You Can’t Kill a Man Because of the Books He Reads: Angelo Herndon’s Fight for Free Speech

Georgetown law professor Snyder (Democratic Justice) vividly recreates the life of labor organizer Angelo Herndon (1914–1997), who in 1932 faced “a possible death sentence” over his possession of “communist literature.” Born to Alabama sharecroppers, Herndon began working at 13 and was soon drawn to the local chapter of the American Communist Party. After rising through the party ranks and moving to Atlanta, he became a target of the KKK and Georgia government officials. Following the police seizure of radical literature from his rooms, he was charged with “insurrection” under a slavery-era law. At his trial, his attorney argued that “you can’t kill a man because of the books he reads,” staving off a death sentence. Herndon was convicted and consigned to a chain gang, but after years of appeals the Supreme Court finally overtured Georgia’s insurrection law as unconstitutional, freeing Herndon. He went on to become a “literary figure” in Harlem, penning an autobiography and founding a magazine (he made Ralph Ellison managing editor). Snyder astutely dissects Herndon’s story for its ramifications for civil liberties and free speech today—including the continued persecution Herndon faced for the political content of his magazine, which Snyder is careful to layer with Herndon’s own shortcomings as a businessman (Ellison, whose paychecks “failed to materialize,” quit after the third issue). The result is a rewarding and kaleidoscopic look at the early years of civil rights activism. (Feb.)