8 O'CLOCK BUZZ - John Handcox: Sharecropper’s Troubadour

January 16, 2017

Descended from African American slaves, Native Americans, and white slaveowners, John Handcox survived attempted lynchings, floods, droughts, and the ravages of the Great Depression to organize black and white farmers alike on behalf of the Southern Tenant Farmers Union. He also became one of the most beloved folk singers of the prewar labor movement, composing songs such as “Roll the Union On” and “There Is Mean Things Happening in this Land.”  Handcox resurfaced in the 1980s to speak out against the election of Ronald Reagan. Historian and Guggenheim Fellow Michael K. Honey chronicles Handcox’s remarkable  life in his book, “Sharecropper’s Troubador.”

Host Brian Standing interviews author, historian Michael Honey, on the phone.

Click here to listen on SoundCloud.