Platypus Affiliated Society

Within both historical and contemporary imaginations, university students are posed as playing an indispensable part in progressive and radical Left political movements. But the twenty-first century student Left is hardly monolithic in its inclinations, ideologies and impulses. Rather, the current state of student politics is one exemplified both by autonomous actions and alliances, converging and diverging in the anti-war movement, labor solidarity campaigns, school occupations, new attempts toward intellectual discourse and theoretical engagement. Such a multifaceted scene requires an adequate address. This workshop seeks to host a variety of perspectives amongst actors and organizers of the contemporary student Left, engaging their experiences in dialogue with a multitude of questions that remain incompletely addressed as to the future of the university within the realm of emancipatory politics. We hope to utilize a panel of speakers that includes diverse voices from across the country to frame the discussion. Particular attention will be paid to the panelists' perspective on the importance of protest as political act, the prevalence and relevance of identity politics, and the current direction of student ideas and activism.

In June 1996, representatives from major labor unions and political activists on the Left held the founding convention of the American Labor Party (LP). The organizers of this effort hoped to break the stranglehold on American by the dominance of two major political parties who have manifestly betrayed the interest of working people both domestically and internationally. The LP was intended to provide an independent working-class political organization, responsible for championing not only the immediate material interests of working people in the U.S., but also advancing the struggle for racial, gender and LGBT equality. But by 2010 the Labor Party has stalled. Despite all efforts, their political intervention has failed to budge the Democrats towards any substantive social reforms, such as the Employee Free Choice Act. And worse: the leadership of major unions seems tied to the Democratic Party more than ever. What happened, and what lessons must we learn if we hope the working class will ever wield political power? This workshop will draw together activists and labor organizers from diverse backgrounds to share their experiences with the Labor Party, and suggest avenues for further organizing and study.

Within both historical and contemporary imaginations, university students are posed as playing an indispensable part in progressive and radical Left political movements. But the twenty-first century student Left is hardly monolithic in its inclinations, ideologies and impulses. Rather, the current state of student politics is one exemplified both by autonomous actions and alliances, converging and diverging in the anti-war movement, labor solidarity campaigns, school occupations, new attempts toward intellectual discourse and theoretical engagement. Such a multifaceted scene requires an adequate address. This workshop seeks to host a variety of perspectives amongst actors and organizers of the contemporary student Left, engaging their experiences in dialogue with a multitude of questions that remain incompletely addressed as to the future of the university within the realm of emancipatory politics. We hope to utilize a panel of speakers that includes diverse voices from across the country to frame the discussion. Particular attention will be paid to the panelists' perspective on the importance of protest as political act, the prevalence and relevance of identity politics, and the current direction of student ideas and activism.

In June 1996, representatives from major labor unions and political activists on the Left held the founding convention of the American Labor Party (LP). The organizers of this effort hoped to break the stranglehold on American by the dominance of two major political parties who have manifestly betrayed the interest of working people both domestically and internationally. The LP was intended to provide an independent working-class political organization, responsible for championing not only the immediate material interests of working people in the U.S., but also advancing the struggle for racial, gender and LGBT equality. But by 2010 the Labor Party has stalled. Despite all efforts, their political intervention has failed to budge the Democrats towards any substantive social reforms, such as the Employee Free Choice Act. And worse: the leadership of major unions seems tied to the Democratic Party more than ever. What happened, and what lessons must we learn if we hope the working class will ever wield political power? This workshop will draw together activists and labor organizers from diverse backgrounds to share their experiences with the Labor Party, and suggest avenues for further organizing and study.