MIM NOTES No. 196        October 15, 1999	

Hit the streets, distribute MIM Notes

MIM attended the African World Festival in Detroit at the end of 
August. One comrade distributed hundreds of MIM Notes copies and 
received donations of about $50 for MIM Notes costs and MIM's 
Serve the People Free Books for Prisoners Program.

Many people were interested in understanding the connection MIM 
makes between unwavering internationalism, anti-imperialism and 
the liberation of internal semi-colonies. Vendors from African 
countries immediately understood the connection, but most seemed 
somewhat surprised to learn that there are more Black men in 
Amerika's prisons (proportionately) then there were under 
Apartheid in South Africa. They had, of course, heard cases of 
Blacks being beaten and killed by cops in Amerika, but we are 
still just getting the word out that what the bourgeois papers 
cover is only a small example of the brutality going on here.

Older Black nation members were eager to share with MIM their 
thoughts on Detroit's new MGM Grand casino in the context of urban 
revitalization. Some fully supported the casino's recent opening 
as a means to bring more money to Detroit. But many others liked 
the increased jobs, but were still leery of the casino and plan of 
making Detroit a tourist hub -- because the people making the most 
money are not the masses of Detroit.

MIM sees the casino, the new development projects and new baseball 
stadium as capitalism's method of dealing with the Detroit it 
created. The bourgeoisie knows that Black people will organize 
opposition to increased policing, state brutality and 
incarceration unless Detroit offers improved conditions. The 
bourgeoisie sees Detroit just as it sees countries like Costa Rica 
or the Carribbean islands -- as possible tourist spots where it 
can make money and pacify masses. 

It's a temporarily smart move by the bourgeoisie, but it does not 
fundamentally change the relationship between the oppressed and 
oppressor nations. Rather than promote casinos and other tourist 
traps, MIM urges Detroiters to work for the abolition of the 
system that is built on national oppression.

MIM looks at what the Black Panther Party (BPP) did as a much 
better model than imperialist sponsored casinos for improving the 
conditions of the oppressed. The BPP fought to liberate Black 
nation territory from the brutalizing police and developed their 
own institutions to meet the needs of the people. The BPP 
alternative is far superior to increased tourist traps in the 
urban areas -- which ultimately necessitate increased policing to 
present a clean-law-and-order mythical image.

The majority of Black nation youth at the African World Festival 
that MIM talked with had not heard of Mumia Abu Jamal. MIM spent 
time discussing his case as well as the situations of brothers, 
uncles and fathers who are locked up in Amerika's prisons. The 
setting was predominantly social, with lots of music and vendors. 
While not all the youth were interested in discussing politics, 
some members of local so-called gangs were quite interested to 
know that there are revolutionaries around who educate about the 
BPP's successes and who work to meet the needs of the masses while 
building bases of revolution.

MIM also hit some local punk venues where typically white youth 
from the suburbs attend shows. MIM Notes was well received and the 
distributor collected about $20.

In response to stepped up distribution of MIM Notes, MIM Notes has 
received new subscriptions including one from a friend in the 
Northwest who found MIM Notes shortly after an ally started MIM 
Notes distribution there. Goes to show that a little distribution 
can help build support for Maoist revolution.

Distribute MIM Notes! Raise funds for revolutionary work! Struggle 
with and engage the masses to increase participation!

We are still short of our 1999 Distribution goals. Primarily, we 
need individuals to raise funds for increased distribution of the 
paper. And we are still looking for folks who will freedrop and 
hand out copies of MIM Notes in areas where MIM and RAIL do not 
currently organize regularly.