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Dallas celebrates People's Thanksgiving

By Cassandra Swart

Dallas, TX celebrates the people's struggle

Dallas, TX – On Saturday, November 26, more than 60 activists gathered at the Pan-African Connection bookstore in Dallas to celebrate People's Thanksgiving, a celebration honoring those who struggle against imperialism, capitalism and national oppression.

The event was emceed by Ammar Hussein of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, who gave an opening speech welcoming the many organizations and participants to the event as well as praising the struggle of indigenous peoples for whom Thanksgiving is a national day of mourning.

“We reject the colonialist myth of Thanksgiving, and we stand in unwavering solidarity with indigenous people in their struggle,” stated Hussein. “There are many organizations you will hear from today representing various movements – both domestic and international, and what unites us is that we all share a common enemy, the forces of imperialism.”

Jo Hargis of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization gave a speech stressing the importance of opposing the rising far-right movement and their increasing attacks on immigrants and trans people: “I'm so heartened to see so many people here who want to build a better world, in the face of rising attacks on immigrants and trans people – we have to be the ones to stand up and stop the attacks.”

Xavi Velasquez of Los Frontera Nos Cruzo, a local immigrant rights organization, stated, “Anti – imperialism and Chicano, Latino, indigenous national liberation go hand in hand,” and “We in Los Frontera Nos Cruzo are fusing anti-imperialism and national liberation into the immigrant

struggle, the indigenous struggle and the wider Latino struggle. One day we will have our land back.”

Jay Rodriguez of the Progressive Student Union at the University of Texas at Arlington gave a speech discussing the various struggles that PSU has participated in, saying, “We at PSU remind others that their lives are important, that they matter. That here we don't stand for transphobes, fascists, segregationists and sexual harassers. That the fight is still going and it's not gonna stop.”

Matt Leslie of the Dallas Anti-War Committee stated, “We stand in solidarity with international movements for self-determination, we stand in solidarity with the oppressed peoples of Palestine, the Philippines, Haiti, and all those who are victims of imperialism.”

Syd Loving, co-chair of the National Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression, gave a speech introducing NAARPR Dallas and their leading of massive protests during the George Floyd Rebellion in 2020, as well as the history of NAARPR nationally as an organization dedicated to freeing political prisoners such as Angela Davis.

The event was called by the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, National Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression, Dallas Anti-War Committee, La Frontera Nos Cruzo, Progressive Student Union at University of Texas in Arlington, Malaya Texas, Dallas Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines, Palestinian Youth Movement, Texas Organizing Project, Dallas Peace and Justice Center, North Texas Industrial Workers of the World, Communist Party USA Dallas-Ft Worth, and North Texas Democratic Socialists of America.

After the speeches, the event ended with a singalong to a rendition of Solidarity Forever.

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