Jack Shulman

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This article is about the political activist Jack Shulman, born in 1914, Rochester, New York, died in 1999 in New York City. See below for other persons named Jack Shulman.

Jack Shulman, Jacob Shulman, is notable mainly for his dissatisfaction with the Communist Party USA's turn away from Stalinism following Khrushchev's secret speech in 1956. Following his resignation from the Party Shulman traveled to Albania and China in pursuit of his political objectives. He was born and raised in New York, was a member of the Young Communist League from 1930 and served in the Lincoln Brigade during the Spanish Civil War and in United States Army during World War II. In the early 50s he worked in the South in the Party's organizing efforts with African Americans. He was for several years William Z. Foster's secretary. Foster, who died in the Soviet Union in 1961 while seeking medical treatment was also dissatisfied with the Soviet turn toward revisionism.

Shulman visited Albania then worked as an editor of English language publications during the Cultural Revolution in Beijing. As China itself began to display revisionist tendencies Shulman grew closer to the Albanian Party of Labor. He returned to the United States, published Albania Report and organized the USA-Albania Friendship Association. He had good relationships with the India-Albania Friendship Association and Indian Marxist-Leninists. After the fall of communism in Albania he participated in the Alliance Marxist-Leninist (North America) and supported International Struggle Marxist-Leninist (ISML). He was associated with the British Marxist-Leninist W. B. Bland. He was married three times. The ashes of his third wife, Ruth, are buried in the Martyr's Hill in Tirana.

His son Norman, an American draft dodger who joined him in China during the Vietnam War, married Jan Wong, a Canadian journalist, after the Shulmans left China during the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution.