Soviet-Russian perspectives on American Race Relations
The evolving socio-political landscape from the 1920s-1930s to the 1950s-1970s unveils a nuanced narrative of racial dynamics. The 1920s-1930s marked the Soviet Union’s production of anti-lynching propaganda postcards, reflecting anti-American sentiments and internationalist ideals. Bogoras’ nuanced account from the late 1920s presents both Soviet segregation and the growth of Black intellectual life.
Moving into the 1950s-1970s, Shur’s book examines the history of lynching in the U.S. through the lenses of fascism versus communism. The Civil Rights Congress describes the charges set against the U.S. for genocide, linking American racism and violence toward Black people to Nazi ideology. Perlo’s and Vasil’ev's books offer perspectives on the “American way of life,” highlighting economic and social divisions. The ideological tensions between the Soviet Union and the U.S., connecting the struggle for Black liberation to global democratic concerns, is highlighted in Geevshii’s analysis of post-war America. The focus shifts to explore Black revolution and debunk the myth of American democracy.
The exhibit culminates in essays by Soviet scholars, probing race as a social category and addressing racism in anthropology. The inclusion of articles on socialist Cuba, Africa, and discrimination in England and Canada completes the narrative, underscoring the Soviets’ concern for the global dimensions of the fight against racial oppression. This exhibit encapsulates diverse materials to show the shifting themes and perspectives surrounding race, discrimination, and liberation from the early Soviet period to the late 1970s.
