Max Yergan

Race Man, Internationalist, Cold Warrior

Biography & Memoir, Historical, Nonfiction, History, Americas, United States
Cover of the book Max Yergan by David Henry Anthony, III, NYU Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: David Henry Anthony, III ISBN: 9780814705339
Publisher: NYU Press Publication: January 1, 2006
Imprint: NYU Press Language: English
Author: David Henry Anthony, III
ISBN: 9780814705339
Publisher: NYU Press
Publication: January 1, 2006
Imprint: NYU Press
Language: English

In his long and fascinating life, black activist and intellectual Max Yergan (1892-1975) traveled on more ground—both literally and figuratively—than any of his impressive contemporaries, which included Adam Clayton Powell, Paul Robeson, W.E.B. Du Bois, and A. Phillip Randolph. Yergan rose through the ranks of the "colored" work department of the YMCA, and was among the first black YMCA missionaries in South Africa. His exposure to the brutality of colonial white rule in South Africa caused him to veer away from mainstream, liberal civil rights organizations, and, by the mid-1930s, into the orbit of the Communist Party. A mere decade later, Cold War hysteria and intimidation pushed Yergan away from progressive politics and increasingly toward conservatism. In his later years he even became an apologist for apartheid.
Drawing on personal interviews and extensive archival research, David H. Anthony has written much more than a biography of this enigmatic leader. In following the winding road of Yergan’s life, Anthony offers a tour through the complex and interrelated political and institutional movements that have shaped the history of the black world from the United States to South Africa.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In his long and fascinating life, black activist and intellectual Max Yergan (1892-1975) traveled on more ground—both literally and figuratively—than any of his impressive contemporaries, which included Adam Clayton Powell, Paul Robeson, W.E.B. Du Bois, and A. Phillip Randolph. Yergan rose through the ranks of the "colored" work department of the YMCA, and was among the first black YMCA missionaries in South Africa. His exposure to the brutality of colonial white rule in South Africa caused him to veer away from mainstream, liberal civil rights organizations, and, by the mid-1930s, into the orbit of the Communist Party. A mere decade later, Cold War hysteria and intimidation pushed Yergan away from progressive politics and increasingly toward conservatism. In his later years he even became an apologist for apartheid.
Drawing on personal interviews and extensive archival research, David H. Anthony has written much more than a biography of this enigmatic leader. In following the winding road of Yergan’s life, Anthony offers a tour through the complex and interrelated political and institutional movements that have shaped the history of the black world from the United States to South Africa.

More books from NYU Press

Cover of the book Control by David Henry Anthony, III
Cover of the book Autism and the Myth of the Person Alone by David Henry Anthony, III
Cover of the book The Embattled Constitution by David Henry Anthony, III
Cover of the book Please Don't Wish Me a Merry Christmas by David Henry Anthony, III
Cover of the book Contemporary Israel by David Henry Anthony, III
Cover of the book The Rag Race by David Henry Anthony, III
Cover of the book The Practices of Hope by David Henry Anthony, III
Cover of the book Children, Sexuality, and the Law by David Henry Anthony, III
Cover of the book New and Improved by David Henry Anthony, III
Cover of the book And Gently He Shall Lead Them by David Henry Anthony, III
Cover of the book Punished by David Henry Anthony, III
Cover of the book Opening the Floodgates by David Henry Anthony, III
Cover of the book America’s Forgotten Holiday by David Henry Anthony, III
Cover of the book Children and Youth in a New Nation by David Henry Anthony, III
Cover of the book Mastering Slavery by David Henry Anthony, III
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy