Anthony Monteiro

Anthony Monteiro

Anthony (Tony) Monteiro teaches in the African American Studies Department at Temple University. He is a scholar/activist. He writes in areas having to do with W.E.B. DuBois Studies, Marxism and race. He lives in Philadelphia where he is active in social, economic and politcal struggles.

WEB DuBois Clubs of America

In 2014, Anthony Monteiro was listed a a friend on the DuBois Clubs Facebook page.

Expel South Africa From the UN

The Campaign for One Million Voices to Expel South Africa From the UN was a Communist Party USA front created in about 1974. The front was launched to speak on South Africa and its membership in the United Nations. They issued an undated brochure entitled "We Who Support Human Rights... DEMAND the expulsion of South Africa from the UN!" The brochure was printed by the CPUSA print shop "Prompt Press", printing bug number 209.

Sponsors included Anthony Monteiro

YWLL

In 1971 Tony Monteiro, was a leader of the Young Workers Liberation League..

Communist Party candidate

In 1972 Anthony Monteiro was Communist Party USA candidate for Congress, 3rd C.D. (Philadelphia).

Cuba trip

According to Portia Siegelbaum, writing in the Communist Party USA's Daily World, Wednesday March 3, 1976 page 4, in late February, the Marxist-Leninist Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola and Angola government officials led a two-dav seminar in Havana to acquaint a large United States delegation with the struggle of the Angolan people.

A day and a half presentation by three Angolan leaders: Commandante Dibala, a member of the MPLA central committee and political commissar of the Eastern Front; Olga Lima, director of political affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Relations; and Pedro Zinga Baptista, a member of the Foreign relations department of the MPLA, was followed by a question and answer period. The MPLA spokesmen affirmed that MPLA doesn't believe that revolutions can be exported, but that it does believe that examples are followed.

Attending the seminar were 26 North Americans representing a wide range of organizations as well as several journalists.

Among the representatives were Marjorie Boehm from Women's International League for Peace and Freedom; James Bristol of the American Friends Service Committee; Robert Chrisman of the magazine Black Scholar: Henry Foner of the Fur and Leather Workers Joint Board; George Houser of the American Committee on Africa; Lee Johnson of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists; Brenda J. Jones of Freedomways Magazine: Willis Logan of the Africa Office, National Council of Churches; Anthony Monteiro of National Anti-Imperialist Movement in Solidarity with African Liberation ; Patricia Murray of National Conference of Black Lawyers; Antonio Rodriguez of Centra de Accion Social Autonomo (acasa), a Chicano organization and Jose Velazquez of the Puerto Rican Socialist Party.

A telegram sent to the gathering by Rep.Charles Diggs (D-Mich) expressed regret that he could not attend and offered his hope for a frank and fruitful meeting.

MPLA support

The Angola Support Conference came into existence to organize a conference to support the MPLA held in Chicago, May 28-30, 1976. The Conference supported the MPLA and opposed U.S. and South African intervention in Angola. The sponsors were organizations supporting the MPLA from around the country. After the Chicago conference, the organization continued its activities with Prexy Nesbitt serving as national coordinator. Sponsors were;

• Barbara Barnes, MPLA Solidarity Committee
• Marjorie M. Boehm, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
• James E. Bristol, American Friends Service Committee
• Robert S. Browne, Black Economic Research Center
• Robert Chrisman; Black Scholar
• Johnnetta B. Cole; National Committee of the Venceremos Brigade
• Henry Foner, Amalgamated Meatcutters and Butcherworkmen of North America;
• Larry Holmes; Youth Against War and Fascism
• George M. Houser, American Committee on Africa
• A. Lee Johnson, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists
• Brenda J. Jones, Freedomways Magazine
• Edgar Lockwood, Washington Office on Africa;
• Willis Logan, Africa Office, National Council of Churches
• Anthony Monteiro, National Anti-Imperialist Movement in Solidarity with African Liberation
• Patricia Murray, National Council of Black Lawyers
• Prexy Nesbitt, US Out of Angola Committee and Chicago Committee for the Liberation of Angola, Mozambique and Guinea
• Moses Newsom, Afro-American Newspapers
• Lance Pustin, Prairie Fire Organizing Committee
• Anthony H. Rodrigues, CSAS-General Brotherhood of Workers
• Michael Simmons, Third World Coalition/Southwest Workers Federation
• Jose E. Velazquez, Partide Socialista Pertorriquena
• Joe Walker, Bilalian News. .

Black Radical Congress

In March 1998 “Endorsers of the Call” to found a Black Radical Congress included Anthony Monteiro, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Philadelphia College of Pharmacy & Science.

Communist "Manifestivity"

On October 30 and 31, 1998 the Brecht Forum presented the "Communist Manifestivity -150th Anniversary of the Communist Manifesto" at at Cooper Union's Great Hall, New York.

One of the many workshops at the Manifestivity was;

What Are Revolutionary Politics Today? with Nancy Holmstrom, Peter Kwong, Anthony Monteiro, Leo Panitch, Daniel Singer, Brenda Stokely and Carmen Vazquez. Moderator: Sam Anderson

Conversation on Capitalist Crisis

Leading up to the Socialism Summit in Philadelphia on Nov. 18, 2011 a “Conversation on the Capitalist Economic Crisis” was held at the Arch Street Methodist Church near Occupy Philly.

The event featured Workers World Party Secretariat member Fred Goldstein, author of “Low-Wage Capitalism,” and Dr. Anthony Monteiro, lecturer in African-American Studies at Temple University.

Goldstein and Monteiro conducted a wide-ranging conversation, covering everything from the new period of working-class struggle introduced by the Occupy movement to the question of what is needed to address the systemic problems of capitalism — left Keynesianism or revolution.

The event was hosted by the Philadelphia Economic Advancement Collective (PEACE) and Workers World Party. PEACE organizer Jamila Wilson facilitated the discussion.

Firing, and aftermath

“Some will say, ‘You’re a Marxist and a socialist. That you teach W.E.B. DuBois’ magnum opus “Black Reconstruction in America.” That you teach C.L.R. James and Amiri Baraka.’ Are you telling me that you can have a Department of African-American Studies without teaching the radical tradition and the traditions of socialism? And, if that’s what you’re telling me, then you’re telling me that you want a department built on a lie.”

Dr. Anthony Monteiro, professor at ­Temple University and W.E.B. DuBois scholar, speaking at a March 10, 2014, rally.

Temple University, located in the heart of the African-American working-class community of North Philadelphia, has continued its plan to corporatize public higher education at the expense of its neighbors. While it pushes deeper and deeper into the community with its student housing, sports facilities and hospitals, it also seeks to whitewash its ­curriculum.

Home to the country’s first doctorate program in African-American Studies, Temple has since its founding been a university that has offered an excellent education to the working class. Since then, it has become famous for being a multinational public university. Famed political prisoner and legendary writer Mumia Abu-Jamal plans to apply to get his Ph.D. in African-American Studies from ­Temple.

For the past ten years, Dr. Anthony Monteiro has mentored and taught hundreds of students at Temple who would become activists. The students have led Occupy Philadelphia, the fight to free Mumia Abu-Jamal, and more recently have been in the forefront of the struggle against gentrification and police brutality near Temple. Monteiro has regularly given Saturday classes on Black Liberation and Philosophy to hundreds of community members and students.

In January, much to his surprise, Monteiro’s contract was not renewed. When he came to Temple a decade ago, he was promised tenure.

As a former member of the 1960s Revolutionary Action Movement and an activist ever since, Monteiro is not afraid to take action. On March 10, around 200 students and community members rallied to demand: “Reinstate Dr. Monteiro! Fire Soufas!” They were referring to Teresa Soufas, the dean of Liberal Arts, who, along with the recently appointed chair of the African-American Studies department, Dr. Molefi Asante, fired Monteiro.

Leading the rally was, People Utilizing Real Power, a community-student organization. Important labor leaders, such as Royce Adams, former vice president of the International Longshoremen’s Association Local 291, were present. Adams gave a powerful speech on the revolutionary history of Black labor.

Henry Nicholas, president of 1199C Hospital Workers Union, which represents more workers than any union on campus, spoke on the need to take this fight to the Board of Trustees. He also clarified how Dr. Asante called for Monteiro’s firing, stating, “University president Neil D. Theobald confirmed that it was Asante who asked Soufas to kick Monteiro off the faculty.”

Sacaree Rhodes, a community activist who organizes against hunger, homelessness and gentrification, led hundreds into a direct confrontation with the Board of Trustees. Declaring that “Soufas is a goddamn racist!” Rhodes’ demand connected the immediate needs of the community with the fate of Dr. Monteiro.

Professor Monteiro addressed the crowd prolifically, calling for “a new paradigm” for the relations between the University and the surrounding community, which is among the poorest areas of Philadelphia.

Speaking against gentrification, Monteiro said: “I am not going to back up and say that my lifework is going to be transformed because rich people now want to inhabit the cities. I’m going to fight that. And, in fighting against gentrification, we are fighting against poverty. We’re fighting against the prison-industrial complex.

“A lot of people want to study the prison-industrial complex but not study the effect of neoliberal, corporatized universities upon communities. These institutions are as negative in the life of communities as the prison-industrial complex is.”

He then called out Soufas, saying: “Her tenure has been troubled. It has been based upon a demonstrable misperception, a demonstrable lack of knowledge and a flawed racial philosophy. It is time for a new beginning in the College of Liberal Arts.

“Her own statement that she did not see a Black community in the center of this great city. … This all manifested a flawed racial philosophy that suggested that the poor were poor because there was something wrong with them.”

After Dr. Monteiro’s speech, the community and students stormed the Board of Trustees meeting for the second time, where they were met with contempt by Temple President Neil D. Theobald and the Board of Trustees. Three activists were permitted to speak on the case. Then the meeting ended abruptly, with the Board leaving. Students decided at that point to sit-in in the building, not leaving until they met with the Board. Eventually, several members of the Board met with five students to discuss their concern that Dr. Monteiro get reinstated.

Black Left Unity December 2013

Group portrait at the conclusion of the December 21, 2013 Black Left Unity Network meeting. Seated, left to right: Ajamu Dillahunt, Saladin Muhammad, Abdul Alkalimat, Ashaki Binta, Kathy Knight. Standing, left to right: Roger Newell, J. R. Fleming, T. Menelik Van Der Meer, Dennis Orton, Kia Van Der Meer, Sam Anderson, Shafeah M'Balia, Rose Brewer, Anthony Monteiro, Toussaint Losier, Rukiya Dillahunt, Taliba Obu, Jonathan Stith, Carl Redwood, Tdka Kilimanjaro, Jamal Oliver, Akinjele Umoja.

Communist Party event