Eugene V Debs was many things: union leader, revolutionary, prisoner, and most notably, an American Socialist. He had a tremendous impact on American life and the American worker. We think his story is worth telling and knowing. He was inspirational; a man of integrity who lived his life standing up for what he believed.
In anticipation of our interview tomorrow with Yale Strom, director of a new documentary on Eugene V. Debs, we wanted to give you a little taste of who Debs was. For our video of the week we chose a clip of actor David Strathairn, (A League of Their Own) who recites a speech Debs gave to a court when he was on trial for sedition after publicly opposing America’s role in World War I. Debs was convicted in that court case and sentenced to jail for ten years, serving three. The speech he gave was rousing, inspirational, and gives a key understanding of Deb’s character, decency, and his humanity. We think you’ll enjoy it.