The Radical Politics of Nina Simone
By Chardine Taylor-Stone

Nina Simone, who died on this day in 2003, is often remembered for her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement – but she was also a socialist who saw revolution as the path to true equality.

We never talked about men or clothes. It was always Marx, Lenin and revolution – real girls’ talk.’ – Nina Simone

Nina Simone’s remark about not discussing fashion but ‘Marx, Lenin and revolution’ offers a glimpse into the daily political life of Simone away from her more well-known story as civil rights activist and musician. This ‘girls’ talk’ took place with her friend and playwright Lorraine Hansberry – a conversation between two Black women that, as Simone says, was not about men or clothes, but about the creative work they were producing, and how they saw its role in the liberation of their community.

The Radical Politics of Nina Simone
By Chardine Taylor-Stone

Nina Simone, who died on this day in 2003, is often remembered for her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement – but she was also a socialist who saw revolution as the path to true equality.

We never talked about men or clothes. It was always Marx, Lenin and revolution – real girls’ talk.’ – Nina Simone

Nina Simone’s remark about not discussing fashion but ‘Marx, Lenin and revolution’ offers a glimpse into the daily political life of Simone away from her more well-known story as civil rights activist and musician. This ‘girls’ talk’ took place with her friend and playwright Lorraine Hansberry – a conversation between two Black women that, as Simone says, was not about men or clothes, but about the creative work they were producing, and how they saw its role in the liberation of their community.

https://tribunemag.co.uk/2023/04/the-radical-politics-of-nina-simone-2