Communists on Racial Question :
Black/ Africo American question was a burning issue in 1920 itself among the Communists. Com. John Reed, a white, exposed the Communists to the Communist International(CI). John said that Africo Americans were NOT allowed in the labor unions and party propaganda was banned among the blacks. In July 1928 , 6th Congress of CI taken the race question seriously. CI set up a Negro Commission as sub committee of colonial commission. It’d 32 delegates from 18 countries including India. 7 delegates are from the USA, 5 Africo Americans and 2 whites. Com. Harry Haywood , a delegate, a black man, trained in Communist University of the Toilers of the East better known as Stalin school. It's vey interesting that in 1920s a black man was trained in such political school.
This discussion focused on question self-determination. Fierce discussion on whether Africo-Americans are ‘racial minority’ or ‘oppressed national minority’. Discusssion continued on , is it correct to fit the Africo Amreican question into a simplistic framework of ‘pure proletarian class struggle’. The counter argument is the interests of the Blacks and the white peasants are the same and other side ‘play into the hands of bourgeoisie by arresting the revolutionary class movement of the Black masses and further widening the gulf between the white and similar oppressed groups’. It’s responded with that self determination as struggle attacking the very foundation of American imperialism, an integral part of the struggle of the American working class as a whole. Harry questioned his opponents that how the struggle of Blacks was NOT of itself revolutionary and that it only becomes so when they (the Blacks) fight directly for socialism? It’s interesting that the group is not divided on race lines despite they were discussing the race question, means either side has comrades with mixed races! At one-point Com. Harry lamented to another fellow comrade from Ukraine that how Blacks comrades are NOT understanding his position of self determination.
CI's direction taken seriously by the leadership. The new line committed to the party to champion the Black struggle for “complete and real equality … for the abolition of all kids of racial , social and political inequalities”. It called for an “energetic struggle against any exhibition of white chauvinism” and for “active resistance to lynching”. Also the CI has stressed the need for Black revolutionary workers to resist “petty bourgeois nationalist tendencies”. The CI called upon the CPUSA to “strengthen its work among Negro proletariats,” drawing into its ranks the most conscious elements. It was also to fight for the acceptance of Black workers into unions and allow them t form separate union when necessary. And finally on self determination,
“ In those regions of the south in which compact Negro masses are living , its essential to put forward the slogan of the Right of the Self determination … Negro communists must explain to the Negro workers and peasants that only their close union with their white proletariat and joint struggle with them against the American bourgeoisie can lead to their liberation from barbarous exploitation , and that only the victorious proletarian revolution will completely and permanently solve the agrarian and national question of the Southern United States in the interests of the overwhelming majority of the Negro population of the country”
Com. Harry was PB member between 1931 and 38, he led many inner party struggles on race question. Com. Harry was expelled from the Party by pro Khrushchev's faction after Stalin's death , still he's work is guiding principle. Public trial of August Yoking and organizing Scottsboro boys are land mark movement in the history of race question in the USA during his time. It's NOT only Harry there are bunch of AfAms in the party cadre and leadership like Bayard Rustin et al. W.E.B. Du Bois joined Socialist Party of America and victim of McCarthyism and many more.
Com. Harry writes , "The Negro masses, once the allies of the Northern bourgeoisie (during the Civil War and Reconstruction), have now become the allies of the proletariat. In their struggle for national liberation these masses constitute an important part of the army of the revolutionary proletariat in the struggle for the overthrow of American capitalism. Hence, the victory of the proletarian revolution in the United States and the struggle of the Negro masses for national liberation demand the consummation of a united fighting front of the white toilers and the Negro people against the common enemy, — American imperialism. Such a united front can only be effective on the basis of direct and effective support by the white working class (as the working class of the oppressor nation) to the efforts of the Negro masses to free themselves from the imperialist yoke."
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I used the N word from the original quote.
