History - Counterfire

Engels: a working class hero

The life long comrade of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels made a huge contribution to socialist ideas and to revolutionary activity. Lindsey German looks at his legacy

Who was Mary Wollstonecraft?

Following the recent controversy around a new statue commemorating Mary Wollstonecraft, Jaqueline Mulhallen looks at the life and times of this radical figure

Walter Rodney: Marxist, Pan-African, organic intellectual

Sean Ledwith recounts the socialist revolutionary Walter Rodney's many accomplishments and intellectual prowess

Theatre and the struggle against apartheid

Jacqueline Mulhallen on theatre and the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa and Britain

Confronting boxing's segregation history

Imperialist and racist tactics were used to attempt to ensure both literal and symbolic white dominance of the sport, argues Gavin Lewis

Claudia Jones: Communism and the Notting Hill Carnival

As well as founding the Notting Hill Carnival, Claudia Jones lived a revolutionary life fighting for black liberation and socialism, writes Lucy Nichols

What about the beat?

While much of the discourse around popular music might emphasise the importance of singers, it’s really all about the beat, argues Martin Hall

The revolutionary Beethoven

In the 250th year of Beethoven's birth, Chris Wright reflects on the revolutionary edge of the great composer's music

'True Black music will be heard tonight': the life, music and politics of Rahsaan Roland Kirk

The political activism of this talented jazz musician is often overlooked, but it's a legacy worth remembering, writes Dave Randall

The Sharecroppers' Union: against landlord, sheriff and Klan

The Alabama Sharecroppers' Union was one of the most impressive social movements in 20th century America, writes Reuben Bard-Rosenberg

Macron in Beirut: stagecraft in the service of imperialism

Macron’s posturing as Lebanon’s saviour is deeply cynical, given the country’s colonial past and experience of neoliberal ‘reform’, argues Susan Ram

Solidarity part three: the collapse

To mark the 40th anniversary of Solidarity in Poland, Jacqueline Mulhallen and William Alderson look at the rise of the movement, its struggle with the regime, and its collapse

Engels: a working class hero

The life long comrade of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels made a huge contribution to socialist ideas and to revolutionary activity. Lindsey German looks at his legacy

Who was Mary Wollstonecraft?

Following the recent controversy around a new statue commemorating Mary Wollstonecraft, Jaqueline Mulhallen looks at the life and times of this radical figure

Walter Rodney: Marxist, Pan-African, organic intellectual

Sean Ledwith recounts the socialist revolutionary Walter Rodney's many accomplishments and intellectual prowess

Theatre and the struggle against apartheid

Jacqueline Mulhallen on theatre and the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa and Britain

Confronting boxing's segregation history

Imperialist and racist tactics were used to attempt to ensure both literal and symbolic white dominance of the sport, argues Gavin Lewis

Claudia Jones: Communism and the Notting Hill Carnival

As well as founding the Notting Hill Carnival, Claudia Jones lived a revolutionary life fighting for black liberation and socialism, writes Lucy Nichols

What about the beat?

While much of the discourse around popular music might emphasise the importance of singers, it’s really all about the beat, argues Martin Hall

The revolutionary Beethoven

In the 250th year of Beethoven's birth, Chris Wright reflects on the revolutionary edge of the great composer's music

'True Black music will be heard tonight': the life, music and politics of Rahsaan Roland Kirk

The political activism of this talented jazz musician is often overlooked, but it's a legacy worth remembering, writes Dave Randall

The Sharecroppers' Union: against landlord, sheriff and Klan

The Alabama Sharecroppers' Union was one of the most impressive social movements in 20th century America, writes Reuben Bard-Rosenberg

Macron in Beirut: stagecraft in the service of imperialism

Macron’s posturing as Lebanon’s saviour is deeply cynical, given the country’s colonial past and experience of neoliberal ‘reform’, argues Susan Ram

Solidarity part three: the collapse

To mark the 40th anniversary of Solidarity in Poland, Jacqueline Mulhallen and William Alderson look at the rise of the movement, its struggle with the regime, and its collapse