author
William English Walling
1877–1936
A wealthy Kentuckian who turned toward social reform, he became one of the early voices linking labor rights, socialism, and racial justice in the United States. His reporting on the 1908 Springfield race riot helped spark the movement that led to the founding of the NAACP.
1 Audiobook
Socialism as it is : a survey of the world-wide revolutionary movement
by William English Walling
About the author
Born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1877, William English Walling came from privilege but devoted much of his life to reform. He became known as a labor activist, socialist writer, and public intellectual who tried to connect political ideas with practical action.
Walling was involved in several major reform efforts of the early 20th century, including the Women's Trade Union League and the Intercollegiate Socialist Society. He is especially remembered for his response to the 1908 race riot in Springfield, Illinois: his writing urged a renewed fight for civil rights and helped inspire the organizing that led to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
As an author and journalist, Walling wrote about labor, class, and democracy in a time of sharp social conflict. He died in 1936, but he remains a notable figure for readers interested in the overlap of progressive politics, labor history, and the long struggle for racial equality.