In these tumultuous times, where the rise of fascist ideologies threatens the very fabric of our societies, Spencer Kroll’s masterpiece stands tall as a rallying cry for resistance, courage, and the unwavering pursuit of justice.
We Beat Back The Fascists
The story of a successful American family which questioned the promises of democracy.
As America emerged victorious from WWII, many chose collective strategies to achieve social welfare, similar to those that helped the country survive The Great Depression. Fear of Communist domination was a way of life. In the Summer of 1949, a concert was planned in rural upstate NY to encourage a different direction. The local population’s response was fierce. The lead performer was lynched in effigy and the concertgoers were beaten. A new concert was rescheduled, aided by the strength of organized labor.
The second concert saw a foiled assassination, while union men protected the audience. The conflict foreshadows and stands as a lesson to our current bifurcated interpretation of the news. They Beat Back The Fascists is a completed 59545-word historical novel set in Post Cold War America. Judith Grusman is a dedicated teacher who believes in social justice. She is unafraid of the political conflicts that form around her, as the country descends into hysteria.
THE PEEKSKILL RIOTS
Insurgency. Racial divide. Police collusion. Divided loyalties. Nuclear hysteria. As the facade of a sleepy affluent town is peeled back, a history is revealed that is little told and long forgotten.
Judith Grusman is drawn into the events of Peekskill, as she witnesses a country divided by nuclear hysteria and racism. Judith’s journey, from rural Jewish-American school teacher, to participant in the bloody violence of Peekskill, is told in “They Beat Back The Fascists.” The history of The Cold War and The American Labor Movement is weaved into the story, as the reader learns of the seminal but misguided Civil Rights leader Paul Robeson, and his pivotal performance at Peekskill.
The Peekskill riots of 1949 foreshadow America of today. The similarities are striking and scary. Forces representing a deeply divided country violently confronted each other, while opinions were shaped by sensationalized media sources, whose divergent messaging fed different interpretations of the events.
THE FIRST AMENDMENT
The events of Peekskill in 1949 foreshadow today’s riots of Charlottesville and the killing of African-Americans like George Floyd, at the hands of the police. The story relates the lynching and attempted assassination of Paul Robeson, occurring during the same week as The Soviets tested their first atomic weapon. This is exacerbated by American hysteria over Communist spies and displaced loyalties.
“To what extent are our civil liberties protected?” “What role do we have as citizens for the collective good?” The people who came to Peekskill in 1949 were asking those same questions.
America of 1949 was a world of fear: This fear was exacerbated by those who sought to divide. The dividers chose to use other people to suit their own purpose. And in so doing, they suppressed liberty and free expression. In their defense, they felt justified in their actions, because they felt they were protecting the American way.
I liked the thorough historical context and the blending in of diversified characters. It showed an important link in how we could improve to better understand all people. I learned so much, so many different forces involved, and very good reading. – Amazon Review
-Amazon Review
About the Author
A scientist, physician and writer, Spencer Kroll wrote We Beat Back The Fascists as a historical novel about the Peekskill riots of 1949. Spencer is an internal medicine specialist in New Jersey. His work across multiple disciplines addresses narratives of human experience and highlights scientific interpretation of historical events.
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