Baltimore, Philadelphia
Tributes to Ray Ceci
By
Deirdre Griswold
Ray Ceci meant a lot of things to a lot of people. That was
clear from the outpouring of comrades, friends, family and
co-workers who attended two memorial tributes to him--in
Baltimore on March 20, and in Philadelphia the next night.
The first packed the Baltimore All-Peoples Congress hall
where Ray had done so much of his political work. The second
took place in a Black church that provides meeting facilities
and community services in the multinational, working-class
Philadelphia neighborhood where Ceci lived even while commuting
to his job on the Baltimore docks.
Ceci contributed his political insight, organizational
talent and personal energy to the progressive movement in both
cities. A member of Workers World Party's National Committee,
he was a key organizer in both branches until his untimely
death from cancer in February. An obituary appeared in the
March 18 Workers World.
People at the memorials told many stories about Ray that
brought out both his personal qualities and what he stood for.
His political work had spanned more than three decades--from
his militant student activism in Students for a Democratic
Society through his joining Workers World Party and becoming
active in a multitude of movements--and this was reflected in
the people who came.
A representative of the African National Congress told of
Ray's work in preventing the unloading of a ship full of chrome
from racist Rhodesia. A fellow longshore worker recalled with
deep affection their good times and camaraderie on the docks. A
woman who had met Ray through his solidarity with struggles in
the Middle East flew in from Cairo, Egypt, for the Philadelphia
memorial.
A fellow patient choked up talking about how he loved this
brother he had just met. Ray had made his communist views known
in the hospital, giving a running commentary on the news. His
room was often full of comrades, friends and family in
freewheeling discussions on life, politics, sports and
music.
WWP members came from Los Angeles, Washington, New York,
Buffalo, N.Y., Wilmington, Del., and several cities in New
Jersey. Other branches sent messages to the memorials.
Ray's wife, Berta Joubert, his son, Stephen Ceci, and his
longtime friend Sharon Ceci--all political activists and
members of Workers World--gave keynote speeches. What emerged
was the picture of a talented and well-educated person who
never forsook his working-class roots; a grandson of Italian
immigrants who passionately fought against racism; a white
straight man who welcomed and helped develop the leadership of
women, gays and people of color; a rebel who learned not to
dissipate his anger in individual acts but to organize others
into effective struggles.
And finally, there was Ray Ceci himself--captured in audio
and video. The audiotape was of a call he had made to a radio
jazz panel. He read a poem that earned a rating of "10" from
the panel for his intimate knowledge and appreciation of this
art form.
Then, in a videotape made from his hospital bed not long
before he died, Ray was thoughtful and optimistic about the
struggle ahead. His remarks showed deep satisfaction in a life
well lived and an abiding confidence that the working class he
knew so well, with all its contradictions, would come together
and fight to end the injustices of capitalism.
His last message to everyone was to be in Philadelphia April
24 in defense of Black political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal.
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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Email: ww@workers.org
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