BDC CH. 7 Flashcards
When did the Scottsboro Affair begin?
March 23, 1931
- during downward plunge of Great Depression
- people began living in “Hoovervilles” (shantytowns) in run down parts of cities
- people began roaming land for food/work
- many traveled on foot/rode rails illegally (jumped on/off moving trains)
(DPPM)
What was the Scottsboro Boys case?
- black/white boys got into fight on train from Chattanooga to Memphis
- whites that were thrown off train went to nearest station saying they were attacked unprovoked
- sheriff searches train + hauls black boys off to Jackson County Jail
- white women on train falsely claimed black boys raped them
- punishment was typically death by either execution/lynching
(BWSWP)
What did Alabama Governor Benjamin Miller do to prevent a mass lynching of the Scottsboro Boys as they headed to Scottsboro?
dispatched militiamen units to Scottsboro
- this type of action had brought sharp decline in lynching since 1920
What was the result of the court trial for the Scottsboro Boys?
- all 9 except 13 year old found guilty
- sentenced the 8 boys to death
AS
What were some factors of the Scottsboro case that lent it to be an unfair trial?
- boys lawyers had no time to prepare a defense
- Judge showed obvious sympathy for girls
- trial concluded in only four days
- guilty verdicts flew in face of forensic evidence (no signs of rape on women)
(BJTG)
What was NAACP Secretary Walter White’s impression of the Scottsboro Boys case?
- was confused/pessimistic
- repelled by the status of the Scottsboro Boys
- NAACP liked to defend educated/well mannered blacks
- Scottsboro boys bad reputation prevented NAACP support
- made White cautious to support them
(WRNSM)
Who would rise to defend the Scottsboro Boys when the NAACP hesitated?
The Communist Party
- persuaded boys/their parents to let them/the Communist ILD represent them
- launched public agitation campaign to save boys
(PL)
What was Walter White’s feeling toward the Communist Party becoming involved in the Scottsboro Boys case?
appalled
- case became tug of war between two orgs.
- argued it would be suicidal to work w/ the Communists
- believed Communists were more concerned w/ discrediting “capitalist courts” than helping boys
- visited the boys/families saying not to work w/ Communists
(CABV)
What did the Scottsboro Boys decide to do after hearing White’s advice w/ the Communists?
stick w/ the Communists + ILD anyway
What were the immediate actions taken by the Communists when it came to the Scottsboro Boys?
- organized meetings + marches + petitions
- sent Scottsboro boys moms on national speaking tours
- messaged endlessly Alabama public officials
- movement spread internationally to Communist chapters (London, Berlin, Cuba, Johannesburg etc.)
(OSSM)
How did the complex nature of he Communist movement amplify its voice?
- controlled many labor unions + defense committees + cultural orgs.
- made Scottsboro campaign seem far more spontaneous than it actually was
- party directives controlled most of actions not spontaneous actions by individuals
(CMP)
Who else came in support of the Scottsboro boys besides the Communists?
- many ordinary citizens attended rallies + donated $$$ + wrote letters to officials
- artists + intellectuals + writers + scientists + politicians
(MA)
What was the result of the appeal of the Scottsboro Boys case in the Supreme Court?
Powell v. Alabama
- victorious
- Court ruled boys had been denied right to “due process” under 14th Amendment
- rescinded guilty verdicts + granted boys rights to new trials
(VCR)
Where was the second trial for the Scottsboro Boys supposed to be held?
Decatur
- Judge James Horton
- one of the most politicized trials in US history
- southern conservatism vs northern liberalism vs international communism
(JOS)
What did the Communist Party + the ILD represent to Southern whites?
everything that they hated
- culturally alien + revolutionary + militantly antiracist
- viewed their involvement as indirect attack on South’s political/economic order
(CV)
How did the Communists + ILD view the South?
- saw it as a hellhole for oppression
- dismissed the charges of black rape as a lie
- wanted black/white masses to overthrow capitalist exploiters
(SDW)
Besides the political/economic challenge brought by the Communists, what did many Southern Whites feel that the Scottsboro case represented?
defense of Southern white womanhood
- white juries rarely found blacks not guilty in rape of white women
- made the task for the defense doubly difficult
- head counsel Liebowitz didn’t help himself by questioning the testimony made by train women
(WMH)
What was the result of the Decatur trial?
found the first boy Haywood Patterson guilty
- sentenced to death
- surprisingly Judge Horton set aside conviction
- Horton deemed white woman’s testimony as unreliable + contradictory to evidence
- concluded rapes didn’t take place
(SSHC)
What was the response by Alabama authorities after Judge Horton decided not to uphold conviction of the Scottsboro Boys?
didn’t give up
- persuaded Horton to step down for other 8 trials
- replaced by Judge William Callahan
- was bias towards defense + looked for speedy conviction of boys
(PRW)
What was the result of the court cases handled by Judge Callahan?
- hostile towards Liebowitz
- didn’t allow questioning regarding train woman’s (Victoria Price) truth in testimony
- neglected to mention acquittal to jury until prompted by defense
- declared boys (Patterson + Norris) guilty + sentenced to death
(HDND)
What happened when the Supreme Court would review Judge Callahan case appeals?
Norris v. Alabama
- Liebowitz argued blacks had been purposely excluded from being on jury
- Court agreed citing clear evidence of racial discrimination
(LC)
What did Alabama prosecutors do even after the second ruling by the Supreme Court to drop the charges against four of the boys?
- still tried Patterson a fourth time
- tried Norris a third time
- tried three others a second time
- all found guilty (received different sentences)
(STTA)
How was the NAACP able to claim some credit for the limited victory of the Scottsboro boys case?
- two ILD lawyers caught trying to bribe Price
- Liebowitz insisted Communist Party bow out of case
- Scottsboro Defense Committee (SDC) thereafter organized boys defense (NAACP coalition)
(TLS)
What happened to the Scottsboro Boys once the SDC/NAACP took control of their case?
- failed to secure pardons for five of the boys
- were able to commute Norris sentence
FW
What did the Communist Party accuse the NAACP of during the Scottsboro Affair?
- bunch of bourgeoise misleaders
- allies of capitalists + enemies of working class
- said Supreme Court victories only concessions to uppity blacks (did nothing for majority)
(BAS)
What did the NAACP accuse the Communist Party/ILD of during the Scottsboro Affair?
- being more concerned w/ discrediting legal system than helping blacks
- accused of swelling party treasury by promoting case
(BA)
When did the communism first start to gain some ground in the US?
Great Depression
- class warfare rhetoric unpopular in 20s
- people began listening as more were bankrupt + starving + unemployed
- Huey Long became popular for attacking the rich
(CPH)
What did many black leaders think of the Communist Party in the US?
- not a legitimate party b/c it had no commitment to democracy/the US
- would stoop low to attract gullible blacks to join
(NW)
What was the Communist Party’s stance on racial discrimination?
highly opposed to it
- regarded blacks as natural recruits to communism
- they were already oppressed + largely propertyless
- recognized the situation of how blacks differed from white workers
- denounced racism as a capitalist device to divide working class
(RTRD)
What policies did the Communist Party adopt to attract blacks in the Deep South?
policy of national self determination
- inspired by Garvey + black nationalism in 20s
- blacks as majority in South have right to national self determination
(IB)
Why did many write off the policy of national self determination?
Stalinist dogma that flew in face of American reality
- idea that Black Belt could form together a separate black nation was ridiculous
What did the policy of self determination symbolize for blacks?
the Communist Party’s commitment to racial equality
- endowed black struggle w/ unprecedented dignity + importance
- underlined commitment by promoting blacks to leadership roles
- selected William Patterson to head the ILD
- sponsored James Ford for US Vice President (1st party to sponsor black VP)
(EUSS)
What was so appealing to blacks + idealistic whites about the Communist Party in the 30s?
only political party that took racial equality seriously
- mounted demonstrations
- formed sharecropper unions in AL + LA
- helped establish more orgs. like ILD devoted to black rights
(MFH)
What were some of the organizations established by the Communist Party that were devoted to black rights?
- National Negro Congress (NNC)
- Student Negro Youth Congress (SNYC)
- The Southern Conference for Human Welfare (SCHW)
(NST)
What have been some of the opinions about the establishment of black rights orgs. by the Communist Party?
- some think they were just fronts created in response to COMINTERN call for antifascist forces in 1935
- some thought they were genuine orgs. not dominated by Communists
(SS)
What was the campaign launched by the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) in 1935?
wanted to unionize workers across blue collar industries
- AFL either relegated blacks to segregated unions/didn’t allow them at all
- CIO made it cardinal principle to organize blacks/whites together
(AC)
What reason did the CIO have for adopting an interracial approach?
- opposition of black workers would’ve been impossible to win strikes/bargaining power
What influence did the Communist Party have in the CIO campaign in 1935?
- many CIO unions gave preferable treatment to white members
- those w/ Communist influence made sure to treat blacks fairly
(MT)
What was the impact of the Scottsboro Affair on the Communist Party in the black community?
- made them a household name in black America
What event caused the Communist Party to greatly increase in support in the 30s?
- the COMINTERN doctrines in favor of the popular front (1928-34)
- # of black members doubled(TN)
Why did the Communist Party fail to establish a mass movement for black equality?
blacks admired Communist militancy but didn’t want to join them
- being a Communist in the South was dangerous
- risked jail + beating + death (AL + LA sharecropper unions met w/ violent repression)
- few blacks wished to associate too closely
(BRF)
What hampered the Communist Party’s growth in the North?
the party’s success in entering political mainstream
- attained union + non-Communist org. influence
- done by concealing party membership + watering down policies
- methods gave it energy/direction but kept its membership small
(ADM)
What were the tactical errors that the Communist Party committed that cost it more support?
- sudden policy shift inspired distrust + cynicism
- caused credit/support from Scottsboro to fade
- party endorsement of Nazi-Soviet pact of ‘39 hurt its prestige + moral authority + credibility
- caused many non-Communists who supported party to become highly anti-Communist
(SCPC)
What was the effect of Roosevelt’s New Deal during the Great Depression on the black community?
- previously federal gov. action seemed to play minimal role in their lives
- now realized federal action seriously affected them
- had the most to gain from the New Deal since they were hit worst by the Depression
- made them start to lean more Democratic
(PNHM)
What did the Great Depression do for the black community?
made them become more class conscious
- had always been people who blamed black oppression on capitalism rather than whites (Socialist opinion)
- poor whites were making up lynch mobs + white labor unions anti-black
- white capitalists were ones funding black education + supporting interracial cooperation
- made blacks rethink Socialist thought
(HPWM)
What role did the Great Depression play in the black/white divide?
was the great leveler
- reduced both blacks/whites to abject poverty
- many blacks concluded troubles stemmed from failing economic system not merely white prejudice
- popular among blacks that race problems were mostly economic + all workers shared common interest
(RMP)
How did opinions of the NAACP change during the Great Depression?
seemed out of touch w/ new mood
- acknowledged economic issues but stuck w/ civil rights emphasis
- relied on tried/true methods of lobbying Congress + using courts
- courtroom triumphs barely affected the lives of ordinary blacks
- whites always found ways around NAACP court victories
(ARCW)
What were the accusations made by the Communist Party against the NAACP during the Great Depression?
- were acting as tool for white ruling class
- were opposing alliance of black/white masses
- these were absurd accusations
(WWT)
What were the accusations made by some NAACP supporters during the Great Depression about the NAACP?
- seemed to be more interested in black middle class during this time than the majority
- was not doing very much for those in poverty in the South
- were urged to adopt an economic program that focused on interracial labor movement
(SWW)
How did the 1930s labor movements make up for the economic shortcomings of the NAACP?
- 1935-45 = CIO created industrial unions on basis of interracial memberships
- CIO substantially improved wages/conditions for black/white workers
- gave blacks new leadership/education opportunities
- provided lessons in mass action
(NCGP)
Why could the 1930s labor movement in of itself bring about racial equality?
- working class unity rarely extended beyond workplace
- whites remained hostile to blacks outside of factory gates
- CIO permitted degree of racial segregation in workplace/union to reach labor compromises
(WC)
- CIO made few inroads in the South
- South highly anti-union
- made majority of blacks left out of labor movement
(SM)
What was a growing opinion among blacks entering the 1930s?
blacks ought to act for themselves
- opinion shared by both black nationalists + people like Du Bois
- DuBois dismissed argument that black advancement should come through black/whites worker bond
- true situation facing blacks was usually choice between segregated institution vs no institution at all
- blacks should organize to provide themselves w/ resources
(ODTB)
Why was DuBois opinion blacks should begin establishing their own institutions for advancement clear sighted?
blacks had already established their own churches/clubs
- were sources of community pride/strength
involuntary segregation was inc.
- racial ghettos growing + New Deal extended segregation to public housing
(BI)
How did DuBois’ campaign for the establishment of black institution formation go?
very little support
- DuBois had an incapacity for popular leadership
- Crisis editorials arguing for segregation made opinions of him even worse (led to NAACP resignation)
(DC)
What were some examples of how blacks were taking self action in the 30s?
- NAPE = union formed by black postal workers
- New Orleans + Gulf Coast dockworkers joined International Longshoremen’s Association
NN
What was the most prominent example of black self action in the 30s?
the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP)
- members were people who waited on luxury passengers of Pullman cars
How did the Pullman Company represent authoritarianism in US big business?
- George Pullman saw himself as benevolent paternalist
- erected a town near Chicago named Pullman to cater to worker needs
- employees hated company town + regarded Pullman as tyrannical autocrat
(GEE)
What was the makeup of the Pullman Company staff?
- whites built the cars but blacks staffed them
- George Pullman originally hired ex-slaves since they were trained in “serving whites”
WG
Why did many blacks see a job as a Pullman worker better than alternatives?
- less physically demanding than most
- porters enjoyed steady work + had opportunities to earn tips
- got to travel extensively
- made up the aristocracy of black workers along w/ postal workers + longshoremen
(LPGM)
What were some of the drawbacks of working as a Pullman Porter?
- many hours away from home
- a large # of hours were unpaid
- enjoyed social prestige in black community but little respect from whites
(MAA)
What action did the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters take in 1925?
hired A Phillip Randolph as chief organizer
- began unionizing the porters/wresting contract from company
What was the stick/carrot approach adopted by the Pullman Company in the 20s to combat actions by the Brotherhood?
- fired “disloyal” porters + threatened to replace blacks w/ Mexicans/Filipinos
- set up employee representation plan (company union) to undermine the Brotherhood
(FS)
How did the Pullman Company create the image of a black friendly organization?
- was biggest employer of black labor in US
- quietly spread $$$ among influential black leaders
WQ
What was the impact on the Brotherhood from the Pullman Company’s actions of giving $$$ to influential black leaders?
- black ministers labeled Randolph an atheist
- black newspapers called Randolph a Bolshevik
- black politicians labeled him unprincipled demagogue
(BBB)
What action did the Brotherhood take in 1929 + what were the results?
held a strike vote
- was a failure
- yes votes won majority but union still too weak
- failed to win AFL backing
- Randolph forced to postpone strike (caused morale to drop in union
(WYFR)
Who was A Phillip Randolph?
- native Floridian
- ardent socialist
- hard critic of traditional black leaders
(NAH)
What did Randolph do to build support for the Brotherhood?
- won backing from NAACP + National Urban League
- white church denominations endorsed Brotherhood (destroyed previous black minister opposition
WW)
What effect did the New Deal have on the Brotherhood?
gave them big push to victory
- Roosevelt very sympathetic to unionism
What was the 1934 Railway Labor Act passed by Congress?
- outlawed company unions
- guaranteed workers right to organize w/o interference
OG
What did the Pullman Company do in response to the Railway Labor Act?
reformed company union as Pullman Porters + Maid Protective Association (PPMPA)
- Brotherhood would outvote PPMPA in 1935
- Pullman Company forced to sign contract w/ Randolph + Brotherhood in 1937
(BP)
What were the effects of the new contract between the Brotherhood + the Pullman Company?
- workers got inc. pay + shorter working month + dec. requirements in miles traveled
- made Brotherhood national symbol of black solidarity
- made Randolph a national figure
- led to Brotherhood becoming first black union to gain full AFL recognition
(WMML)
What was the National Negro Congress (NNC)?
- formed in February 1936
- elected A Phillip Randolph as president
- most ambitious effort to coordinate black power yet
- represented coming together of left wing radicalism + labor militancy + heightened racial consciousness
(FEMR)
What was the first event that led to the creation of the NNC?
- 1935 = blacks outraged by Italy/Mussolini unprovoked attack on Ethiopia
- black nationalists regarded Ethiopia as model for black power (only independent black nation left in Africa)
- blacks held pro Ethiopia demonstrations + petitioned League of Nations + raised $$$
(NBB)
What was the second event that led to the creation of the NNC?
- victory of anti-communist Nazis
- Nazi takeover of Europe promoted divisions in the left (socialists vs communists)
- forced Soviets to abandon their revolutionary strategy
- caused the CPUSA to call off fight against NAACP + ceased abuse of middle class
- instead saw CPUSA + NAACP cooperation for leftist coalition (popular front)
(VNFCI)
What did Randolph call for in his first speech as president of the NNC?
- an integration/coordination between black groups (creating a black United Front)
- implement a Communist esque strategy
Why was the NNC implementing Communist strategies considered dangerous by 1940?
- Communist Party had endorsed pro Hitler-Stalin pact candidate
- Communist Party had abandoned the Popular Front against fascism
(CC)
What did the NNC do in response to the attacks in Europe by Germany + the USSR?
- passed motion condemning “imperialist war”
- criticized American partiality to UK/France
- urged US to stay out
(PCU)
What did Randolph do in response to the WWII motion passed by the NNC?
resigned as president
- believed that the Allies cause should be the Americans as well
- criticized communist party saying they were taking over the NNC
(BC)
What was the first reason why the NNC failed to organize properly?
- black orgs. guarded own turf too closely for true cooperation
- NAACP + National Urban League + NNC all suspicious of each other’s motives
(BN)
What was the second reason why the NNC failed to organize properly?
their radical agenda of 1935 became dated by 40s
- included the rejection of the New Deal + support for independent political action
- Roosevelt 1936 victory + major support among blacks for democrats made third party plan moot
- blacks now had to work within Roosevelt political landscape
(IRB)
After leaving the NNC what action did Randolph take to try to create a black mass movement in 1941?
- went against Roosevelt rearmament program
- said national defense set up showed racial prejudice + discrimination
- wanted to lead a giant all black march on Washington
- would demand right to work + fight for the country
(WSWW)
What was the significance of the March on Washington (MOW) planned by Randolph?
spoke to material conditions of black Americans
- US economy stimulated by federal defense contracts which dec. white unemployment
- blacks were completely excluded from high paid skilled jobs in defense industry
- gov. was terminating New Deal relief programs on top of this (made black situation even worse)
electrified black America
- enabled ordinary people to strike against oppression
(SE)
Why did Randolph advocating for the MOW to be an all black affair amplify its appeal?
- part of growing belief that the oppressed should work to free themselves
- not a black nationalist but saw how the Garveyites appealed to those in New York
- saw how much support the Ethiopia Peace Movement + Bilbo repatriation bill garnered in black community
- knew all black MOW would attract many blacks who otherwise wouldn’t have trusted it
(PNSK)
What was another reason why Randolph wanted to exclude white involvement in the MOW?
determined to minimize Communist influence
- CPUSA denounced any war preparation + denounced Randolph as a war monger
- black communists allowed to participate in MOW as individuals
- excluding white orgs. made it so Communists couldn’t send blocs of delegates to manipulate movement
- exclusion of communists safeguarded his control over MOW + made it easier for groups like NAACP to back
(CBEE)
What was the Roosevelt administration’s response to the coming MOW?
not in support
- thought mass of black marchers could cause outbreak of racial violence
- federal gov. has never liked demonstrations in Washington (see them as coercion/insurrection)
- DC was “southern” city in its social structure (strict segregation + white dominated police force)
(TFD)
What did Roosevelt do to try to get Randolph to call the MOW off?
dispatched three liberal delegates to talk to him
- Eleanor Roosevelt + Aubrey Williams + Fiorello LaGuardia
- all told Randolph he should call off the march
- Roosevelt himself highly disliked by blacks for not opposing racial oppression measures
(EAR)
What was Randolph’s response to the delegates sent by Roosevelt?
- refused to call MOW off unless gov. took definite action against discrimination
What was the response by Roosevelt to Randolph’s demands for definite action against discrimination?
eventually folded
- passed Executive Order 8802
- banned employment discrimination in defense industry + Government
- all gov. contracts must now contain anti-discrimination clauses
- gov. promised special measures to remove discrimination in defense training
- created a Fair Employment Practices Committee (FEPC) to investigate complaints of discrimination
(PBAGC)
What were the effects of Executive Order 8802?
black excited but whites did everything to work around it
- white Southerners eventually succeeded in abolishing the FEPC
- Roosevelt downgraded FEPC + showed little further interest in the issue
- Randolph still seen as hero at the time of its signing though
(WRR)
What did Randolph do after the success of getting Roosevelt to pass Executive Order 8802?
moved to create permanent org. from the march that didn’t happen
- converted MOW to March on Washington Movement (MOWM)
- aimed to stage boycotts across institutions
(MCA)
What were the parts of Randolph’s 8 point plan?
- demanded right to vote
- abolition of poll tax
- abolition of transportation segregation
- abolition of armed forced segregation
(DAAA)
What caused the MOWM to fizzle out by 1943?
mostly due to WWII
- Randolph calls for mass movement seemed inappropriate w/ US in struggle w/ Germany/Japan
- black newspapers began rallying behind war effort
- drive for national unity overwhelmed Randolph’s movement
(RBD)
What did Randolph’s MOWM expose?
his inability to create a practical program out of mass action
- mass meeting became more about letting off steam than actual change
- Randolph calls for nonviolent protest were futile in South (seemed like suicide)
- a lot of nonviolent action confined to the North
- many saw him as all talk no action by 1943
