Maoism in the Developed World

Aside from such routine party work, members of the PLM carried out several more publicity-worthy projects. Two activities of the PLM that gained most public attention during the nearly two and a half years before it was converted into the Progressive Labor Party (PLP) were the organization of two tour groups to Cuba in defiance of U.S. government dictate, and participation in the Harlem riot of the summer of 1964.

According to Luce, “The operations for the Cuban trips were like a mixture of Mission Impossible and Jonathan Winters. The results included thirteen federal indictments, two House Unamerican Activities Committee hearings, a number of recruits for Progressive Labor, considerable propaganda for the Cubans and a black eye for the State Department.”[12]

The American government put as many difficulties in the way of the PLM organized visitors to Cuba as possible. As a consequence, instead of flying from Canada to Cuba, as originally planned, they went via Paris and Czechoslovakia. According to Luce, who was one of the leaders of the 1963 trip, the Americans were treated with great enthusiasm by the Cubans, and during the two months the 1963 group were there, they traveled all over the island and spoke with the widest variety of people, including top figures in the Castro government.[13]

Virtually all of those who had organized and led the 1963 and 1964 trips to Cuba were indicted. However, the courts threw out the indictments, and no one was ever tried.[14]

Of PLM’s participation in the bloody riots in Harlem in the summer of 1964, Phillip Luce wrote, “Of course Progressive Labor did not start the Harlem riots—either through its proclaimed revolutionary zeal or its alleged radicalization of Harlem residents. PL did, however, seize upon an incident involving police and a young Harlem black, and used this incident to spur hard-core radical elements to action.”[15]

The apocalyptic view the PLM had of these riots, in which Bill Epton, the head of the PLM Harlem branch, took a leading part, was shown in an editorial in Challenge, the party newspaper. It said that “the rebellion, … will not end soon—in fact, indications are that it is spreading throughout the City. The vision of half a million—or a million—angry black men and women, supported by allies in the Puerto Rican and other working class communities, standing up to their oppressors, is haunting the ruling class.”[16]

Bill Epton was subsequently indicted and convicted of “criminal anarchy,” and spent some time in prison.[17]

The Progressive Labor Movement was formally converted into the Progressive Labor Party at a convention on April 15-18, 1965. There were reported to be delegates present from 12 states and the District of Columbia, representing 1,500 members. A National Committee of twenty was chosen, and Milton Rosen was named president of the party, with Mort Scheer and Bill Epton as vice presidents.[18]

The constitution of the new party proclaimed, “We resolve to build a revolutionary movement with the participation and support of millions of working men and women as well as those students, artists and intellectuals who will join with the working class to end the profit system. … With such a movement we will build a socialist U.S.A., with all power in the hands of the working people and their allies.”[19]

The PLP And Elections

The Progressive Labor Party engaged in a variety of activities. In spite of its fiery rhetoric and sometimes extremist behavior, during its first few years it participated sporadically in elections. As early as 1963, the PLM ran Bill Epton as a candidate for New York City Council.[20] Then, in 1965, he was the PLP candidate for New York State Senate, and after a very poor showing claimed that his name had been left off of many ballots.[21]

In 1966, although saying “we know that, in the long, run electoral campaigns and elections are not going to resolve the problems of our people,” the PLP nonetheless endorsed candidates for U.S. Congress in one district each in Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan in New York City, as well as three such nominees in New Jersey “who have manifested themselves totally opposed to the war in Vietnam.” They also had their own candidate, Wendy Nakashima, as nominee for the New York State Assembly.[22]

In 1968, the PLP people worked inside the Peace and Freedom Party of California, saying, “Only independent political action will make PFP a viable movement and Party.” They participated in what they called “the working class caucus” in that party.[23] The Peace and Freedom Party was a legally recognized rival of the Democrats and Republicans in California, in which a diversity of far-left groups operated.

In 1969, the PLP supported one “independent” candidate for the New York City Council, Barbara Lawrence.[24]