Henry Winston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henry Winston
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Henry Winston speaks in East-Berlin, 1963
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| Chairman of the National Committee of the Communist Party USA | |
| In office 1966 – December 13, 1986 |
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| Preceded by | Elizabeth Gurley Flynn |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 2, 1911 Hattiesburg, Mississippi |
| Died | December 13, 1986 (aged 75) Soviet Union |
Henry M. Winston (April 2, 1911 – December 13, 1986) was an African-American political leader. He was also a Marxist and an activist for civil rights.
Winston believed strongly in equal rights for everyone and in communism. He worked for civil rights for African Americans many years before racial equality was a widely accepted idea in American politics. Henry Winston became permanently blind. This happened because the U.S. government did not give him medical treatment while he was in prison for his communist beliefs.
He joined the American Communist Party early on. In 1936, he was chosen to be on the party's National Board. He later served as the Chairman of the Communist Party USA from 1966 until his death in 1986.
Contents
Henry Winston's Early Life and Work
Growing Up and Getting Started
Henry Winston was born on April 2, 1911. His parents, Joseph and Lucille Winston, lived in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Henry grew up there and also in Kansas City, Missouri. His family was poor, which meant Henry had to leave high school early to find work.
When the Great Depression started, he lost his job. But Henry was good at organizing people. At age 19, he started working with the Kansas City Unemployed Council. This group helped people who were out of work.
Joining the Communist Party
By 1936, Winston was a key member of the Communist Party USA. He was the national organizational secretary for the Young Communist League. He was also on the Communist Party National Board.
As a high-ranking party member, Winston encouraged people to join the military. He wanted them to fight against Fascism and Nazism in World War II. Winston himself served in the Army. He helped free France from Nazi control. After the war, he received an honorable discharge from the military.
Challenges During the Cold War
The "Red Scare" and Trial
After World War II, Winston returned to political work. In 1948, the American government tried to stop the Communist Party leaders. This was part of the early Cold War. Winston and other leaders were put on trial in the Foley Square trial. They were accused of breaking the Smith Act. This law said it was illegal to encourage the overthrow of the American government.
The government could not prove that the party leaders actually called for armed overthrow. Instead, they used parts of writings by Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin. They also used statements from "witnesses" paid by the FBI. During the trial, the judge punished some of the defendants and their lawyers for their behavior.
Imprisonment and Health Issues
Winston was found guilty of supporting revolutionary ideas. He escaped while out on bail. He traveled secretly around the country using a false name. People who believed in Marxism helped him hide. Even while underground, Winston continued his work for the party. In 1951, he wrote a pamphlet called "What it Means to be a Communist."
Years later, Winston turned himself in. He served his prison sentence in Terre Haute, Indiana. He stayed in prison even though he had serious health problems. He was finally released in 1961.
Winston's health got much worse in the late 1950s. By 1958, he had bad headaches and dizzy spells. He did not get proper medical care until 1960. By then, a tumor was removed, but he was left permanently blind. Many people, even those who were against communism, asked for his release. But it was refused.
Release and Supreme Court Decision
In 1961, Fidel Castro, the leader of Cuba, spoke to President Kennedy. Castro asked for Winston and other political prisoners to be released.
Many protests happened in the United States and around the world. Because of this, President Kennedy allowed Winston to be released. Winston was then able to get medical help in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.
In the same year, the Supreme Court made an important decision. In a case called Noto v. United States (1961), the Court said that simply teaching communist ideas was not a crime. They said there had to be clear proof that the party was calling for violence. This decision meant that party leaders could no longer be jailed just for their beliefs. This made it possible for the Communist Party to become active again.
Later Life and Activism
Leading the Communist Party
In 1966, Winston was chosen as the Chairman of the Communist Party USA. He worked with Gus Hall, who was the General Secretary, to lead the party.
In 1964, he spoke to students at the University of Washington. This happened after students protested the university's ban on "communist speakers."
Writing and Fighting Racism
In the 1970s, Winston wrote two important books. These books connected the fight for African-American equality with the communist idea of class struggle. His books were Strategy for a Black Agenda (1973) and Class, Race, and Black Liberation (1977). He argued that the fight for civil rights should also include the fight for economic rights.
In a 1971 speech, he explained his views on racism:
Big industrial companies, banks, and landowners use racism. It is one of their main tools to keep their power. They use it to exploit people and create conflict among different groups.
This means that all groups fighting for democracy and against big corporations must actively fight racism. This is key to bringing together all forces that want change. Marx wrote long ago that "labor in a white skin can never be free so long as labor in the black skin is branded." This means that racism hurts white workers too. It divides the working class. Marx suggested that white workers must lead the fight against racism. This path can unite Black and white workers. It can achieve Black equality and improve conditions for all workers.
Fighting Apartheid
Winston was a close friend of the South African Communist Party. He was very active in the American movement to end support for apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid was a system of racial segregation and discrimination. Winston suggested a plan for the U.S. to stop supporting the apartheid government:
- 1. No economic, political, or military ties with the government in South Africa.
- 2. The U.S. government should tax all profits made in South Africa at the highest rates.
- 3. U.S. agencies should stop insuring new investments in South Africa.
- 4. The President should tell U.S. banks to refuse all loans for business with South Africa.
- 5. The U.S. should end all trade agreements with South Africa.
- 6. The U.S. should immediately stop buying sugar from South Africa.
As Chairman of the Communist Party USA, Winston spoke out against the Reagan administration. He criticized their increase in nuclear weapons and military spending. He also opposed their support for civil wars against leftist groups in Nicaragua and El Salvador.
Henry Winston passed away on December 13, 1986, at age 75. He died in the Soviet Union, where he had gone again for medical treatment.
Selected Works by Henry Winston
- Life Begins with Freedom, 1937
- Character Building and Education in the Spirit of Socialism, 1939
- The Road to Liberation for the Negro People (with others), 1939
- Old Jim Crow has got to go!, 1941
- An open letter to all members of the Communist Party, 1948
- The Challenge of U.S. Neocolonialism, 1964
- Build the Communist Party, the party of the working class, 1969
- Henry Winston meets Angela Davis, 1970
- Black Americans and the Middle East Conflict, 1970
- The Crisis of the Black Panther Party, 1971
- The Meaning of San Rafael, 1971
- Fight Racism – for unity and progress, 1971
- The Politics of People's Action; the Communist Party in the '72 elections, 1972
- Black and White – One Class, One Fight: the role of white workers in the struggle against racism, 1972
- Africa's Struggle for Freedom, the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R., 1972
- Strategy for a Black Agenda; a critique of new theories of liberation in the United States and Africa, 1973
- A Marxist-Leninist critique of Roy Innis on community self-determination and Martin Kilson on education, 1973
- Class, Race, and Black Liberation, 1977
- Speech of Henry Winston, National Chairman, CPUSA: to the Central Committee/National Council Meeting May 29, 1983., 1983.
