Hubert Harrison
Event Details
When:
Mon, Apr 20, 2026, 4pm - 5pm
Location:
Online: Zoom
In-Person at WWU:
Academic West room 204
Price:
Free
Brought to you by:
Political Science Department, College of Humanities and Social Science Dean's Office, English Department, Woodring College, Fairhaven College, Ethnic Studies Department, Journalism Department, History Department, Ralph Munro Institute for Civic Education, The Foundation for WWU & Alumni
Description
Please join us for a special event where Dr. Brian Kwoba will present his new book and discuss the life, legacy, and revolutionary impact of Hubert Henry Harrison (1883–1927)—the working‑class journalist, activist, and educator whose visionary ideas helped shape global movements for racial and economic justice.
Often called “the father of Harlem radicalism,” Harrison was a trailblazer:
- A dynamic organizer for African American workers within the Socialist Party of America
- A key figure in the 1913 Paterson Silk Strike
- The most prominent Black freethinker and free lover of his era
- An outspoken advocate for armed self‑defense
- A proponent of an anti‑capitalist, anti‑imperialist “Colored International” resisting global colonialism
- And the catalyst whose Liberty League of Negro Americans helped spark the rise of Marcus Garvey and the largest international Black organization in modern history
Despite his immense influence, Harrison’s revolutionary legacy has been overshadowed—until now.
Featuring:
Dr. Brian Kwoba was born in the United States to a Kenyan father and American mother. After studies at Cornell and Tufts Universities, he moved to the UK to undertake doctoral studies in history at the University of Oxford. There he was a founding member of the “Rhodes Must Fall in Oxford” Black student movement to decolonize education.
Dr. Kwoba is currently an associate professor of history and also the director of African and African American Studies at the University of Memphis. Over the past two decades, Dr. Kwoba has been an activist on issues including anti-imperialism, immigrant workers rights, climate justice, Falastin, pan-Africanism, and the movement for Black lives. In his spare time, he is a big time music lover (especially live jazz), an Afrobeats DJ, and a frequent traveler to Kenya.
His book on Hubert Harrison won the 2026 Frantz Fanon Outstanding Book Award from the Caribbean Philosophical Association.
Questions and Accommodations
- Your point of contact for this event is the Political Science Department at email politicalscience@wwu.edu.
- Advance notice for disability accommodations and special needs is appreciated. Please mention your needs when registering.
- There will be auto-captions for the Zoom webinar.
Visitor Parking at WWU on Weekdays
- Mon-Fri, 7:00am-4:30pm: limited paid parking is available at the south C lots and north 6V and 7G lots.
- Purchase your permit at the lot pay stations or use the Parkmobile app.
- More parking details for campus visitors are available online.
Parking at WWU on Weekdays for Visitors with Disabilities
- Mon-Fri, 7:00am-4:30pm: both a WWU permit and state disability placard are needed.
- Purchase your permit at the pay stations in lot C or 6V or use the Parkmobile app (use Zone 1200). This allows parking in any disability space. If these are full, you can use a non-reserved space nearby.
- More parking details for campus visitors with disabilities are available online.
The views expressed by our speakers do not necessarily reflect those of Western Washington University.