Albert Einstein was a German-born American physicist born in 1879. World-renowned for his theory of relativity (E=mc2), he is also recognized as a humanist. Indeed, throughout his life, he was involved in a number of pacifist causes.
In the spring of 1933, while in Germany, Einstein witnessed the anti-Semitic measures taken by the Nazi party. As honorary president of the League Against Anti-Semitism, he strongly denounced these actions and worked to raise public awareness of what he described as “acts of brutal force and oppression [...] against the Jews [...]”. Some time later, Einstein decided to leave Germany for the USA.
In the United States, Albert Einstein observed the context of racial discrimination, which he considered very unfair. He campaigned for civil rights and against racism. He refused to associate himself with universities that practiced segregation, and worked to ensure that black children had access to knowledge.
During the Cold War, he took a stand against the arms race, calling on all peoples to find another way to achieve peace. He also published a text denouncing McCarthyism in the United States during this period, which earned him the title of “Enemy of America” by Joseph McCarthy.