Sylvia Pankhurst and the East London Suffragettes and Ireland LDN 29th June

Submitted by Fozzie on June 6, 2016

Next meeting of the Radical History Network of North East London

Wednesday 29th June 7.30 p.m., Wood Green Social Club

In October 1912 Sylvia Pankhurst climbed onto a wooden platform outside an old baker's shop on Bow Road, and painted the words 'VOTES FOR WOMEN' in golden letters above the door. What began as a simple recruitment drive for the Women’s Social and Political Union soon sparked a rebellion in the suffragette ranks, and launched a mass movement for equality in the East End.

Our meeting will look at Sylvia Pankhurst’s life and legacy – both in London and internationally.

Speakers

Sarah Jackson is co-author of 'Voices From History: East London Suffragettes' and co-founder of the East End Women's Museum - www.eastendwomensmuseum.org

Geoffrey Bell is the author of the recently published 'Hesitant Comrades - The Irish Revolution and the British Labour Movement', described by one reviewer as “a fine example of politically committed scholarship”, and by another as “this fascinating book”. Bell has also written a recent article in 'History Ireland' on Sylvia Pankhurst and Ireland's 1916 Rising and its aftermath.

Plus discussion:

•How does this history connect with campaigns today?
•If everyone loves the suffragettes, why are women still struggling for equality?

Wednesday 29th June 7.30 pm
Wood Green Social Club, 3 Stuart Crescent, London N22 5NJ
(Off the High Rd, near Wood Green tube and buses 329/121/141)

http://radicalhistorynetwork.blogspot.co.uk/

Free to attend, all welcome.

Spikymike

7 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Spikymike on June 6, 2016

Well there are a good dozen or more short articles by Sylvia in the libcom library including this for starters: http://libcom.org/library/election-sylvia-pankhurst and many other good ones from her days in publishing the 'Workers Dreadnought' that anyone going along to this might read up on.

ajjohnstone

7 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by ajjohnstone on June 6, 2016

Being my cynical self - i see the organisers are already trying to frame the discussion

•How does this history connect with campaigns today?
•If everyone loves the suffragettes, why are women still struggling for equality?

Nothing about her "impossiblist" ideas

Fozzie

7 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Fozzie on June 8, 2016

I wrote that, and I'm hardly an authority on Sylvia Pankhurst. I'm hoping to learn more about her at the meeting.

Contributions from "impossiblists" would be very welcome!

Schmoopie

7 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Schmoopie on June 8, 2016

I will not be able to attend the meeting but I trust it will go well.

Fozzie

7 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Fozzie on June 9, 2016

Schmoopie

I will not be able to attend the meeting but I trust it will go well.

Thanks Schmoopie - I will try to post up the notes of the meeting when they are done.

Alf

7 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Alf on June 9, 2016

I would also like to have attended this, but I will be away that week. These articles might be of interest....

http://en.internationalism.org/wr/307/hands-off-sylvia

http://en.internationalism.org/icconline/201512/13704/sylvia-pankhurst-feminism-left-communism

Schmoopie

7 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Schmoopie on June 10, 2016

Alf, I read the first article you site and was pleased to hear that Sylvia Pankhurst, communist, was represented at the meeting it refers to. I have one query however. The article talks "of her abandonment of revolutionary politics and subsequent betrayals". I read a similar line on the Wikipedia page on Sylvia Pankhurst and was at the time curious as to how the author considered that she had turned her back on communism. Is it not more the case that history turned it's back on communism rather than this one resolute woman?

Alf

7 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Alf on June 15, 2016

The reason that the Ethiopian ambassador was at the meeting was that, during the 30s, Sylvia became a fervent defender of Ethiopia and the Hailie Selassie regime following the Italian invasion, and thus, like many other former revolutionaries in those dark times, got caught up in anti-fascism and the march towards the second world war. Understandable, but still a betrayal of internationalism, a path which other communists - a small minority of course - refused to take. She ended her life in Ethiopia at the invitation of the government. She was indeed a resolute woman to the end, but this goes beyond personal qualities.

Schmoopie

7 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Schmoopie on June 15, 2016

My mind tells me you are right but it is easy to look back critically at history and say what if Lenin and the Bolsheviks hadn't hijacked the Russian Revolution or Haile Selassie hadn't ruled Ethiopia. Didn't it achieve what had to be achieved – bring about bourgeois supremacy – the necessary prerequisite for the dictatorship of the proletariat? Who knows?

I don't look beyond her personal qualities and I won't call her a traiter to the cause. Show me these communist saints! Only the poor are blessed.

Alf

7 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Alf on June 15, 2016

Sylvia and Lenin were comrades once. Both went astray. I don't call either of them traitors.

Fozzie

7 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Fozzie on June 27, 2016

A reminder that this is happening this week and that all are welcome :-)