Louise Thompson "Report on the English Section,” Fifth National Convention, the International Workers Order, June 8-14, 1940
- Description:
- Grey Folder containing National Secretary Louise Thompson's "Report on the English Section,” Fifth National Convention, IWO, June 8-14, 1940, Riverside Plaza Hotel. The Report, created for the National English Committee to the National Conference of English Lodges,stresses the importance of making English speaking lodges evolve to become the largest Section and to further recruit women and Black members. The Report follows Soviet Molotov-Ribentrop policy in denouncing "war mongers" since it is issued just prior to the Nazi attack on the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa. It discusses whether Black people will benefit from a war: "They know that if there are job opportunities in the armament program they are denied to Negroes." (12) It critiques British rule of non-white peoples in India, the Caribbean and Africa, and passes anti-colonialism resolutions as well as discusses the need for more recruiting and organizing in the Black community. It notes: "The Negro membership reflected in the reports of the lodges is ... not a figure to shout about. Rather it is a reflection of the lack of country-wide attention to the job of winning large sections of the Negro people for our Order." (11) This text uses the term ‘Negro’ and/or 'Negro Labor' to refer to the concerted efforts made primarily in the 1920s-1940s to fight racial discrimination so as to ensure the fair employment of Black people, in union and other jobs including those in the private sector, civil service, as well as advocacy for the full integration of Black people into the armed services. Black unemployment and under employment were extremely high due to racial barriers. While the term ‘Negro’ might be read as pejorative today, the term was then used in a positive regard, including by Black leftists.
- Date:
- 1940-06-08 to 1940-06-14
- Copyright:
- The copyright status and copyright owners of most of the images in the International Workers Order (IWO) Records Collection (Kheel Center #5276) are unknown. This material was digitized from physical holdings by Cornell University Library in 2016, with funding from an Arts and Sciences Grant to Jonathan Boyarin. Documents include language and representations which comprise the historical record and should not be interpreted to mean that Cornell University or its staff endorse or approve of negative representations or stereotypes presented. Cornell is providing access to the materials as a digital aggregate under an assertion of fair use for non-commercial educational use. The written permission of any copyright and other rights holders is required for distribution, reproduction, or other use that extends beyond what is authorized by fair use and other statutory exemptions. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permissions ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item. Cornell would like to learn more about items in the collection and to hear from individuals or institutions that have any additional information as to rights holders. Please contact the Kheel Center at kheel_center@cornell.edu
- Creator:
- Patterson, Louise Thompson, 1901-1999
- File Name:
- 5276b03f02_03
- Identifier:
- International Workers Order (IWO) Records #5276, Box 3, Folder 2
- Repository:
- Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Martin P. Catherwood Library, Cornell University