Claude M. Lightfoot (1910-1986) was an African-American activist, politician, and author. In 1955, during the McCarthy era, he was indicted based on the Smith Act and put on trial. While previous Smith Act indictments had been of individuals accused directly of attempting to overthrow the US government by force or violence, Lightfoot was indicted merely for being a member of the Communist Party, which, in turn, was alleged to be attempting to overthrow the government.

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  • Claude M. Lightfoot (1910-1986) was an African-American activist, politician, and author. In 1955, during the McCarthy era, he was indicted based on the Smith Act and put on trial. While previous Smith Act indictments had been of individuals accused directly of attempting to overthrow the US government by force or violence, Lightfoot was indicted merely for being a member of the Communist Party, which, in turn, was alleged to be attempting to overthrow the government. Having moved to Chicago's South Side in 1917, Lightfoot joined the struggles of Black workers in the 1920s. In 1932 he ran for the Illinois State Legislature on the Communist ticket, receiving 33,000 votes. After three and a half years of service in World War II, he rose to the top leadership of the Illinois Communist Party. His autobiography, also his thesis at the University of Illinois, is: From Chicago's Ghetto to World Politics : The Life and Struggles of Claude M. Lightfoot. It was first published as Black America and the World Revolution . A later augmented edition was titled Chicago Slums to World Politics.
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  • 1910 (xsd:integer)
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  • 1986 (xsd:integer)
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  • Lightfoot, Claude M
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  • Claude M. Lightfoot (1910-1986) was an African-American activist, politician, and author. In 1955, during the McCarthy era, he was indicted based on the Smith Act and put on trial. While previous Smith Act indictments had been of individuals accused directly of attempting to overthrow the US government by force or violence, Lightfoot was indicted merely for being a member of the Communist Party, which, in turn, was alleged to be attempting to overthrow the government.
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  • Claude Lightfoot
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  • Claude M
  • Claude M
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  • Claude M Lightfoot
  • Claude M Lightfoot
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  • Lightfoot
  • Lightfoot
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