Joel Olson RIP

Joel Olson 1967-2012

We are deeply saddened by the loss of esteemed activist, writer, scholar, and NCV Contributor Joel Olson, who passed away while on sabbatical in Europe.

Joel was Associate Professor in the Department of Politics and International Affairs at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona, where he specialized in political theory. A noted expert on racial politics and extremist ideologies, he was the author of The Abolition of White Democracy (University of Minnesota Press, 2004) as well as numerous articles and reviews. Joel was working on a second book, entitled American Zealot: Fanaticism and Democracy in the United States, at the time of his death.

During the 1990s Joel was involved with Love and Rage Revolutionary Anarchist Federation and later went on to form Bring the Ruckus! He was a well-known figure in the anti-racist and pro-immigrant movements in Arizona, working with grassroots groups including Copwatch and the Repeal Coalition.

Joel was a powerful voice in radical politics, a dedicated father, and someone who worked tirelessly through his words and deeds to raise critical consciousness and promote justice in the world. He will be missed by all of us here at NCV, and we ask that you keep him and his family in your thoughts.

Joel was also an editor of Profane Existence back in the '80-90s, a left wing punk magazine and The Blast, an anarchist newspaper, both out of Minneapolis. He also contributed a lot (was possibly an editor?) to Racetraitor. Of course, he was most well known, at least for people my age, for being one of the folks from Love & Rage who were still actively involved in the miliu and being in Bring the Ruckus.

Although we never met personally, I respected his experience and insight. Pretty much everyone that I've met that knew him respected him and my condolences go out to his family and comrades.

Remembering Joel Olson Facebook

Joel's homepage, featuring some of his writings