Communist Workers' Party (United States)

Communist Workers' Party
LeaderJerry Tung
Founded1973 (1973)
Dissolved1985 (1985)
Youth wingRevolutionary Youth League
IdeologyNew Communist Movement[1]
Maoism (earlier)
Democratic socialism (later)
Political positionFar-left

The Communist Workers' Party (CWP) was a far-left Maoist group in the United States. It had its origin in 1973 as the Asian Study Group (renamed the Workers' Viewpoint Organization in 1976) established by Jerry Tung, a former member of the Progressive Labor Party (PLP)[2] who had grown disenchanted with the group and disagreed with changes taking place in the party line. The party is mainly remembered as being associated with victims of the Greensboro Massacre of 1979.

The CWP followed the policies of Mao Zedong.[3] The CWP also incorporated aspects of the CPUSA's anti-racist pre-Popular Front program. In particular the CWP emphasized unionization and self-determination for African Americans.

  1. ^ Lalich, Janja (2004). Bounded Choice: True Believers and Charismatic Cults. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-24018-6.
  2. ^ Kwong, Peter and Dušanka Miščević. Chinese America: The Untold Story of America's Oldest New Community. New York: New Press. 2005. ISBN 1-56584-962-0. pp. 293-296.
  3. ^ "Maoists Planning Protest". The News and Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina). November 22, 1979. p. 63.

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