workers World Party was established in 1959. 14
As of 2022, Larry Holmes was the “first secretary” of Workers World Party. 15
Activities and Funding
Workers World Party is a radical-left “Marxist-Leninist political party” dedicated to starting and fighting a “socialist revolution in the United States and around the world.” 16 Headquartered in New York, New York, World Workers Party has 21 different local and regional offices in the United States 17 and works to “pull down capitalism and build a socialist society” in the United States. 18
Individuals who wish to join the Workers World Party are required to submit an application and then are encouraged to join the party’s activist activities to “see if it is the right fit.” 19
Workers World Party supports the far-left Black Lives Matter movement, disarming and abolishing the police 20 and other state entities, 21 and the abolition of capitalism. 22 Workers World Party also promotes the critical race theory concepts of anti-racism, reproductive justice, 23 and climate justice; 24 a federal $15 minimum wage; 25 free healthcare for all; 26 and far-left LGBT-liberation ideology. 27
World Workers Party opposes United States military intervention in all locations, supports the Palestinian people against what the Party calls the “Zionist state of Israel,” and calls for the shutdown of the U.S. Department of Defense. 28
Workers World Party also offers courses on the history of the Workers World Party, Marxist-Leninist ideology, Communist organizing, and other topics. 29
Activism
In the 1960s, Workers World Party campaigned for the release of radical-left activist Angela Davis. The Party also worked with radical-left extremist group Weather Underground 30 and the left-wing Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) during the “Days of Rage” in Chicago. 31 In 1962, World Workers Party held what it called “the first demonstration in the U.S. against the Vietnam War” for which the WWP claims to have been thanked by Vietnamese Communist leader Ho Chi Minh. 32
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) attempted to monitor the organization in the 1960s, and according to Workers World Party first secretary Larry Holmes, the FBI described the party as a “hardline communist organization dedicated to world revolution” in the 1970s. 33 34 In 1980, communist political activist Deirdre Griswold was the first individual to run for U.S. President as a member of the World Workers Party. 35
Workers World Party supports the release of convicted murderer and former Black Panther Party activist Mumia Abu-Jamal. 36 It also supported the far-left American Indian Movement 37 and the International Action Center. 38
Members of World Workers Party helped organize the toppling of Confederate statues in Durham, North Carolina, in 2017; 39 visited Pyongyang, North Korea, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the country’s establishment in 2013; 40 and traveled to Communist-ruled Cuba in 2007. 41
Publications
In 1959, Workers World Party began publication of its newspaper, Workers World. Workers World is an “anti-capitalist, revolutionary” newspaper that claims a large circulation among the U.S. incarcerated population. 42 Workers World Party also publishes books and pamphlets on various radical-left and Marxist-Leninist topics. 43 44
Funding
Workers World Party receives funding from annual membership fees, one-time donations, 45 subscriptions to its Workers World newspaper, 46 and merchandise sales. 47
References
- “Workers World Party: Who We Are.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://workersworld-party.org/about/.
- “Why We Must Abolish the Police.” Workers World Party YouTube. Streamed June 11, 2020. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9Un3vXNuPo.
- [1] “Workers World: “Whatever it takes, we have to abolish capitalism.”” Workers World Party YouTube Channel. Uploaded February 18, 2022. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN8dKAnOBAI.
- Workers World Party: Who We Are.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://workersworld-party.org/about/.
- Workers World Party: Who We Are.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://workersworld-party.org/about/.
- Durkin, Kathy. “Youth join global strike for climate justice.” September 28, 2022. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://www.workers.org/2022/09/66884/.
- Workers World Party: Who We Are.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://workersworld-party.org/about/.
- Hundall, David. “Long Shots: Durham Activist Lamont Lilly Runs for Veep on the World Workers Party Ticket.” Indy Week. November 2, 2016. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://indyweek.com/news/long-shots-durham-activist-lamont-lilly-runs-veep-world-workers-party-ticket/.
- Workers World Party: Who We Are.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://workersworld-party.org/about/.
- “Workers World Party: Who We Are.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://workersworld-party.org/about/.
- “Sam Marcy Selected Works.” Workers World. January 6, 2008. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://www.workers.org/sam_marcy/.
- “Sam Marcy; Founder of Workers World Party.” Los Angeles Times. February 10, 1998. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-feb-10-mn-17505-story.html.
- Lambert, Bruce. “Vincent Copeland, 77, Is Dead; Led Anti-War Protests in 1960’s.” New York Times. June 10, 1993. Accessed via Web Archive October 16, 2022. https://archive.ph/aHLKc.
- “Deirdre Griswold on the History of Workers World Party.” Workers World Party YouTube. July 21, 2018. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBPzJ9roG2k.
- Holmes, Larry. “Preparing for the biggest global capitalist crisis in history – a clarion call to the movement.” Workers World Party. October 14, 2022. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://www.workers.org/2022/10/67199/.
- [1] “Workers World Party: Who We Are.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://workersworld-party.org/about/.
- “Contact.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://workersworld-party.org/contact/.
- Workers World Party: Who We Are.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://workersworld-party.org/about/.
- “Apply to Join.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://workersworld-party.org/join/.
- “Why We Must Abolish the Police.” Workers World Party YouTube. Streamed June 11, 2020. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9Un3vXNuPo.
- Workers World Party: Who We Are.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://workersworld-party.org/about/.
- “Workers World: “Whatever it takes, we have to abolish capitalism.”” Workers World Party YouTube Channel. Uploaded February 18, 2022. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN8dKAnOBAI.
- Workers World Party: Who We Are.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://workersworld-party.org/about/.
- Durkin, Kathy. “Youth join global strike for climate justice.” September 28, 2022. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://www.workers.org/2022/09/66884/.
- Workers World Party: Who We Are.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://workersworld-party.org/about/.
- Workers World Party: Who We Are.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://workersworld-party.org/about/.
- “LGBTQ2+ liberation.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://www.workers.org/category/lgbtq/.
- Workers World Party: Who We Are.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://workersworld-party.org/about/.
- “Educational Classes.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://www.workers.org/educational/.
- Hundall, David. “Long Shots: Durham Activist Lamont Lilly Runs for Veep on the World Workers Party Ticket.” Indy Week. November 2, 2016. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://indyweek.com/news/long-shots-durham-activist-lamont-lilly-runs-veep-world-workers-party-ticket/.
- Workers World Party: Who We Are.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://workersworld-party.org/about/.
- [1] Workers World Party: Who We Are.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://workersworld-party.org/about/.
- Heisig, Eric. “Newly-released JFK files show FBI tracked Cleveland mobsters, strippers before and after assassination.” Cleveland.com. November 10, 2017. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2017/11/newly-released_jfk_files_show_1.html.
- “Workers World: “Whatever it takes, we have to abolish capitalism.”” Workers World Party YouTube Channel. Uploaded February 18, 2022. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN8dKAnOBAI.
- [1] “Deirdre Griswold on the History of Workers World Party.” Workers World Party YouTube. Uploaded July 21, 2018. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBPzJ9roG2k.
- Workers World Party: Who We Are.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://workersworld-party.org/about/.
- Workers World Party: Who We Are.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://workersworld-party.org/about/.
- Workers World Party: Who We Are.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://workersworld-party.org/about/.
- “Who are the Workers World Party, the group who helped organize the Durham Confederate statue toppling.” ABC 11 News. August 16, 2017. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://abc11.com/durham-protest-communism-politics-what-is-the-workers-world-party/2314577/.
- Holmes, Larry. “What workers need to know about Korea.” Workers World. August 28, 2013. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://www.workers.org/2013/08/10587/.
- Abraham Mwaura and Dante Strobino. “FIST, in Cuba, shows solidarity with revolution.” Workers World. August 16, 2007. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://www.workers.org/2007/world/fist-cuba-0823/.
- [1] “Subscribe.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://www.workers.org/subscribe/.
- “Publications.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://workersworld-party.org/publications/.
- “Join Supporter Program.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://www.workers.org/supporters_/.
- [1] “Support.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://www.workers.org/donate/.
- “Subscribe.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://www.workers.org/subscribe/.
- “Books.” Workers World Party. Accessed October 16, 2022. https://www.workers.org/books/.