Larry Holmes

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Larry Holmes

Template:TOCnestleft Larry Holmes lives in New York City. He is a leader of the Troops Out Now Coalition and the Ad Hoc National Network to Stop Foreclosures and Evictions.[1]

He is a leader of the Workers World Party.

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;

DC demo

April 15, 1978 — In one of the most militant and massive demonstrations held anywhere in the United States since the civil rights struggle of the 1960s, over 35,000 people, the majority Black, Asian and Latin youth, came to Washington, D.C., to voice their total opposition to the racist Bakke case now pending before the Nixon-packed U.S. Supreme Court.

Chanting “We won’t go back, send Bakke back,” the angry voices of thousands of youth from the oppressed communities demanding the overturn of the notorious Bakke decision, an end to racism and upholding of affirmative action programs were undoubtedly heard in the hallowed halls of the Supreme Court and the White House.

Among the speakers at the rally were Grantland Johnson from the National Committee to Overturn the Bakke Decision, Aimee Cruz of Union of Democratic Filipinos, Digna Sanchez of the Puerto Rican Socialist Party, Betsy Gimbel of Disabled in Action, Reverend Bob Pruitt, Joe Malloy, a coal miner and member of the United Mine Workers Union, and Claudette Furlonge of the Women’s Focus of the National Committee to Overturn the Bakke Decision.

Larry Holmes, New York City mobilizer of the National Committee to Overturn the Bakke Decision, received a tremendous cheer as he opened his remarks with the chant “Down with Bakke, up with Soweto.” He then went on to express the sentiments of all those participating in today’s demonstration when he said, “Today we have a meeting of organizers, a meeting of anti-racist activists. We have to be about continuing the struggle. Our presence here today is making history, making April 15 a turning point in the struggle to liberate the oppressed people.”[3]

"People say NO war"

After the massive Oct. 26 2002 anti-war march, in which the broad avenues surrounding the White House were packed solid with demonstrators, there "can no longer be a shred of doubt about it: grassroots sentiment in the U.S. is opposed to the Bush administrationplans for a "pre-emptive" war on Iraq".

People came to D.C., the heart of the federal government, from every state in the U.S. The International ANSWER coalition, which initiated the call for the protest, reported 150 organizing centers around the country. Hundreds of chartered buses caused gridlock in the White House area. Tens of thousands also streamed into the city by car, van, plane and train.

Mara Verheyden-Hilliard of the ANSWER steering committee opened the rally and introduced her three co-chairs: Mahdi Bray, executive director of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation; Michel Shehadeh of the Free Palestine Alliance, and Larry Holmes of the International Action Center. Shehadeh and Holmes are also ANSWER steering committee members.[4]

Global Day of Action

More than 250 U.S. cities took part in the March 20, 2004 Global Day of Action protesting Pentagon wars and occupations. The biggest demonstration was in New York, where 100,000 people marched and rallied.

The event was initiated by the International ANSWER--Act Now to Stop War and End Racism--Coalition, and United for Peace and Justice.

During the ANSWER segment of the rallies, Brian Becker, a co-director of the International Action Center and member of the ANSWER Steering Committee, applauded the courage of the Muslim community in turning out for the march, given the current repression, surveillance and raids.

Palestinian flags flew, and speakers in this segment included Ihab Darwish, Free Palestine Alliance; Lamis Deek, Al-Awda Palestine Right to Return Coalition; Imam Asharaf Uz Zaman, Islamic Circle of North America; Ismail Kamal, Muslim Student Association; Mahdi Bray, Muslim American Society and Freedom Foundation; and Waleed Bader, Arab Muslim American Federation/National Council of Arab Americans.

Teresa Gutierrez of the International Action Center appealed to the crowd to boycott Coca-Cola, implicated in the assassination of workers unionizing its Colombian plants.

Brenda Stokely, chair of New York City Labor Against the War and president of AFSCME District Council 1707, vowed, "We're going to bring down the imperialist powers who think they have the right to slaughter our children!" Larry Holmes of the International Action Center spoke and a taped message from political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal urged resistance to racist oppression, police occupation and imperialist oppression.

In the UFPJ segment of the rallies, speakers included Suheir Hamma of Def Poetry Jam; Sinan Antoon, an Iraqi filmmaker; David Cline, national president of Veterans for Peace; and Todd Ensign of Citizen Soldier. Fernando Suarez del Solar of Military Families Speak Out said: "Bush lied. Who died? My son."

Also featured were Tony Benn, former member of the British Parliament, representing Stop the War UK; New York City Councilmember Bill Perkins; and U.S. Rep. Major Owens. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Dorothy Zellner, a Jewish activist, advocated an end to Israeli occupation, and Ziad Abu Rish of SUSTAIN--Stop U.S. Tax Aid to Israel Now--supported Palestinian self-determination.[5]

"NO WAR, NO WAY"

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Jan 19, 2003, ANSWER brought together an impressive array of speakers at two rallies—one that began at 11 a.m. in the sprawling National Mall, and a concluding rally at the Washington Shipyard.

Moonanum James, co-chair of United American Indians of New England and a Vietnam-era veteran, opened the rally by connecting the U.S. government’s ongoing racist war against Native peoples with their preparations for a racist war against Iraq.

Anti-war speakers included Charley Richardson and Nancy Lessen from Military Families Speak Out and Liz McAlister, partner and widow of the late peace activist Philip Berrigan. “No blood for oil!” demanded disabled Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic, author of “Born on the Fourth of July.”

Speaking out for labor against the war: Brenda Stokely, president of AFSCME 1707 and Local 215 as well as a co-convener of New York City Labor Against the War; Fred Mason, president of statewide Maryland and D.C. AFL-CIO; Michael Letwin from U.S. Labor Against War and Dr. Nadia Marsh from Doctors and Nurses Against the War.

ANSWER speakers included Youth and Student Coordinator Peta Lindsay, Elias Rashmawi from the Free Palestine Alliance. Jennifer Wager from IFCO/Pastors for Peace, Mara Verheyden-Hilliard from PCJ and Larry Holmes and Brian Becker, both from the International Action Center.

Speakers representing other anti-war coalitions included Bill Fletcher, Jr., co-chair of United for Peace and Justice; Damu Smith from Black Voices for Peace; Medea Benjamin from Global Exchange, and Miles Solay from Not In Our Name.

Jesse Heiwa, from Queers for Peace and Justice, New York, pointed to the growing coalition of lesbian, gay, bi and trans organizations against the war. Brooklyn-based activists Viola Plummer from the December 12th Movement and City Councilman Charles Barron raised the need for anti-racist solidarity, including fighting for reparations. Singer Patti Smith and D.C. cultural artists Pam Parker and Lucy Murphy performed. [6]

"Katrina: A Challenge for the Movement"

On Oct. 22 2005 in New York, the Workers World newspaper staff hosted an important forum called "Katrina: A Challenge for the Movement: Forging a united front between the Black liberation, workers' and anti-imperialist struggles." The forum attracted an overflowing multinational crowd of progressives and activists from New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Boston and other areas.

The panel featured prominent African-American representatives based in New York, Raleigh and New Orleans. These leaders talked about the issues of the day from anti-racist, pro-labor, pro-community and anti-war perspectives.

Panelists were;

Workers World Party

In 2006 Larry Holmes served on the Secretariat of the Workers World Party and was Troops Out Now Coalition leader[8].

Free Mumia Abu-Jamal

In 2008 Larry Holmes, Co-Director of International Action Center, New York signed a statement circulated by the Partisan Defense Committee calling for the release of convicted “cop-killer” Mumia Abu-Jamal.[9]

Fifth Cuba/Venezuela/Mexico/North America Labor Conference

The Fifth Cuba/Venezuela/Mexico/North America Labor Conference, with representation from eight countries and virtually every region of the U.S., took place the weekend of Dec. 5-7, 2008. in Tijuana, Mexico.

Sponsors of the conference included the U.S./Cuba Labor Exchange; Sindicato Mexicano de Electricistas; World Organization for the Right of the People to Healthcare—Service Employees International Union 1199 NY; International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban Five; National Network on Cuba; Venezuela Solidarity Network; International Action Center; Cuba Solidarity New York; Southwest Workers Union; and Converjencia de los Movimientos de los Pueblos de las Americas; among others.

Larry Holmes of the May 1st Coalition for Worker and Immigrant Rights spoke for Teresa Gutierrez, who was unable to travel due to illness following a trip abroad. He observed that the election of Barack Obama reflects enormous changes in the U.S. working class. The huge outpouring of immigrant workers in May 2006 was the first indication that Obama could win. Holmes noted that the primary reason for the increasing repression of immigrant workers is their ability to influence non-immigrant workers. Holmes emphasized the necessity for Black and white workers to stand with their immigrant sisters and brothers this coming May Day.[10]

Moratorium NOW!

On Sept. 17, 2008, the Moratorium NOW! Coalition to Stop Foreclosures and Evictions sponsored a rally at the Michigan State Capitol, demanding the State Legislature enact SB 1306, a two-year foreclosure moratorium bill. Represented at the rally was UNITE HERE, Change to Win, United Auto Workers, Service Employees International Union, American Federation of Teachers, Green Party of Michigan, Detroit Greens, the Cynthia McKinney presidential campaign, Students for a Democratic Society, National Lawyers Guild, Workers World Party, Food Not Bombs, Critical Moment, Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice, Michigan Welfare Rights, Call ’Em Out, Latinos Unidos of Michigan, Grand Rapids Latino Community Coalition, Joint Religious Organizing Network for Action and Hope, Adrian Dominican Sisters & Associates for Peace. The following led or spoke at the rally: Sandra Hines and Abayomi Azikiwe of the Moratorium NOW!; Kris Hamel; Reverend Ed Rowe, Central United Methodist Church; State Representatives Gabe Leland, Shanelle Jackson, Bettie Cook Scott and Steve Tobocman; State Sen. Martha G. Scott; Rubie Curl-Pinkins and her daughter Nikki Curl; Jerry Goldberg, people’s attorney and coalition leader; Juan Daniel Castro, Grand Rapids Latino Community Coalition; Linette Crosby; Larry Holmes, a leader of the Troops Out Now Coalition; Robert Pratt of UNITE HERE; and Rosendo Delgado of Latinos Unidos of Michigan.[1]

Moratorium NOW! is affiliated with the Bail Out the People Movement and is controlled by the Workers World Party. The organization's office is located at the Central United Methodist Church and holds meetings there.[11][12]

Bail Out the People Movement march

A powerful march for jobs filled the streets Pittsburgh, Sept. 20, 2009 in the first major protest before the G-20 summit. Organizers estimate more than 1000 people joined the demonstration, which marched from the Hill district, the historic center of the city’s African American community, to Freedom Corner.

Organized the Bail Out the People Movement, speakers at the rally included Pam Africa, International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal; Nellie Bailey, Harlem Tenants Council; Mick Kelly, Minnesota Coalition for a People’s Bailout; Oscar Hernandez, participant in the 11-month Stella D’Oro bakery strike in New York City; Sandra Hines, Michigan Moratorium NOW! Coalition to Stop Foreclosures and Evictions; Larry Holmes, Bail Out the People Movement; Fred Redmond, vice-president of the United Steelworkers; Lynne Stewart, civil rights attorney and others.[13]

Meeting with Ahmadinejad

More than 100 activists and journalists from a variety of organizations, religious groups and media outlets attended a gathering with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the Warwick Hotel here Sept. 21. The leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran was in the city to attend the annual United Nations General Assembly.

These prominent leaders of grassroots social justice and human rights movements within the U.S. consciously rejected a well-funded campaign to demonize Iran and whip up a pro-war climate. Ahmadinejad’s visit had been preceded by incendiary billboards, ads in buses and newspapers, hostile media coverage and demonstrations against Iran, much of it funded by the CIA-connected U.S. Agency for International Development and private corporations.

After an Iranian-style dinner, the gathering moved to a conference room where representatives from various organizations spoke on the plight of people inside the United States. The displacement of African Americans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the burgeoning prison-industrial complex, conditions facing political prisoners, the crisis in U.S.-Iranian relations and the overall economic crisis dominated the discussion.

Among the individuals and organizations in attendance were Cynthia McKinney, a former U.S. House of Representatives member from Georgia and the Green Party’s presidential candidate in 2008; poet and activist Amiri Baraka; MOVE Minister of Information Ramona Africa; International Action Center co-director Sara Flounders; Ardeshir Ommani and Eleanor Ommani, co-founders of the American-Iranian Friendship Committee; former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark; Million Worker March Movement organizer Brenda Stokely; Shafeah M'Balia of Black Workers for Justice; Phil Wilayto of Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice and Equality; Larry Holmes of Bail Out the People Movement; Don DeBar of WBAIx.org; Ryme Katkhouda of the People’s Media Center; Michael McPhearson of United for Peace and Justice; and Rev. Graylan Hagler.

Of those listed above, a number of them were either open members of the WWP or were closely affiliated with it, including

After listening for an hour and a half to 22 different speakers, President Ahmadinejad addressed the guests for approximately 45 minutes. He touched on the international struggle for peace and justice, saying that “trying to build peace is the most important and comprehensive struggle that mankind can have.”

He added, “Those who are opposed to justice are a few, a minority.”[14]

2010 WWP National Conference

poster for the conference

The 2010 National Workers World Party Conference was held on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 13 - 14, 2010, and had the tagline, "2010 National Workers World Party Conference".[15]

Opening Plenary Session: The Capitalist Elections, Economic Crisis and Struggle for Socialism: What does it mean for the left and for the working class?
Chair: Elena Everett; Speakers: Fred Goldstein, Teresa Gutierrez, Larry Hales, Larry Holmes; Cultural performances by Miya Campbell and Mike Martinez.

Against NATO Summit

According to an April 2012 press release from Lauren Love, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, and Eric Ruder, Coalition Against NATO/G8, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and other community and labor leaders will gather on Thursday, April 19, at 11:15 am on the 2nd floor of City Hall to announce their plans to march in opposition to NATO. The march will take place on Sunday, May 20, which is the first day of the NATO summit, and is being organized by the Coalition Against NATO/G8 War and Poverty Agenda (CANG8).

Rev. Jackson will also announce his plans to speak at CANG8’s People’s Summit at Occupy Chicago’s headquarters on May 12–13, the weekend before the NATO summit.

Standing with Rev. Jackson to announce their support for the march and People’s Summit will be Occupy Chicago; the Chicago Teachers Union; the National Nurses United; and members of the Service Employees International Union.

“Our world has become jilted by war and weapons,” said Rev. Jackson. “There is simply too much violence, too much concentrated wealth and too much poverty. I hope on May 20 there will be a large demonstration with global participation. It’s time we go in a different direction. I am urging us to shift our priorities. This demonstration is designed to appeal to the leaders of the world to choose to depend less on military intervention and more on negotiations to try to heal these societies ravished by poverty and internal strife.”

CANG8 organizers are pleased to be joined in their efforts by many other community and labor leaders in addition to Rev. Jackson. “ “This march will take place at a crucial moment in NATO’s war on Afghanistan as a majority of Americans have now turned against further U.S. involvement there,” said Joe Iosbaker, a CANG8 organizer.

“Occupy Chicago is proud to support the May 20 march being organized by the Coalition Against NATO/G8,” said Rachael Perrotta, a member of Occupy Chicago’s press team.

Many nurses from the Chicago area and beyond have been active in the Occupy movement and in challenging budgets that prioritize war spending over public health. “As an ER nurse, I see the suffering of the 99 percent firsthand,” said Dennis Kosuth, a registered nurse at Stroger Cook County Hospital. “The global 1 percent and the G8 are calling for austerity cuts to vital social services while draining trillions of our tax dollars into the NATO war machine. Our tax dollars should be going into our public schools, healthcare services, libraries, public transportation—back to the people of Main Street. Registered Nurses of the National Nurses United will be marching alongside CANG8 this May to protest NATO and to call for a Robin Hood Tax on the G8 global 1 percent.”

Christine Boardman is the president of Service Employees International Union Local 73, which represents 25,000 public employees in Illinois and Indiana, and she is urging union members and working people to attend the protest in large numbers. “G8 policies have supported so-called ‘free trade agreements,’ which have caused the loss of millions of jobs,” said Boardman. “Instead of funding for war and supporting ‘free trade’ for corporations, which means ‘slave trade’ for workers, it must become our national priority to keep good jobs here and to fund services for our communities.”

Other noted speakers at the May 20 march and the People’s Summit include Malalai Joya, former Afghan member of Parliament and internationally renowned opponent of NATO’s occupation of Afghanistan; Reiner Braun, International Coordinating Committee of the European No to NATO network; Kathy Kelly, Voices for Creative Nonviolence; Malik Mujahid, Muslim Peace Coalition; Medea Benjamin, Code Pink; and Col. Ann Wright (ret.), antiwar activist.

In addition to specifying Jesse Jackson, , speakers will now include, along with those announced earlier: Leah Bolger, head of Veterans for Peace, who was recently tried for “disrupting” the so-called SuperCommittee in Congress; Carlos Montes, who was targeted by an FBI raid in Los Angeles; Kari Fulton, of the Environmental Justice movement; and Larry Holmes, of International Action Center.[16]

Left Forum 2012

Party Building and Organizing on the Left

This is a round table dialogue with various parties on the Left. It is a discussion that will look at the rewards and challenges of building a party of the Left, areas of common experience and difference with other Leftists, and how future action may be structured to assist our party building efforts.

Chair: Stephon Boatwright

Speakers: Billy Wharton, Socialist Party USA, Peter Ikeler, Socialist Alternative, Libero Della Piana, Communist Party USA Michael Hirsch, Democratic Socialists of America, Larry Holmes, Workers World Party, Ahmed Shawki, International Socialist Organization, Juliet Ucelli, Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Solidarity with North Korea

Larry Holmes, Workers World Party’s first secretary, led a three-person, party delegation to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea at the end of July, 2013. The other two members were Deirdre Griswold and Elena Gilbert.The DPRK was celebrating the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War.

WWP delegation, Deirdre Griswold, Larry Holmes, Elena Gilbert, at the Workers’ Party of Korea monument

Wrote Holmes;

Our trip has a history to it. We have been developing a relationship with the DPRK for more than 40 years.
We were there a full seven days. We had a few political meetings with leading members of the Workers’ Party of Korea. Usually also attending those meetings were delegations of other countries, representing not governments but left parties.

The main activity was participating in parades, ceremonies, the opening of museums, a circus, recitals and many performances, with children doing unimaginable stuff to blow your mind.[17]

"New Cold War"

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New York City: What’s driving the new ‘Cold War’? Will It escalate? Can we stop it?

Teach-In: Saturday, May 10 2014 Riverside Church, Tower Room.

  • NATO expansion and encirclement of Russia & China
  • Why the U.S. wants a confrontation over Ukraine
  • ‘Asia Pivot,’ AFRICOM & the ‘War on Terror’
  • How Washington uses NGOs, fascist movements, mercenaries & drones to promote its agenda
  • Why our real enemy is Wall Street – not Russia, China, Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Korea …

Speakers:

Condolences to Cuba

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Greg Butterfield December 4, 2016 ·

Workers World Party delegation at the Cuban Mission in New York to sign condolence book for Comandante Fidel Castro, Dec. 2.

Photo: Cuba Mission — with Larry Holmes, Marsha Goldberg, Teresa Gutierrez, Monica Moorehead, Taryn Fivek and Bill Dores at Cuban Mission.

References

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  1. ↑ Jump up to: 1.0 1.1 International Action Center - Boston: People tell Michigan legislators: ‘MORATORIUM NOW!’ (accessed on Feb. 10, 2011)
  2. ↑ http://africanactivist.msu.edu/organization.php?name=Angola+Support+Conference Angola Support Conference Wisconsin State Historical Society]
  3. ↑ Workers World, WW in 1978: 35,000 march to ‘Beat back Bakke!’ Workers World is in its 50th year of publication. We reprint this article from the April 21, 1978, issue of the paper as part of our special archival series. By Jaime Veve
  4. ↑ [People say NO war Protesters encircle White House, flood streets of S.F. By Deirdre Griswold Washington, D.C. Reprinted from the Nov. 7, 2002, issue of Workers World newspaper]
  5. ↑ [Stop the wars & occupations Global day of protest NEW YORK Reprinted from the April 1, 2004, issue of Workers World newspaper]
  6. ↑ [WW http://www.workers.org/pdf/2003/ww013003.pdf Jan. 30, 2003]
  7. ↑ WW Black leaders link issues to building united front By Special to Workers World New York Published Oct 25, 2005
  8. ↑ http://www.workers.org/2006/us/lholmes-0525/
  9. ↑ Signers of Campaign to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal, Now
  10. ↑ WW, Inspiring displays of international solidarity at workers’ conference in Tijuana By Bob McCubbin Tijuana, Mexico Published Dec 14, 2008
  11. ↑ Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr: Members of the Moratorium NOW! Coalition attending a meeting at the Central United Methodist Church on Nov. 20 in Detroit, Nov. 20, 2010 (accessed on Feb. 10, 2011)
  12. ↑ International Action Center - Boston: People tell Michigan legislators: ‘MORATORIUM NOW!’ (accessed on Feb. 10, 2011)
  13. ↑ FB G-20 protest in Pittsburgh: March for JobsBy staff | September 23, 2009
  14. ↑ [http://www.workers.org/2010/us/iran_1007/, WW, U.S. activists meet with Iranian president By Abayomi Azikiwe Editor, Pan-African News Wire Published Sep 30, 2010]
  15. ↑ WWP website: Program Schedule for 2010 National Workers World Party Conference (accessed on Nov. 18, 2010)
  16. ↑ Rev. Jesse Jackson Announces His Support for anti-NATO Protest in Chicago
  17. ↑ WW What workers need to know about Korea By Larry Holmes on August 28, 2013
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