The tension between race and class that continues to bedevil the American left flared up recently when a talk that prominent scholar Adolph Reed was slated to give to the New York City chapter of DSA was cancelled. The skirmish created such a ripple it was covered by the New York Times. But what really lies beneath this dustup? Author and labor activist Bill Fletcher, Jr. reflects on how the left handles differences within its own ranks, whether the antiracist movement really has a class problem, the need for both allies and comrades (and the difference between the two), and what needs to change if the left is serious about building real power. Bill Fletcher, Jr.: http://billfletcherjr.com/ Adolph Reed: https://nonsite.org/author/adolph-reed New York Times article: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/14/us/adolph-reed-controversy.html