A road to peace and freedom : the International Workers Order and the struggle for economic justice and civil rights, 1930-1954

Resource Information

The work A road to peace and freedom : the International Workers Order and the struggle for economic justice and civil rights, 1930-1954 represents a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in European University Institute. This resource is a combination of several types including: Work, Language Material, Books.

Label

A road to peace and freedom : the International Workers Order and the struggle for economic justice and civil rights, 1930-1954

Title remainder

the International Workers Order and the struggle for economic justice and civil rights, 1930-1954

Statement of responsibility

Robert M. Zecker

Creator

• Zecker, Robert, 1962-

Subject

• International Workers Order
• International labor activities -- History -- 20th century
• Labor movement -- United States -- History -- 20th century
• Civil rights and socialism -- United States -- History -- 20th century
• Working class -- Societies, etc. | History -- 20th century
• Working class -- United States -- Societies, etc. | History -- 20th century
• Labor unions -- United States -- History -- 20th century

Language

eng

Summary

The International Workers Order was an American consortium of ethnic mutual self-insurance societies that advocated for unemployment insurance, Social Security and vibrant industrial unions. This interracial leftist organization guaranteed the healthcare of its 180,000 white, black, Hispanic and Arabic working-class members. But what accounted for the popularity-and eventual notoriety-of this Order? Mining extensive primary sources, Robert Zecker gives voice to the workers in "A Road to Peace and Freedom." He describes the group's economic goals, commitment to racial justice, and activism, from lobbying to end segregation and lynching in America to defeating fascism abroad. Zecker also illustrates the panoply of entertainment, sports, and educational activities designed to cultivate the minds and bodies of members. However, the IWO was led by Communists, and the Order was targeted for red-baiting during the Cold War, subject to government surveillance, and ultimately "liquidated." Zecker explains how the dismantling of the IWO and the general suppression of left-wing dissenting views on economic egalitarianism and racial equality had deleterious effects for the entire country. Moreover, Zecker shows why the sobering lesson of the IWO remains prescient today. --

Assigning source

Provided by publisher

Dewey number

331.886097309041

Illustrations

illustrations

Index

index present

Literary form

non fiction

Nature of contents

bibliography