Carl Dix facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carl Dix
Carl Dix photo by William Short from A Matter of Conscience
Born	Carl Dix 1948 (age 76–77) Baltimore, Maryland
Nationality	American
Political party	Revolutionary Communist Party, USA

Carl Dix (born 1948) is an important American activist and a founding member of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA (RCP). He is known for his work against police brutality and for civil rights. He also writes for Revolution newspaper and has worked closely with Bob Avakian.

In 1996, Carl Dix helped start the October 22nd Coalition. This group worked to stop police brutality and unfair treatment of young people. He also played a big part in the campaign to Stop "Stop and Frisk" in New York City. This program allowed police to stop and search many people, and Dix worked with Cornel West to oppose it.

Dix is also a member of Refuse Fascism. This group was started in 2016 to protest the Trump administration. Over the years, Dix was also involved with other important groups. These included the Black Workers Congress, the African Liberation Support Committee, and Vietnam Veterans Against the War.

Carl Dix's Early Life

Carl Dix grew up in a working-class African-American neighborhood in West Baltimore, Maryland. In 1968, while he was in college, he was drafted into the U.S. Army. This was during the height of the Vietnam War. He was ordered to report to Fort Bragg Army base in North Carolina.

Dix remembered seeing a sign outside the base that said "Welcome to KKK Country." This made him wonder what he was getting into. He was inspired by the black consciousness movement of that time. He learned from leaders like Malcolm X who spoke about America's talk of justice while oppressing people, including the Vietnamese. Malcolm X also pointed out that Black people were oppressed at home in America.

In December 1969, Dix faced a big decision. He received orders to go to Vietnam. In the same month, he heard about the killing of Fred Hampton by police in Chicago. He also learned about a police attack on the Black Panther Party headquarters in Los Angeles. He realized that the war wasn't just far away; it was happening at home too. He decided he could not fight in Vietnam for America.

Refusing Orders and Prison Time

The Fort Lewis Six arrested in June 1970 for refusing orders to Vietnam.

In June 1970, Carl Dix was one of six soldiers who refused orders to go to Vietnam. This was the largest group of soldiers to refuse direct orders during the war. They became known as the Fort Lewis Six. Dix was immediately put in the military jail at the base before his trial. This was unusual and against military rules.

A local soldier newspaper, the Lewis-McChord Free Press, reported that rules said pre-trial jail was only for dangerous situations. This did not apply to Dix. During their trials, the military judge made it clear he would not listen to their arguments. Dix was sent to Leavenworth Military Penitentiary for two years. He said at the time that he had to be true to himself and accept the results. He felt he couldn't be part of the Army's war in Vietnam.

While in prison, Dix became a revolutionary. He faced challenges, including an incident where he was charged with assaulting a guard and disobeying an order. After his release from Leavenworth, Dix went back to Baltimore. From 1973 to 1978, he worked and organized at the Bethlehem Steel plant in Sparrows Point.

Important Activism

In 2011, Carl Dix helped start the "Stop Mass Incarceration Network." This group works to end the unfair jailing of many people, especially Black and Brown individuals. He wrote an important article called "Taking the Movement of Resistance to Mass Incarceration to a Higher Level Thru Unleashing Determined Mass Resistance."

Dix, along with Cornel West, writer Herb Boyd, Efia Nwangaza, and Rev. Omar Wilkes, spoke out against the New York Police Department's "Stop and Frisk" program. They called for a campaign to stop it. On October 21, 2011, more than 30 people, including Dix and West, were arrested. They took part in a peaceful protest at the NYPD's 28th Police Precinct. Earlier that day, Dix wrote an article for The Huffington Post explaining why he was protesting.

See Also

• Concerned Officers Movement
• Court-martial of Howard Levy
• Court-martial of Susan Schnall
• Donald W. Duncan
• Fort Hood Three
• Free The Army tour
• GI's Against Fascism
• GI Coffeehouses
• GI Underground Press
• Movement for a Democratic Military
• Opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War
• Presidio mutiny
• Sir! No Sir!, a documentary about the anti-war movement within the ranks of the United States Armed Forces
• Stop Our Ship (SOS) anti-Vietnam War movement in and around the U.S. Navy
• Vietnam Veterans Against the War
• Waging Peace in Vietnam
• Winter Soldier Investigation