May 01

Raya Dunayevskaya was a Ukrainian-American philosopher and activist best known for developing Marxist humanism. Born in 1910 near Kiev, she emigrated to the United States as a child and became involved in socialist politics during the Great Depression. A student of Leon Trotsky, she later broke with traditional Trotskyist groups to articulate a philosophy centered on human freedom and dignity. In 1943, she founded the organization News and Letters to promote her ideas at the intersection of Marx and Hegel. Her major works include "Marxism and Freedom" and "Philosophy and Revolution", which continue to influence scholars and activists worldwide. Dunayevskaya's commitment to theory and praxis made her a pioneer in American leftist thought until her death in 1987.