The primary unity we seek is that of the working class – the 99 percent - in its glorious diversity, not only of races and nationalities and genders, but also of trades and professions that in a great division of labor produce all of our society’s wealth." -Roberta Wood We don’t have another class to unite with. We need a new 21st century logo that evokes an image of the unity that WE are building. The workers needed to win over the peasants to unite with them and the sickle was a respectful tribute to that huge class of working people, one that honored their work and that they would recognize and feel comfortable with. The hammer and sickle was a beautiful depiction of the unity that the working class was called on to build in revolutionary Russia in 1917. For example, do we need a hammer and sickle? A sickle was a common agricultural tool of European peasants, but that symbol doesn’t mean anything to Americans – we only see a sickle if someone dresses up as the Grim Reaper for Halloween. "We love our history but there’s no point in being a cult about it. Updating the symbol isn't about erasing history, but more so updating and adding to it, since so many struggles have taken place since its inception." - Chauncey Robinson I don't know many people of this generation who actually use a sickle in their work-doesn't mean I think it should be thrown out completely, but maybe we could look into a logo that incorporates more modern tools as well. Not that I'm opposed to using this symbol, but I do think there needs to be an effort made to help it resonate with a more diverse population and the current struggles we go through. I think at times this symbol has resonated with people focused on a time and circumstances we no longer live in. "I think the older symbol has history and meaning for many. As far as a flag with the CPUSA's current symbol goes, I'm not sure I can help you-but here are several responses to your broader question, to give you an idea of how our thinking is developing. The imagery of the hammer and sickle (both the original and our modern hammer, sickle, and gear) are the subject of ongoing discussions in CPUSA.
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