Essay: The Influence of the CPUSA on African Americans in the 1930s

The slavery that Africans endured, including being kidnapped, beaten, shipped, and forced to work day-in and day-out, was justified by imperial nations’ need for labor and economic stability. As slavery spread from the heart of Africa to the Caribbean, South America, and eventually the United States, the conditions that the Africans faced failed to improve. Even as slavery was abolished in the US, the African Americans were still segregated from the whites in the simplest of daily activities including getting a drink from the water fountain. Though slavery was no longer legally allowed, lynchings and shootings still took place as well as opposition from almost every group in society. Aside from the African Americans, many other factional groups were forming in the United States due to the existence of vastly different ideas among groups of people. In 1917, the Bolshevik Revolution took place when the working class and peasants rose up in Russia, inspiring many other revolutionaries and radicals to appear in all parts of the world. The US, a place where new ideas were constantly being spread, became a home to the creation of the Communist Party of America (CPUSA) in 1919.
Throughout American history, and even in some cases today, the term “communism” is surrounded mostly by a negative connotation and brings forth a great amount of fear. The hysteria that existed pertaining to the perceived threat inflicted by communists was known as the Red Scare. Two distinct time periods are defined by this intense fear of communism. The first took place in the years following the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, while the second occurred in the years after World War II which ultimately led to the Cold War. In the 1930’s, as the American economy was plummeting, major developments took place within the Communist Party. The Communist Party of America (CPUSA) was organized in 1919 and the policies that it carried out during the 1930’s are vital components which aided the emergence of the Civil Rights Movement.
The CPUSA was, at the time, an extremely controversial party which seemed to advocate for humanitarian causes. The introduction of this Party came at an incredibly crucial time. The existence of black political organizations, like the NAACP, were at an all time low. Not only did the CPUSA claim to side with anti-colonialism and other national liberation movements, but they also supported racial equality and civil rights for African Americans. The 1930’s was a time period that consisted of many efforts by this party to gain the attention and support of the black community. One its first major efforts occurred in 1928 at the Sixth Congress of the Comintern and is marked by the passing of the 1928 Comintern Resolution on the Black National Question. Under this resolution, the Communist Party was ordered to develop a separate nation for African Americans located within the “black belt”. The widespread term known as the “black belt” expanded from Virginia to Texas and was upheld by a positive image of solidarity. During this time period, many African Americans were primarily concentrated in the southern states. Here, under the illiberal Jim Crow Laws, the African American community had a limited, if not negligible, political voice. The CPUSA took it upon themselves to challenge the Jim Crow System while attempting to “make every effort to draw Negro proletarians into active work in the party, [and] not confining the activities of the Negro comrades exclusively to the work among the Negroes” (Young 8). This resolution was one of the first major steps that the CPUSA took towards including African Americans in the activities that went on in the party. The ideal implemented the notion of constant interaction and involvement between African Americans and the rest of the party; whether it was on a personal level, at a party or play, or on a political level, during a council meeting or lecture, the CPUSA actively involved members of the African American community during its early years.
The “black belt” theory molded the CPUSA’s anti-racist efforts. As inflation in the US quickly rose and the American economy collapsed, so did unemployment, especially for African Americans. To be exact, unemployment for blacks ranged from forty to fifty five percent, and there was often no sign of relief for their economic instability. At this point in time, it was very hard for any existing black organizations like the NAACP and UNIA to make any economic progress. As a result, the CPUSA took the role of advocating for the working rights blacks, white workers, and farmers by becoming involved in several labor movements in the South. This Party’s efforts increased its number of black members significantly because of how dedicated they were towards helping the African Americans and because of how successful they were in forming mass organizations and campaigns to boost their cause. Along with the CPUSA’s attraction to many blacks, the writer Andor Skotnes, explains that the Party had done what “no other predominantly White organization in the region had ever done before, that anti-racism had to be integral to every struggle” (Skotnes 5).
The Communist Party was one of the first white organizations to become affiliated with the issue of discrimination and racial equality. They proved this when they advocated for the Scottsboro Boys in 1931. When nine African American youth were on a freight train, two white prostitutes falsely accused them of rape. This event symbolized the oppression of the blacks, and the CPUSA quickly became involved to assist with the boys’ defense. The International Labor Defense was organized by the Party in order to prove the innocence of the boys, as they would have died in the electric chair if proven guilty. Many members of the CPUSA contributed to the defense effort by making posters, writing articles, and bringing this issue to the world’s attention, emphasizing their commitment to anti-racism. Eventually, all of these efforts saved the lives of the boys that were accused, and also led to some of the events that took place throughout the Civil Rights Movement, including the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and 1963 March on Washington. For example, the success of the Party’s tactics, making pamphlets, newspaper articles, organizing marches and anti-lynching rallies, were used by black activists down the road when fighting for justice during the Civil Rights Movement. The Scottsboro case not only proved the CPUSA’s promise to help African Americans, but also highlighted how well protesting and non-violent techniques worked to achieve justice. Their efforts gained the respect and attention of thousands of people which led some groups, like the NAACP, to believe the CPUSA used this case as propaganda towards their own cause and to gain publicity. The CPUSA, however, continued to try and prove to blacks that their work contributed solely towards racial equality.
This determination to reach racial equality was incredibly appealing to many African Americans and “many Afro-Americans were deeply impressed by the seriousness with which the Communists challenged long-standing behaviors” (Naison 325). Their efforts certainly did not stop with the Scottsboro Boys case. As the Harlem Renaissance gained momentum, the CPUSA latched onto this social movement as a way to recruit more black members. The Communist Party found a home in Harlem during this the 1930’s by helping fund certain cultural organizations such as the Federal Negro Theater, which enabled black plays to come to life, and also the Harlem Community Arts Center, which provided a stage for Harlem artists. At this time, the Communist Party was portrayed as supporting racial equality more than either the Socialist or Republican party, which influenced many blacks to join. Claude McKay’s book, The Negroes in America, discusses the issues of non-communist African Americans supporting Republican and Socialist Party leaders during the Harlem Renaissance. McKay argues the point that, “the Negro Communist is far ahead of the masses of his own race and white liberal reformers who are the voice of negro masses” (McKay 17). The Party’s dauntless attempts to fight discrimination and improve the lives of many black families did not go unnoticed.
The CPUSA influenced many soon-to-be black activists through their emphasis on determination and organization within the party, which later would be a critical factor in the success of the Civil Rights Movement. There were many other important figures during this time period that agreed with the ideas of McKay- that leaders must rise up within the black community in order for change to be made. For example, Richard Wright was an author during the Harlem Renaissance who discussed his beliefs in his piece, I Tried to Be a Communist, and stated that African Americans were, “misled, hopeless, and corrupted” without instruction from the Communist Party. Therefore, the CPUSA not only fought for the racial equality for blacks, but also taught them how to rise up on their own (through protests, journalism, and campaigns), which would be crucial strategies during the Civil Rights Movement.
There were many clear-cut attempts made by the CPUSA to fight discrimination and strive towards racial equality. Whereas some black organizations like the UNIA focused solely on justice for African Americans, the CPUSA’s efforts were aimed towards uniting African Americans and whites. Sufi Abdul Hamid, a supporter of Marcus Garvey, initiated a campaign called “Don’t Buy Where You Can’t Work” which was targeted at stores who refused to employ black workers. Hamid’s plans were for black workers to completely take the role of white workers, while the CPUSA had other goals. Focusing on uniting both groups, the CPUSA joined the efforts of this campaign, but altered its position on the subject. Their campaign consisted of protests, picket lines, and other demonstrations with hopes that blacks would make up fifty percent of the workforce and no white workers would be replaced. African Americans were not the only ones who faced unemployment, and the CPUSA made it their mission to unite both groups against racism and unemployment.
The CPUSA had a long-term impact on American society and government in the 1930’s which was a component that led to the success of the Civil Rights Movement. Many people who were trained in the CPUSA became activists for the Civil Rights Movement. Rosa Parks, for example attended the Highlander Folk School, located in Tennessee, whose purpose was to teach the importance of nonviolent forms of protest like civil disobedience. In fact, this school was started by two of the members of the Communist Party, Myles Horton and James Dombrowski. This school aimed to teach activists how to successfully carry out marches, strikes, and picket lines. Rosa Parks was one of these activists and is known as the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement” for taking part in the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955.
The Montgomery Bus Boycott sparked the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. In 1955, Parks enrollment in the Highlander Folk School gave her a sound understanding of race relations and how to properly perform non-violent civil disobedience. On December 1st, 1955, Parks decided to sit in the front of the bus because all other parts were full. When the bus driver noticed her sitting in the prohibited section, she was forced to give up her seat to a white person and stand instead. Despite the driver’s orders, Parks refused to give up her seat, and as a result, was arrested. This form of non-violent civil disobedience was a strategy focused on at the Highlander Folk School and carried out by the CPUSA.  Rosa Park’s disobedience encouraged other boycotts, protests, and marches to take place that eventually led to the granting of long-awaited civil rights to African Americans.
The CPUSA’s effect on African Americans in the United States will have everlasting effects, especially on the Civil Rights Movement that took place during the 1950’s and 1960’s. Though there were apparent flaws in the Communist Party, especially after the 1930’s, there are clear examples that highlight the Party’s need to fight against oppression and racial inequality. There are many groups that fail to recognize any achievements of the CPUSA and neglect to see them as an aid for the black community. The argument that exists regarding this issue is that the Party pursued attempts to benefit African Americans for their own benefit. Rather than focusing on reaching justice, groups like the NAACP viewed their efforts as a means to gain popularity in a capitalist nation.
Left-wing groups like the CPUSA shed light on the importance of using defense campaigns and other mass movements to achieve justice. They prove this with their defense of the Scottsboro Case, their contributions during the Harlem Renaissance, and the unity of blacks and whites on several occasions.