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Jeffrey B. Perry Blog

Some Information on Theodore W. Allen and Noel Ignatiev

Theodore W. Allen (1919-2005) pioneered his "white skin privilege" analysis in 1965. (See Ted [Theodore W.] Allen, "A Call . . . John Brown Memorial Pilgrimage . . . December 4, 1965," John Brown Commemoration Committee, 1965.)

 

Noel Ignatiev (1940-2019) wrote to me on June 17, 2005 (after Allen's death):  "In the fall of 1966, after some conversations with Ted Allen and Esther Kusic (who has just died and whose loss is felt deeply by those who knew her) I became convinced of the correctness of their position that the white skin privilege has been the achilles heel of the labor movement in the US, . . . "  Ignatiev further explained: "My first act in 1966 on finding myself outside the group [Provisional Organizing Committee] was to get back in touch with Molly [Theodore W. Allen]. It was then he introduced me to his thinking on white skin privilege, which he had developed after he left the POC [in 1962] . . . not to be too grandiose about it, if Ted was Darwin, I was his Huxley." [Note – Huxley was known as "Darwin's Bulldog."]

 

Recently I placed the Theodore W. Allen Papers at Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Libraries.  While the collection is still being processed and many important documents are to be digitized, material related to Ignatiev and Allen can be found in the following places (as well as others) -- 

 

Correspondence Series 1

Ignatiev, Noel 1962-1967 Box 1: 162

Ignatiev (Ignatin), Noel 1968 Box 1: 163

Ignatiev, Noel 1967-1968 Box 12: 4

Ignatiev (Ignatin), Noel 1969-1971 Box 1: 164

Ignatiev, Noel 1974-1976 Box 5: 15

Ignatiev, Noel ca.1967-1971 Box 5: 16

Ignatiev, Noel ca.1975 Box 2: 1

Ignatiev, Noel 1978 Box 2: 2

Ignatiev, Noel 1984-1993 Box 2: 3

Ignatiev, Noel 2005-2011Box 3: 97

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--Biographical 2010 Box 3: 147

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--Correspondence 1989-1992 Box 3: 148

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--In the News 1992-2006 Box 3: 149

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--Letter to Bay Area Revolutionary Union-cc: Black Panther Party 1969 Box 13: 84

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--Public Speaking 1993 Box 13: 85

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--"Race Traitor" journal--Summer 1993 issue 1993 Box 13: 86

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--"Race Traitor" journal--Spring 1994 issue 1994 Box 13: 87

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--"Race Traitor" journal--Winter 1995 issue 1995 Box 13: 88

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--"Race Traitor" journal--Winter 1996 issue 1996 Box 13: 89

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--"Race Traitor" journal--Winter 1998 issue 1998 Box 5: 36

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--Writings 1967-1969 Box 3: 150

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--Writings 1972-1975 Box 13: 90

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--Writings 1987-2008 Box 3: 151

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--Writings ca.1967-1969 Box 12: 8

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--Writings undated Box 13: 91

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--Writings--"How the Irish Became White"-annotations from Ted-Ch. 1 ca.1990-1994 Box 5: 37

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--Writings--"How the Irish Became White"-annotations from Ted-Ch. 2 ca.1990-1994 Box 5: 38

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--Writings--"How the Irish Became White"-annotations from Ted-Ch. 3 ca.1990-1994 Box 5: 39

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--Writings--"How the Irish Became White"-annotations from Ted-Ch. 4 ca.1990-1994 Box 4: 1

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--Writings--"How the Irish Became White"-annotations from Ted-Ch. 5 ca.1990-1994 Box 4: 2

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--Writings--"How the Irish Became White"-annotations from Ted-Ch. 6 ca.1990-1994 Box 4: 3

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--Writings--"How the Irish Became White"-annotations from Ted-Ch. 7-1 ca.1990-1994 Box 4: 4

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--Writings--"How the Irish Became White"-annotations from Ted-Ch. 7-2 ca.1990-1994 Box 4: 5

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--Writings--"How the Irish Became White"-annotations from Ted-Ch. 7-3 ca.1990-1994 Box 4: 6

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--Writings--"How the Irish Became White"-annotations from Ted-Preface ca.1990-1994Box 4: 7

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--Writings--"How the Irish Became White"-annotations from Ted-Prospectus ca.1990-1994 Box 4: 8

Correspondents: Ignatiev, Noel--Writings--"White Blindspot" by J. H. Kagin (pseudonym)

ca.1967 Box 13: 92

"Commentary on manuscript submitted by Noel Ignatiev" 1994 Box 4: 80

"Acknowledgements" and "Preface" in How the Irish Became White--Ignatiev, Noel Box 13: 115

Introduction to "Introduction to the United States"--Ignatiev, Noel ca.1991-1993

Box 13: 128

"Whiteness and Class Struggle"--Ignatiev, Noel 2003 Box 13: 159

SDS/RYM Articles by Noel Ignatiev ca.1967-1976 Boxes 34: 36

Series 5 Photos and Media

Friends: Ignatiev ca.1980-1991Box 34: 80

The opening quotes can be found in Jeffrey B. Perry, "The Developing Conjuncture and Some Insights from Hubert Harrison and Theodore W. Allen on the Centrality of the Fight Against White Supremacy" ["Cultural Logic, 2010"] Notes 8 and 9)

 

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