|
The brilliant writer, orator, educator, critic, and
political activist Hubert Harrison (1883-1927) is one of the truly important yet
neglected, figures of early twentieth-century America.
Considered "the foremost Afro-American intellect of his time," "the
father of Harlem radicalism," combined class consciousness and race
consciousness in a coherent political radicalism which stressed the
revolutionary importance of struggle for African American equality, emphasized
the duty of all workers to oppose white supremacy, and urged that Blacks not
wait on whites before taking steps to shape their future.
His efforts significantly influenced A. Philip Randolph, Marcus Garvey,
and a generation of activist and "common people."
This collection of essays, editorials, reviews, letters, and diary
entries presents Harrison's views on class and race consciousness, socialism,
the labor movement, the New Negro movement, religion, education, politics, Black
leadership, international events, Caribbean topics, literary criticism, and the
Black theater. It offers a profound
and often unique analysis of issues, events, and individuals of early
twentieth-century America and provides critical insights and counterpoints to
the thinking of Booker T. Washington, W. E. B. Du Bois, and Garvey.
|
