Albert and Lucy Parsons

Albert (1858-1887) and Lucy Parsons (1853-1942 were from Texas where Lucy Eldine Gonzalez Parsons was born into slavery.  She met Albert and they married.  They moved to Chicago due to threats from the KKK during Reconstruction.  Albert was a former Confederate soldier who later fought on behalf of former slaves’ rights. Albert & Lucy were extreme radical anarchists.  Lucy became a labor organizer, feminist, socialist, and communist.  Lucy was considered dangerous by the authorities as they hated communists and “troublemakers” in general.  When she died of a house fire in Chicago, the police rushed in to get all of Lucy Parso’s papers and literature.  Most of it mysteriously disappeared.

Parsons and  a flyer of a speech she was due to give in support of her husband Albert who was soon to be executed by the State of Illinois for an act of terrorism of which Albert & Lucy claimed no knowledge.

There has been lots of feminist talk on BB&W and discussions of white women versus black ideas on this issue.  Lucy had her share of white women (and male) detractors too so the concept is not new.  Lucy had one particular thorn in her side — a rival named Emma Goldman.  Lucy Parsons was outspoken and true to her cause until the day she died.

There is supposed to be a movie in development about Lucy Parson’s life.  The beauty portraying Lucy Parsons is Judi Shekoni shown with Noam Gonick at the 1886 screenplay reading at Villa Aurora in Pacific Palisades, September 2012.   The owner of this Pinterest site suggests a few actress to play the fiery Lucy Parsons; and they include actresses like Zoe Saldana, Kerry Washington and Halle Berry.

Judi Shekoni and Noam Gonick

Wikipedia