BERKELEY HIGH JACKET (May 12, 2005)
BY ARIYA SASAKI
Avakian's Book Gives Insight to
Current Race Issues
In 1961, Bob Avakian walked across the stage as a Berkeley High School graduate. No one could have predicted that Avakian would later become "America's Most Radical Revolutionary Communist." As the chairman of the Revolutionary Communist Party of America, Avakian recently released his personal memoir titled, From Ike to Mao and Beyond: My Journey From Mainstream America to Revolutionary Communist. This book gives new insight into a man now in exile for his radical politics.
Avakian's controversial book is divided into three sections. The first section begins by describing his childhood growing up in Berkeley. He discusses the public education he received, both in the classroom and in the outside world.
The second section of this revolutionary book introduces Avakian's life in the 1960s and recounts his experience at UC Berkeley during the Free Speech Movement. Avakian was also very closely involved with the Black Panthers, which effected his views on America.
The last section recounts Avakian's journey from being a radical activist to becoming the chairman of the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP). It also tells of his experiences traveling around China and being exposed to the country's Communist leader, Mao Zedong.
The book is written in dialogue, making it an easy read.
"He [Avakian] sat down with Lenny Wolff with a tape recorder. This book is uncut. It is Avakian talking to you," said Quetzal Ceja, editor of Insight Publishing Company.
However, this dialogue form of writing comes across as redundant and lengthy at times.
The most fascinating section of his book is the first section, in which Avakian describes his experiences with racism at BHS in the 1960s. His insights and perspectives on Berkeley are thought provoking. Many of his opinions and views are considered radical, but they are intriguing nonetheless.
Regardless of his present political view, many people believe Avakian's view of Berkeley back then is similar to how we perceive it today. Many people believe that Avakian's perception of Berkeley in the 1960s still holds true today. Nearly four decades after the Berkeley Unified School District made great strides by being the first school district to voluntarily integrate its schools, racism and segregation are still pressing issues.
BHS students are acutely aware of these racial tensions. "Everyone pretty much respects each other, but segregation-wise, we still are [segregated.
We're] not forced to stay in our own group, but it just happens," said-BHS junior Melissa Goodwin.
"If you talk to students from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, race has always been the issue. Now we call it the achievement gap," said Ray Cagan, BHS history teacher and graduate of 1997.
Although there are still issues of racism and segregation in Berkeley, students believe that the situation has improved to some extent since the 1960s.
"BHS is more open-minded and accepting of everybody, no matter your education or race," said BHS junior Christine Martinez.
In addition to his latest book, Avakian has written several other books, including Democracy: Can't We Do Better Than That?, as well as many other books confronting essential issues concerning the Communist movement. Even though he is currently in exile from the U.S., Avakian has impacted many people in America in very different ways through his words and actions.
"[Bob Avakian] speaks to people's alienation from a warlike and capitalist society, and holds out the possibility for radical change," writes Howard Zinn in his book A People's History of the United States.
On Friday May 6, King Middle School hosted a book promotion for the release of Avakian's book. The seats at the book promotion were filled with people expressing opinions from both sides of the political spectrum.
