USA
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Victor Louis Berger (1860–1929) was a pivotal figure in American socialism, known for founding the Socialist Party of America in 1901 and being the first Socialist elected to Congress. His pragmatic approach to socialism emphasized reform over revolution. Berger’s legacy reflects debates between revolutionary and reformist socialism within American politics.
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Anne McCarty Braden (1924–2006) evolved from a segregationist upbringing to become a prominent white ally in the civil rights movement. Her activism, sparked by the Turner case, emphasized the structural nature of racism and the necessity of anti-capitalist transformation, creating a lasting legacy of interracial solidarity and dissent against oppression.
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Hosea Hudson (1898–1988) was a significant African American Communist leader and labor activist in the mid-20th century. His life highlights the intersection of race, class, and political radicalism. Despite facing repression, he organized Black workers and contributed to labor movements, leaving a legacy that connects Black struggle to broader socialist politics.
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Upton Sinclair (1878–1968) was a prominent American novelist and social activist known for his work, particularly The Jungle, which exposed industrial capitalism’s social injustices. His literary career, marked by nearly 100 books, demonstrated his commitment to socialism and social reform, profoundly influencing American public opinion on labor and class issues during the early 20th century.
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My Socialist Hall of Fame During this chaotic era of vile rhetoric and manipulative tactics from our so-called bourgeois leaders, I am invigorated by the opportunity to reflect on Socialists, Revolutionaries, Philosophers, Guerrilla Leaders, Partisans, and Critical Theory titans, champions, and martyrs who paved the way for us—my own audacious “Socialism’s Hall of Fame.” These
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Crystal Eastman (1881–1928) was a pioneering radical intellectual, lawyer, journalist, and co-founder of the ACLU. Her advocacy combined socialism and feminism, focusing on workers’ rights, anti-militarism, and civil liberties. Despite her significant contributions, Eastman’s remarkable impact on feminist and socialist movements remains widely unrecognized today.
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Dee Brown’s landmark work, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, details the dispossession and destruction of Native American nations during 19th-century U.S. expansion. Through Indigenous perspectives, it challenges traditional narratives of American history. Despite its limitations in addressing complex tribal dynamics, the book remains essential for understanding Indigenous resistance and U.S. colonial violence.
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Benjamin Jefferson Davis Jr. (1903–1964) was an influential African American lawyer and Communist activist who served on the New York City Council. His legal work challenged Jim Crow laws, and he became prominent in leftist politics. Convicted under the Smith Act, Davis continued advocating for civil rights until his death, leaving a significant legacy.
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“The Civil War in the United States,” edited by Andrew Zimmerman, is a foundational Marxist analysis by Marx and Engels of the American Civil War, emphasizing class struggle. It offers insights into the war’s implications for international working-class movements and cautions against sectarianism, advocating for solidarity and concrete analysis amid bourgeois-democratic struggles.
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Cedric James Robinson (1940–2016) was a pivotal political theorist and scholar whose work transformed the study of race, capitalism, and political thought. Notable for developing Black Marxism and the Black Radical Tradition, his contributions challenged Eurocentric narratives, emphasizing African cultural epistemologies and the intertwined nature of racial and economic oppression.
Letters from Tomis 