Red Sonoma: Communism and Radical Politics in Sonoma County September 16, 2010

When we think of Socialism and Communism, most of us think of the Soviet Union, the Cold War and perhaps Cuba. But Communism is an idea with a lengthy history, extending back centuries before the word Communism existed. Even here in Northern California, in Sonoma County, the history of socialist communities and experimentation extends back before the Twentieth Century. It never came close to being the dominant political system, but the clash between its proponents and enemies reverberates through the history of the North Bay. The peak of the clash between American identity and Communist ideals came about in the depths of the Depression and the absolute height of labor strife on the West Coast of the United States. In 1935 two communist labor organizers were kidnapped, tarred and feathered, and paraded through Santa Rosa. News of the violence spread internationally and it would prove to be one of the most infamous events in Sonoma County history. The exhibition 'Red Sonoma' explores the history of communism and radical politics in Sonoma County, from the nineteenth century utopian community, Icaria Speranza, to the McCarthy era and loyalty oaths of the 1950s and '60s.