(Part 1 of the The RFC at 25 and Ethel Rosenberg at 100 series)

What was the cultural context of Ethel’s trial and execution? The era of the 1950's was captivated by the idea of the housewife in her kitchen. This image was used to sell a multitude of products, to remind women of their proper place, and to reassure the war-weary populace that everything was back to normal and “cooking” again.

If she were still living, my grandmother, Ethel Rosenberg, would turn 100 on September 28th of this year.

I’ve always been an avid reader, especially of literary fiction. While I enjoy escaping into a fun novel, most of my favorite books are anything but frivolous reads. Instead, they tend to fall into the category of political fiction, exploring how people deal with forces that are often beyond their control and require them to confront dilemmas with no easy solutions.

When Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were fighting for their lives at the height of the McCarthy-era Red Scare, many high profile people were among the tens of thousands of concerned individuals worldwide who rallied to try to save them. From that dark time to the present, artists have been some of the most prominent individuals to call for justice for the Rosenbergs and to champion the progressive values that Ethel and Julius died defending.

The RFC staff was in a meeting on December 17th, 2014 when our phone rang. One of my co-workers stepped into an office to answer the call. The remaining staff continued talking until we heard her surprised, excited response to the caller, our Board chair, Rafael Rodríguez Cruz. He was on his way to Cuba for an educational trip and was calling from Miami to let us know that President Obama had announced plans to normalize relations with Cuba and release the remaining incarcerated members of the Cuban 5.