The Young Communist League, USA is a multi-racial, working class organization made up of youth who believe we can build a better world. We struggle for immediate reforms and at the same time we fight for a more fundamental revolution.
Dynamic interviewed a few YCL members who explained why they joined and what the YCL means in their lives. These YCL members have found a place to affirm their principles, learn and ask questions, and gain the skills it takes to change the system. They've found a strong community of young people from incredibly diverse backgrounds, but with the same militant dedication to winning what youth and
students need: job training, access to higher education, culture and sports programs, affirmative action, a peaceful foreign policy, rights for young immigrants, and more. YCL members see these struggles as the path to another world: socialism.The Young Communist League is a school of struggle, a school that we members are building with our own hands. To join, you don’t have to be someone who’s completely sure about communism. What you do have to is someone who wants to fight for a more just world, to learn about socialism and the ideas behind it, to actively participate in the class struggle, and battle sexism, racism, and homophobia everywhere. Check it out…!
No text or lyric alone….
Claudia Castellanos / Providence, RI
I joined the YCL because reading Karl Marx and listening to The Coup can only do so
much in terms of sustaining one's ideology, drive, and dedication. Luckily for me, my work
colleague and comrade told me about the YCL and how being a member helps keep
him motivated to continue with his organizing and activist work. The connections
and relationships he has made through the YCL seem to be largely responsible for
keeping my friend in our struggle. As a new member of the YCL, I look forward to
the same. Nothing can replace the stimulus and support that comrades provide,
professionally and personally. We have to organize and support one another in our efforts, and no text or lyric alone do that. That is why I joined the YCL look forward to what comes ahead.
Fighting for change in my community
Josh LeClair / Orlando, FL
The people I’ve met through the YCL and the Communist Party have both impressed and
inspired me. In Orlando, we have five YCL members and we’re active in local chapters of organizations like the ACLU, NION, Amnesty International, and ACORN. Being a YCL
member has driven me to be more politically active in my community and to finish
college so I can teach. Studying Marxism-Leninism has opened my eyes to the roots
of the social ills and hardships that plague the working people of the world and the
need for unity to fight for a better world. Joining the YCL gives young people a
focus for their frustrations with our current political climate and the connections to
fight for real change in their communities and the world.
A May Day story from Havana…
Jose Garcia / Turlock, CA
Last year I spent a few months in Cuba studying at the Universidad de La Habana. The most interesting and exciting moments were the May Day rally at Plaza Revolucion where I saw Fidel walk by only a few steps away from me. A few weeks later, I was reading the Cuban newspaper Granma and saw an article about the visit of Communist Party USA leaders Juan Lopez and Sam Webb to Cuba. At that time I thought to myself, how come the organization I was involved with at the time, that claimed to be Marxist-Leninist, did not
support Cuba? It was then that I realized I had been simply ranting about socialism but not working towards a socialist society. Upon my return to the US, I got in touch with the YCL, because it seemed like a community where I could further develop my Marxist-Leninist outlook on society. I look forward to being involved in the YCL both at the local and national level. And I am considering joining the Communist Party in the future.
We come to make noise!
Abdul Hassan / Harlem, NY
The YCL isn't just a group of leftists who all think in the same way. It’s diverse in terms of
people’s thinking and experience. I'm glad I'm active in the YCL because of the other people
and perspectives that it brings me in contact with. I connect with old friends and new friends and keep in touch with my own community. We let people know when they’re doing good and the support network is really strong. That’s important for me.
I first came in contact with the YCL at a meeting in Chicago. I didn't know anyone, but I had a really good time. We sang songs and talked about politics and talked about books I had read that I had never got a chance to talk about. When I realized YCL-ers were people that I could hang with, I saw that my social life and my political life didn’t have to be separate.
Every time I march with the YCL I lose my voice, because we come to make noise and let our voices be heard. The first time I felt it was when we went to a women’s rights march a couple of years ago, and it was hot and I was tired and we were chanting, but not that many people around us were making noise. But we got into it and we got other people into it. And the chant spread and got louder and stronger. I felt it. It was the first time I realized that people have their own power, and a lot more, when we get together.
Why join the YCL? Why not!
Erica Smiley / Washington, DC
I've had a lot of great YCL moments, especially in our coalition work with groups like the
National Youth and Student Peace Coalition (NYSPC) and United States Student Association (USSA). However, the most rewarding came recently when I helped draft a study guide for the Communist Manifesto. I really enjoyed working with the Manifesto and it has helped ground my recent activist work. The principles of Marxism-Leninism are
very basic and straightforward. I feel that like many people, I've held these principles
for some time. But studying Marxist- Leninism has provided a structure for these principles and allowed me to better explain them to others.
Being a YCLer has grounded my work in an understanding of the broader structures
of society, allowing me to make more strategic decisions surrounding everyday campaigns and actions, and even shift the conversation closer to our larger goal of a socialist USA.
Reading and studying in a supportive environment of peers is easier, and more fun.
YCL members have a unique spirit for moving forward that always gives me the motivation to keep fighting.
Why join the YCL? Why not! Why be frustrated alone when there is a group that can help you do something about your lack of financial aid or your inability to get something other than a McJob or your fear of being recruited into the military? Why continue to fight in a bubble? The YCL provides a long-term vision that constantly breathes fresh air into our day-to-day work.
This beautiful struggle
Pepe Lozano / Chicago, IL
I believe The YCL plays a special role in ensuring a positive and inspirational hope in this beautiful struggle that all youth encounter. Recognizing the real effects of racism and discrimination throughout US history means that we are committed to multiracial unity in the YCL, and that young people of color, young women, and LGBTQ youth play a leading role. Through constant study of the ideas put forth by Marxism-Leninism, the YCL
works to apply theory with practice. Marxism-Leninism is a guide to action, and the most important lesson is understanding the class makeup of society. I’ve been inspired by the YCL’s approach to activism: working in coalitions with progressive faith, labor, and community based groups that fight for social justice. Through the YCL I’ve found a community of strong active organizers for peace, justice, equality and socialism.
Hasta La Victoria Siempre! Venceremos!
Strengthening My Vision of a Different World
Sheltreese McCoy / Cleveland, OH
I became a member of the YCL in July 2004. I was impressed by the national campaign work that was happening through the Midwest Elections Project. I wanted to be around people who affirmed what I believe in, like education and health care for all. Joining the YCL was part of making a commitment to the changes I want to work toward in my life. I didn’t join so I could find my way -- I joined to confirm my way.
Studying Marxism-Leninism helps me understand how most of society’s ills are tied to capitalism and greed. To understand how issues are interrelated leads to an integrated
approach to fighting capitalism. Being a YCLer has allowed me to learn about places and movements I didn’t know existed. Our organization combines a focus on what’s important to young people with a concern for all people. This allows for work on all fronts, from saving Social Security to stopping tuition hikes. The problem with short-term battles is that
whether they are won or lost, they lack a long-term vision of holistic change. It’s exciting that even if we don’t win every fight for justice, being in the YCL helps me keep the vision of a different world.
Being practical is the only way to be revolutionary
Willis Niederfrank / Milwaukee, WI
I’ve been in the YCL for four years now and it still kicks ass! I still get excited, even about National Council meetings.
I remember the first time that I hung out with other YCLers outside of an event, and I came to the realization that I was good friends with these people. Compared to other grassroots organizations, the YCL stands out because you can tell people are friends. The notion of being comrades is put into practice and that makes a big difference. We are really there for each other.
Studying Marxism-Leninism has changed my outlook by providing a scientific perspective
on life. Marxism-Leninism helps me evaluate events concretely while never losing my vision for the future. A lot of people talk about socialism, but the YCL does it in the most practical way-- and being practical is the only way to be revolutionary. Taking small steps is different
than hesitating, and working on the issues that affect young people’s lives is the most important way we can move towards socialism. I enjoy being in the YCL. It’s an important part of my life.
The YCL speaks to my experiences
Matt Murtagh / Brooklyn, NY
I joined the YCL in June, 2003, shortly after the invasion of Iraq. I chose to join the YCL for a number of reasons, including its large, and vocal, presence at the huge February 15 and
March 22 antiwar demonstrations in New York, its long and illustrious history, and its ties to the Communist Party, USA. My primary reason for joining, however, was that the YCL spoke to my experiences, and reflected my own feelings and thoughts regarding public education, youth empowerment, labor and community activism, social justice, equality, and democracy. In joining the YCL, I knew that I would be taking part in the struggle for a more just world.
My most memorable YCL moment occurred during the March 20, 2004 demonstration in New York on the one year anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. As I helped carry the YCL banner, I remember looking out onto the throngs of curious onlookers and seeing one small,
elderly man in the middle of the crowd raise up his fist in the old communist salute. At that moment I became even more convinced that we are fighting for what is right, and that it is only a matter of time before our vision of a just and equitable society will be implemented here in the U.S. and around the world. I would encourage young people to join the YCL because it is the only youth organization in the United States with an all-encompassing vision for a better world, and filled with dedicated young activists willing to devote their lives to bringing it about.
Photo courtesy of Abdul Hassan
photo courtesy of Claudia Castellanos
Photo courtesy of Erica Smiley
Photo courtesy of Jose Garcia, Jose is fourth from the right
Photo courtesy of Josh Leclair
photo courtesy of Matt Murtagh
Photo courtesy of Sheltreese McCoy, Sheltreese (left) is with Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs-Jones (OH)
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