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No Fascist USA!: The John Brown Anti-Klan Committee and Lessons for Today's Movements
The story of how a national grassroots network fought a resurgence of the KKK and other fascist groups during the Reagan years, laying the groundwork for today's anti-fascist/anti-racist movements.
"Smash fascism! Read this book!"--Tom Morello, songwriter and guitarist with Rage Against the Machine
"Studying the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee will give readers an understanding of the complexity of deconstructing the weapon of white supremacy from the inside out. Thank you Hilary and James for the precision of this analysis, and the true north of this star."--adrienne maree brown, author of Pleasure Activism and Emergent Strategy
In June 1977, a group of white anti-racist activists received an alarming letter from an inmate at a New York state prison calling for help to fight the Ku Klux Klan's efforts to recruit prison staff and influence the people incarcerated. Their response was to form the first chapter of what would eventually become a powerful, nationwide grassroots network, the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee, dedicated to countering the rise of the KKK and other far-right white nationalist groups.
No Fascist USA! tells the story of that network, whose efforts throughout the 1980s--which included exposing white supremacists in public office, confronting neo-Nazis in street protests, supporting movements for self-determination, and engagement with the underground punk scene--laid the groundwork for many anti-racist efforts to emerge since. Featuring original research, interviews with former members, and a trove of graphic materials, their story offers battle-tested lessons for those on the frontlines of social justice work today.
Praise for No Fascist USA!
"Hilary Moore and James Tracy have written a magnificent book that not only corrects the record but helps explain the mercurial rise of white supremacist organizations in the 1970s, how the Klan was (temporarily) defeated, and why this period has been largely ignored. No Fascist USA! radically shifts our perspective, challenging the prevailing wisdom that racist terrorism rises in response to economic downturns, white downward mobility, or in a vacuum created by progressive alternatives. I love this book."--Robin D.G. Kelley, from the foreword
"No Fascist USA! is not only timely, but also essential in the present period of accelerated white supremacist activity and anti-racist organizing to combat it. In telling the story of the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee, the authors, without romanticizing or condemning, draw important lessons from the fifteen-year history of the group."--Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, author of Loaded: A Disarming History of the Second Amendment
"With its savvy blend of youth culture and street confrontation, the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee tried to stop Trumpism before Trump. They confronted the rise of white nationalism in prisons, workplaces, and music scenes when precious few paid attention to it . . . Hilary Moore and James Tracy have gifted us with an urgent read."--Dan Berger, author of Captive Nation: Black Prison Organizing in the Civil Rights Era
"James Tracy and Hilary Moore deliver a searing, bold new work that examines another painful and complicated chapter in American race relations. In an eye-opening account, They are able to connect the dots of the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee, a band of contemporary predominantly white activists, and its efforts to expose white supremacist organizations. With a fresh eye and new research, their book uncovers with stunning precision how these groups remain active and exposes some of their unlikely alliances."--Laurens Grant, filmmaker, The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution and Freedom Riders
"We learned from history. You can too!"--Terry Bisson, author of Fire on the Mountain and former member of the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee
"This book is a must-read for anyone wanting to understand the roots of what happened in Charlottesville, and the burgeoning white nationalist membership lists in the U.S. today. We cannot possibly take on the challenges we face without learning from the past. This book is a necessary and long overdue contribution to inform the way forward."--Carla F. Wallace, co-founder, Showing Up for Racial Justice
"I've waited thirty years for this book! Our emergency hearts have always driven uprisings to stop white terrorism, but it always takes more than black-bloc tactics in the streets to stop fascists. No Fascist USA! firmly connects today's militant anti-fascist street-fighting movements with important living radical histories to disrupt the cycles that keep the spectre of fascism alive in the modern era. The struggles faced by the John Brown Anti-K...
"Smash fascism! Read this book!"--Tom Morello, songwriter and guitarist with Rage Against the Machine
"Studying the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee will give readers an understanding of the complexity of deconstructing the weapon of white supremacy from the inside out. Thank you Hilary and James for the precision of this analysis, and the true north of this star."--adrienne maree brown, author of Pleasure Activism and Emergent Strategy
In June 1977, a group of white anti-racist activists received an alarming letter from an inmate at a New York state prison calling for help to fight the Ku Klux Klan's efforts to recruit prison staff and influence the people incarcerated. Their response was to form the first chapter of what would eventually become a powerful, nationwide grassroots network, the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee, dedicated to countering the rise of the KKK and other far-right white nationalist groups.
No Fascist USA! tells the story of that network, whose efforts throughout the 1980s--which included exposing white supremacists in public office, confronting neo-Nazis in street protests, supporting movements for self-determination, and engagement with the underground punk scene--laid the groundwork for many anti-racist efforts to emerge since. Featuring original research, interviews with former members, and a trove of graphic materials, their story offers battle-tested lessons for those on the frontlines of social justice work today.
Praise for No Fascist USA!
"Hilary Moore and James Tracy have written a magnificent book that not only corrects the record but helps explain the mercurial rise of white supremacist organizations in the 1970s, how the Klan was (temporarily) defeated, and why this period has been largely ignored. No Fascist USA! radically shifts our perspective, challenging the prevailing wisdom that racist terrorism rises in response to economic downturns, white downward mobility, or in a vacuum created by progressive alternatives. I love this book."--Robin D.G. Kelley, from the foreword
"No Fascist USA! is not only timely, but also essential in the present period of accelerated white supremacist activity and anti-racist organizing to combat it. In telling the story of the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee, the authors, without romanticizing or condemning, draw important lessons from the fifteen-year history of the group."--Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, author of Loaded: A Disarming History of the Second Amendment
"With its savvy blend of youth culture and street confrontation, the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee tried to stop Trumpism before Trump. They confronted the rise of white nationalism in prisons, workplaces, and music scenes when precious few paid attention to it . . . Hilary Moore and James Tracy have gifted us with an urgent read."--Dan Berger, author of Captive Nation: Black Prison Organizing in the Civil Rights Era
"James Tracy and Hilary Moore deliver a searing, bold new work that examines another painful and complicated chapter in American race relations. In an eye-opening account, They are able to connect the dots of the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee, a band of contemporary predominantly white activists, and its efforts to expose white supremacist organizations. With a fresh eye and new research, their book uncovers with stunning precision how these groups remain active and exposes some of their unlikely alliances."--Laurens Grant, filmmaker, The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution and Freedom Riders
"We learned from history. You can too!"--Terry Bisson, author of Fire on the Mountain and former member of the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee
"This book is a must-read for anyone wanting to understand the roots of what happened in Charlottesville, and the burgeoning white nationalist membership lists in the U.S. today. We cannot possibly take on the challenges we face without learning from the past. This book is a necessary and long overdue contribution to inform the way forward."--Carla F. Wallace, co-founder, Showing Up for Racial Justice
"I've waited thirty years for this book! Our emergency hearts have always driven uprisings to stop white terrorism, but it always takes more than black-bloc tactics in the streets to stop fascists. No Fascist USA! firmly connects today's militant anti-fascist street-fighting movements with important living radical histories to disrupt the cycles that keep the spectre of fascism alive in the modern era. The struggles faced by the John Brown Anti-K...
256 pages, Paperback
Published January 28, 2020
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April 14, 2020
Hilary Moore and James Tracy’s ‘No Fascist Usa!: The John Brown Anti-Klan Committee and Lessons for Today's Movements’ is an incredibly powerful, and important book that should be mandatory reading for anyone interested in the history and future of fighting white supremacy. Tracy and Moore begin by describing what is quickly becoming a defining moment of our time—the show down between various anti-racist groups, and white nationalists that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017. For many, the brutal violence of white nationalist groups was visible for the first time. What was also clearly on display was the total inaction of police followed by the tacit acceptance of both police in-action and white national violence by the standing president encapsulated in his famous declaration, “I think there is blame on both sides.” Every element of this event—the anti-racist organizing and outing of racists, police and government inaction, and white nationalist violence—has a long history, which this books lays out very succinctly.
‘No Facist Usa!’ is clearly written and successfully makes the historical movements and accompanying debates very legible, which is not always an easy task. Besides telling the often neglected story of The John Brown Anti-Klan Committee, they (re)center black thought and black liberation struggle(s) as the focal point of organizing, which is often forgotten if not deliberately downplayed. Following a plea for support by Khali Siwatu-Hodari, a black prisoner in New York, in an open letter in 1977 to “unite to Smash the Klan!”, folks in New York City formed the John Brown book club to figure out how to organize support for black prisoners, fight white supremacy, and bring white radicals into the struggle, which ultimately laid the foundation for what became The John Brown Anti-Klan Committee.
The John Brown Anti-Klan Committee’s history has many lessons for organizers of today. From their model of organizing, the critical internal debates they had, their disputes with other organizations all the way down to their understanding of white supremacy, including the important role the police and the state play in maintaining it—not just explicitly white nationalist groups—is critical to understand for charting a viable strategy moving forward. I can’t stress enough how important, powerful, and, unfortunately, how truly relevant this book is in our current moment.
‘No Facist Usa!’ is clearly written and successfully makes the historical movements and accompanying debates very legible, which is not always an easy task. Besides telling the often neglected story of The John Brown Anti-Klan Committee, they (re)center black thought and black liberation struggle(s) as the focal point of organizing, which is often forgotten if not deliberately downplayed. Following a plea for support by Khali Siwatu-Hodari, a black prisoner in New York, in an open letter in 1977 to “unite to Smash the Klan!”, folks in New York City formed the John Brown book club to figure out how to organize support for black prisoners, fight white supremacy, and bring white radicals into the struggle, which ultimately laid the foundation for what became The John Brown Anti-Klan Committee.
The John Brown Anti-Klan Committee’s history has many lessons for organizers of today. From their model of organizing, the critical internal debates they had, their disputes with other organizations all the way down to their understanding of white supremacy, including the important role the police and the state play in maintaining it—not just explicitly white nationalist groups—is critical to understand for charting a viable strategy moving forward. I can’t stress enough how important, powerful, and, unfortunately, how truly relevant this book is in our current moment.
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October 6, 2022Black radicals who were incarcerated in the 1970's observed the resurgence of the KKK, because prison guards were Klan members. And it was from this experience that an anti-Klan focus emerged among former SDS, Weather Underground, Black Panther, Black Liberation Army, Republic of New Afrika, May 19th Communist Organization, Praire Fire and other formations-which had originally became aware of each other during the radical rebellions of the 1960's and 70's, and joined together in a very particular concept of solidarity politics- which still needs to be untangled and analyzed-but which sometimes involved weapons, robberies, bombings, and violent confrontations with police and also with low level security. Many of these organizations involved the same people- who sometimes lived collectively- though a network of splits and front groups.
While insular, they were ahead in recognizing a new phase of organized white supremacy. The book does not honestly analyze their mistakes, but does allude to them.
Some of the Black members of these movements were killed by the police, some Black and white members were condemned to absurdly long prison sentences- in part because of government overkill, in part because of the kinds of non-defenses some put forward.
While it is hard to see their actions as having had a positive impact- aside from one successful brazen prison break-some of these people became incredibly effective activists inside prisons on a range of issues - often pertaining to incarcerated women, like children's centers, educational programs, and especially around HIV/AIDS, with direct feeders into ACT UP, where some of the non-incarcerated white members became leaders.
Today, their productive and cutting-edge contributions are often around issues of incarceration and the formerly incarcerated.
The book notes that the original John Brown Anti-Klan organization dissipated and faded away in the chaos of the incarcerations and scatterings, it does brings the issue up to date, linking it to punk and then to contemporary anti-Fascist organizing on the West Coast, and casts some of todays anti-fascist youth movements as a direct outcome of the original anti-klan organizing, but the connections seem more spiritual than actual.
While insular, they were ahead in recognizing a new phase of organized white supremacy. The book does not honestly analyze their mistakes, but does allude to them.
Some of the Black members of these movements were killed by the police, some Black and white members were condemned to absurdly long prison sentences- in part because of government overkill, in part because of the kinds of non-defenses some put forward.
While it is hard to see their actions as having had a positive impact- aside from one successful brazen prison break-some of these people became incredibly effective activists inside prisons on a range of issues - often pertaining to incarcerated women, like children's centers, educational programs, and especially around HIV/AIDS, with direct feeders into ACT UP, where some of the non-incarcerated white members became leaders.
Today, their productive and cutting-edge contributions are often around issues of incarceration and the formerly incarcerated.
The book notes that the original John Brown Anti-Klan organization dissipated and faded away in the chaos of the incarcerations and scatterings, it does brings the issue up to date, linking it to punk and then to contemporary anti-Fascist organizing on the West Coast, and casts some of todays anti-fascist youth movements as a direct outcome of the original anti-klan organizing, but the connections seem more spiritual than actual.
January 31, 2021
This is both an important historical read and even more significantly a guide for right now. I had contact with the John Brown Committee back when and in local organizing would consider our work to be part of that tendency. Reading a book that put the history all together was a delight. I learned things about the Committee I didn’t even know at the time. However, for me this book should serve as a primer on what we should be doing right now. I wish the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee existed today. ANTIFA supporters (and all anti-fascists) can learn a lot from this book and the work of the John Brown group on how to deal with this resurgence of fascism, white nationalism, and overt organized white supremacy.
May 23, 2020
The books greatest strength is the authors' research methods -- both in terms of archival material and in the interviews they conducted with participants in the history of which they write. They are able to both lay out a compelling narrative as well as pinpoint specific tactical and strategic practices and how the world responded. This makes the book not only interesting, but potentially useful. We all owe deep gratitude for the work the authors have done.
April 5, 2020
An interesting and informative read. The first 3/4 of the book sucked me in and made me eager to read on. It was engaging and inspiring.
However the last quarter was riddled with grammatical errors (obvious errors) and felt very rushed. One paragraph in particular committed quite a few grammatical sins.
I did appreciate that the end of the book asked committee members to reflect on their group and give words of advice to the movements of today.
However the last quarter was riddled with grammatical errors (obvious errors) and felt very rushed. One paragraph in particular committed quite a few grammatical sins.
I did appreciate that the end of the book asked committee members to reflect on their group and give words of advice to the movements of today.
December 21, 2021
this book was pretty interesting! i don't know much about radical organizing in the 80s period (other than a little bit about ACT-UP), and hadn't heard anything about the john brown anti-klan committee, so im grateful for this very manageable history.
i also didn't know about the flare-up of the kkk and klan-like groups that went down in the 80s. it makes historical sense that white nationalist vigilante groups would see more success during the time — given the Black, native, Puerto Rican, feminist, queer, socialist, environmental, etc liberation movements & advancements of the 60s + 70s that they were responding to,,, and the right-wing presence/climate of the reagan government — i'd just never heard about it in history classes or elsewhere. this book gives good coverage of that, and the broader political landscape of the 80s from the perspectives of leftist organizers at the time. this was interesting and is relevant today since many current movements & people have clear ties to formations of that time.
for most of the book they cover the various organizing efforts of local JBAKC chapters and the evolution of the organization as a whole. you get to see each chapter's local conditions and see how they adapt to them, and i thought the authors did all the segments justice without dwelling on any one for too long. the parts about chicago and the SF bay area were my favorite, because the cultural dimension to their organizing (graffiti wars in chicago and building leftist punk scenes to counter fascist punk in SF) was really compelling to me ... also bc im most familiar with those places in my life lol. they also include lots of images of posters, newspaper, literature, art etc of the JBAKC which is always fun and great for sparking new ideas and inspirations.
overall it has some good lessons and is helpful context for anti-fascist (and anti-prison / anti-repression,, which is also anti-fascist) organizing today. sometimes i disagreed with the authors' takeaways as one does, but they (appropriately) don't center their opinions, and more often than not i found their conclusions insightful and thoughtful. not a must-read for everyone, but i loved this movement history!
i also didn't know about the flare-up of the kkk and klan-like groups that went down in the 80s. it makes historical sense that white nationalist vigilante groups would see more success during the time — given the Black, native, Puerto Rican, feminist, queer, socialist, environmental, etc liberation movements & advancements of the 60s + 70s that they were responding to,,, and the right-wing presence/climate of the reagan government — i'd just never heard about it in history classes or elsewhere. this book gives good coverage of that, and the broader political landscape of the 80s from the perspectives of leftist organizers at the time. this was interesting and is relevant today since many current movements & people have clear ties to formations of that time.
for most of the book they cover the various organizing efforts of local JBAKC chapters and the evolution of the organization as a whole. you get to see each chapter's local conditions and see how they adapt to them, and i thought the authors did all the segments justice without dwelling on any one for too long. the parts about chicago and the SF bay area were my favorite, because the cultural dimension to their organizing (graffiti wars in chicago and building leftist punk scenes to counter fascist punk in SF) was really compelling to me ... also bc im most familiar with those places in my life lol. they also include lots of images of posters, newspaper, literature, art etc of the JBAKC which is always fun and great for sparking new ideas and inspirations.
overall it has some good lessons and is helpful context for anti-fascist (and anti-prison / anti-repression,, which is also anti-fascist) organizing today. sometimes i disagreed with the authors' takeaways as one does, but they (appropriately) don't center their opinions, and more often than not i found their conclusions insightful and thoughtful. not a must-read for everyone, but i loved this movement history!
March 30, 2020
Very timely book. To some extent I bought it because of the Tom Morello blurb on the cover: "Smash fascism! Read this book!"
The book fits in well with recent reading I have been doing about white supremacy and the mixed ways the Left in the US has addressed that issue.
I appreciated the history of various struggles, especially a significant section about Chicago. The book was good about tracing the evolution of the JBAKC and how it learned from mistakes and practice. The last chapter entitled Lessons for Today's Movements was particularly good at calling out sectarianism, the need to work in coalitions, the importance of cultural work especially within the punk music milieu of the 1980's.
The book, by way of concluding, documented how many former members of JBAKC are still involved in radical organizing work. Makes me feel hopeful.
A few issues: it took the book a long time (65 pages) to acknowledge the role of Weather Underground/May 19 Communist Organization in the formation of JBAKC, there were multiple times when the child murders in Atlanta were conflated with police killings of Black people, and at least several editing errors that were distracting.
I recommend for those who see the necessity of revolutionary change, for those opposed to white supremacy and fascism, and those working to abolish US systems of incarceration.
The book fits in well with recent reading I have been doing about white supremacy and the mixed ways the Left in the US has addressed that issue.
I appreciated the history of various struggles, especially a significant section about Chicago. The book was good about tracing the evolution of the JBAKC and how it learned from mistakes and practice. The last chapter entitled Lessons for Today's Movements was particularly good at calling out sectarianism, the need to work in coalitions, the importance of cultural work especially within the punk music milieu of the 1980's.
The book, by way of concluding, documented how many former members of JBAKC are still involved in radical organizing work. Makes me feel hopeful.
A few issues: it took the book a long time (65 pages) to acknowledge the role of Weather Underground/May 19 Communist Organization in the formation of JBAKC, there were multiple times when the child murders in Atlanta were conflated with police killings of Black people, and at least several editing errors that were distracting.
I recommend for those who see the necessity of revolutionary change, for those opposed to white supremacy and fascism, and those working to abolish US systems of incarceration.
November 19, 2021
Fascinating. Essential for the modern American antifascist who is determined to join others across the world in saying "Never again," who are determined to never see a Swastika raised over any official US government buildings. History, perspective, context, philosophical, political, total commitment. A must-read for those who wish to stop the alt right white supremacists/white christian nationalists attempting to overthrow the historical American government as a frightening number gleefully scream for genocide against their fellow countrymen simply due to political differences, or ethnic, religious, etc. -- take your pick. RAND just put out a piece this week as I write this comparing 2021 America with 1850s America while pondering the plausibility of an actual civil war overtaking the country once again. Not much stands between current fascist goals, dystopian scenarios and a new, far less populated America. Read This Book.
June 27, 2025
This book provides essential insight into anti-racist, anti-fascist, and anti-imperialist organizing efforts in the post Civil Rights Era that are increasingly important to draw from as the American government becomes more and more authoritarian.
Although the book could be slow to get through at times, it offered a complex and nuanced approach to the organizing done by the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee. I will be utilizing many of the lessons in this book and into my own activist and organizing work.
I highly recommend this book and encourage everyone to have a copy that they can return to on their bookshelf. I borrowed it from the library, but am going to seek out getting a used copy for me to hang onto.
Although the book could be slow to get through at times, it offered a complex and nuanced approach to the organizing done by the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee. I will be utilizing many of the lessons in this book and into my own activist and organizing work.
I highly recommend this book and encourage everyone to have a copy that they can return to on their bookshelf. I borrowed it from the library, but am going to seek out getting a used copy for me to hang onto.
September 6, 2021
A comrade recommended this book to me. I do love a good movement history, and this one is pretty good indeed. It details the doings of the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee, which fought the good fight against the resurgent KKK and other white supremacist groups in a period one could call “the long eighties” — formed in 1978, the JBAKC disbanded amicably in 1992.
I had vaguely heard of the group — had seen images of their broadsheet, “DEATH TO THE KLAN!” — but what I didn’t know is that it was mostly made up of SDS and often Weather Underground veterans. I kind of assumed that the ones who didn’t wind up in jail for robbing armored cars all married Jane Fonda and became Democrats, but that’s where assuming gets you. These movement vets looked for ways to get involved during the doldrums of the late seventies. You could say they turned the sort of desperation to prove themselves “good whites” to better use than ill-conceived armed robberies. Namely, when a few of them got a letter from a Black Panther incarcerated in an upstate New York prison that many of the guards and officials at the prison were Klansmen, they got together with other organizers to do something about it. Thus was the JBAKC born.
The Klan (both the actual Klan and Klan-as-metonym-for-open-violent-white-supremacist-organizing) grew considerably in the late seventies and early eighties, fueled by post-Vietnam angst and the general rightward drift that brought Ronald Reagan into office. They got involved in stuff as diverse as “patrolling” the US-Mexico border for migrants, intimidation campaigns aimed at refugee Vietnamese fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico, attempting to pretty up their bullshit and go mainstream, etc. Many of them were emboldened by the Greensboro massacre in 1979, where a coalition of Klansmen and Neo-Nazis gunned down five communist organizers who had come out (mostly unarmed) to protest against them… and everyone involved walked free.
JBAKC was mostly a handful of aging radicals. What could they do against this? Well, they could do what radicals are supposed to do- they could organize. They linked up with other groups, often local PoC organizations and some national ones, like the Republic of New Afrika. The New Afrikans, in some respects, provided a conceptual bridge for the former Weather Underground people. New Afrikans, as black/“Third World people” (that’s a phrase you don’t hear nowadays) anti-imperialist organizers, could call upon those who held to the old WUO line (that the role of white radicals was to follow what third world radicals were up to) to follow their lead in fighting the Klan. Kind of weird the white radicals were that programmatic about things, but that’s still a thing you see today, sometimes. Either way, these radicals meant it. They had every opportunity to sell out and get into real estate or supplements or something and didn’t do it.
The coalitions JBAKC helped build did different things in different places. They outed Klansmen and other white supremacists, getting them fired from positions like the ones at the prison they were first warned about. They counter-demonstrated when the Klan or Nazis put on rallies, mostly sticking to signs and derisive chanting but unafraid to throw the occasional brick. They “no-platformed,” with the same unhelpful arguments on the left dogging their heels that we hear today, and Moore and Tracy argue reasonably persuasively that Nazi skinhead appearances on “Oprah” and “Geraldo” helped popularize Nazi skins (and marginalize anti-racist ones). They got involved with the punk scene and helped fend off Nazis there. They did what they could, where they could, and always linked up the struggles on the ground to broader struggles- anti-imperialism, anti-capitalism, and towards the end, fighting homophobia and AIDS stigma alongside ACT-UP.
The authors let the JBAKC organizers speak for themselves a lot, and it is stirring to hear the voice of experience, even (especially?) when they’re admitting to their faults. The writing in the book is pretty decent with some odd editing glitches (people, often referred to only by their first name, written about as though they’ve been introduced when they haven’t been- that recurs at least twice). More conclusions about what JBAKC accomplished, as opposed to their lessons — be humble, be persistent in the face of fascists, build coalitions, have strategy — for today’s organizers, valuable though the latter are.
JBAKC didn’t overthrow capitalism or even get Reagan out of office. The Klan and the various Nazi groups still, mostly, exist, joined by many others, now. For some (mostly armchair) leftists, that alone would discredit them. Moore and Tracy, who are organizers along with being historians, admit the group’s faults: self-righteousness, occasional dips into a dogmatism that made them turn off potential allies. But to me, that’s more or less the point. Antifascists, then or now, aren’t superheroes. We’re regular people working together to do what we can against a pressing problem. We are part of broader movements for justice and, for most of us, against capitalism. Antifascism is a part of that movement. For all the antifa theatrics you can summon up, I understand what we do as maintenance work for the movement- protecting our organizing and that of organizers and people more generally from marginalized groups under threat. If we manage that, we’ve done something good for the movement. If we prefigure a better world where people protect each other- well, that’s good too. JBAKC did that, and we can all follow their example. ****’
I had vaguely heard of the group — had seen images of their broadsheet, “DEATH TO THE KLAN!” — but what I didn’t know is that it was mostly made up of SDS and often Weather Underground veterans. I kind of assumed that the ones who didn’t wind up in jail for robbing armored cars all married Jane Fonda and became Democrats, but that’s where assuming gets you. These movement vets looked for ways to get involved during the doldrums of the late seventies. You could say they turned the sort of desperation to prove themselves “good whites” to better use than ill-conceived armed robberies. Namely, when a few of them got a letter from a Black Panther incarcerated in an upstate New York prison that many of the guards and officials at the prison were Klansmen, they got together with other organizers to do something about it. Thus was the JBAKC born.
The Klan (both the actual Klan and Klan-as-metonym-for-open-violent-white-supremacist-organizing) grew considerably in the late seventies and early eighties, fueled by post-Vietnam angst and the general rightward drift that brought Ronald Reagan into office. They got involved in stuff as diverse as “patrolling” the US-Mexico border for migrants, intimidation campaigns aimed at refugee Vietnamese fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico, attempting to pretty up their bullshit and go mainstream, etc. Many of them were emboldened by the Greensboro massacre in 1979, where a coalition of Klansmen and Neo-Nazis gunned down five communist organizers who had come out (mostly unarmed) to protest against them… and everyone involved walked free.
JBAKC was mostly a handful of aging radicals. What could they do against this? Well, they could do what radicals are supposed to do- they could organize. They linked up with other groups, often local PoC organizations and some national ones, like the Republic of New Afrika. The New Afrikans, in some respects, provided a conceptual bridge for the former Weather Underground people. New Afrikans, as black/“Third World people” (that’s a phrase you don’t hear nowadays) anti-imperialist organizers, could call upon those who held to the old WUO line (that the role of white radicals was to follow what third world radicals were up to) to follow their lead in fighting the Klan. Kind of weird the white radicals were that programmatic about things, but that’s still a thing you see today, sometimes. Either way, these radicals meant it. They had every opportunity to sell out and get into real estate or supplements or something and didn’t do it.
The coalitions JBAKC helped build did different things in different places. They outed Klansmen and other white supremacists, getting them fired from positions like the ones at the prison they were first warned about. They counter-demonstrated when the Klan or Nazis put on rallies, mostly sticking to signs and derisive chanting but unafraid to throw the occasional brick. They “no-platformed,” with the same unhelpful arguments on the left dogging their heels that we hear today, and Moore and Tracy argue reasonably persuasively that Nazi skinhead appearances on “Oprah” and “Geraldo” helped popularize Nazi skins (and marginalize anti-racist ones). They got involved with the punk scene and helped fend off Nazis there. They did what they could, where they could, and always linked up the struggles on the ground to broader struggles- anti-imperialism, anti-capitalism, and towards the end, fighting homophobia and AIDS stigma alongside ACT-UP.
The authors let the JBAKC organizers speak for themselves a lot, and it is stirring to hear the voice of experience, even (especially?) when they’re admitting to their faults. The writing in the book is pretty decent with some odd editing glitches (people, often referred to only by their first name, written about as though they’ve been introduced when they haven’t been- that recurs at least twice). More conclusions about what JBAKC accomplished, as opposed to their lessons — be humble, be persistent in the face of fascists, build coalitions, have strategy — for today’s organizers, valuable though the latter are.
JBAKC didn’t overthrow capitalism or even get Reagan out of office. The Klan and the various Nazi groups still, mostly, exist, joined by many others, now. For some (mostly armchair) leftists, that alone would discredit them. Moore and Tracy, who are organizers along with being historians, admit the group’s faults: self-righteousness, occasional dips into a dogmatism that made them turn off potential allies. But to me, that’s more or less the point. Antifascists, then or now, aren’t superheroes. We’re regular people working together to do what we can against a pressing problem. We are part of broader movements for justice and, for most of us, against capitalism. Antifascism is a part of that movement. For all the antifa theatrics you can summon up, I understand what we do as maintenance work for the movement- protecting our organizing and that of organizers and people more generally from marginalized groups under threat. If we manage that, we’ve done something good for the movement. If we prefigure a better world where people protect each other- well, that’s good too. JBAKC did that, and we can all follow their example. ****’
August 4, 2020
No Fascist USA! is a short history of how a small cadre of activists -- often dismissed as far-left extremists -- took on far-right groups like the Ku Klux Klan by engaging them in the streets and organizing communities.
It's limited to one main group active for a relatively short time in the 1980s-early 1990s. But it does bring things into a 21st century perspective and offer some good lessons learned for like-minded groups committed to confronting organized racist organizations.
I think students of activism or those interested in becoming activists would find this work illuminating.
It's limited to one main group active for a relatively short time in the 1980s-early 1990s. But it does bring things into a 21st century perspective and offer some good lessons learned for like-minded groups committed to confronting organized racist organizations.
I think students of activism or those interested in becoming activists would find this work illuminating.
September 21, 2020
This was a really interesting and informative book on not only the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee, but also about putting movements, people, and political situation into context. The detailed material that went into this book, including interviews, posters and flyers, and research was amazing. I read this as part of a group and there’s quite a lot to unpack and we spent so much time discussing it all. As someone who doesn’t have a strong grasp on US history, it was really bewildering to lead about how history basically repeats itself. While this was very informative, I wish there was more connections drawn and analysis broken down than there was. The synopsis made me think it was more theory-based but it was more factual. I also wish there was more of the interviews embedded in a more involved way. Some of them felt really disconnected, and the writing sometimes felt disjointed too. I think because it’s such a short book, they packed a lot of information into it and it doesn’t allow for a lot of room to linger on a particular thing.
January 12, 2026
Such a well-researched book. I was pleasantly surprised by the “Death to the klan” newspaper clippings and posters about anti-KKK events and organizing that happened in my very own Houston during the 70’s-80’s. There even was a “End Facism” 5k race!!! I’d be so down to run that race now, and for the proceeds to go to community organizers. This book acknowledges the heroic organizers that confronted the KKK and Nazi members in Houston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, the list goes on… a true representation of resistance. I loved how the book addresses how the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee organized white folks and how intentional they were in addressing white folks biases and racism. Very important work.
September 26, 2021
I liked the concept of the book, but didn’t find the writing engaging…which made me not excited to keep reading. I think there were some good nuggets but I didn’t get as much out of it as I could (or was intended). It’s definitely well-researched and something I wasn’t familiar with, so those are some major points in its favor.
December 1, 2020
I had no idea the Illinois Nazis in "The Blues Brothers" were actually a thing. Good to know the Reagan years were even worse than I thought.
November 18, 2021
Starting as radical left-wing, fascist fighting young people, the history of the process of finding and supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion has been a treacherous and deadly road. But thanks to these pioneers, we are much further today. However, we still need to examine our 2021 systems that continue to see higher Black infant mortality; the prison system, etc.
What would account for these huge discrepancies?
Ethnicity Jail Percentage US Population Percentage
Black 28.3% 13.4%
Hispanic 44.1% 18.5%
White 21.0% 76.3%
Others 6.6% Not available
What would account for these huge discrepancies?
Ethnicity Jail Percentage US Population Percentage
Black 28.3% 13.4%
Hispanic 44.1% 18.5%
White 21.0% 76.3%
Others 6.6% Not available
June 10, 2020
It's a useful history of the fascists following the Civil Rights movement and a decent blueprint on how to combat them.
Fun facts:
Oprah hosted neo-Nazi skinheads on her show.
Greensboro Massacre -- Klansmen drive up to an antiracist protest, kill 5 people, injure 10 others, and walk away scot free with full consent of the police.
Shit still hasnt changed...
Fun facts:
Oprah hosted neo-Nazi skinheads on her show.
Greensboro Massacre -- Klansmen drive up to an antiracist protest, kill 5 people, injure 10 others, and walk away scot free with full consent of the police.
Shit still hasnt changed...
June 28, 2020
Important
This book gives an important history of left anti-racist organizing in the lost decade after the Civil Rights movement. In particular, it shows how many veteran activists attempted to live with and grow with their principles in era of demobilization. Some good lessons, both from successes and failures.
This book gives an important history of left anti-racist organizing in the lost decade after the Civil Rights movement. In particular, it shows how many veteran activists attempted to live with and grow with their principles in era of demobilization. Some good lessons, both from successes and failures.
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