Ishmael Flory facts for kids
Ishmael Flory (July 4, 1907 – February 4, 2004) was an important civil rights activist. He also worked as a trade union organizer. Flory was a leader in the Communist Party in Illinois.
Early Life and Education
Ishmael Flory was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, in 1907. He was the youngest of nine children. In 1918, his family moved to Los Angeles. Ishmael finished high school there.
He started college at the University of California, Los Angeles in 1927. After working for a few years, he earned his degree. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1933.
Fighting for Civil Rights
After college, Flory went to Fisk University to study sociology. While there, he became involved in protests. He spoke out against the lynching of a teenager named Cordie Cheek. A lynching is when a group of people illegally kill someone, often by hanging.
Flory also organized protests against Jim Crow laws. These were unfair laws that kept Black people separate from white people. They also limited their rights. Because he organized these protests, he was asked to leave the university.
A famous writer, Langston Hughes, wrote about Flory's actions in 1934. Hughes said Flory was brave for protesting. He protested against unfair rules at a theater. He also protested the lynching of Cordie Cheek.
In 1939, Flory moved to Chicago. There, he continued his work for civil rights. He became the head of the Joint Council of Dining Car Employees. He also worked for the Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers. Flory was president of the Chicago chapter of the National Negro Congress.
During the 1940s and 1950s, he worked with many other civil rights leaders. These included Paul Robeson and W. E. B. Du Bois. He helped to integrate Major League Baseball. This meant helping Black players join teams that were only for white players before. In the 1960s, Flory also helped start the African American Heritage Association.
Political Work
Ishmael Flory joined the Communist Party in the 1930s. He became a leader for the Communist Party in Illinois. He ran for Governor of Illinois two times. This was in 1972 and 1976. He also ran for U.S. Senate in 1974 and 1984.
Flory often spoke out against the policies of the U.S. government. He and another Communist Party leader, Gus Hall, criticized President Gerald Ford. They believed the President's actions were not good for the world.
