August 31, 2021 marked 100 years since the birth of Jean Brust, a leading figure in the socialist movement in the United States. Jean become a founding member of the Workers League, the predecessor of the Socialist Equality Party, and was part of the leadership of the American and world Trotskyist movement for the rest of her life.

This interview with Comrade Jean, initially recorded in August 1995, was conducted by Fred Mazelis, a leading member of the Socialist Equality Party and a founding member of the Workers League. Jean died two years after the interview was conducted, on November 24, 1997.

In the interview, Jean reviews critical early experiences in the fight for Trotskyism in the United States, including the role of the Trotskyist movement in the bitter class battles of the 1930s, the faction fight within the Socialist Workers Party in 1939-40, the impact of the Stalinist assassination of Leon Trotsky in August 1940, and the persecution of leading Trotskyists during World War II.

To mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Jean Brust, the WSWS has published an exhibit featuring essays on her life and political significance.