Not much is known about Lucy Parsons, she was a private person who believed speaking more about her cause then herself was the way to furthering her movements. She was a feminist, an early civil rights activist, an anarchist, supporter to labor movements, a passionate orator, a writer and was most known for her part in the “Haymarket Affair”.
Lucky Ella Gonzales Parsons was, like many Americans, a melting pot of different races. She was Black, Mexican and Native-American. She was discriminated against because of these races and because she was a woman. To try and evade prejudices she went by many surnames and hid her African roots. She was born in Texas in 1853, many believe as a slave and grew up to marry Albert Parsons whom was once a soldier for the confederate army. He, at one point, supported slavery but later denounced it, personally apologizing to the Black nanny that raised him. To try and evade the pressure of racism in the south, including the threat of her husband being lynched for registering black voters, the couple moved North, to Chicago, where they would join the anarchist party and found the International Working People's Association. Through these organizations they fought for political prisoners, minorities and women. The main focus of this group and Lucy herself was class politics. She felt that it was the class problem that lead to a great deal of racism. Because of these alliances Albert lost his job and Lucy supported he and their two children through starting a dress-making company. She and a friend began hosting meetings for the International Ladies Garment Workers Union shortly after this new business.
Her husband spoke at many rallies but the one he is most noted for the Haymarket Riot. Lucy and her husband had been supporting the eight-hour day movement for the working class. It was a movement to restrict eight hours as the legal amount of time one could work in a day. The Haymarket riot in Chicago was in support of this cause. It...