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Prarie Fire Organizing Committee (PFOC)

An anti-imperialist group that began as the Prairie Fire Distributing Committee in 1974 to distribute Prairie Fire: The Politics of Revolutionary Anti-Imperialism, written by members of the Weather Underground Organization. After its initial publication, groups sprang up around the country to discuss the book. PFOC was formally organized in 1976 and was active in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Chicago until the mid-1990s. Their work embraced a broad range of issues: international solidarity with national liberation struggles in Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa, Nicaragua and El Salvador; and with the struggles for self-determination of Puerto Rican, African-American, Mexicano, and Native peoples inside U.S. borders; support of political prisoners; opposition to white and male supremacy and support of women’s and gay liberation.

Subcollections

  • Breakthrough
    Breakthrough
    Breakthrough was the journal of the Prairie Fire Organizing Committee (PFOC), published by the John Brown Book Club from 1977 to 1995.

Documents

Breakthrough Breakthrough
Publisher: Prarie Fire Organizing CommitteeYear: 1978Volume Number: Vol. 2-1 SpringFormat: PeriodicalCollection: Breakthrough
Anti-imperialist struggle sharpening; PFOC self-criticism p. 1 - Palestine will win! P. 8 -I declare (poem by Mahmoud Darweesh) p. 23 - IWY Houston new stage of struggle p. 24 - notes from an Afrikan POW journal by New Afrikan Prisoners Organization p. 37 - Press statement by the African People's Socialist Party p. 52 - Free the L.A. Five p. 54 - speech by Angel Rodriquez Cristobal of Liga Socialist Puertorriquena, Chicago, 1978 p. 65 - Armed Struggle and Revolution p. 71 - Gotta be Strong (poem) p. 84 - Join in Solidarity with the German R.A.F. p. 86
Breakthrough Breakthrough
Publisher: Prarie Fire Organizing CommitteeYear: 1978Volume Number: Vol. 2-2 FallFormat: PeriodicalCollection: Breakthrough
Editorial: life of George Jackson and Attica uprising p. 1 - Attica Brothers Attacked p. 8 - Defend the August 8th Brigade! P. 14 - Claim No Easy Victories: another look at IWY p. 16 - The Longest Walk p. 25 - Esta Lucha No Se Para, interview with Ricardo Romero p. 29 - Free Dessie Woods! photo essay p. 37- US Colonialism's Terrorist Squads in Puerto Rico, statement by the Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional p. 41 - Free Geronimo Pratt p. 44 - By Any Means Necessary, writings of the Black Liberation Army p. 50 - Solidarity with the SLA Prisoners of War Billy & Emily Harris courtroom statement p. 58 PFOC analysis p. 61 - Naminia will be Free, interview with Aaron Shihepo, SWAPO Deputy Sec. for Foreign Relations p. 64 - breakthrough evaluation p. 74 - correspondence p. 75
Breakthrough Breakthrough
Publisher: Prarie Fire Organizing CommitteeYear: 1979Volume Number: Vol. 3-1 SpringFormat: PeriodicalCollection: Breakthrough
Editorial: Revolutionary Internationalism and oppressor nation working class p. 1 - Self-Determination and African Liberation in the u.s.a. (reprint from Soulbook) p. 9 - Armed Struggle until Victory: Patriotic Front defeating US secret war p. 17- The Struggle is for (Native American) Sovereignty: interview with Sid Welsh p. 27, reprinted from Crazy Horse Spirit p. 28, Leonard Peltier Defense Committee p. 33 - Defend Rearguard of revolutionary Puerto Rican Independence Movement, Jose Lopez, Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional at UN Committee on Decolonization Aug. 1978 p. 36 - Dessie Woods p. 42 - Build African National Prison Organization, Burning Spear Dec. 1978 p. 42 -Iranian People Oust Shah's Regime p. 53 - Iranian people's Fedaii Guerrillas p. 54 - Iranian People Kicked Him Out; Don't Let Shah in US (reprint from Resistance Jan. 1979) p. 56 - Correspodence p. 59
Breakthrough Breakthrough
Publisher: Prarie Fire Organizing CommitteeYear: 1982Volume Number: Vol. 6-1 SpringFormat: PeriodicalCollection: Breakthrough
Editorial: Defend the October 20th Freedom Fighters! P. 1 - Editorial: Palestine Will Be Free! P. 8 - Building Strategic Alliances:National Liberation inside the U.S. Imperialist State, Ahmed Obafemi, Natl Committee to Defend New Afrikan Freedom Fighters p. 17 - They are watching Assata's Daughter (poem) p. 24 - Mexico and Revolution in the Americas p. 26 - Lessons of Lares, Jose Lopez, Natl Coordinator, Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional p. 33 - "We Are a Nation at War" Interview with NAPO p. 43 - Build the National Conference Against Repression and Fascism, Denver (inside back cover)
Breakthrough Breakthrough
Publisher: Prarie Fire Organizing CommitteeYear: 1992Volume Number: Vol. 16-1 SummerFormat: PeriodicalCollection: Breakthrough
Goodbye, Columbus: Thoughts on Western Civilization, Jimmy Emmerman p. 1 - El Salvador: the Road Ahead, interview with FMLN Representative Ramon Cardona p. 4 - A Feminist Guide to the Galaxy, Judith Mirkinson p. 9 - Backlash: the Undeclared War on American Women by Susan Faludi, reviewed by Sally Thomas p. 15 - De Ambiente, interviews with the Nicaraguan Movement of Lesbian Feminists and Gay Men p. 17 - Will Postmodernism Kill the Movement? Les Gottesman p. 24 - Black Women and AIDS: the Second Epidemic, Judy Gerber p. 32 - Supermax: Control Unit Prisons, Nancy Kurshan p. 40 - Can\'t Kill the Spirit: Political Prisoners Update p. 46 - Write Through the Walls p. 47