The following is a 1961 letter and postscript by Socialist Workers Party (SWP) leaders George Novack and Evelyn Reed to James P. Cannon, who was then SWP national chairman, describing a visit by Novack and Reed with sociologist C. Wright Mills. What is striking in the exchange is the open-mindedness of socialist leaders at the time, the interest in finding common ground with fighters committed to struggle for a world of social equality and human solidarity. This attitude permeates the writings of Novack, Reed, and Cannon. It is the polar opposite of sectarianism. And it is central to Marxism and to the spirit of the Communist Manifesto, the founding document of the communist movement.

Dec. 29, 2025

The following is a 1961 letter and postscript by Socialist Workers Party (SWP) leaders George Novack[1] and Evelyn Reed[2] to James P. Cannon,[3] who was then SWP national chairman.

Describing a visit by Novack and Reed with sociologist C. Wright Mills — author of Listen Yankee: The Revolution in Cuba,[4] the letter centers on an exchange of views on the Cuban revolution, which had triumphed two years earlier, as well as broader issues, including Marxism and Stalinism.

The revolutionary victory in Cuba had a transformational impact, inspiring greater collaboration among fighters for social change who came from different backgrounds and experiences all over the world.