Tag: Resistance

George W. Woodbey: Pioneering Black American Socialism

Published June 25, 2022 by Franchesca Johnson

In discussions of Black American activism following the emancipation of enslaved peoples in 1865, historians regularly overlook the prevalence of socialism and other progressive ideologies in shaping Black politics and Reconstruction. One Black American activist who embraced such socialist policies to do precisely this was George W. WOODBEY(1854-1937).

Born into slavery in Johnson County, Tennessee, Woodbey grew up conscious of the systems of oppression against Black Americans. However, it was not until after the Civil War that he entered politics and embraced an unconventional, socialist perspective. Latching onto the beliefs of Eugene Debs and the Socialist Party, Woodbey crafted a belief system that stressed socialism as the solution to the racism experienced within a post-slavery society. As is indicated in his novel, Black Socialist Preacher, he emphasized the necessity of eradicating “the watchdogs of capitalism”: the police. Altogether, George Woodbey was a highly influential Black socialist whose work inspired various other Black American activists and thinkers. Chiefly, his advocacy demonstrates how the African American political tradition employed socialism as a tool for tackling issues of race and labor exploitation.

FURTHER READING

George Washington Woodbey, George W Stater, and Philip Shelden Foner. 1983. Black Socialist Preacher: The Teachings of Reverend George Washington Woodbey and His Disciple, Reverend G.W. Slater, Jr. San Francisco: Synthesis Publications.

Heideman, Paul. 2018. Class Struggle and the Color Line: American Socialism and the Race Question 1900-1930. Chicago, Illinois: Haymarket Books.

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Eduardo Galeano

Published June 22, 2022 by Amy Weitzman

Eduardo Galeano (1940–2014), best known for Open Veins of Latin America, was a leftist Uruguayan writer. His works are significant because they aim to tell history through the lens of the oppressed. He describes histories of oppression, both economic and cultural, in order to explain the present state of the developing world. He is widely known for his contributions to Latin American dependency theory. A dichotomy between oppressor and oppressed is a key aspect of his beliefs.

While Open Veins is Galeano’s most famous work, Mirrors: Stories of Almost Everyone provides a broader survey of his ideas. Mirrors includes more than 600 vignettes, each one documenting an incident or historical trend that depicts oppression. He addresses structures of racism, misogyny, homophobia, and classism. Furthermore, he references countless cultures for his stories and extends past his reputation as a theorist on Latin America. For example, he recalls Ancient China’s family structures, the development of African American jazz music, and the Turkish origin of the croissant—all written as demonstrations of oppression. Galeano’s critics argue that his stories are largely apocryphal and it is unfair to divide the world into oppressor and oppressed.

FURTHER READING

The New York Times. “Author Changes His Mind on ’70s Manifesto (Published 2014),” 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/24/books/eduardo-galeano-disavows-his-book-the-open-veins.html.

Galeano, & Belfrage, C. (1997). Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent (25th anniversary ed.). Monthly Review Press.

Galeano, Eduardo, and Mark Fried. Mirrors: Stories of Almost Everyone. New York, NY: Nation Books, 2010.

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Fred Hampton: A Black American Martyr for Socialist Liberation

Published June 8, 2022 by Franchesca Johnson

Fred HAMPTON(1948-1969), known by most people exclusively for his assassination in 1969, was a revolutionary activist in the Black American struggle for liberation who utilized socialist ideas as a form of resistance against a racially and economically oppressive America. Born Fredrick Allen Hampton in Chicago, Illinois, he began his progressive activism at a young age. Through studying communist revolutionaries from around the world and providing for members of his community, Hampton developed an ideology rooted in combatting capitalism. Moreover, as he later became an influential leader of the Black Panther Party (BPP), he began to further value revolution and the strength of the masses.

In particular, in his book, I Am A Revolutionary: Fred Hampton Speaks, Hampton’s famous orations reveal this groundbreaking response to the racism in America. Knowing of the oppression of minorities in America, Hampton firmly believed in the necessity of an “international proletarian revolution” and “[fighting] capitalism with socialism.” Therefore, even though the police ended his life at the young age of 21, Hampton’s legacy reveals the actuality of socialist policies as a perceived solution to racial oppression in America.

FURTHER READING

Hampton, Fred. 2023. I Am a Revolutionary: Fred Hampton Speaks. Edited by Fred Hampton Jr. Pluto Press.

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Kim San: A Martyr for the Masses

Published June 7, 2022 by Franchesca Johnson

KIM San (1905-1938) was a Korean activist and celebrated Communist who vigorously rebelled against the Japanese government’s oppression of the Chinese and Korean people. In particular, Kim is renowned for his participation in the March First Movement, a major demonstration against Japanese imperialism and assimilation in Korea throughout 1919. However, most importantly, through his experiences living in and studying Japan, China, and Russia, he framed the Left-wing revolutionary movement within East Asia.

While much of Kim’s literary work lacks documentation within Western publications, he is best known for working with Nym Wales on a biographical novel titled Song of Ariran: The Life Story of a Korean Rebel. While this source serves primarily to document the complex conditions of Kim’s political journey, it also highlights many of his left-leaning perspectives, especially as a response to Japanese imperialism. From his praise of communism in “To Tolstoy: An Acknowledgement” to his discussion of Korean liberation and the power of the masses in “‘Only the Undefeated in Defeat…’,” Kim exposes the Korean Left’s robust resilience in the face of Japanese domination.

FURTHER READING

Kim, San, and Nym Wales. 1941. Song of Ariran: The Life Story of a Korean Rebel. Cornwall, New York: The Cornwall Press.

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The Indian Rebellion of 1857

Published May 17, 2022 by Neil Bhatia

The Indian Rebellion of 1857 resulted from increasing Indian concern with Lord Dalhousie, a Governor General who expanded British authority throughout India. He established railways, the telegraph system, and postal operations, and his “Doctrine of Lapse” allowed the East India Company to seize the revenue of various deceased princes’ estates between 1848 and 1856, fanning the flames of rebellion.

Increasing missionary activity, frustrations over the Persian language being replaced with English, as well as a strained economy, climaxed with sepoys (Indian soldiers in the British army) choosing to mutiny against British authority. This uprising across northern and central India led to a force of 60,000 marching to Delhi and rallying behind Emperor Bahadur Shah of the Mughal Empire. In September 1857 the British recaptured Delhi, murdered civilians and exiled the Emperor to Burma. The rebellion, considered India’s first war in the Indian Independence Movement, had failed, and in 1858 Queen Victoria audaciously proclaimed herself as the “Empress of India” to assume the direct government of India.

FURTHER READING

Bilwakesh, Nikhil. “‘Their Faces Were like so Many of the Same Sort at Home’: American Responses to the Indian Rebellion of 1857.” American Periodicals 21, no. 1 (2011): 1–23. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23025203.

McDermott, Rachel Fell, Leonard A. Gordon, Ainslie T. Embree, Frances W. Pritchett, and Dennis Dalton, eds. “THE EARLY TO MID NINETEENTH CENTURY: Debates Over Reform and Challenge to Empire.” In Sources of Indian Traditions: Modern India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, 3rd ed., 57–119. Columbia University Press, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7312/mcde13830.10.

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Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

Published May 17, 2022 by Rush Lee

SHEIKH Mujibur Rahman (1920-1975), also known as Mujib, is considered to be the Father of Bangladesh. He founded the Awami League, a Pakistani political party advocating for democracy and socialism that stood in opposition to the dominant Muslim League. He worked to end discrimination of Bengalis in Pakistan, creating his Six-Point Plan detailing political autonomy for East Pakistan.

In 1970, the Awami League won the first democratic election in Pakistan. After an inability to form government and failed negotiations, the Pakistani army arrested Mujib and engaged in a genocide against the Bengali people in East Pakistan, beginning the Bangladesh Liberation War. After Bangladesh’s independence, Mujib was released and became Prime Minister. He indicated that the new constitution be grounded in nationalism, democracy, secularism, and socialism. He was assassinated by a coup in 1975 due to his declaration of a one party socialist state and discontent due to Bangladesh suffering from poverty and corruption.

FURTHER READING

McDermott, Rachel Fell, Leonard A. Gordon, Ainslie T. Embree, Frances W. Pritchett, and Dennis Dalton, eds. “BANGLADESH: Independence and Controversies Over the Fruits of Freedom.” In Sources of Indian Traditions: Modern India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, 3rd ed., 839–841. Columbia University Press, 2014.

Dowlah, Caf. The Bangladesh Liberation War, the Sheikh Mujib Regime, and Contemporary Controversies, Lexington Books, 2016.

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Indian Independence Movement

Published May 17, 2022 by Neil Bhatia

India’s Independence Movement (1857-1947) spanned nearly a century in length, beginning with the Rebellion of 1857, continuing with the rise of Indian nationalism and further resistance, and ending with the partition of India as well as its declared swaraj (independence) in 1947.

The “first war of independence” began in 1857, as Indians feared for their eroding traditions at the expense of British modernization and expansionist ambitions. The sepoys (Indian soldiers in the British army) fought back as economic due to British , igniting other mutinies and rebellions in India. While this rebellion was contained within a year, Indian nationalism continued to grow over the ensuing decades and finally gained tangible traction with the efforts of Mahatma Gandhi and Sarojini Naidu. In the face of oppression they used ideas of Satyagraha and Ahimsa to encourage boycotts and strikes to further pressure British authority. These non-violent protests made things more difficult for the British, who were becoming increasingly preoccupied with World War Two. After the British, against the wishes of Gandhi, negotiated for the Partition of India with Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the Muslim League, they eventually granted independence to India in 1947.

FURTHER READING

Gandhi, and Dennis Dalton. 1996. Mahatma Gandhi : Selected Political Writings. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub.

Jahanbegloo, Ramin. “Gandhi and the Global Satyagraha.” Social Change (New Delhi) 51, no. 1 (2021): 38–50.

Singh, Frances B. “A Passage to India, the National Movement, and Independence.” Twentieth century literature 31, no. 2/3 (1985): 265–278.

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The Language Movement of Bangladesh

The Language Movement of Bangladesh

Published May 16, 2022 by Rush Lee

The Language Movement of Bangladesh (1948-1971) encapsulated the essence of conflict between West and East Pakistan. Urdu is the state language of Pakistan, though many cannot speak or read it, especially in East Pakistan. Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the Governor-General of Pakistan, refused to acknowledge requests to allow Bengali to become a state recognized language. He believed that one language was key to a strong sense of nationalism and a strong state. Urdu represented a strong Muslim state.

Students from the University of Dhaka began protesting on February 21, 1952 after further government refusal of incorporating the Bengali language. While attempting to arrest students, police shot and killed several students at the protest, causing widespread civil unrest. Later a monument was built near the university to commemorate the martyrs of the Language Movement. The movement served as a catalyst for the development and protection of Bengali language and culture, which soon developed into a strong Bengali nationalist movement.

FURTHER READING

Brass, Paul R. Routledge Handbook of South Asian Politics India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2009, 233-243.

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Jahanara Imam

Jahanara Imam

Published May 16, 2022 by Rush Lee

Jahanara IMAM (1929-1994) was a Bangladeshi nationalist writer and political activist with a focus on shedding light on the atrocities committed during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.

Jahanara’s eldest son Rumi joined the resistance movement, yet she was anxious about his fate. She kept a diary detailing the buildup of the conflict between West and East Pakistan, the martial law instituted on March 25th, the burning of buildings, and the shootings of civilians. She includes a conversation with her and Rumi discussing the potential outcome of deliberations between Yahya Khan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, as well as the nationalist sentiments from the resistance movement. Her diary becomes an essential publication in understanding the toils of the independence movement so much so that she earns the title of “Shaheed Janani,” which means “Mother of Martyrs.”

FURTHER READING

Imam, Jahanara. Of Blood and Fire: The Untold Story of Bangladesh’s War of Independence. South Asia Books, 1998.

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Bangladesh Liberation War

Bangladesh Liberation War

Published May 16, 2022 by Rush Lee

The Bangladesh Liberation War (1971-1971) occurred after Partition, where West and East Pakistan began to experience conflict and discontent due to its geographic separation and its economic, language, ethnic, and religious differences. Bengali nationalists advocated for self-determination and independence from West Pakistan. In 1970, Pakistan’s General Election granted Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a Bengali from East Pakistan, a majority. Deliberations over forming a government failed, prompting West Pakistan to instigate a crackdown in East Pakistan with increased military presence and martial law. On March 25, 1971, Sheikh Mujib declared Bangladesh independent.

Bengali nationalists urged resistance and used guerrilla tactics to combat the East Pakistani military, which began to weaponize violence and engage in massacres. East Pakistan committed genocide, targeting Bengali people. Millions of Bengali refugees fled to India, prompting India’s involvement as an ally. Pakistan surrendered on December 16, 1971, in Dhaka, the site of horrific massacres, which officially cemented Bangladesh as an independent and sovereign nation.

FURTHER READING

Raghavan, Srinath. 1971. Harvard University Press, 2013.

Bass, Gary Jonathan. The Blood Telegram : Nixon, Kissinger, and a Forgotten Genocide. First edition. New York: Alfred A Knopf, 2013.

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