Harry Bridges Quotes
No man has ever been born a Negro hater,
a Jew hater, or any other kind of hater.
Nature refuses to be involved in such
suicidal practices.
Bridges, Harry. Editorial. The Dispatcher, International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union, 1943.
This musical was a profound attack on the essence of racial segregation at a time when discrimination was legal and practiced throughout the country and almost universally in the South. Southern politicians castigated the song, the show, and especially Hammerstein who they called a Communist for promoting such radical views. Ironically, South Pacific became one of the most frequently produced High School Shows by 1979 and remained so into the 21st century including in the South. See {634644} for the lyrics to his most famous political song.
Harry Bridges was an Australian-born American union leader, first with the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA). In 1937, he led several chapters in forming a new union, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), expanding members to workers in warehouses, and led it for the next 40 years. He was prosecuted for his labor organizing and believed subversive status by the U.S. government during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, with the goal of deportation. This was never achieved.
