Rev Left Radio Eric Mann on Revolutionary Struggle Part 2: Labor Organizing, The Working Class, and Proletarian Internationalism
Dec 12, 2025
Eric Mann, a veteran organizer and revolutionary activist, shares his wealth of experience in labor and civil rights movements. He discusses the significance of revolutionary writing, particularly about George Jackson, and the impact of campaigns like the one to keep the GM Van Nuys plant open. Mann highlights the importance of empathy in organizing and building trust among workers. He candidly analyzes the Hard Hat Riot and critiques the U.S. as a settler fascist state, underscoring the need for international solidarity among oppressed peoples.
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Commitment Is Measured By Risk
- Eric Mann argues that revolutionary commitment is proven by willingness to put your body on the line, not just by ideology.
- He says transformative organizing also transforms the organizer through practice and sacrifice.
Writing Sparked By George Jackson's Death
- Eric Mann recounts learning George Jackson's death spurred him to write and study the prison movement intensively.
- That research grew into his book Comrade George and deepened his political transformation.
Friendship With Howard Zinn
- Eric describes meeting Howard Zinn and bonding over anti-racist student work at Boston University.
- They collaborated on the Left Field Stands column and influenced campus institutional organizing.
