To balance our last classroom featuring Salaria Kea, an African-American nurse who volunteered in the fight against the fascists during the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s, we profile the adventurous life of Oliver Law. Like Kea, Law was a member of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, and like her he was among the Black Americans who supported Ethiopia in its battle against the Italian invasion of that African nation.
Law was born in west Texas on Oct. 23, 1900. He was 19 when he joined the U.S. Army and served as a private in the 24th Infantry Regiment, an all-Black unit stationed on the Mexican border. He was in the military for six years. After being discharged from service, he moved to Indiana, where he worked in a cement plant.
He arrived in Chicago as the Great Depression was gradually sweeping the land. He drove a taxi before finding work on the city’s waterfront as a stevedore. In this capacity, he became a member of the International Longshoremen’s Association.
After his small restaurant failed, he joined the federal Works Project Administration, and his versatility was needed in a number of jobs. Law was among a coterie of activists of this era who marched in defense of the Scottsboro Boys, nine youths accused of raping two white women. This commitment put him in close association with other passionate activists, and soon he was a member of International Labor Defense and assisting people who had been evicted from their homes. These activities were connected to his affiliation with the Organization of the International Unemployment Day and its demonstration on March 6, 1930. During the demonstration, Law, Joe Dallet, Steve Nelson and 11 other activists were arrested and badly beaten by the police. Two weeks after the beatings, Law had recovered sufficiently to march with 75,000 demonstrators to demand unemployment insurance. In 1932, he joined the Communist Party.
Law was arrested in 1935 for his fiery speeches in support of Ethiopia, which was at war with Italy. It was through this involvement that he met Kea and a prominent Black Communist, Harry Haywood.
By 1936, Law was married to Corrine Lightfoot, whose brother, Clause, was a prominent leader in the Communist Party. At the end of the year, he was a member of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, and by the turn of the year, he was on his way to Spain to join the fight there against the nationalists and their leader, Francisco Franco.
Law’s first assignment was with a machine gun unit, where his military experience immediately elevated him to a leadership position. His leadership was tested again and again during the battle at Jarama River. He was such a seasoned fighter that he was soon put in command of the entire Brigade. Some controversy arose over his leadership performance after an attack on Villanueva de la Canada. Still, he received a citation for his bravery under fire.
Law’s overall ability on the field of battle was highly commended, and the battalion commander recommended that he attend officer’s candidacy school. When the commander of the battalion became ill, Law was chosen to replace him. In the Battle of Brunete, Law was in charge during the first days of combat. Brunete was a major battle, and the 80,000 Republican soldiers were formidable until Franco sent in his reserves.
The Abraham Lincoln Brigade and its allies suffered tremendous losses, and Law was killed on July 10 leading his men in an attack on Mosquito Crest, although this information has been contested. According to some eyewitnesses, Law was an incompetent office whose lack of leadership skills was responsible for some of the deaths. There is also an account that says Law was actually killed by his own men. Was there racism in the ranks of the Brigade? Were there white members who detested Law’s experience and military background? We recall how Kea, a nurse, was treated on her trip to Spain when a white medical officer refused to let her sit at the same dining table as the other medical personnel.
After the war, an anti-Communist, William Herrick, claimed that Law had been murdered by his own men, who objected to being led by a Black man, according to an article by the Spartacus Educational website. This claim has been dismissed by Harry Fisher, the battalion runner, who took part in the offensive: “He was the first man over the top. He was in the furthest position when he was hit by a fascist bullet in the chest.” David Smith, the medic who attempted to staunch the bleeding with a coagulant, also confirmed that he had been killed by the Nationalists.
Paul Robeson was in Spain when Law and other Black members of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade were there on the front line. Robeson spoke volumes about Law’s gallantry when he noted, “I would like to make a film on the life of a Black commander of the Lincoln Battalion in the International Brigades who died there, but this would be refused by the big Yankee movie companies.”
Robeson was obviously referring to Law, and the film was never made.