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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: 1977Volume Number: Vol. 1-1 MarchFormat: PeriodicalCollection: Breakthrough
Breakthrough - an Introduction p. 2 - Provisional Statement of PFOC p. 6 section on women's oppression & liberation p. 28 - Meaning of Chicago (class and revolutionary politics) p. 57 - Open Letter to the RC from Native American Warriors p. 59 - To My People by Assata Shakur p. 61
Breakthrough Breakthrough
Publisher: Prarie Fire Organizing CommitteeYear: 1977Volume Number: Vol. 1-2 June-JulyFormat: PeriodicalCollection: Breakthrough
Introducing Breakthrough No. 2 p. 1 - On the Conviction of Leonard Peltier with a reprint of a support statement by the Native Study Group of Vancouver, British Columbia p. 4 - The Guardian Sets Out to Build Itself a Party, a PFOC critique p. 9 - The Guardian on Women's "Emancipation" - a proposal to move backwards by Flynn and friends - Burning Spear: reprints from the African People's Socialist Party on Bourgeois Ideology on the Left and on Women in Struggle p. 22 - Assata Convicted with a message from Assata p. 31 - Lenin on Guerrilla Warfare p. 34 - a Comment on Puerto Rico Solidarity Work by some members of PFOC
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: 1980Volume Number: Vol. 4-1 WinterFormat: PeriodicalCollection: Breakthrough
Editorial: Black Nation's Struggle for Land and Independence p. 1 - 'Law and Order' Blueprint for Fascism p. 2 - Assata is Free! BLA Communique p. 12 - Statement from Assata Shakur p. 13 - Puerto Rico: Protect and Defend the Armed Clandestine Movement: "A Nuestro Pueblo" from El Nuevo Dia p. 16 - Statement, Liga Socialista Puertorriquena p. 17 - Statement, Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional p. 18 - Vieques: No Turning Back p. 19 - Free Leonard Peltier: Statements from Leonard Peltier published by Leonard Peltier Defense Committee p. 23 - Free the RNA 11: Free the Land! "RNA Freedom Fighters: A Continuing Episode of Human Rights Violations in Amerika" in New Afrikan (Republic of New Afrika) p. 26 - Denial of Self-Determination: A New Afrikan View in New Afrikan (Republic of New Afrika) p. 31 - Free the Pontiac Brothers! "The People are the Best Judges!" from the FUSE, pub. by New Afrikan Prisoners Organization p. 34 - Revolutionary Struggle in Guyana (Soulbook) p. 38 - Coalition for a Free Guyana p. 42 - Response to the African People's Socialist Party (PFOC Statement) p. 44
Breakthrough Breakthrough
Publisher: Prarie Fire Organizing CommitteeYear: 1981Volume Number: Vol. 5-1 SpringFormat: PeriodicalCollection: Breakthrough
Editorial: Solidarity with the 11 Puerto Rican Prisoners of War p. 1 - Editorial: Reagan Takes the Reins: the Right and the Left p. 7 - All Out to El Paso, Call for International Day of Solidarity with the Struggle of the Chicano Mexicano People, Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional p. 11 - One People, One Nation, struggle for the socialist reunification of Mexico p. 13 - Comite Contra la Represion de El Paso p. 14 - Comite de Defensa Popular (Mexico) p. 21 - The Will to Win, Don Juan Antonio Corretjer, SecyGen, Liga Socialist Puertorriquena, from El Nuevo Dia p. 25 - Struggle for New Afrikan Independence, statement to UN Committee on Decolonization, Ahmed Obafemi, Eastern Regional VP, Provisional Govt, Republic of New Afrika p. 26 - Victory to the Salvadorean Revolution (photographs) p. 30 - Gentrification or Genocide? Price of Urban Renaissance p. 32 - Tribute to Walter Rodney, editors of Soulbook p. 43
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: 1983Volume Number: Vol. 7-1 WinterFormat: PeriodicalCollection: Breakthrough
Editorial: Repression, Resistance and the Left: the Empire Strikes Back p. 1 -On New Afrikan Freedom Fighters Day, Judith Mirkinson for PFOC Aug. 1982 p. 5 - Taming of the Freeze: Imperialist War and the Anti-Nuclear Movement p. 8 - War on Imperialist War (Krieg Dem Imperialist Krieg) p. 16 - RAF Communique: Assassination Attempt on General Kroesen Sept. 19, 1981 p. 16 - "War on Imperialist War" Women Against Imperialist War, Hamburg, West Germany p. 18 - Judgment of the Grand Jury, Carlos Noya, Liga Socialista Puertorriquena, Correo de la Quincena, Mar-Sept 1982 p. 24 - "This Court Has No Right to Try Us" Statement by New Afrikan and White Anti-Imperialist Freedom Fighters p. 28 - Stop the Grand Jury! Defeat the Federal RICO Indictment! May 19th Communist Organization p. 31
Breakthrough Breakthrough
Publisher: Prarie Fire Organizing CommitteeYear: 1984Volume Number: Vol. 8-1 SummerFormat: PeriodicalCollection: Breakthrough
Editorial: Resist the Warmakers! P. 1 - Before the Scales, Tomorrow, poem, Otto Rene Castillo p. 11 - "Candlelight in the Streets, Darkness at Home," Comite de Defensa Popular, Mexico p. 12 - International Womens Day 1984, Women Confront the War Machine p. 18 - Olympics 1984: Counter-insurgency Goes for the Gold p. 20 - From the Clandestine Movement: Red Guerrilla Resistance Bombs Washington Navy Yard p. 27 - United Freedom Front Bombs IBM in New York p. 29 - Write to the Prisoners p. 32 - Correspondence: letter from Germany on repression of political prisoners p. 33 - Don't Talk to the FBI p. 36 - Political Internment USA (inside back cover) -