Letter from ALBA: A Time of Loss—and Determination
Dear Friends,
The past couple of months have been marked by losses. As we were still reeling from the sudden passing of Peter Carroll, longtime ALBA chair and editor of The Volunteer, we had to find a way to process the outcome of the elections—in the runup to which we partnered with 18by Vote to bring young people to the polls.
Like many of you, we’re worried about what lies ahead. At ALBA, we’re gearing up for what will no doubt be an intensified barrage of attacks on the values we have always defended: democracy, civil rights, solidarity, social justice, and education. But, with your and our partners’ support, we are also determined to redouble our efforts as we continue to do what we do best: educate this country and the world about the many ways in which the history of antifascism and internationalism can inspire us today.
This is not a difficult argument to make. At our annual New York teacher workshop in November, as we read Henry Wallace’s 1944 piece in the New York Times on the dangers of American fascism, the teachers were struck by the uncanny parallels with our political present. Similarly, it’s been touching to see how many grandchildren of Lincoln veterans proudly embrace their family’s antifascist legacy. At our end-of-year get-together in New York on December 7, we’ll screen a cinematic compilation of their testimonies.
The bulk of this issue is dedicated to one of those veterans: Dr. Edward Barsky (1895-1975), the remarkable New York surgeon who saved so many lives during the Spanish war, innovating frontline medicine in the process. After the war, he became a pioneer in refugee aid—and one of the most prominent victims of McCarthyism. “The Un-American Activities Committee had no principles,” he told Richard Avedon and Doon Arbus in 1969. “They were just a bunch of bastards, you see. They were un-American. … We knew we were right. You didn’t have to be a magician—or a god—to know that.”
We’d like to thank Nancy Phillips, a longtime admirer of Barsky’s work, for her generous sponsorship of this issue. We can’t tell you how thrilling it is to be a part of such a generous, supportive community. We’re going to need all your help in the years to come. But we know we can count on you.
¡Salud!
Aaron Retish, Chair of the Board of Governors
Sebastiaan Faber, Co-Editor
P.S. We especially welcome gifts in Peter Carroll’s memory to the Peter N. Carroll Anti-Fascist Education Fund. https://alba-valb.org/donate/. We are preparing a memorial event for this spring. We’ll keep you informed through our email newsletter.
P.S. (2) We are thrilled to welcome Prof. James D. Fernández to the Volunteer’s editorial team.
