William Katz Archives

Feb. 2, 1512: Taíno Leader Hatuey Executed in Cuba

Hatuey was a freedom fighter in the early 1500s who mobilized Caribbean islanders against invasion, theft, and murder by European conquistadors.

This Day in History by William Loren Katz

Lucy Gonzales Parsons

Profile. By William Loren Katz.
Lucy Gonzales Parsons (c. 1853 – March 7, 1942) was a labor organizer and orator.

Teaching Activity by William Loren Katz

Lucy Gonzales Parsons | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

Lucy Parsons: More Dangerous Than a Thousand Rioters

On March 7, 1942, 89-year-old Lucy Gonzales Parsons died in a house fire in Chicago. On this anniversary of her death and in honor of Women's History Month, we share this essay about her life by William Loren Katz, author of Black Indians: A Hidden Heritage. As Katz explains, Parsons was such a renowned labor organizer and orator that one Chicago official called her “more dangerous than a thousand rioters.”

The Lincoln Brigade: A Picture History

Book — Non-fiction. By William Loren Katz and Marc Crawford. 2013. 196 pages.
Interviews, documents, and photos from the first fully integrated United States army, who volunteered to help Spain defend its democracy against fascism.

Teaching Activity by William Loren Katz

Why I’m Rooting for Tommy Lee Jones

Article. By William Katz. 2013.
An opportunity to highlight Congressman Thaddeus Stevens' fight for equality.

William Loren Katz: A People’s Historian

Profile. A brief biography based on an interview of historian and author William Loren Katz.

The Politics of Thanksgiving Day

By William Loren Katz With family excitement building with the approach of Thanksgiving, you would never know November was Native American History Month. President Obama had publicly announced the month, but many more Americans will be paying attention to his announcement of Thanksgiving.

The Birth of a Nation: A Century Later

By William Loren Katz By an odd coincidence the first week of Black History Month this February, Time magazine ran an article on the 100th anniversary of the first public showing of the movie classic The Birth of a Nation. This silent film was Hollywood’s first blockbuster, first great historical epic, first full-length film, and first to introduce modern cinematic techniques that still keep audiences enthralled. Time noted the movie’s problem. From its casting and content to its dramatic conclusion it was unabashedly racist.

Flight from the Devil: Six Slave Narratives

Book — Non-fiction. Compiled and with an introduction by William Loren Katz. 1996. 434 pages.
Six narratives by people who were enslaved that helped expose the horrors of slavery and advance the fight for abolition.

Teaching Activity by William Loren Katz

Black Indians: A Hidden Heritage

Book — Non-fiction. By William Loren Katz. 2012. 272 pages.
History book for ages 10 to adult that traces relations between Blacks and American Indians since the time of the conquest.

Teaching Activity by William Loren Katz