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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: 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: 1977Volume Number: Vol. 1 No. 3-4 Oct-DecFormat: PeriodicalCollection: Breakthrough
Editorial Statement, PFOC National Committee: the neo-colonial Carter Administration is reactionary not liberal p. 1; neo-colonialsim and increased attacks on national liberation p. 1 - Chimurenga! Interview with a representative of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) p. 7 - Free Skyhorse and Mohawk! statement from prison by Paul Skyhorse and Richard Mohawk p. 17 - the Meaning of Miami by lesbians and gay men of PFOC p. 19 - What the Guardian Guards p. 28 - Behavior Modification in South Africa and US Prisons, photo essay p. 38 - August 21st at the Gates of San Quentin p. 45 - Movement Builds to Free Dessie Woods, Smash Colonial Violence p. 50 - September 12: the Assassination of Steve Biko p. 56 - Support Sid Welsh! p. 58 - Open Letter to the Weather Underground by the New York Panther 21 (1971) p. 59 - Hit and Run Editors (Guardian) p. 76 - stop the grand juries - independence for Puerto Rico p. inside back cover