“In dealing from this angle with the tasks confronting the youth, I must say that the tasks of the youth in general, and of the Young Communist Leagues and all other organizations in particular, might be summed up in a single word: learn.” – V. I. Lenin
Lenin, V.I. Collected Works, Vol. 31. 1966. Progress Publishers, Moscow.
Local Cells
Contact and inquiries, please email LYC USA national: info@leagueofyoungcommunistsusa.net
1. John Reed LYC Cell – Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska
2. Greg Rose LYC Cell – Harry Bridges – California, Hawaii
3. Benjamin Davis-Earl Browder-Lorenzo Torrez LYC Cell – Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Nebraska, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio
4. Emma Tenayuca-Woody Guthrie-Dave Robbins LYC Cell – Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana
5. Gus Hall LYC Cell – Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin
6. Ralph Gray-Levi Coffin-Jesús Colón LYC Cell – Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina
7. Scott Nearing-Togi Marshall-George Meyers LYC Cell – Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, District of Columbia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania
8. Paul Robeson LYC Cell – New Jersey
9. Elizabeth Gurley Flynn LYC Cell – Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire
10. Peter Cacchione LYC Cell – New York
The League of Young Communists USA is the Communist Youth Organization of the Party of Communists USA.
The Party of Communists USA traces its roots from dropped clubs of the Communist Party USA. Members of the New York Transport Workers Union club, the Arts & Entertainment CPUSA club, the Staten Island club, the Buffalo NY club, the Los Angeles club and various comrades scattered around the country, such as in California, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota and Texas, were the original founders of the Party of Communists USA. The PCUSA and the LYCUSA are dedicated to upholding Marxism-Leninism, scientific socialism, internationalism and Socialism-Communism. Our focus is on class struggle, workers’ rights, and creating the conditions for a socialist revolution. The PCUSA established the League of Young Communists USA as the successor to the Young Communist League of the CPUSA, which was officially disbanded in 2015. The YCL had been in existence for almost one hundred years.
The YCL was originally formed in 1920 and it had its first congress in 1922. The LYCUSA continues the long tradition of the Communist Youth Organization in the United States. Formed in 1922 as the Young Communist League, the League has had many names through the years; from American Youth for Democracy in 1944, to the DuBois Clubs of America (named in honor of the communist and cofounder of the NAACP), along with the Young Workers Liberation League in the 1960s. Through the decades, we struggled against the Great Depression, sent brigades to fight fascism in Spain, fought Jim Crow and lynching in the South, condemned the execution of the Rosenbergs, and resisted the Korean and Vietnamese Wars. To this day, we still rally for peace, civil rights, and nuclear disarmament. We are bilingual and multinational in our struggles against racism, sexism, LGBTQ+ bigotry and discrimination against people with disabilities. The League is politically united with the Party of Communists USA, and yet is organizationally autonomous with our own constitution, membership and publications. Youth want to serve. We want to serve society on our own creative terms. Our society is dictated to us and that is not what we want. Our goals are clear – short term, build the youth resistance; long term, build socialism. We contribute a Marxist-Leninist and internationalist scientific analysis to the youth movement for the benefit of working youth and students. We combine ideological discussion with action-both as the League and in broader coalitions. We call for a stronger, more active and more united youth and student movement.
The purpose of our Communist Youth Organization is to prepare young cadre to become full members of the PCUSA. The LYCUSA is democratic, engaging and our main task is to give our members the most learning and experience. We believe we are successful in teaching the young cadre as much information and history as possible. We are always take special note to communicate between our members, which we have based upon our experiences in the CPUSA, where there was a total disconnect and lack of will to educate the YCLers (in fact, the YCL no longer exists). Every opinion is valued. However, the LYCUSA is specifically tasked with creating a generation of young Marxist-Leninist Communists, dedicated to internationalism, scientific socialism and the class struggle, for Socialism-Communism.
It is our genuine spirit that guides the LYCUSA. Integrity is our greatest value. It is not easy to be a Communist in the United States. The LYCUSA is completely authentic; the LYCUSA is completely dedicated to Marxism-Leninism and Socialism-Communism; the LYCUSA will not run away under any circumstances or hardship from the overwhelming challenges facing Young Communists in the United States.
For Socialism-Communism, for Marxism-Leninism, for internationalist solidarity, please hear our call!
FAQ
#1 Can I join the League and Party if I am under 18 years of age?
ANSWER: YES! However, you must provide us with parental consent that it’s OK for you to join. Many parents have a negative view of our organization and our view of the world. Out of respect for your family, we don’t want to cause un-necessary strife. Your parents have a right to know what activities you are participating in. We would be happy to discuss our politics and requirements with your family at any time.
#2 What are the requirements of membership?
A. All members are required to pay membership dues each month.
B. All members are required to attend classes of the People’s School for Marxist-Leninist Studies.
C. All members are required to participate in LYC discussions and activities and to be active politically.