Saying No To Power, for
publication in November
1999, by Creative Arts, Berkeley"Born NYC
June 4, 1917. At age 10, spent week-end in subway
collecting money for
starving children of Appalachian coal miners on
strike. Graduated from high school,
1931, and went to Moscow with father, a civil
engineer. Attended Moscow University
one semester, aiming at genetics.
Entered CCNY in New York fall 1932. Expelled
spring 1933 due to part in anti-ROTC
demonstration. Refused to apologize. Not
readmitted. Met Tanya, same age, at 17.
Living together since we were 18. At that age,
became teacher of Marxism in
Communist Party's Workers' School in New York. At
Party's request, went to Cleveland
to run its bookstore and head statewide
circulation of its newspaper. Later headed
Young Communist League, chiefly African-American,
in Akron. Returned to New York in
1939. Daughter, Phyllis, born that year.
1940 became research assistant at American
Russian Institute, New York, thanks to
knowledge of Russian language. First published
article 1941. First published book, The
Soviet Far East And Central Asia, 1944.
United Press (UPI) Expert on Russia in World War
II. Second book, A Guide To The
Soviet Union,1946, was one of first two texts on
that country used in American higher
education. Although without formal education,
invited to post-doctoral fellowship at
Hoover Institution, Stanford University, 1947.
Was professional lecturer. Taught at
Syracuse University for U.S. Army Specialized
Training Program, 1944.
Two books written under contract never published
because Cold War made works not
hostile to Soviet Union unacceptable. Called
before U.S. Senate Internal Security
(McCarran) Committee 1952, U.S. Senate (Joe)
McCarthy Committee 1953,
House Committee on Un-American Activities 1960.
1949, member of defense force for Paul Robeson at
Peekskill Concert stoned by
2,000 fascists. 1950 broke concert blacklist
against Robeson by converting own final
Congressional campaign rally into Robeson
concert.
1951, participated in "premature"
Freedom Ride, mass mixed-race attempt in South to
save seven Black men from execution.
Blacklisted from publishing 18 years, from
professional lecturing 12 years, from paid
academic employment 22 years, from salaried
journalism permanently.
Began broadcasting on KPFA (Pacifica) 1958, and
continued 37 years. Also carried on
WBAI (NYC) and KPFK (Los Angeles) from their
founding in 1960, lintermittently for 30
and 20 years respectively.
Russia Re-Examined published 1964, British
revised ed., 1965, U.S. 2nd revised ed.,
1967. As with all his books, this was used in
higher education. 1964-5, member
Executive Committee, Free Speech Movement, U.C.
Berkeley, due to popularity
resulting from HUAC testimony of 1960. Taught at
U.C. under various arrangements
latter half of decade. Formal appointment in
Sociology Dept. in 1969. Also taught at
San Francisco State U., San Jose State U., Law
School of Golden Gate University,
San Francisco.
Soviet Women published by Doubleday-Anchor 1975,
Soviet But Not Russian,
University of Alberta Press and Ramparts Press,
1985.
1987-90. Participated in annual U.S.-Soviet
citizen-diplomacy Peace Walks in Russia,
Ukraine, and in Kazakhstan to nuclear test site.
Visited USSR 20 times in all, including
all 15 of the republics of that country.
On radio, re-inventor of talk show format,
because only Pacifica would accept the idea,
in the early post-McCarthy years, of allowing
listeners to speak uncensored.
At KPFA, demanded, on air, initiation of women's
programming, which began shortly
thereafter. Initiated invitation of young
broadcasters in 1964, when almost none were
under 40. Facilitated initiation of
people-of-color broadcasting by surrendering own
prime-time slot when staff "could not find
time slots" for such broadcasters.
Analyzed and denounced Pacifica's proposed
Strategy for National Programming,
1992, as move to make stations a slightly more
liberal version of NPR. Marked for
dismissal. Excuse used, 1995, was that he did a
broadcast supporting affirmative action
instead of talking about Russia, although he had
digressed from that subject one or
more times every year that he was on the air.
A month later, was dismissed from his remaining
show for informing listeners of this, a
violation of the gag rule, although he had
deliberately violated that rule every year
since its institution because he believes it has
no place on free speech radio.
1999. Author of an autobiography, Saying No To
Power, for publication in November
1999, by Creative Arts, Berkeley. $18.50." History
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