Today we observe the birthday of Louise Michel—schoolteacher, poet, fiction author, and popularizer of the black flag as the symbol of anarchism.

In the article "Heroines of the Revolution," the daily paper of the Paris Commune described her thus: "An energetic woman is fighting in the ranks of the 61st battalion. She has killed several police officers."

Nonetheless, a square is named for her in Paris today.

Read about her role in the Paris Commune:

crimethinc.com/arch18

Read about her role popularizing the black flag:

crimethinc.com/TheBlackFlag