The Communist Party’s social media footprint has grown immensely. Just over the past year, the CPUSA Twitter following has doubled. People’s World readership has also doubled since the beginning of the pandemic.
The Twitter and social media collective have put a lot of effort into building an audience. Maicol David, one of the CPUSA Twitter administrators, knows this first hand. Maicol volunteered to help while completing his graduate degree in history at Ohio University, helping organize the clerical staff into AFSCME, and while active in Indivisible and Working America. Since graduating this spring, Maicol and his partner moved to NYC.
Anyone familiar with CPUSA Twitter knows Maicol spends a lot of time answering questions from followers. Most of the new followers are under the age of 30 and have many questions about the People’s World, the Specter podcast channel, or how to join the CPUSA.
Many also have misconceptions about the Party, and Maicol can share information to dispel rumors or lies. Others share exciting observations and stories from their political experiences or family histories. Every interaction is a window into the issues of most concern, including the pandemic and economic crisis, growth of socialist sentiments, and debates over political tactics and strategy.
“Political movements shouldn’t be constructed around individuals,” one new follower wrote to us. “Bernie Sanders is out of the race, but the struggle for liberation and socialism lives on! I want to join the Communist Party.”
Another new follower recounted an interesting story: “I was going through my great-grandfather’s old stuff in the garage one day, and I found his CPUSA membership card from the 1930s! I always considered myself a ‘communist’ anyway, so I should join THE Communist Party, right?”
For some, following the CPUSA on Twitter is the first step to joining the CPUSA. Most of the new folks coming to the Party online are former Sanders and Warren supporters who feel let down by the two-party system, according to Maicol. Others have had different experiences on the left “but find our working-class approach to the struggle as more realistic and appealing.”
Twitter and other social media are significant ways the CPUSA shares its views and builds audience and relationships. But Twitter, like everything else, costs money. “That’s why it’s so important to donate to the CPUSA. Your money is well spent,” says Maicol.
“The more we can engage and promote our reach through ads, the bigger our audience will be, and ultimately the party will grow,” says Maicol. “That’s why we must support the CPUSA financially through donations and dues payments.”
Take it from someone who should know!
Image: People’s World.
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The Communist Party USA is a revolutionary working-class political party founded in 1919 in Chicago, IL.
The Communist Party stands for the interests of the American working class and the American people. It stands for our interests in both the present and the future. Solidarity with workers of other countries is also part of our work. We work in coalition with the labor movement, the peace movement, the student movement, organizations fighting for equality and social justice, the environmental movement, immigrants rights groups and the health care for all campaign.
But to win a better life for working families, we believe that we must go further. We believe that the American people can replace capitalism with a system that puts people before profit — socialism.
We are rooted in our country's revolutionary history and its struggles for democracy. We call for "Bill of Rights" socialism, guaranteeing full individual freedoms.
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