Download .pdf leaflet (Baltimore)
Download .pdf leaflet (Bay Area, California)
Download .pdf leaflet (North Carolina)
Their Election is Over, Our Future is Up to Us!
As of November 4, 2024, people are still casting their votes, and we might not know who officially won the presidential election for weeks. With so much uncertainty, it’s important to look beyond just who wins or loses. The months leading up to this election have been filled with many promises from candidates. But how many of these promises are real?
The Democrats have promised us increased abortion access, better healthcare, the protection of voter rights, and increased protections for traditionally marginalized groups of people. These promises aren’t made because they genuinely care about making our lives better – they’re made to get our votes. And like elections of years past, many of these pledges will fade away once the president is in office.
On the other side, candidates like Trump and Vance have used scare tactics, claiming they will protect us from imaginary threats posed by immigrants and so-called criminals. They lean into racism, sexism, and anti-trans rhetoric to stir up fear, shifting the blame for our society’s problems onto the very people who are most harmed by this society’s inequalities. This kind of politics isn’t new; it’s a strategy designed to divide us and distract us from the real issues affecting our lives.
Both candidates promise a strong economic plan. But what they mean is profits for the businesses and the rich while the rest of us are exploited for our labor.
Why do we keep falling for election promises, as if we’re somehow surprised when they vanish the moment the votes are counted? It’s the same trick, every time.
The truth is, the president is just a manager of a system that serves the interests of the wealthy elite – the banks, big corporations, and the ruling class. Take a look at people like Elon Musk, who openly backs policies that benefit his business and his wealth. Billionaires pour millions into these campaigns because they know, regardless of who wins, their interests will be secured. Those who have remained neutral during this election – like Jeff Bezos, who refused to let The Washington Post endorse a candidate – know their wealth won’t be affected either way. Even when politicians keep a campaign promise, it is because of a calculated plan for their interests, not for ours. These politicians are not our representatives, and we cannot rely on them to bring the change we need.
Fortunately, we don’t need to rely on the political class. Regular, working class people hold a different form of power. The kind of change we need isn’t in their hands – it’s in ours. We must decide what we need and deserve and take action to achieve it. Start by talking with those around you – coworkers, friends, neighbors – about what matters. Organizing often begins with just a few committed individuals. When others join in, we can build struggles that create real change.
Throughout history, powerful social movements are what have won us rights. Look at the Civil Rights Movement, the Women’s Movement, or the Gay Liberation Movement. The victories achieved for these populations weren’t handed down by politicians; they were won by ordinary people coming together to demand justice and equality; by people who refused to leave their futures in the hands of someone else. That’s how change happens – through mobilization in our workplaces, communities, schools, and on the streets.
We are the ones who can organize and build these movements, who can stand up, struggle, and strike for what we deserve. Beyond that, we must take these movements further than they have gone before to secure a future worth living in. We already run every part of this society that matters – from the hospitals to the factories, from the transit systems to the schools. As those in the Civil Rights Movement said, “We are the ones we are waiting for!” Their election is over, our work starts now.
The Triangle, North Carolina: The Greensboro Massacre – Lessons for Today
November 3 marks the 45th anniversary of the Greensboro Massacre. In broad daylight, the KKK and Nazis killed five and injured 11 left-wing anti-racist and union activists. Notably, there was open collaboration between the white supremacists and different levels of law enforcement. The cops had informants inside the white supremacist groups, knew of their violent plans and even encouraged them to bring arms to the leftists’ anti-Klan demonstration. You can check out an in-depth history at greensborotrc.org.
Today, at a time when the far right is gaining confidence and threatens many of our communities, it’s essential to recognize that we cannot expect this system to protect us. This is as true today as it was back then. We (workers, immigrants, Black people, women, queer folks, etc.) can and must rely on our own forces to stand up for ourselves!
Bay Area, California: Ongoing Lead Crisis in Oakland Schools
Lead in the water continues to be a serious issue at public K-12 schools across Oakland, particularly in working-class, primarily Black and Brown communities. Since 2017, when brown water at McClymonds High School triggered widespread testing, schools throughout Oakland have shown alarmingly high lead levels. Instead of implementing real fixes, officials have only managed to send two purified drinking stations to each affected school.
The school system’s pipes are so outdated that replacing them could cost $50 million. This may sound like a lot. But the Bay Area is one of the wealthiest regions in the world. Providing clean drinking water for children should be a top priority. It’s a travesty that Oakland’s students still can’t access a safe drink of water. Temporary fixes won’t cut it – this crisis demands real action.
Baltimore, Maryland: Baltimore City Abuses Its Most Essential Workers
This August, a Baltimore Department of Public Works worker died from overheating during his shift on a trash truck. Since then, investigations have exposed how horrifying the working conditions at the DPW really are. Many workers are forced to work through their shifts without AC or access to water, and for some, without a functional restroom at their workplace. Management does not tell workers how to sign up for health insurance, and punishes those who raise concerns by assigning them the
worst job tasks.
City officials claim they will fix the AC soon and will start to guarantee water breaks. This is not enough. DPW workers protect everyone’s health and safety. One thing our tax dollars should pay for is their working conditions.
Newark, New Jersey: School Funding Crisis in NJ
The East Orange School District announced that it faced a budget shortfall of about $8 million, impacting over 9,000 students, and that it needed to make immediate cuts. About 93 employees were told they were being laid off on December 1 S. Among those losing jobs are 12 social workers and dozens of academic coaches and interventionists, all of whom directly assist struggling students.
Poor management is partly to blame, but so is the way schools are financed. Wealthy communities can easily finance their schools while poorer ones can’t. But when the U.S. government can spend never-ending billions for its military, why should schools struggle to fund their needs?
