'Black Radical' remembers his days as a Minnesota Communist
Nelson Peery has spent his life as an activist. He grew up in the only black family in Wabasha, Minnesota during the Great Depression, and he went off to serve in a segregated unit in World War II.
His new book, "Black Radical," begins with the story of his return from the war to Minneapolis. In it, Peery vividly depicts his odyssey as a worker, activist, and member of the Communist party.
In addition to observations about the radical movement in Minnesota, the book chronicles his work as a bricklayer and party operative in Detroit, Cleveland and New York.
A film about Nelson Peery's life won an honorable mention at the Minnesota Historical Society's 2007 "Moving Pictures" film competition.
MPR's Tom Crann talked with Nelson Peery.
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