Centennial Commemoration of Eugene Debs’ Canton Speech

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 5th, 2018

Centennial Commemoration of Eugene Debs’ Canton Speech
Local organizations to commemorate 100-year anniversary on June 16th

Canton, OH: The Akron chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, along with local partner and allied organizations, will be commemorating the 100-year anniversary of Eugene V. Debs’ famous Canton speech on June 16th at Courthouse Plaza located downtown at 209 Tuscarawas Street West, beginning at 12pm.

Eugene V. Debs was a labor organizer and the Socialist Party’s candidate for U.S. president five times between 1900 and 1920. In 1918, he made his famous anti-war speech in Canton, Ohio, protesting World War I which was raging in Europe. For this speech he was arrested and convicted in federal court in Cleveland, Ohio under the war-time espionage law.

The commemoration will feature a recitation of the original speech, and music performances by The Angie Haze Project and The Olde Crusty Minstrels. Participating organizations include the International Socialist Organization, and the Labor Education & Arts Project. A live stream of the event and additional info on the commemoration can be found at AkronDSA.org/Debs

About Akron DSA, Inc.:  Akron DSA serves as the Akron, Ohio local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America and is an Our Revolution affiliate. Our goal is to make Akron and the surrounding area a better place for everyone through grassroots activism rooted in socialist ideals.