Dom Shannon
Dom Shannon is a member of the Young Communist League USA in Philadelphia.[1]
Communist
Dom Shannon is a labor organizer, cultural commentator, public health nurse, and Communist Party USA leader in Philadelphia.
CP activists build the peace movement
Grassroots activists from around the country met in New York City on November 11–12, 2023 for a Communist Party USA peace conference. Responding to Israel’s razing of Gaza, the conference focused on demanding a ceasefire. “I really feel that we’re united and determined in this effort,” CPUSA co-chair Rossana Cambron remarked.
Throughout the weekend, the gathering’s participants were uplifted by songs of freedom led by artists belonging to the People's Music Network. “Our people’s music was a basic part of the proceedings,” said Ben Bath, the conference’s cultural coordinator.
Henry Lowendorf of the party’s Peace and Solidarity Commission asked the assembly, “How can we build on the ideas and energy of activists in labor, civil rights, environment, women, youth, and LGBTQ movements to change the militaristic policies of the Biden administration? How can we build broad unity around peace to defeat the extreme right in 2024?”
Moderated by the Rev. Annie Allen on Saturday and Angela Maske on Sunday, the conference featured presentations from leaders of the Communist Party of Israel and the Palestinian People's Party.
“The only solution to the occupation is a political agreement,” Aida Touma-Sliman of the Communist Party of Israel said.
Dr. Aqel Taqaz, the International Secretary for the Palestinian People's Party, which has a seat on the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, spoke on Sunday morning.
In his introduction to the conference, Lowendorf expressed solidarity with the people of Palestine and underlined the political battles ahead. “One thing we have before us is the toolkit provided by the Political Action Commission. It contains four pieces of legislation that support a cease-fire and ending arms sales to Israel; cutting the military budget and shifting those funds to end poverty, racism, and environmental devastation; and abolishing nuclear weapons.” He also called for ending the Cold War 2.0 against China, shutting down the 800 U.S. foreign military bases around the world, and dissolving NATO and AFRICOM.
Lisa Armstrong of the women’s collective declared. “In 2022, the average taxpayer gave $1,087 just for federal military contracts — four times what the same average taxpayer gave to K–12 education.” She highlighted the need for investments into child care and long-term care and expanding programs like the Child Tax Credit, SNAP, and other programs.
“There are peace constituencies alive and ready to build today’s peace movement,” Rosalio Urias Munoz of the Political Action Commission said. “This effort will take nuts and bolts organizing — working person to person, block to block, precinct by precinct, and engaging in other effective activities such as phone banks, petitions, delegations to our elected representatives, direct action, and more.”
“I do have some bad news,” Kooper Caraway of the Labor Commission warned. “Our bosses are still in charge of our government.” He connected the desperate situations they have created for working people to the poverty draft. “The reason it is important for the labor movement to build the peace movement is because our children are being funneled by our bosses into that vicious military-industrial complex.”
Dom Shannon, giving a report on behalf of the African American Equality Commission, called the trillion-dollar military budget a “form of welfare for the 0.01%.” Together with “money spent on … ICE and border patrol, and the funds spent on racist policing,” Shannon said it supports “the obscenely unequal distribution of wealth in the U.S. and globally under capitalism.”
Deb Wilmer, speaking on behalf of the Immigration Subcommittee on Saturday, pointed out that “immigration to the U.S. and globally today is fueled by the policies of imperialism.” Highlighting the fact that “racism is a primary driver of U.S. immigration policy and border militarization,”
“The most important thing that we could do,” Eric Brooks said on Sunday, “is meet people where they’re at, in the struggles that they’re already engaging in, and show how those struggles relate to the peace movement. We have to take the money that we’re spending now to oppress people and demand that money be spent for housing, for food, for education, for healthcare, for roads, and for potable water!”
For the Young Communist League USA, the issue of free speech loomed large as groups like Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace are being banned on college campuses. “We believe the repression that is targeting youth activists right now is a part of the fascist offensive that is trying to erode away our people’s democratic rights,” YCL leader Aaron Booe noted. “There’s a lot of interest right now in learning how to concretely apply the principles of the popular front to the struggles of youth.”[2]
Closed Facebook group
Members of South Jersey Democratic Socialists of America Closed Facebook group, as of May 16, 2018 included Dom Shannon.[3]