A Tribute to Comrade Knut Langsetmo

A strong, quiet man, Knut Langsetmo preferred deeds to unnecessary words. He was only two days away from this 60th birthday. He was a dedicated friend to many and a beloved comrade. Knut was a scientist and a communist, a scholar and a warrior. Born in Norway, Knut grew up in Minnesota. Although a talented student and swimmer, he chose to work as a truck driver for several years after high school. This experience helped develop his anti-racist, pro-working class political consciousness, as well as the grit and work-ethic that made him a successful scientist.
In his mid-twenties, Knut enrolled at the University of Minnesota to study biology, eventually earning a PhD. It was here that he met the International Committee Against Racism and the Progressive Labor Party, beginning a lifelong commitment to organizing for an egalitarian society.  He also joined the National Guard to win GIs away from serving the U.S. war machines.
During the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, neo-Nazi and Klan organizations attempted to hold rallies in Minnesota and other parts of the Midwest. Knut helped to lead workers and students to oppose these groups. Drawing on his experience in the military, he drilled groups of students and workers in preparation for attacking these fascists. He provided tactical leadership at many anti-fascist counter demonstrations, forcing the racists to crawl back into their holes.
At the University of Minnesota, Knut was active in the anti-apartheid movement on campus. He was a key leader in the demonstration that seized the administration building, demanding the university divest its investments in South Africa. Knut later moved to Boston to do his post-doctoral work at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In spite of the heavy academic demands placed on him, he remained an active member of the Boston PLP organization. There were many tense and sometimes violent demonstrations against the local racists, the Klan and the police.
Knut enthusiastically participated in all of these demonstrations as well as distributing literature, organizing study groups, social events and other Party building activities.
Knut made a key contribution to the communist movement by helping to establish the web version of CHALLENGE newspaper. He recognized early on that the internet could be an important tool for spreading ideas and organizing political activity. For many years, he maintained the www.plp.org website, scanned and digitized key Party documents and many articles from PLP magazine, The Communist. This was especially important to the international work of the Party, enabling groups of workers and students from around the world to study PLP’s ideas.
In his scientific career, Knut was very forthright about his political convictions. You could always find CHALLENGE and other political literature when visiting his lab or office. After leaving MIT, Knut went to Boston Biological Research Institute (BBRI) where he spent the majority of his career. There he became the go-to person for the many experiments being conducted, often putting others’ work before his own. He became a teacher and mentor for dozens of young scientists. What he contributed to these young co-workers was more than just scientific techniques and procedures. He shared with them a communist understanding of the world and the need to change the social order.
This past spring, Knut learned that he had late-stage cancer. He thought first about the impact that this would have on his family, especially his teenage daughter Signe, as well as his friends. He fought to maintain an upbeat attitude for the many people who came to visit. Although he had been dealt a horrible hand, Knut felt that he was fortunate to have lived the life he did. He understood the world both scientifically and politically. He fought courageous battles against racism and capitalist exploitation, and for communism that will have a lasting impact. He was a great father and a wonderful friend. His life was special, not only because he understood the world, but because he had worked to change it. Bella Ciao comrade Knut, rest assured, you will be remembered.