Hi Comrades, and Happy May Day!
Welcome to my first holiday-themed blog post. In this special edition, we’ll discuss the origin of International Workers Day as well as provide extra readings by Rosa Luxemburg and Vladimir Lenin. In addition, I’ve included downloadable phone wallpapers, music, and art to get you in the spirit!
If you know exactly what you want, you can jump to that section by clicking the name on the table of contents. Let’s start off with the question many people are asking!
⚒️ What is May Day?
May Day, also known as "International Workers Day," "May 1," and "May Day," is a holiday celebrated around the world - except most notably, in the United States. Though the US was critical in the holiday's inception, our government has buried the holiday in an attempt to disjoin the American working class from international proletarians. In place of International Workers Day, we were given "Law and Order Day,"… very dystopian.
- War to the Palace, Peace to the Cottage, and Death to LUXURIOUS IDLENESS.
- The wage system is the only cause of the World’s misery. It is supported by the rich classes, and to destroy it, they must be either made to work or DIE.
- One pound of DYNAMITE is better than a bushel of BALLOTS!
- MAKE YOUR DEMAND FOR EIGHT HOURS with weapons in your hands to meet the capitalistic bloodhounds, police, and militia in proper manner.
🙋♂️ Why is May Day important?
If this is your first time celebrating May Day, you’re probably wondering what makes the day so special — the answer is “You.” Instead of reinventing the wheel with this answer, I’ll share what I wrote on Instagram:
Friends, comrades, brothers, and sisters - tomorrow is the most joyful holiday: May 1. The holiday of the workers.
No other day on the calendar deserves more respect because it OUR holiday. A holiday shared between all countries.
It is also a day to remember that no matter where we live, we are all oppressed and exploited by the same enemy: the capitalist class.
We must remember it is the capitalist class that forces our friends to die on foreign soil defending corporate profits. These scum steal our brothers' wages; they poison our families with toxic products; they embezzle money, causing bridge collapses and water pollution.
We must remember that we workers have no country - we don't have a homeland. We are born and immediately tattooed with a bar code that determines which government we will work for and die.
We must remember there can be no peace until the workers are class-conscious and organized. Only then can we force peace on the barons. Only then can we put an end to their murderous wars.
To learn more about May Day, enjoy the articles below by Rosa Luxemburg and Lenin. But before I let them take it away, I want to remind you, comrade, this is your holiday, and we need you to make it memorable. So, wear a red ribbon, wear a red shirt, and hang up your red flag. Today we honor our ancestors who paved the way for us and promise to continue their fight.
📝 Articles
- Rosa Luxemburg
- Lenin: May Day (1904)
👕 Shirts
I’ve been asked to create merch - something people can purchase to wear and represent while supporting the stream. I’m proud to announce we offer some really striking designs through StreamElements. StreamElements integrates with Twitch, so Twitch subscribers get a discount on the shop!
🎧 Music
✉️ Newsletter
Signup below - maybe someday we’ll deliver these to your inbox! Someday…
🖼️ Art
Diego Rivera - May Day, Moscow - 1928
The sketchbook Rivera made during his 1927-28 trip to Moscow reflects both the thrilling pageantry of the mass celebrations staged for the tenth anniversary of the Russian Revolution and more quotidian details of Soviet life. Beginning with a series of domestic scenes, Rivera's drawings follow a family as it prepares for the day's festivities. Outside the home, they focus on the spectacle of the events—colorful banners, posters, and floats—and capture the city's famous landmarks, including Lenin's tomb and St. Basil's Cathedral in Red Square. Rivera's principal interest, though, was the crowd: men and women, children and the elderly, and soldiers and civilians move through the street en masse. Abby Aldrich Rockefeller later bought Rivera's sketchbook for an impressive $2,500, helping to fund his trip to New York in November 1931 for his exhibition at MoMA. She donated it to the Museum in 1935.
📱 Wallpaper
Looking to make your phone festive? Download some 1 May wallpapers! These are all older soviet posters I’ve enhanced for high resolution screens.
📺 Video
Moscow 1981 May Day parade.
💬 Contributions from Comrades
⏭️ What’s next…
- Join our Book Club meeting each Thursday at 9 PM ET on Discord
- Catch me live on Twitch on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 4 PM ET
- Follow my Instagram for daily updates
- Read last week’s post!
📈 Boost It!
Comrades, if you’ve read this far, I ask you to help boost some projects of mine:
- Instagram Posts - sharing these to your Instagram story or sending them directly to friends really helps spread the word: https://www.instagram.com/p/CrrFKoQOAfO/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Book Club - Join our weekly book club to engage in thoughtful Marxist discussions that challenges dominant narratives. We meet each Thursday at 9 PM ET and listen to an audiobook read by SocialismForAll. After each chapter, we discuss the major themes. Join the Discord and RSVP in the Events Tab.
☕️ Ko-fi Membership
I’ve revamped my Ko-fi page (similar to a Patreon)! Ko-fi allows people to donate money directly or subscribe monthly. For our monthly Pioneer members, we’re offering a new feature called: Instagram Roundups.
These round-ups will include extra information from my historic Instagram posts
Previously, I’ve been unable to share links to the photos and extra history due to post caption size. Now Pioneer members on Ko-fi will get this exclusive access!