Today in history

February 21

1848
The Communist Manifesto, written by 29-year-old Karl Marx with the assistance of Friedrich Engels, was published in London by a group of German-born revolutionary socialists known as the Communist League. The political pamphlet–arguably the most influential in history–proclaimed that “the history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles” and the inevitable victory of the proletariat, or working class, would put an end to class society forever.

Friedrich Engels Karl Marx

1965
Malcolm X, an African-American nationalist and religious leader, was shot and killed by rival Black Muslims in New York City, as he was about to address his Organization of Afro-American Unity at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City’s Washington Heights. He was 39.

Malcolm & Martin: “In 1964, after his break with Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad and following his trips to Africa and to Mecca, Malcolm was seriously questioning black nationalism. He was also beginning to recognize that MLK’s non-violent methods, far from being passive, were actually creating more change than the separatism of the Nation of Islam.
In this same period MLK was beginning to recognize that Malcolm was advocating self-defense, not violence.
In March Malcolm and Martin encountered one another by chance at a news conference in Washington, D.C. Subsequently Malcolm spoke at several rallies in support of the civil rights movement, and in February 1965, two weeks before his assassination, he went to Selma to meet with King.”– Grace Lee Boggs

“You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.”
–“Prospects for Freedom in 1965,” speech, January 7 1965.

1972
The trial began for Father Philip Berrigan and six other activists (the “Harrisburg Seven”) in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, charging an alleged plot to kidnap Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Proceedings later ended in a mistrial.

1989
Vaclav Havel is jailed for antigovernment demonstrations. Later becomes be president of the Czech Republic.