Report presented by Dom Shannon on behalf of the African American Equality Commission to the CPUSA Peace Conference on Nov. 8, 2025.

I want to open with a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King. In March of 1965, he spoke publicly about his opposition to the Vietnam war stating, “millions of dollars can be spent every day to hold troops in South Viet Nam and our country cannot protect the rights of Negroes in Selma.”

Over six decades later, not much has changed, has it? In fact, the situation Black folks find themselves in today is eerily similar. While the Trump administration has ramped up indiscriminate attacks against what they call “narco terrorists” from South America and the genocide in Gaza continues, the SCOTUS and GOP governors plan to take away political representation for Black voters via redistricting schemes and the potential gutting of the Voting Rights Act, all while SNAP benefits have halted, leaving millions hungry.

Indeed, the ever growing U.S. military budget and expansion of military operations leaves Black folks without. If our political representation is limited or erased how will we voice our opposition to endless war? If the U.S. spends over a trillion dollars on the military, as requested by the Trump administration, how will critical social programs be funded? For the U.S. military, the answer is to prey on low income Black folks with the promise of upward mobility in exchange for years of military service. This promise is not always fulfilled, especially with Trump cutting funding to the Veterans Administration. We know, however, that the answer is simple — less money for war and greed, more money for the people’s needs!

One glaring difference, however, between then and now is Black participation in the movement for peace. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Black Panther Party, Black churches, and the Nation of Islam were all vocal opponents to the Vietnam War and mobilized Black folks to demonstrations. Unfortunately today, many aspects of the peace movement are incredibly sectarian, leaving out the Black community and Black organizations. Historically, the mobilization of Black Americans for peace and against war has been a crucial component and we are challenged to not just question but overcome the barriers that have led to limited engagement with organizations such as the NAACP or the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU), and that keep Black folks from participating more broadly. Communist Party members and leaders must confront all sectarian and white chauvinist barriers to working class unity within the peace movement. This unity is a necessary step to moving forward toward peace, justice, equality and socialism.

Images: King believed that a multiracial working-class movement was required to overcome the failings of capitalism by Matthew Miles Goodrich / In These Times (CC BY-NC 4.0).