Cruse, Harold.

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Harold Cruse, an African American author and professor is best known for his Crisis of the Negro Intellectual (1967), a Marxist-nationalist critique of the Communist movements influence and a call for an autonomous and revolutionary Black culture. Cruse was born in 1916 in Petersburg, Virginia. As a young child he moved to New York City with his father, where he graduated from high school and held a variety of jobs prior to World War II, when he served in the army in Italy. Following his discharge, he briefly attended City College. Cruse took classes at the Communist Partys George Washington Carver School in Harlem, joined the Party in 1947 (remaining a member for some seven years), and contributed drama and literature reviews to its newspaper, the Daily Worker. Cruse wrote four plays during the 1950s, but none were produced, and thereafter he concentrated on nonfiction. In the late 1960s, Cruse joined the faculty of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and helped found the Center for Afro-American and African Studies there. Cruses other books are: Rebellion or Revolution? (1968), a set of essays on Black nationalism, Plural but Equal (1987), a critique of the effects of integration, and The Essential Harold Cruse: A Reader (2002).

From the description of Papers, 1943-1994 (bulk 1970-1985). (New York University). WorldCat record id: 58786897

Harold Cruse, an African American author and professor is best known for his Crisis of the Negro Intellectual (1967), a Marxist-nationalist critique of the Communist movement's influence and a call for an autonomous and revolutionary Black culture. Cruse was born in 1916 in Petersburg, Virginia. As a young child he moved to New York City with his father, where graduated from high school, held a variety of jobs prior to World War II, and then he served in the army in Italy. Following his discharge, he briefly attended City College. Cruse took classes at the Communist Party's George Washington Carver school in Harlem, joined the Party in 1947 (remaining a member for some seven years), and contributed drama and literature reviews to its newspaper, the Daily Worker . Cruse wrote four plays during the 1950s, but none were produced, and thereafter he concentrated on nonfiction. In the late 1960s, Cruse joined the faculty of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and helped found their Center for Afro-American and African Studies. Cruse's other books are: Rebellion or Revolution? (1968), a set of essays on Black nationalism, Plural but Equal (1987), a critique of the effects of integration, and The Essential Harold Cruse: A Reader (2002).

From the guide to the Harold Cruse Papers, Bulk, 1970-1985, 1943-1994, (Bulk 1970-1985), (Tamiment Library / Wagner Archives)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Harold Cruse Papers, Bulk, 1970-1985, 1943-1994, (Bulk 1970-1985) Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
referencedIn News and Information Services (University of Michigan) photograph series D (faculty and staff portraits), 1946-2006, 1950-1990 Bentley Historical Library
creatorOf Cruse, Harold. Papers, 1943-1994 (bulk 1970-1985). Churchill County Museum
referencedIn Charles Thomas Jr. Papers, 1965-1994, 1968-1980 Bentley Historical Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Cleaver, Eldridge, 1935-1998. person
associatedWith Conyers, John, 1929- person
associatedWith Diop, Cheikh Anta person
associatedWith Diop, Cheikh Anta. person
associatedWith Eldridge Cleaver Legal Defense Fund. corporateBody
associatedWith Gorney, Jay, 1896-1990. person
associatedWith Hughes, Langston, 1902-1967. person
associatedWith Marable, Manning, 1950- person
associatedWith Reed, Adolph L., 1947- person
associatedWith Soyinka, Wole. person
associatedWith Thomas, Charles, 1937-1994 person
associatedWith University of Michigan. News and Information Services corporateBody
associatedWith Williams, Robert F. (Robert Franklin), 1925-1996. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
United States
Subject
African American authors
African American communists
African American journalists
African Americans
Communists
Communists
Marxist criticism
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1916

Death 2005

Americans

English

Information

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SNAC ID: 55616396