Lucy Parsons: Freedom, Equality & Solidarity - Writings & Speeches, 1878-1937

by Lucy Parsons

Cultural Writing. "More dangerous than a thousand rioters!" That's what the Chicago police called Lucy Parsons--America's most defiant and persistent anarchist agitator, whose cross-country speaking tours inspired hundreds of thousands of working people. Her friends and admirers included William Morris, Peter Kropotkin, "Big Bill" Haywood, Ben Reitman, and Sam Dolgoff. And the groups in which she was active were just as varied: the Knights of Labor, IWW, Dil Pickle Club, International Labor Defense, and others. Here for the first time is a hefty selection of her powerful writings and speeches: on anarchism, women, race matters, class war, the IWW, and the U.S. injustice system. "Lucy Parsons's writings are among the best and strongest in the history of U.S. anarchism"--Gale Ahrens.

Genres: Politics, History, Nonfiction, Feminism, Race, Theory, Philosophy

183 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Lucy Eldine Gonzalez Parsons (c. 1853 – March 7, 1942) was an American labor organizer, radical socialist and anarchist communist. She is remembered as a powerful orator. Parsons entered the radical movement following her marriage to newspaper editor Albert Parsons and moved with him from Texas to Chicago, where she contributed to the newspaper he famously edited, The Alarm. Following her husband's 1887 execution in conjunction with the Haymarket Affair, Parsons remained a leading American radical activist as a member of the Industrial Workers of the World and other political organizations.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[zoe nicol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once you get past the glittery introduction, the rest is incredible, gritty, brilliant source material. Parsons' speeches and writings should be included in all American history texts. Her writings describe not just social ideals and specific calls to action, but describe the reality of the time--the coarseness of the working class struggle for humane working conditions. Moreover, each essay runs a mere 2-3 pages, making it incredibly easy to digest the history in small, dense, vivid pieces.

[danny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to an activist, orator, and speaker who seems to be shockingly understudied/appreciated, even among the American left. In a weird way, this collection itself and its critical introduction/afterword sort of point to why. The speeches and articles of Parson's presented here are a reflection of her orientation towards action - working more to propagandize (in a good way!) and organize than theorize. While you can certainly get a taste for her steady commitment to anarchism in the period it was being most militantly repressed, it's hard to discern too much about the nuances of her political philosophy, her thoughts about splits within the left (other than her sort of endearing contempt for the early 20th c trade union tendencies exemplified by the AFL), and so on, from a series of speeches and very short articles designed more for mass appeal and mobilizing. There's some rather clunky editing here too, perhaps born of limitations in the archive/source materials, such that you get Parson's sort of "stump speech" describing the Haymarket police riot several times in roughly identical terms. I feel like a more capable historian could have addressed these "problems in the archive" in a more nuanced way than the critical commentators here, with their sort of generalized hagiographies, are able to. Maybe I've just been reading too much Hartman, though.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

#BlackHistoryMonth2020

Segundo a policia de Chicago, Lucy Parsons era: MORE DANGEROUS THAN A THOUSANDS RIOTERS!
Foi um dos grandes nomes do anarquismo americano, especificamente de Chicago, lider sindical, escritora e editora.
Era descendente de negros e mexicanos, foi casada com Albert Parsons e teve dois filhos. Juntos, lideravam greves para a reduçao de trabalho para 8h nas fabricas, igualdade no pagamento para mulheres, fim do trabalho infantil, etc.
As manifestaçoes eram reprimidas covardemente pela policia, atiravam e matavam os operarios.
Em um grande encontro dos trabalhadores em Haymarket, no dia 11 de novembro, de 1887, a policia jogou uma bomba no recinto e incriminou os 8 lideres do movimento, entre eles o Albert Parsons que foi condenado e assasinado. Lucy ficou viuva com as duas crianças e militou até o fim de sua vida. Foi varias vezes presa.
Como descreveu sua biografa, Carolyn Ashbaugh: "Lucy Parsons was black, a woman and working class - three reasons people are often excluded from history" .
Este livro é um compilado de escritos e discursos de 1878 a 1937. É incrivel como além do anarquismo, ela também falava sobre racismo, feminismo, classe e ateismo. Ela metendo o pau na burguesia, na policia e nos crentes foi tudo para mim. Fiquei igual a Maryl Streep no Oscar.

Preach sista!!!

Dois capitulos que merecem destaques: "What Freedom Means" e "Famous Women in History" (ela falando da Louise Michel e da Florence Nightingale, até chorei!)

Anarchists know that a long period of education must precede any great fundamental change in society, hence they don't believe in voting-begging or political campaigns, but rather in the development of self-thinking individuals.
We look away from the government for relief, because we know that force (legalized) invades the personal liberty of man, seizes upon the natural elements and intervenes between man and natural laws; from this exercise of force through governments flows nearly all misery, poverty, crime and confusion existing in society.
I am an anarchist: I have no apology to make to a single man, woman or child, because I am anarchist, because anarchism carries the very germ of liberty in its womb.

[Inez · Rating 4 out of 5]

although the speaking style proves challenging and dating, i found her speeches to be extremely relavant to the unionism dilemmas I was going through at the time.

[Joe Xtarr · Rating 5 out of 5]

No review can do justice to the brilliance of Lucy Parsons. Read, reflect, and act. That is our best course of action.

[Pierce Nienhaus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucy made more contributions to the labor movement than to anarchism. She is not quite the radical that Emma Goldman was, in my opinion. This book features unnecessary reiterations across Lucy’s writings and speeches, or even personal letters that seem probably irrelevant. This book is most useful in learning about the Haymarket riot and Lucy’s perspective, being the widow of martyr Albert Parsons.

[Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for understanding a working class hero. Lovely writings detailing events, recollections, opinions and more that give a counter- conscious view on the past, present and future.

[Emuma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molt bon llibre