Excellent piece, as always, Eric. I would add that through Rustin and to a lesser degree Randolph, there was a cadre of mostly young, some middle-aged socialists who supported MLK's work. Michael Harrington was part of that group. There is a chapter in Harrington's Fragment of the Century on that work, and although I can't put my finger on my copy of the Isserman bio of Harrington, I believe it is in there too. Paul LeBlanc's and Michael Yates' A Freedom Budget for All Americans has the best account of the young socialists around Rustin. For reason the opposite of Victor Berger (later, as opposed to earlier, politics), they tend to be overlooked.
This is an insightful, needed, graciously offered intervention. What I’d add is that the black social gospel tradition - and the social gospel tradition more broadly - is a crucial formative influence on King’s socialist commitment, which you allude to a bit by pointing to Niebuhr. Gary Dorrien details the tradition in detail across several massive tomes - American Democratic Socialism, Breaking White Supremacy, A Darkly Radiant Vision - and demonstrates how it’s a key part of the intellectual history and a coalition politics of radical labor, organizing, and faith threads that has a strong socialist steam. I also talk about this a bit in my text, Plenty Good Room: Co-Creating an Economy of Enough for All.
You're right, I think that side of King's evolution is really important, tbh I'm just less knowledgeable about it! Looking forward to reading your piece and the Dorrien, thanks for the recs
Thanks for this essay, Eric. If you haven’t picked it up, Gary Dorrien’s big book on democratic socialism has a very good discussion of the Christian socialist milieu that King inhabited before coming into contact with Rustin, Levison, etc.
Spell Freedom is an excellent book that tells the story of the Highlander School and the grassroots organizing that helped build the Civil Rights Movement.
Thanks, Eric, for a terrific piece that I have shared here and on Spoutible. I'm embarrassed that I didn't know anything about the Highlander School (a fascinating topic in itself). I appreciate you for tracing the network -- and it's such a good primer on the absolute connection between civil / human rights and economic justice. I wish more people understood this today (or listened, for example, to Reverend Barber when he speaks about this).
Very informative. Your article digs deep into any historical change. So called civilization has never been truly examined. The rhetoric of racism has been tied to the term “Civilized”. The ruling class has always used this to support their agenda. Thanks for sharing this very important story.
This is an important story, especially right now. Thank you, Eric.
I call myself a social democrat. I have specific differences of ideology from many others in the socialist tent. But in this pl ace and time it is a Democratic Socialist tent that has carried forward the traditions and technology of our Movement.
The Minneapolis Labor Federation (AFL-CIO) is supporting Friday's action. This is good. It will be even better when IBEW, in particular, and Teamsters, and Operating Engineers, pull their heads out and realize that the Trump autocracy attacks their parts of the labor movement too.
Lsbor's strength is manifest at its best under Democracy. Labor has, since 1848, been the consistent strong voice for Democracy. At its best (Yay Randolph!) it has been the strongest possible force against racism and its practitioners and beneficiaries in established capitalism.
A fine piece. I always discuss with my HS students the
political breadth and internationalism of MLK .
While it is understandable to focus on the influence of left/ labor organizers, especially African Americans, on him, one thing missing is his years in graduate school at BU.
I spoke with a fellow student of MLK's in those days; he said that King was already reading Marx,
and especially other thinkers of the 'social gospel' tradition, like Walter Rauschenbush,
a fellow Baptist, and others, including some radical Black theologians.
"A forgotten network of radicals" erases the important work of the CPUSA.
A controversial photograph of Martin Luther King Jr. with writer, trade union organizer, civil rights activist and co-founder of the Highlander School, Donald Lee West, was published. According to information obtained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, West was the District Director of the Communist Party in North Carolina.
Rosa Parks, was trained and active with the Alabama CPUSA.[1]The Alabama Chapter of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) was one of the most influential political bodies organizing poor African-Americans in the South during and after the Great Depression.
Thanks for this fascinating and informative essay. I learned much. As a public school history teacher, my U.S. history course emphasized gender, race, and class. As a retiree, I’m inspired in this moment to consider teaching history workshops to adults. Most of us are so ignorant of lessons already learned, like this one. Thank you!
Of course King would have thoroughly rejected today's woke culture, which opposes everything he worked for. The socialist cultural figures who you describe would also for them most part have rejected the identity politics and the historic guilt tripping currently used to promote not equality, but a new ranking for unearned privilege. The declining labor movement in this country has yet to offer a populist vision which would help it gain real power to address our social crises....
The UFT was captured by anti-socialist, race baiting and mercenary opportunists who held their students and their students working class parents in contempt,, led by Al Shanker, and continues their politics? Mamdani , but is another "benevolent leader" from the "superior classes" who will end up in open contempt of working people when they stand up for themselves.
Excellent piece, as always, Eric. I would add that through Rustin and to a lesser degree Randolph, there was a cadre of mostly young, some middle-aged socialists who supported MLK's work. Michael Harrington was part of that group. There is a chapter in Harrington's Fragment of the Century on that work, and although I can't put my finger on my copy of the Isserman bio of Harrington, I believe it is in there too. Paul LeBlanc's and Michael Yates' A Freedom Budget for All Americans has the best account of the young socialists around Rustin. For reason the opposite of Victor Berger (later, as opposed to earlier, politics), they tend to be overlooked.
Thanks Leo, helpful points!
Great piece! Jack O'Dell is another important figure connecting King to anti-capitalist and labor organizing traditions. https://www.amazon.com/ODell-File-Kindle-Single-ebook/dp/B00M75QW7G
This is an insightful, needed, graciously offered intervention. What I’d add is that the black social gospel tradition - and the social gospel tradition more broadly - is a crucial formative influence on King’s socialist commitment, which you allude to a bit by pointing to Niebuhr. Gary Dorrien details the tradition in detail across several massive tomes - American Democratic Socialism, Breaking White Supremacy, A Darkly Radiant Vision - and demonstrates how it’s a key part of the intellectual history and a coalition politics of radical labor, organizing, and faith threads that has a strong socialist steam. I also talk about this a bit in my text, Plenty Good Room: Co-Creating an Economy of Enough for All.
You're right, I think that side of King's evolution is really important, tbh I'm just less knowledgeable about it! Looking forward to reading your piece and the Dorrien, thanks for the recs
Thanks for this essay, Eric. If you haven’t picked it up, Gary Dorrien’s big book on democratic socialism has a very good discussion of the Christian socialist milieu that King inhabited before coming into contact with Rustin, Levison, etc.
oh good suggestion, I haven't read that yet!
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Spell-Freedom/Elaine-Weiss/9781668002698
Spell Freedom is an excellent book that tells the story of the Highlander School and the grassroots organizing that helped build the Civil Rights Movement.
Thanks, Eric, for a terrific piece that I have shared here and on Spoutible. I'm embarrassed that I didn't know anything about the Highlander School (a fascinating topic in itself). I appreciate you for tracing the network -- and it's such a good primer on the absolute connection between civil / human rights and economic justice. I wish more people understood this today (or listened, for example, to Reverend Barber when he speaks about this).
Very informative. Your article digs deep into any historical change. So called civilization has never been truly examined. The rhetoric of racism has been tied to the term “Civilized”. The ruling class has always used this to support their agenda. Thanks for sharing this very important story.
Great job. And well written. I learned a lot.
This is an important story, especially right now. Thank you, Eric.
I call myself a social democrat. I have specific differences of ideology from many others in the socialist tent. But in this pl ace and time it is a Democratic Socialist tent that has carried forward the traditions and technology of our Movement.
The Minneapolis Labor Federation (AFL-CIO) is supporting Friday's action. This is good. It will be even better when IBEW, in particular, and Teamsters, and Operating Engineers, pull their heads out and realize that the Trump autocracy attacks their parts of the labor movement too.
Lsbor's strength is manifest at its best under Democracy. Labor has, since 1848, been the consistent strong voice for Democracy. At its best (Yay Randolph!) it has been the strongest possible force against racism and its practitioners and beneficiaries in established capitalism.
Onward together.
El pueblo unido jamas sera vencido.
Huelga.
A fine piece. I always discuss with my HS students the
political breadth and internationalism of MLK .
While it is understandable to focus on the influence of left/ labor organizers, especially African Americans, on him, one thing missing is his years in graduate school at BU.
I spoke with a fellow student of MLK's in those days; he said that King was already reading Marx,
and especially other thinkers of the 'social gospel' tradition, like Walter Rauschenbush,
a fellow Baptist, and others, including some radical Black theologians.
"A forgotten network of radicals" erases the important work of the CPUSA.
A controversial photograph of Martin Luther King Jr. with writer, trade union organizer, civil rights activist and co-founder of the Highlander School, Donald Lee West, was published. According to information obtained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, West was the District Director of the Communist Party in North Carolina.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highlander_Research_and_Education_Center
Rosa Parks, was trained and active with the Alabama CPUSA.[1]The Alabama Chapter of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) was one of the most influential political bodies organizing poor African-Americans in the South during and after the Great Depression.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama_Chapter_of_the_Communist_Party_USA
Thanks for this fascinating and informative essay. I learned much. As a public school history teacher, my U.S. history course emphasized gender, race, and class. As a retiree, I’m inspired in this moment to consider teaching history workshops to adults. Most of us are so ignorant of lessons already learned, like this one. Thank you!
Of course King would have thoroughly rejected today's woke culture, which opposes everything he worked for. The socialist cultural figures who you describe would also for them most part have rejected the identity politics and the historic guilt tripping currently used to promote not equality, but a new ranking for unearned privilege. The declining labor movement in this country has yet to offer a populist vision which would help it gain real power to address our social crises....
The UFT was captured by anti-socialist, race baiting and mercenary opportunists who held their students and their students working class parents in contempt,, led by Al Shanker, and continues their politics? Mamdani , but is another "benevolent leader" from the "superior classes" who will end up in open contempt of working people when they stand up for themselves.
Wanted to agree about MLK and Rosa Parks--also that Parks supported Black nationalists such as Malcolm X. See https://solidarity-us.org/on-the-70th-anniversary-of-the-montgomery-bus-boycott-the-life-of-rosa-parks-1913-2005/--dianne feeley