Lorenzo Alfano is a Contemporary History graduate and a Gramsci specialist.
Born this day in 1889, Camilla Ravera led the Communist Party of Italy through its first difficult years under Fascist tyranny. Her story shows how a generation of women became political leaders — by tying their liberation to that of the working class as a whole.
Antonio Gramsci is remembered as a great theorist of modern politics and culture. But he didn’t think big ideas were just a matter for intellectuals — and he insisted that workers must become the leaders of their own organizations.