A Life in Red reveals the true story of star-crossed lovers Herbert Newton, a black communist seeking the end of an oppressive America, and Jane Newton, the white daughter of a wealthy American Legion commander, and their part in the Depression-Era, communist fight for a black sovereign nation.Readers will be introduced to a largely ignored piece of civil rights history that unfolded a quarter century before the mass protests that began in the 1950s. The Newtons love story underscores the fraught times of a segregated and flailing country, while David Beasleys account of the movement s history creates a full and layered backdrop. Including the attempt to unionize Southern workers, the trial of the Atlanta Six, and other major turning points, the book explores communists endeavor to utilize the black communitys anger and oppression to fuel a deflated movement on American soil.
