“Settle your quarrels, come together, understand the reality of our situation, understand that fascism is already here, that people are already dying who could be saved, that generations more will live poor butchered half-lives if you fail to act. Do what must be done, discover your humanity and your love in revolution.” — George Jackson
We are a group of students at MIT seeking to understand the contemporary crisis of America and our responsibility as citizens, students, and engineers to struggle for a just and human-oriented society. In our meetings, we discuss questions such as: How do we develop a culture which prioritizes the inherent right of all people to a decent livelihood? What is the role of education and art in advancing the freedom struggle? How do we challenge the prevailing nihilism of our times and articulate the need for a new society? We look for answers through studying the revolutionary life and works of figures such as W. E. B. Du Bois, Martin Luther King Jr, Paulo Freire, Malcolm X, Walter Rodney, Grace Lee and James Boggs, and Frantz Fanon as well as global liberation movements which sought to free humanity from imperialism, poverty, and all other forms of exploitation.
We are currently reading Hammer and Hoe: Alabama Communists During the Great Depression by Robin D. G. Kelley. Previously, we read Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire as well as chapters from Comrade by Jodi Dean, Revolution and Evolution in the Twentieth Century by Grace Lee Boggs and James Boggs, as well as Living for Change by Grace Lee Boggs. Below are some of the essays, speeches, and articles we have also discussed.
We're always open to new members (including non-MIT students)! We are hosting hybrid meetings this semester (Fall 2022). Email Susanna (susannac[@]mit[dot]edu) to join the mailing list or fill out the interest form.