My piece on the 150th anniverary of the raid on Harper's Ferry is up at Workers World newspaper.Also, on Meredith Sue Willis's blog, there's an interesting report from Jeffrey Sokolow, who participated in the commemorative events last weekend in Harper's Ferry. I was very moved to read that 55 descendants of John Copeland, a Black participant in the assault on the arsenal who, like Brown, was hanged for it, took part; they laid and ceremonially washed a memorial stone for their ancestor of whom they are so justly proud. And that Brown's great great great granddaughter was also there; she read from her great great grandmother's account of the preparatory days in the house where the group clandestinely prepared for the action. One of the lesser known facts about John Brown is what a feminist consciousness he had. Annie Brown was a full participant in the planning and had a full vote in all decisions leading up to, though it's true that she did not take part in, the actual military action.
