<blockquote>"Organizing is a fine art. I have worked at it all of my adult life."</blockquote>Before picking up this book, I had never heard of Louise Thompson Patterson. Which is a shame, because she was an incredibly fascinating woman who influenced the movers and shakers of the Harlem Renaissance, the American Communist party, and the Civil Rights movement. Louise's story is an unlikely and amazing one, from her eclectic, peripatetic childhood, her tempestuous first marriage, to her struggles with her ability to "pass," her deep friendship with Langston Hughes and her bitter rivalry with Zora Neale Hurston, her leadership that brought together a collaboration with a Jewish organisation to fight for universal rights, her travels behind the Iron Curtain, and her lifelong loyalty to the Communist Party. The book is incredibly thorough and each page, often festooned with casual mentions of dozens of names, reads a bit like a Who's Who of the Harlem Renaissance-- which, unfortunately, would be more entertaining if I actually <i>knew</i> who was who.

The book deftly describes Patterson's life, not only her virtues, but also uncompromisingly explores her flaws. Yet despite learning so much about her life, I am not sure I ever really understood what motivated her, and I absolutely failed to grasp her obstinate faith in the Soviet Union, even to the point of repeatedly switching sides as the Communist policy on the Nazis changed again and again. Perhaps most impressive of all was her ability to survive on a career in political organizing. Patterson was a fascinating complex woman who influenced generation upon generation of civil rights organizers. If you're curious about her life-- and are more well-versed in the history of the time than I am-- this book is well worth a read.

I started reading about the Harlem Renaissance a few years ago. While I read about many luminaries in the arts, I had not read about the life of this remarkable social activist. Gilyard's book takes you through Patterson's life starting from birth. It is as thorough and comprehensive as an academic tome is expected to be, but I wish it used more literary devices to bring Patterson's experiences to life.

The time between the Harlem Renaissance and the Civil Rights movement was interesting - this book taught me that. As an activist during that time period, Louise Thompson Patterson lead the way for future generations of activists and encouraged them to do the important work they lead in the 1960's and 70's. I honestly knew very little about the individuals and work involved in that time period until I read this book. This new understanding has changed my perspective of America in the early part of the 20th century.
The thing I found most interesting about Louise's story is her association with the Communist party and Russia. During the 1930's, this wasn't too big of a deal. However, during the 50's and 60's, a closeness with Russia was a much more tenuous relationship. Louise's trip to Russia in the 30's especially intrigued and fascinated me - what a strange intermixing of so many different issues, cultures, and ideologies.
This is an excellent book for activists to read for a better understanding of the issues leading up to the Civil Rights movement and also for some connection with Louise and her activism.