Symposium: Truth and revolution

In May of this year, AK Press published Michael Staudenmaier's Truth and Revolution: A History of the Sojourner Truth Organization, 1969–1986. Sojourner Truth Organization was most often known as and spoken of as STO.

Insurgent Notes invited members of STO that we were able to contact and individuals of organization that we knew had been influenced by one or more of the aspects of STO's theory or practice to respond to a series of questions:

For STO members:

1. What aspects of the STO history do you think that MS most accurately captured and which aspects, if any, do you think that he might have missed?

2. What do you think are the lessons of the history of STO for today's revolutionaries, including those of you who still consider yourselves as such?
3. What else, if anything, would you like to say about the organization or the book?

For those who have been influenced by the organization:

1. What aspects of the history, as presented by MS, were most surprising and why?

2. What do you think are the lessons of the history of STO for today's revolutionaries?

3. What would you have liked to learn more about?

Not surprisingly, our respondents didn't always answer the questions we asked. But what they wrote is well worth reading. We look forward to further discussions on the book and on the politics of the Sojourner Truth Organization.

We have arranged the submissions of STO members more or less in the order of their entry into the organization. The comments of non-members are not organized in any special fashion.

Originally posted: October 15, 2012 at Insurgent Notes