Louise Thompson Patterson: A Life of Struggle for Justice - Tapa dura

"Louise Thompson Patterson has brought Patterson's story to life through abundant research and appropriate admiration." -- Paul Buhle * Science and Society * "This pioneering biography deftly contributes to the emerging historiography on radical black feminists." -- Anthony J. Stanonis * The Journal of American History * "A compelling narrative of political development. . . . We are fortunate to have Gilyard's informed, sensitive account of a Black woman of the Left." -- Cheryl Higashida * Against the Current * "Keith Gilyard offers deep and invaluable insight into the life of one of the most important Black leftists of the twentieth century." -- Charisse Burden-Stelly * Black Perspectives * "[T]he story of a highly engaged African American Leftist who remained true to her convictions over the course of the 20th century. Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above." -- J. E. Anderson * Choice * "Louise Thompson Patterson is the finest sort of biography: impeccably researched and chock full of detail, it also compels the reader by crafting a powerful image of the world in which Louise and her comrades lived and struggled.... Gilyard has offered a masterful portrayal of a key figure in 20th century American history; more importantly his work reminds us there are heroes-imperfect people, like all humans, yet heroes nonetheless-whose commitment, idealism, and perseverance can still serve as an inspiration for us today." -- Hans Rollman * PopMatters * "It's fascinating to read biographies of Black women, particularly those for women as complex and layered as Louise Thompson Patterson.... Gilyard offers a look at one of the most dynamic Black women who's ever walked the Earth." -- Evette Dionne * Bitch Magazine * "An important book in helping to understand the persistent racism faced by African Americans in this country and what individuals can do to help fight against the injustice." -- Amy Lewontin * Library Journal, Starred Review *

Born in 1901, Louise Thompson Patterson was a leading and transformative figure in radical African American politics. Throughout most of the twentieth century she embodied a dedicated resistance to racial, economic, and gender exploitation. In this, the first biography of Patterson, Keith Gilyard tells her compelling story, from her childhood on the West Coast, where she suffered isolation and persecution, to her participation in the Harlem Renaissance and beyond. In the 1930s and 1940s she became central, along with Paul Robeson, to the labor movement, and later, in the 1950s, she steered proto-black-feminist activities. Patterson was also crucial to the efforts in the 1970s to free political prisoners, most notably Angela Davis. In the 1980s and 1990s she continued to work as a progressive activist and public intellectual. To read her story is to witness the courage, sacrifice, vision, and discipline of someone who spent decades working to achieve justice and liberation for all.