E61: The League of Revolutionary Black Workers, part 1
Working Class History
Working Class History
5.0 • 813 Ratings
🗓️ 24 February 2022
⏱️ 46 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This podcast is only possible because of support from our listeners on patreon. Join us and get access to exclusive content at https://patreon.com/workingclasshistory
This is an improved, extended and partially re-recorded version of our podcast episode 12. We have added more audio clips from other members of the League, including General Baker, Mitch and Darryl “Waistline” Mitchell. We have also added narrative for additional detail, context and to tell the story in a more cohesive manner. Whether you listened to the original episode or not, we hope you enjoy it!
Get hold of Dan and Herb's books on these links:
– Dan Georgakas and Marvin Surkin, Detroit: I Do Mind Dying: A Study in Urban Revolution – https://bookshop.org/a/80203/9781608462216
– Herb Boyd, Black Detroit: A People’s History of Self-Determination – https://bookshop.org/a/80203/9780062346636
More information, sources, acknowledgements and more on the webpage for this episode: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e61-the-league-of-revolutionary-black-workers-in-detroit/
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | In Detroit in 1968, with the background of civil rights struggles, the Vietnam War, a global wave of protest and a major urban insurrection, black auto workers in the city organized themselves to fight against discrimination and eventually radically transformed society, setting up the League of Revolutionary Black Workers. This is working class history. This is a union town, a union town, all down the line. Before we get started, just a reminder that our podcast is only possible because of support from our listeners on Patreon. |
| 0:46.3 | Our support is fund our work and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merch, and other content. |
| 0:54.6 | For example, you can listen to both parts of this double episode now, as well as an exclusive |
| 0:59.0 | bonus episode. Join us and find out more at patreon.com slash working class history. |
| 1:05.3 | Link in the show knows. |
| 1:07.0 | These episodes are a re-edited, partially re-recorded and improved version of our episode 12, |
| 1:13.1 | with additional tape from other members of the League of Revolutionary Black Workers, |
| 1:17.2 | and a new narrative format to tell the story in a more cohesive way. |
| 1:21.6 | We will gradually be working through all of our old episodes to improve them and release them in this new improved format. |
| 1:28.2 | We moved this one up the queue to re-release earlier than planned because of the sad passing |
| 1:32.0 | of our friend, Dandrel Jackus, who we spoke to for these episodes at the age of 83 in November |
| 1:37.5 | 2021. |
| 1:38.5 | So whether you listen to episode 12 already or not, we hope you enjoy these episodes. So you move into the 1940s, now you have this year, the whole World War II is breaking |
| 1:50.0 | out, and that's when I arrive on the scene in 1943. |
| 1:54.0 | I'm in Detroit, I'm four years old then, and I've only been in the city, you know, a couple of months, |
| 2:00.0 | and suddenly, boom, the city |
| 2:01.7 | explodes. |
| 2:02.7 | And it's a massive race riot. |
| 2:05.2 | At that time, it was considered one of the largest race riots in the city and the country's |
| 2:10.0 | history. |
| 2:12.1 | This is Herb Boyd. |
| 2:13.6 | Herb was an auto worker in Detroit, a member of the league, and is the author of Black Detroit, |
... |
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