A Hubert Harrison Reader

by Hubert Harrison, Jeffrey B. Perry (Editor)

Critical writings by the "father of Harlem radicalism".

The brilliant writer, orator, educator, critic, and activist Hubert Harrison (1883 - 1927) is one of the truly important, yet neglected, figures of early twentieth-century America. Known as "the father of Harlem radicalism,' and a leading Socialist party speaker who advocated that socialists champion the cause of the Negro as a revolutionary doctrine, Harrison had an important influence on a generation of race and class radicals, including Marcus Garvey and A. Philip Randolph.

Harrison envisioned a socialism that had special appeal to African-Americans, and he affirmed the duty of socialists to oppose race-based oppression. Despite high praise from his contemporaries, Harrison's legacy has largely been neglected. This reader redresses the imbalance; Harrison's essays, editorials, reviews, letters, and diary entries offer a profound, and often unique, analysis of issues, events and individuals of early twentieth-century America. His writings also provide critical insights and counterpoints to the thinking of W. E. B. DuBois, Booker T. Washington and Marcus Garvey.

The reader is organized thematically to highlight Harrison's contributions to the debates on race, class, culture, and politics of his time. The writings span Harrison's career and the evolution of his thought, and include extensive political writings, editorials, meditations, reviews of theater and poetry, and deeply evocative social commentary.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Theory, Politics

505 pages, Paperback

First published June 5, 2001

About the author

Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Muhammad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hubert Harrison is quickly becoming one of my favorite historical personalities. I started with "When Africa Awakes" and "The Negro and the Nation", but have been slowly getting through this volume over the course of several years and have now finished it, in it's entirety. Mr. Perry did a good job at selection of various materials to give you an idea of what this intellectual giant had to offer the human march toward enlightenment. In scope, you'll get everything (during his time period) from politics, to religion, to racial issues, internationalism and social activism. There is poetry, book reviews, theater reviews (I guess now we'd have movie reviews on the same level of analysis). This little known figure in the history of the United States was one of the most well read men of his day, no matter the race. He gives book suggestions, that while dated, may still offer a significant education to those persons interested or who have the time to read oldies but goodies. I don't do many book reviews on here, but as a member of the race of Hubert Harrison, I thought it my duty to do one for him. And although I'm sure he'd be critical of this short review, not following the guidelines for a review he gives in the volume, I couldn't allow this book to go without a worthwhile review from someone of his race whom he gave his life, heart, and intelligence to without hesitation and without fear. For anyone of the (formerly) Negro race Hubert Harrison is a must read, even if you can't make it all the way through this lengthy book. For anyone of the human race, you'd also benefit greatly from the knowledge of this man and his historical analysis of the Western nations and their future.

Topics Covered in A Hubert Harrison Reader
Black Nationalism and Self-Determination: Harrison’s ideas on racial pride, cultural identity, and the importance of Black self-organization.

Socialism and Economic Justice: His critiques of capitalism, imperialism, and advocacy for socialist principles as a means to racial and economic equality.

Racial Politics and Civil Rights: Discussions on segregation, racial uplift, and strategies for Black empowerment.

Literary and Cultural Criticism: Harrison’s essays on literature, music, and the arts, emphasizing their role in shaping Black identity.

Anti-Colonialism and Internationalism: His views on colonialism, especially in the Caribbean, and the importance of global solidarity among oppressed peoples.

Education and Intellectual Development: His emphasis on education as a tool for liberation and the importance of intellectual engagement.

The Role of the Radical Left: His critique of mainstream liberalism and conservative politics, advocating for radical change.

[Kato Cooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Academically rigorous exploration of the life and writing of Hubert Harrison, a painfully unknown architect of the civil rights struggle. A passionate piece that holds on to a necessary objectivity.

[Jeffrey B. Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

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The St. Croix, Virgin Islands-born Hubert Harrison (1883-1927), known as "the father of Harlem radicalism," was a brilliant writer, orator, educator, critic, and political activist in New York in the 1910s and 1920s. Historian J. A. Rogers, in "World's Great Men of Color," refers to Harrison as "the foremost Afro-American intellect of his time" and (amid chapters on Booker T. Washington, William Monroe Trotter, W. E. B. Du Bois, and Marcus Garvey) emphasizes that "none of the Afro-American leaders of his time had a saner and more effective program." During the 1910s and 1920s Harrison was a major influence on A. Philip Randolph, Garvey, and a generation of World War I-era activists and "common people." He is one of the truly important figures of early twentieth-century America.

This individually introduced and annotated collection of one hundred thirty-eight articles offers a comprehensive presentation of Harrison's writings on class and race consciousness, socialism, the labor movement, the New Negro movement, religion, education, politics, Black leadership and leaders, international events, Caribbean topics, the Virgin Islands, literature and literary criticism, and the Black theater.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had this sitting on my to-read pile for a decade. It's a collection of Harrison's writings with an introduction and notes by Perry. I wish there was more about the IWW but Harrison's relationship was rather indirect and short in duration. Regardless, this could be read along with Convington Hall's work on the IWW in the deep south and Peter Cole's "Wobblies on the Waterfront" in order to see the successes and limitations of the IWW's multi-racial organizing. The newest content for me was the articles on the United Negro Improvement Association and Marcus Garvey. Harrison worked closely with Garvey and these might be some of the most critical assessments of the UNIA leader. Also, Harrison's advocacy of direct action in the form of armed self-defense against lynching and Klan violence makes him an interesting fore-runner of Robert F. Williams. To conclude, this is some pretty specific stuff, but well done.

[David Walton sr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very great primary source with commentary by editor