Texas Leftism

It is a common practice for people to criticize and oppose their ideological opposites without making any kind of attempt to firmly understand that ideology’s history and perspectives. The resulting unawareness of a specific ideology can lead to the formation of generalizations, stereotypes, and biases. In that direction, most Americans stereotypically view Texas as a predominantly conservative state. Although that viewpoint might be true to a certain extent, people tend to unintentionally miss or purposely ignore the tradition and efforts of the Left or liberal elements in Texas and thereby their place in Texas history. In The Texas Left; The Radical Roots of Lone Star Liberalism, David Cullen and Kyle Wilkison to further readers’ understanding
Cullen and Wilkison have collected eleven essays that feature thoughtful perspectives of fourteen authors concerning the struggles of the Leftist Texans for equality and deeper democracy. Although there is back and forth movement, the essays are maximally organized in a chronological way, beginning with the editors’ introductory essay. The particular essay broadly examines the changes that has happened in Texas historiography and thereby serves as a suitable prelude to other authors’ assessment of Texas’ history. Normally in edited volumes such as this book, the weakness will be that the included essays might appear as unrelated puzzle pieces that stand separately. However, in The Texas Left, the editors with the cooperation of writers have logically and effectively connected the several threads of Texas history and provided a coherent book, which is its major strength. In the earlier times and even now, the popular perception of Texas is dominated by conservatism, which is punctuated and strengthened through images of cowboys, the Alamo, oil barons, and other capitalist symbols. However, as the book optimally integrates the resistance of poor farmers, subjugated laborers, and females against suppression, discrimination and segregation, the “other” Texan political heritage of Leftists emerge strongly. In particular, the beginning chapters compellingly discuss the efforts of activists, such as Lucy Gonzales Parsons, Joshua Hicks, and others, and thereby highlight their roles in causing constructive political, social, and economic changes. Therefore, reading this book enables readers to understand how those Texan movements and individuals influenced and enriched American history. Additionally, readers can discern how specific historic viewpoints expressed in the book have