[Ppnews] Love for Our People: David Gilbert's "No Surrender"

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Love for Our People: David Gilbert's "No Surrender"

A book review by Chris Crass

"No Surrender: writings from an anti-imperialist political prisoner" By 
David Gilbert published by Abraham Guillen Press/Arm the Spirit Available 
from AK Press & The Freedom Archives, 283 pages, $15.00

I cry quite often at movement events these days. In political marches, 
looking out at the delegations and contingents of people from churches, 
unions, community groups and schools. At conferences, when people speak 
about how much they love their community and organizations. When I saw the 
first person jump over the fence to protest against the School of the 
Americas at Fort Benning, the tears ran down my face as I held hands with 
the Unitarian Universalist activists I was with. I cry because as I get 
older, my appreciation for the dedication, hardship, necessity and beauty 
of left/radical struggle in the world has deepened tremendously. I cry 
because as more and more of my comrades have children, the next generation 
whose futures we fight for are real people with names and personalities 
rather then a rhetorical concept. I cry because as I begin to say good-bye 
to loved ones of the older generation who are passing, I realize just how 
much they have done for us and how much we have to live up to.

Preparing this review of David Gilbert's new book, No Surrender: writings 
from an anti-imperialist political prisoner, I thought about my place in a 
multigeneration movement and my relationship to the older generation of 
left/radicals. Three community events stand out for in preparing this 
review: sitting in the Castro Theatre years ago, at the premiere of "Out: 
the Making of a Revolutionary" about Laura Whitehorn; the release of 
Marilyn Buck's poetry across prison walls CD "Wild Poppies"; and the book 
release party for No Surrender. All three events for these white 
anti-imperialist political prisoners drew large multigenerational crowds of 
left/radicals that felt like reunions, even though I didn't know most of 
the people. For me, as a younger generation white left/radical committed to 
anti-imperialism and feminism, there is something  spiritual about these 
events as I recognize I am part of this legacy. These political prisoners 
are among my many leaders. As a white male struggling to negotiate what it 
means to fight with love for all people, challenge privilege and develop an 
affirming and healthy identity, David Gilbert holds a special place in my 
heart -- not because I uncritically see him as a role model, but because of 
his commitment to liberation and ability to openly evaluate his work.

Gilbert came of age politically during the Civil Rights movement, which he 
explains, "showed me more of a sense of humanity and nobility of purpose 
than I found in the white suburbs where I had grown up." In 1962, he joined 
CORE, the Congress of Racial Equality, and in 1965 started up the Committee 
Against the War in Vietnam at Columbia University. He
co-founded Columbia's Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) chapter, 
wrote an influential national pamphlet for SDS on U.S. imperialism, and 
participated in the 1968 Columbia strike against the war. He was one of a 
small number of men who responded pro-actively to the emerging Women's 
liberation movement and continued to act in solidarity with the Black 
freedom movement.

In the early 70's he helped form the Weather Underground Organization (WUO) 
that took up arms against the US government. According to Gilbert, they 
formed "in response to the murderous government assault on the Black 
Liberation Movement and the unending, massive bombing of Vietnam." He spent 
10 years in underground resistance and he was arrested on October 20, 1981, 
when a unit of the Black Liberation Army and allied white revolutionaries 
attempted to take money from a Brinks truck. There was a terrible shoot-out 
that left a guard and two police officers dead. A member of the BLA later 
shot and killed. Many others were arrested and given long sentences. David 
Gilbert is over 20 years into his 75-to-life sentencing. His earliest 
parole eligibility is 2056. "No Surrender" is a collection of Gilbert's 
writings over the past 20 years.

Gilbert's writing are based in his experience as a committed left/radical 
who has taken significant and controversial positions about strategy -- 
particularly regarding armed struggle. He has put his positions into 
practice and has helped make movement history over the past 40+ years. What 
is most noteworthy about Gilbert is his open and honest evaluation
of himself, the organizations he was part of, the mistakes he and they 
made, and the lessons identified for organizing today.

Maria Poblet, a queer Latina tenant organizer in San Francisco, emphasizes 
this point, "David Gilbert's book and life are flares in the darkness - 
they can help guide our generation towards the vision and commitment we 
need for the revolutionary transformation of our world. His insights into 
imperialism and white supremacy and his personal example of solidarity 
agitate and inspire me in my community organizing and movement building 
efforts."

"No Surrender" brings together essays, extensive book reviews, short 
stories about his son Chesa Boudin, and interviews. For anyone who hasn't 
read Gilbert's essays, there are some really exciting pieces. "Looking at 
the White Working Class Historically" asks hard questions about the roles 
of white working class people in the development of capitalism and white
supremacy. While recognizing that white supremacy has consistently led 
working class white people to identify as superior to people of color, 
Black people in particular, he identifies ways that white working class 
people have participated and will participate in anti-racist, multiracial 
efforts to win justice for all people. "Coming of Age Politically at 
Columbia" and his short essays on SDS and WUO are excellent examples of the 
kind of reflection that is needed. They give us insight into how he and the 
organizations he was part of made their assessments of what to do next. How 
did they understand their circumstances historically and politically? What 
were the possibilities and opportunities that they identified? This is 
followed, most importantly, with critical evaluation looking back for 
insights and lessons. The interviews assembled throughout the book are key 
reflections on past work guided by the goal of presenting lessons in the 
clearest way possible.

The book is organized into themes. The section "Lessons to Liberate the 
Future" is a solid collection of his reflections and lessons. He speaks to 
activists today about what he believes needs to be done. He argues, "Our 
job is to keep alive a vibrant voice and a clear opposition, in both our 
politics and our lives, to all forms of oppression; and a deep sense of 
history of the protracted nature of the struggle ahead." In other sections, 
he uses book reviews to break down the core information and analysis of the 
books and present his own thinking. Over and over again, these reviews 
offer insightful reflection and sharp analysis about challenging male 
supremacy, imperialism, AIDS, popular social movements and ending white 
supremacy.

Overall, Gilbert is at his best when giving frank responses to questions 
about his past activism and lessons for today. A primary example is his 
expressed regret and sadness about the killing of the security guard, the 
two police officers, and his comrade in October of '81. His critiques of 
the Leninist model of organization, male supremacy, egotism, and 
sectarianism in the Weather Underground are crucial for thinking about 
activism today. He also models an honest and balanced approach to critique, 
speaking about successes and genuine achievements that need to be 
remembered as well.

Heidi Reijm, a member of the white anti-racist affinity group Ruby in New 
York City, highlights this aspect of Gilbert's work. She writes: "David 
Gilbert is an incredibly giving, compassionate person, and this book 
represents his life-long dedication to the struggle for social justice. His 
life is an inspiration and resource to us who continue anti-racist work 
today. Gilbert also teaches us about the seriousness of the choices we 
make. We learn important lessons from his activities that cost people's 
lives and cost the movement the good that David could have done on the 
outside."

While there are important lessons in it and much to like about the book, 
the fact that it is mostly book reviews written for the general reader 
meant that it often didn't go deep enough. I wanted more autobiography and 
more discussion of what led him to make the decisions he did: how did 
people decide to move to armed struggle? How did they conceptualize and
actualize their strategy day-to-day? And how did they see themselves in 
relationship to the broader movement? For younger generation white 
anti-racists it is critical to get a serious evaluation of how white guilt 
and class guilt played out in WUO and what concrete impacts it had on 
strategy. How did it get to the point where WUO advanced the slogan  "Fight
the People" (meaning white people) and actually gave initial support to the 
Manson Family? Because the Weather Underground championed white anti-racist 
work and they have significant influence, serious examination of the 
political conditions and strategic assumptions is critical. Nevertheless, 
it is a good sign when one wants more from an author.

I also agree with a review Michael Novick of Turning the Tide wrote that it 
would be useful for Gilbert to engage more with the anarchist, 
anti-authoritarian politics that have become central to many younger 
generation activists. His perspectives on imperialism and national 
liberation would be very helpful in developing anarchist politics. I also 
think anarchist politics would help develop his critiques of hierarchical 
organizing and present new models to contemplate. As younger generation 
left/ radicals, like Maria Poblet, Heidi Reijm, myself and tens of 
thousands of others, continue to develop new syntheses of different 
political traditions, we need insights, lessons and contributions from our 
mentors. Additionally, we bring our own experiences, reflections and 
analysis to these efforts.

Gilbert's writings are important for younger generation activists in 
general and in particular to white activists. If you haven't read much 
about the Civil Rights movement, the Women's Liberation movement and other 
broad-based movements, I strongly encourage you to dig in and commit to 
serious study. The movements of the 50's, 60's and 70's advanced liberation 
on a wide range of fronts. The more that younger generation left/radicals 
study and engage the history and the people, like Gilbert, who made it, the 
more we will be able to bring about the revolutionary changes that live in 
our hearts and grow in our organizations and communities. In his Haiku "Our 
Politics in 17 Syllables", Gilbert explains, "love for our people / means 
nonstop struggle against / imperialism". It is this love that makes me cry 
at movement events and it is his love that makes him such an important 
leader for today.

For further study: "Enemies of the State: Interviews with Marilyn Buck, 
David Gilbert and Laura Whitehorn" by Resistance in Brooklyn, 74 pages. 
Available from AK Press "David Gilbert: A Lifetime of Struggle."

28-minute video interview with David Gilbert in prison. Produced and 
distributed by Freedom Archives, 
<http://us.f308.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=info@freedomarchives.org&YY=21195&order=down&sort=date&pos=0&view=a&head=b>info at freedomarchives.org

Special thanks to the editorial team on this review: Clare Bayard, Chris 
Dixon, Jeff Giaquinto, and Sharon Martinas.

Chris Crass is the coordinator of the Catalyst Project, a center for 
political education and movement building. They focus on anti-racist work 
with mostly white sections of the global justice and anti-war movements 
with the goal of deepening radical commitment in white communities and 
building multiracial left movements for liberation.

Chris Crass is a featured contributer to Infoshop.org. More of his essays 
can be found on this website at:
<http://www.infoshop.org/rants/crass.html>http://www.infoshop.org/rants/crass.html


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