Breitman, George (1916–1986)

BORN IN A WORKING-CLASS neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey, George Breitman's formal involvement in leftist politics started when he was barely out of his teens. His father's early death forced his older sister to quit school and support their family. She joined the Young Communist League and was a strong influence in the development of Breitman's political beliefs. His first job after graduating from high school was as a construction laborer with the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), and later, with the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

In 1935, he became a part of the American Trotskyist movement as a member of the Spartacus Youth League and shortly thereafter, as a member of the Workers Party. By the time he was 20 years old, he had been arrested ...