On Sunday March 10th, members of the Debbie Amis Bell Club of the CPUSA met at the Dubois–Robeson People’s center in West Philadelphia to reflect on their previous year of work, discuss the work ahead, and elect new leadership.

The keynote address, delivered by co-chair Dom Shannon, discussed the issues that face the working-class, both locally and nationally. The chief issue was identified as the complete capture of the federal government by fascist MAGA forces, led by Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

Shannon emphasized the necessity that our analysis remain sober and materialist as we confront the far-right attacks on our livelihoods and dignity. Club members were reminded that they cannot alienate themselves from the working-class and instead must move in lockstep with them in order to wage an effective opposition to this MAGA assault. The strategy outlined to achieve this on a local level is to continue participating in coalitions that advance issues relevant to the working class, support local labor efforts, and even begin running for elected positions. However, Shannon added, simply being in the room is not enough, the strategy of the party must constantly be put forward for consideration in these spaces, in order to develop a more militant, working-class movement capable of confronting facism and advancing workers’ rights.

Following the keynote, various members gave reports on the previous and on-going efforts the club has been involved in since their last conference. First among these was a report for the club’s youth league, the Philadelphia YCL. The YCL representative expressed the league’s self-identified responsibility of combating nihilism and providing a space for young people to learn organizing skills while familiarizing themselves with the party and its philosophy of Marxism-Leninism. They went on to describe the league’s involvement in the Not Another Bomb campaign, Save Chinatown coalition, Philadelphia Rent Control Coalition, and the struggle for community control of the police as examples of this work.

The struggle for Community Control of the Police is not something the YCL had been working towards on its own. This campaign was a focus of the local club as well. A representative of the joint CP–YCL campaign described the work to advance this goal. Primarily the focus has remained on supporting and expanding the Citizens Police Oversight Commission, a commission created via popular support for a ballot referendum following the BLM protests of 2020. Other ways to advance this issue saw the party engaging with campaigns agitating around the policy budget and upcoming FOP contract.

A new project of the club is the campaign to see members elected as local ward leaders as the first step to holding elected positions as Communists in the city of Philadelphia. This campaign utilizes an ongoing political effort to create open wards throughout the city and combines it with the strategy deployed by party member Joelle Fishman for congress, using the distribution of People’s World to develop the influence of the party on a block level. Two members plan to run in the upcoming 2026 election of ward leaders and the club has recently created an effective city-level People’s World Commission for developing and distributing the paper. Members were encouraged to assist in these ward efforts, as well as to contribute to the PW.

The last area of work discussed was the party’s efforts in the labor movement. The club had formed a local Labor Commission since its last conference. This commission is tasked with coordinating support for labor efforts throughout the city. It also serves as a space to develop strategy for increasing the militant nature of Philly’s labor movement. On this second point, it was raised that the commission should hold public meetings where current or potential labor organizers can attend and gain practical skills for worker-to-worker organizing in their jobs.

Following this discussion, the new leadership of the club was elected, a brief report on the party’s structure was given, and members were reminded of the upcoming PW banquet.

To close the conference, co-chair Dom Shannon spoke again. This time, it was to emphasize that we should not be afraid of showing up in liberal, not just “left,” spaces as Communists. In a period where there are Nazi’s in the White House, we cannot afford to hide. The rallying cry of the Debbie Amis Bell club for 2025 was, “Democracy now, fascism never; forward together, not one step back!”

Image: Philly CPUSA and YCL

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