Edward Michael Harrington (February 24, 1928 – July 31, 1989) was an American democratic socialist, writer, and political activist. February 24 is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... July 31 is the 212th day (213th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 153 days remaining. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Democratic socialism is a broad political movement propagating the ideals of socialism within the context of a democratic system. ...

Harrington was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He attended St. Louis University High School, College of the Holy Cross, University of Chicago (MA in English Literature), and Yale Law School. As a young man, he was interested in both leftwing politics and Catholicism. Fittingly, he joined Dorothy Day's Catholic Worker movement, a pacifist group that advocated a radical interpretation of the Gospel. Above all else, Harrington was an intellectual. He loved arguing about culture and politics, preferably over beer, and his Jesuit education made him a fine debater and rhetorician. Harrington was an editor of The Catholic Worker from 1951 to 1953. However, Harrington became disillusioned with religion and, although he would always retain a certain affection for Catholic culture, he ultimately became an atheist. Address 4970 Oakland Avenue City St. ... Not to be confused with Holy Cross College (Indiana) or other similarly named Holy Cross Colleges. ... The University of Chicago is a private university located principally in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. ... Yale can refer to an educational institution: Yale University, one of the United States oldest universities. ... Dorothy Day was declared Servant of God when a cause for sainthood was opened for her by Pope John Paul II. The Servant of God Dorothy Day (November 8, 1897 – November 29, 1980) was an American journalist turned social activist (she was an Industrial Workers of the World member) and... The Catholic Worker Movement is a Christian anarchist organisation founded by Servant of God St. ... The 18th-century French author Baron dHolbach was one of the first self-described atheists; he did not believe in the existence of any deities. ...

This estrangement from religion was accompanied by a growing interest in Marxism and a drift toward secular socialism. After leaving The Catholic Worker Harrington became a member of the Independent Socialist League, a small organization associated with the former Trotskyist leader Max Shachtman. Harrington and Shachtman believed that socialism, the promise of a just and fully democratic society, could not be realized under authoritarian Communism and they were both fiercely critical of the "bureaucratic collectivist" states in Eastern Europe and elsewhere. Trotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. ... Max Shachtman (September 10, 1904 - November 4, 1972) was an American Marxist theorist. ... Bureaucratic collectivism is a theory of class society. ...

Harrington became a member of Norman Thomas's Socialist Party when the SP agreed to absorb Shachtman's organization. Harrington backed the Shachtmanite realignment strategy of working within the Democratic Party rather than running candidates on a Socialist ticket. Norman Thomas Norman Mattoon Thomas (November 20, 1884 - December 19, 1968) was a leading American socialist, pacifist, and six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America. ... The Socialist Party of America (SPA) was a socialist political party in the United States and one of the most influential socialist parties in U.S. history. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ...

During this period Harrington wrote The Other America: Poverty in the United States, a book that had an impact on the Kennedy administration, and on Lyndon B. Johnson's subsequent War on Poverty. Harrington became a widely read intellectual and political writer. He would frequently debate noted conservatives but would also clash with the younger radicals in the New Left movements. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Sr. referred to Harrington as the "only responsible radical" in America, a somewhat dubious distinction among those on the political left. His high profile landed him on the master list of Nixon political opponents. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also referred to as John F. Kennedy, JFK, John Kennedy, or Jack Kennedy, was the 35th President of the United States. ... Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908 – January 22, 1973), often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States (1963–1969). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The New Left is a term used in political discourse to refer to radical left-wing movements from the 1960s onwards. ... Arthur Meier Schlesinger, Sr. ... A master list of Nixon political opponents was compiled to supplement the original Nixons Enemies List of 20 key people considered opponents of President Richard Nixon. ...

By early 1970s Shachtman's anti-Communism had become a hawkish Cold War liberalism. Shachtman and the governing faction of the Socialist Party effectively supported the Vietnam War and changed the organization's name to Social Democrats, USA. In protest Harrington led a number of Norman Thomas-era Socialists, younger activists and ex-Shactmanites into the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee. A smaller faction associated with peace activist David McReynolds formed the Socialist Party USA. For other uses, please see Cold War (disambiguation). ... The Social Democrats USA (SDUSA) is a small coalition of intellectuals and trade unionists. ... The Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee (DSOC) was founded in 1973 by the bulk of those members of the Socialist Party of America who opposed the partys takeover by the followers of Max Shachtman. ... David McReynolds David McReynolds (born October 25, 1929) is an American socialist politician. ... The Socialist Party USA (SPUSA) is one of the heirs to the Socialist Party of America of Eugene V. Debs and Norman Thomas. ...

In the early 1980s The Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee merged with the New American Movement, an organization of New Left veterans, forming Democratic Socialists of America. This organization remains the principal U.S. affiliate of the Socialist International, which includes socialist parties as diverse as the Swedish and German Social Democrats, Nicaragua's FSLN, and the British Labour Party. The New American Movement (NAM) was founded in 1971 by a group of leaders of opposition to the Vietnam War to serve as a forum for discussing where and how to redirect their activities. ... Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is the largest socialist organization in the United States and the principal U.S. affiliate of the Socialist International, a federation of socialist, social democratic and labour parties and organizations. ... The official symbol of Socialist International The Socialist International is a worldwide organization of social democratic, labor, and democratic socialist political parties. ...

Harrington died in 1989 of cancer. He was the most well-known socialist in the United States during his lifetime.

References

• Harrington, Michael, The Other America: Poverty in the United States, New York: Macmillan, 1962, (ISBN 0-684-82678-X)
• ---- The Accidental Century
• ---- Toward a Democratic Left: A Radical Program for a New Majority, New York : Macmillan, 1968
• ---- The Retail Clerks
• ---- Socialism, New York: Bantam, 1970, 1972. "To the memory of Norman Thomas. And the future of his ideals."

This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

External links

• Michael Harrington Center at Queens College, NYC
• Audio recording of Michael Harrington