Elizabeth Gurley Flynn
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn | |
---|---|
Chairperson of the National Committee of the Communist Party USA | |
In office January 31, 1961 – September 5, 1964 | |
Preceded by | Eugene Dennis |
Succeeded by | Henry Winston |
Personal details | |
Born | Waldheim Cemetery, Chicago | August 7, 1890
Political party | Communist |
Occupation | Labor leader, activist |
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn (August 7, 1890 – September 5, 1964) was an American
Background
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn was born on August 7, 1890, in Concord, New Hampshire, the daughter of Annie (Gurley) and Thomas Flynn.[2] The family moved to New York in 1900, where she was educated at the local public schools. Her parents introduced her to socialism. When she was only 15 she gave her first public speech, "What Socialism Will Do for Women," at the Harlem Socialist Club. After this, she felt compelled to speak out for social change. She left Morris High School before graduation, a decision she later regretted.[3] However, other sources state she was expelled from high school due to her political involvement.[4]
Career
Industrial Workers of the World
In 1907, Flynn became a full-time organizer for the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW; also known as the "Wobblies"), and attended her first IWW convention in September of that year.[5] Over the next few years she organized campaigns among garment workers in Pennsylvania, silk weavers in New Jersey, restaurant workers in New York, miners in Minnesota, Missoula, Montana, and Spokane, Washington; and textile workers in Massachusetts. During this period, author Theodore Dreiser described her as "an East Side Joan of Arc".[citation needed]
In 1909, Flynn participated in a
However, the main organizers on the scene accepted an arrangement by which the other organizers were allowed to go free, but the three miners, none of whom spoke English fluently, faced time in prison. There was also a mixup in the sentencing; a prior agreement for one year in prison was somehow changed in the courtroom to a sentence of five to 20 years. Haywood held Flynn and Ettor responsible for allowing the miners to plead guilty to charges that they probably did not understand.[11] Haywood wrote in his autobiography that Flynn and Ettor's "part in the affair terminated their connection with the IWW."[12] Haywood's biographer, Peter Carlson, wrote that Ettor left the IWW and that Flynn "remained in the union, but took pains to avoid Haywood and his supporters."[13]
American Civil Liberties Union
A founding member of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in 1920, Flynn played a leading role in the campaign against the conviction of Sacco and Vanzetti.[14] Flynn was particularly concerned with women's rights, supporting birth control and women's suffrage. Flynn also criticized the leadership of trade unions for being male-dominated and not reflecting the needs of women.[15][16]
Between 1926 and 1936, Flynn lived in southwest
International Labor Defense
From 1927 to 1930, Flynn chaired the
Communist Party USA
In 1936, Flynn joined Communist Party USA (CPUSA) and wrote a feminist column for its journal, the Daily Worker. Two years later, she was elected to the national committee. Aforementioned, Flynn's membership in the Party led to her ouster from the board of the ACLU in 1940.[18]
During
Flynn launched a campaign for their release but, in June 1951, was herself arrested in the second wave of arrests and prosecuted under the
After her release from prison, Flynn resumed her activities for leftist and Communist causes. She ran for the New York City Council as a Communist in 1957, garnering a total of 710 votes.[23]
In 1961, Flynn became the first national chairwoman of CPUSA.[19]
Personal life and death
In 1907, Flynn met a Minnesota local organizer for the Industrial Workers of the World, J. A. Jones. He was sixteen years older than she, but Flynn stated in her autobiography, "I fell in love with him and we were married in January 1908."[24] The union produced two sons, John Vincent who died a few days after birth, and Fred Flynn, born May 19, 1910 (he died in 1940).[25]
Flynn spent around a decade, from 1926-1936, living together with Dr. Marie Equi, who was an open lesbian.[26] For this reason, Flynn's sexuality has been a topic that has been speculated upon, with some believing she could have been a bisexual or lesbian.[27][28] However, because of its closed nature, while it's clear they had a close trusted relationship, taking care of each other in times of sickness, their exact relationship and Flynn's sexuality can only be speculated on.[28]
Flynn died in the Soviet Union on September 5, 1964, at age 74.[4]
The Soviet government gave Flynn a state funeral in
Legacy
Flynn left her small estate (books, clothing, and furniture) to Dorothy Day's Catholic Worker house in New York city following her death. Flynn and Day first met in the 1910s and Flynn regularly sent old clothing and blankets to the New York Catholic Worker house.[30]
Flynn's influence as an activist was far-reaching, and her exploits were commemorated in a popular ballad. A popular song,
Flynn's statement at her trial in 1952 is listed as number 87 in American Rhetoric's Top 100 Speeches of the 20th Century (listed by rank).[33][34]
In popular culture
A fictionalized version of Flynn is depicted in John Updike's novel In the Beauty of the Lilies in which she is said to have had an affair with the anarchist Carlo Tresca, supported by Flynn's letters and memoir. Tresca had also had a relationship with Flynn's sister Bina, and was the father of her nephew, Peter D. Martin.[39][40]
Flynn is depicted in Jess Walter's novel The Cold Millions.[41]
Flynn is also portrayed in the musical "Joe Hill Revival".[42]
Flynn appears as a potential leader for the Combined Syndicates of America in the Hearts of Iron 4 mod Kaiserreich
See also
Works
Books and pamphlets
- Sabotage: The Conscious Withdrawal of the Workers' Industrial Efficiency. Cleveland, OH: IWW Publishing Bureau, 1916.
- Debs, Haywood, Ruthenberg, New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1939.
- I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier — for Wall Street. New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1940.
- Earl Browder: The Man from Kansas. New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1941.
- Questions and Answers on the Browder Case. New York: Citizens' Committee to Free Earl Browder, 1941.
- Coal Miners and the War. New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1942.
- Women in the War. New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1942.
- Daughters of America: Ella Reeve Bloor, Anita Whitney. New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1942.
- Women Have a Date with Destiny. New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1944.
- Meet the Communists. New York: Communist Party, U.S.A., 1946.
- Woman's Place in the Fight for a Better World. New York, New Century Publishers, 1947.
- The Twelve and You: What Happens to Democracy is Your Business, Too! New York: New Century Publishers, 1948.
- Labor's Own William Z. Foster: A Communist's Fifty Years of Working-Class Leadership and Struggle. New York: New Century Publishers, 1949.
- Stool-Pigeon. New York: New Century Publishers, 1949.
- The Plot to Gag America. New York: New Century Publishers, 1950.
- A Message to All Women Communists from Elizabeth Gurley Flynn on Mother's Day, May 1950. New York: National Women's Commission, Communist Party, U.S.A., 1950.
- Debs and Dennis, Fighters for Peace. New York: New Century Publishers, 1950.
- Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Speaks to the Court: Opening Statement to the Court and Statement in the Case of the Sixteen Smith Act Victims in the Trial at Foley Square, New York. New York: New Century Publishers, 1952.
- 13 Communists Speak to the Court. New York: New Century Publishers, 1953.
- Communists and the People: Summation Speech to the Jury in the Second Foley Square Smith Act Trial of Thirteen Communist Leaders. New York, New Century Publishers, 1953.
- I Speak My Own Piece: Autobiography of "The Rebel Girl." New York: Masses and Mainstream 1955.
- An Appeal to Women. New York: Campaign Committee, People's Rights Party, 1955.
- Horizons of the Future for a Socialist America. New York: Communist Party, USA, 1959.
- Freedom Begins at Home. New York: New Century Publishers, 1961.
- Ben Davis on the McCarran Act at the Harvard Law Forum. by Benjamin J. DavisNew York: Gus Hall-Benjamin Davis Defense Committee, 1962. (introduction)
- The Alderson Story: My Life as a Political Prisoner. New York: International Publishers, 1963.
- The McCarran Act, Fact and Fancy. New York: Gus Hall-Benjamin J. Davis Defense Committee, 1963.
- The Rebel Girl: An Autobiography, My First Life (1906-1926). New York: International Publishers, 1973. —Revised and amended edition of I Speak My Own Piece.
- Memories of the Industrial Workers of the World. New York: American Institute for Marxist Studies, 1977.
Articles
- "May 1st: The Sun of Tomorrow". New Masses, May 6, 1941.
- "Defend the Civil Rights of Communists!" The Communist. Vol. XVIII, No.12, December 1939.
- "Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory". The Masses, May 2, 1939.
- "The Minnesota Trials". The Masses January 1917.
- "Do You Believe in Patriotism?" The Masses, March 1916.
References
- ^ "Revolt, They Said". Andrea Geyer. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
- ^ "Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Facts". Archived from the original on May 15, 2019. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
- ^ Flynn, Elizabeth Gurley (1955). I Speak My Own Piece. New York: Masses & Mainstream, Inc. pp. 52–53.
- ^ a b c "Elizabeth Gurley Flynn". Archives of Women's Political Communication. Iowa State University.
- ^ Paul Frederick Brissenden, The I.W.W. A Study of American Syndicalism, Columbia University, 1919, pages 180-181
- ^ "Library Guides: Industrial Workers of the World Photograph Collection: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn".
- ^ Flynn, Elizabeth (December 15, 1909). "Story of My Arrest and Imprisonment" (PDF). Marxists Internet Archive. Seattle, Washington: Industrial Worker. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 26, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
- ^ "March 4, 1910 (Page 6 of 34)." Spokane Daily Chronicle (1890-1982), March 4, 1910, p. 6. ProQuest. Web. January 18, 2021
- ^ "March 4, 1910 (Page 11 of 22)." The Spokesman-Review (1894-2009), March 4, 1910, p. 11. ProQuest. Web. January 18, 2021
- ^ Robert M. Eleff, The 1916 Minnesota Miner`s Strike Against US Steel, Minnesota History Magazine, Summer 1988
- ^ Haywood, Bill (1929). The Autobiography of Big Bill Haywood. p. 291.
- ^ Haywood, Bill (1929). The Autobiography of Big Bill Haywood. p. 292.
- ^ Peter Carlson, Roughneck, The Life And Times of Big Bill Haywood, 1983, page 237.
- S2CID 159604545.
- ^ "Women's history: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, the Rebel Girl". March 19, 2010.
- ^ "Flynn Biography". dwardmac.pitzer.edu.
- ^ "The Portland Red Guide". 2007. p. 98. Archived from the original on July 29, 2007.
- ^ a b "Roger Baldwin: Founder, American Civil Liberties Union". Harvard Square Library. Archived from the original on July 27, 2010.
- ^ a b c Quinnell, Kenneth (March 20, 2020). "Women's History Month Profiles: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn". AFL-CIO. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
- ^ "Smith Act Held Constitutional: Severe Blow to First Amendment". Today in Civil Liberties History. June 24, 2013. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
- ^ "Judge Relieves Defense Aides In Red Trial". The Washington Post. August 9, 1951. p. 2.
- ^ "On Flynn's "My Life as a Political Prisoner"". January 6, 2020.
- ^ Joseph Clark, "A Letter from America," The New Reasoner, vol. 1, no. 3 (Winter 1957-1958), pg. 87.
- ^ Flynn, Elizabeth Gurley (1955). I Speak My Own Piece. New York: Masses & Mainstream, Inc. pp. 74–75.
- ^ Flynn, Elizabeth Gurley (1955). I Speak My Own Piece. New York: Masses & Mainstream, Inc. pp. 102–03.
- S2CID 149654670.
- ^ Gordon, Eric A. (December 1, 2022). "Despite the ban, queers made important contributions to U.S. Communist movement". People's World. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
- ^ S2CID 250564179.
- ^ "Elizabeth Gurley Flynn - Connexipedia article". www.connexions.org.
- ^ Nancy L. Roberts, Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker. (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1984), pg. 20.
- ^
ISBN 9780717800223. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
- ^
Flynn, Elizabeth Gurley (1973). The Rebel Girl: An Autobiography, My First Life (1906-1926). International Publishers. p. 5. ISBN 9780717803675. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
- ^ Michael E. Eidenmuller (February 13, 2009). "Top 100 Speeches of the 20th Century by Rank". American Rhetoric. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
- ^ Michael E. Eidenmuller (April 24, 1952). "Elizabeth Gurley Flynn - Statement at the Smith Act Trial". American Rhetoric. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
- ^ "'The Rebel Girl' receives a NH Historical Highway Marker". dncr.nh.gov (Press release). New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ Schinella, Tony (May 4, 2023). "Despite Claim City Did Not Initiate Marker For Concord Communist: Docs". Concord NH Patch. Patch Media. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
- ^ Porter, Steven (May 15, 2023). "Historical marker for Elizabeth Gurley Flynn in Concord, N.H., has been removed". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ "CPUSA statement on the removal of Elizabeth Gurley Flynn's historical marker in New Hampshire". cpusa.org. Communist Party USA. May 30, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
- ISBN 9781403981097– via Google Books.
- ^ "Guide to the Dorothy Gallagher Research Files on Carlo Tresca TAM.117". Dlib.nyu.edu. January 11, 1943. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
- ^ "'The Cold Millions' Takes On The Dented Dream Of American Social Mobility". NPR.org. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "The Joe Hill Revival".
Further reading
- Lara Vapnek, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn: Modern American Revolutionary. New York: Routledge, 2015
- Caballero, Raymond. McCarthyism vs. Clinton Jencks. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2019.
- Rosalyn Fraad Baxandall, Words on Fire: The Life and Writing of Elizabeth Gurley Flynn. Rutgers University Press, 1987.
- Helen C. Camp, Iron In Her Soul: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn and the American Left. Pullman, WA: Washington State University Press, 1995.
- Mary Anne Trasciatti, "Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, the Sacco-Vanzetti Case, and the Rise and Fall of the Liberal-Radical Alliance, 1920-1940," American Communist History, vol. 15, no. 2 (Aug. 2016), pp. 191–216.
- Jess Walter, The Cold Millions. New York: HarperCollins, 2020
External links
- Sabotage, The Conscious Withdrawal of the Workers' Industrial Efficiency
- Elizabeth Gurley Flynn. "Memories of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)". Archived from the original on October 27, 2009.
- The Rebel Girl: A Remembrance–Reprint from the People's Weekly World
- Works by or about Elizabeth Gurley Flynn at Internet Archive
- Works by Elizabeth Gurley Flynn at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
- The Papers of Elizabeth G. Flynn at Dartmouth College Library
- The Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Papers and The Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Photographs at Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives at New York University Special Collections