Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
It is gratifying indeed that one of the world’s most eminent opera singers, Bryn Terfel, is performing in two concerts at the National Eisteddfod in Cardiff to celebrate the voice and life of Paul Robeson.
The son of a black slave in the US was a world-famous singer and actor who led a turbulent and courageous life.
When he died in 1976, millions of people around the world mourned the loss of one of the greatest people of the 20th century — a giant of a man who deserves a place alongside Nelson Mandela as a fighter for freedom.
RON JACOBS recommends a book that charts the disparate circumstances that defined the lives of two prominent black Afro-Americans — one a communist, the other an anti-communist
CJ ATKINS commemorates one of the most dramatic moments in working-class history
After Zohran Mamdani’s electoral win, BHABANI SHANKAR NAYAK points to the forgotten role of US communists in New York’s radical politics
DAVID HORSLEY reminds us of the roots and staying power of one of the most iconic festivals around


