Marxists’ Internet Archive
Martin Glaberman
1918 – 2001
“There’s an early article and this comes from a different book where Marx says in order to create a new society we need new people. New people are created in activity and we need a revolution not only because the old ruling class can only be overthrown in a revolution, but you need a revolution in order to transform the people making it. So they become qualified to create a certain society. That’s clearly the reverse of what most Marxists think. Most Marxists think you have to change people. You have to convince them and then you make a revolution, but Marx says no. You make a revolution and that will change them.” – Revolutionary Optimist
Biography
Martin Glaberman referred to himself as an “unreconstructed Johnsonite.” Johnson being the pen named used by the West Indian Marxist C.L.R. James during his time in the United States. Glaberman was a member of the tendency James founded along with Raya Dunayevskaya in 1941, and worked with James until the latter’s death in 1989. During this time Glaberman was the managing editor of such publications as Correspondence, Speaking Out and Speak Out. Glaberman worked as an auto worker for twenty years where he served as a shop steward, committeemen and local union editor. He was Professor Emeritus of Social Science in the College of Lifelong Learning of Wayne State University in Detroit. He was the author of countless articles and pamphlets, as well as a number of books. He died in December 2001.
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Last updated on 24 April 2010