On nearly every campus bulletin board lately, a certain poster seems to stand out from the rest. A plain, white paper will present a striking message, in simple, boldfaced text, with little to no visuals. Variations of this statement include, “Who is controlling the narrative?” and “Who died so you could live?”
These provocative posters are coming by way of the Anti-Imperialism Reading Club (AIRC), formerly known as the Northfield Marxists. The group currently meets every Saturday from 3-4 p.m. at the Raven’s Nest Cafe in downtown Northfield. An Instagram post from the AIRC notes that the meeting is for “expressing our frustrations, having discussions, and building community/organizing.” They also note that anyone can show up, regardless of familiarity with the reading for that week.
The posters’ messages invite passersby to scan a QR code to find out the reading for that week. The AIRC Instagram’s LinkTree also offers a variety of supplemental readings, such as the “Manifesto of the Communist Party” and the “Opposition of the Materialist and Idealist Outlook.” For the April 26 meeting, the AIRC is reading “Blackshirts and Reds,” a book by American political scientist Michael Parenti covering fascism and capitalism while asserting the relevance of alternative ideologies, like Marxism, in understanding our current political reality.
The AIRC points to a desire and interest in alternative ideologies in the wake of Trump’s election and the growing concerns over the U.S.’s descent into fascism. Bold messaging makes students stop and consider what bigger, structural issues might be at play in the United States and the world.