Hubert Harrison: Forbidden Genius of Black Radicalism
Brian Kwoba
University of North Carolina Press
The significance of Hubert Henry Harrison (1883–1927)—as a journalist, activist, and educator—lies in his innovation of radical solutions to radical injustices. He witnessed staggering luxury for the few alongside crushing poverty for the many. White mob violence continually haunted Black communities, while imperial conquest and world wars wrought wanton destruction upon entire nations of people.
These conditions sparked a global political awakening to which Harrison gave voice as a leading figure in cutting-edge struggles for socialism, internationalism, free love, freethinking, and free speech. Because of his fearless radicalism, however, he has been erased from popular memory.
Hubert Harrison presents a historical restoration of Harrison’s numerous intellectual and political breakthroughs.
Offering a fresh interpretation of his contributions to social movements for economic, racial, and sexual liberation, Brian Kwoba’s narrative highlights the startling and continued relevance of Harrison’s visionary thinking across generations.