National Negro Congress facts for kids

The National Negro Congress (NNC) was an important American group that existed from 1936 to about 1946. It was formed at Howard University with a big goal: to fight for the freedom and equal rights of Black people. The NNC took over from an earlier group called the League of Struggle for Negro Rights. Both groups had connections to the Communist Party.

During the Great Depression, a time when many Americans faced huge money problems, the NNC worked to bring together Black and white workers and thinkers. They wanted to fight for fairness for everyone, especially against racism. Many people lost their jobs during this time, and Black Americans often faced even higher unemployment rates and unfair treatment in the workplace. The NNC stood against war, fascism, and all kinds of discrimination, especially racial discrimination.

Historically, many Black workers were kept separate and often treated unfairly in jobs. To fight this, they needed to form unions. However, many unions during the Depression only allowed white members, leaving Black workers without protection or benefits. Black workers decided to take action and unite against racism and classism. John P. Davis and Communist Party leader James W. Ford helped bring together groups dedicated to fighting racial discrimination. The idea was that economic struggles affect people of all races, bringing them together to face similar challenges.

What Was the National Negro Congress?

John P. Davis helped start the NNC.

The National Negro Congress was created because Black Americans had faced a long history of unfair treatment in the United States, especially in jobs. Black workers were often treated badly and taken advantage of, even after slavery ended. The NNC worked to help Black people gain freedom and equality in many parts of their lives.

The NNC strongly fought against racism and economic exploitation (being unfairly used for profit). It teamed up with different groups, including labor unions, the Communist Party, and even mainstream civil rights organizations. By working with many different groups, the NNC used a lot of talent and resources. It also created a plan for future Black activists to follow.

The NNC worked with many groups, including thinkers from Howard University, civil rights leaders, union leaders, and religious groups. White people were also part of the NNC. Black workers in the NNC wanted to join larger, better-funded unions like the CIO (Congress of Industrial Organizations). Even though the CIO supported the NNC's fight for civil rights, the NNC's connection to communism made it hard for the two organizations to have very strong ties.

Over time, there was a split between those who supported communism and its fight for Black Americans, and those who only supported civil rights. When the NNC lost support from big unions like the CIO and AFL, Black Americans were often left out of major unions. The NNC became a place where Black activists, including those who identified as communist, could find support. Even with this safe space to talk about class struggles, Black workers didn't have a strong union that specifically fought against unfair economic systems within a racial context. Despite not having support from the AFL or CIO, they relied on the NNC's strong, communist-led organization. Besides fighting racism, NNC members also spoke out against fascism in other countries and against some parts of the New Deal in the United States.

Why Was the NNC Needed?

When Franklin D. Roosevelt became president, he started many economic, political, and social changes with his "New Deal" programs. Many Black Americans in the North hoped these new ideas would help them. However, most of these programs didn't include ideas or input from the Black community. This meant that many of the struggles faced by Black people in the U.S. were ignored.

For example, John P. Davis went to a hearing about the National Recovery Administration, a New Deal program. He was surprised that no one was there to represent the interests of African Americans. So, he and his friend Robert C. Weaver formed a committee to challenge Roosevelt's New Deal programs. They became some of the first full-time lobbyists for civil rights in American history. They traveled to the South to investigate unfair lynchings, voting rights violations, and terrible working conditions for Black farmers and factory workers.

Because many Black Americans in the South couldn't vote after the Reconstruction era, powerful Southern politicians in Congress only represented their white voters. This led Black communities from different areas to form their own groups to deal with issues important to their experience. The National Negro Congress was mostly made up of Black people, but not only Black people.

Race, Unity, and the NNC

A. Philip Randolph was a key union leader and NNC member.

The National Negro Congress was a way for oppressed people to resist and challenge the government. The idea of "self-determination" was used as a way to protect against racism. As stated at the first National Negro Congress meeting in February 1936: "The huge and dangerous problems facing Black people today require a massive effort, which can only be achieved through a National Negro Congress." By looking closely at their lives in the U.S., Black Americans realized where government systems were failing them.

A main leader, A. Philip Randolph, was very important. He brought together not only socialists and communists but also encouraged many Black Americans to participate. By fighting against both racism and unfair economic systems, Randolph's leadership helped build relationships with white workers and thinkers. This helped bridge racial gaps between Black and white workers, challenging the idea of segregation. Issues like class struggle became a way for different ethnic groups to find common ground. They realized the root of their economic and political problems was the capitalist system.

To bring about change in the workforce, A. Philip Randolph worked to change the rules within the National Negro Congress itself. The Congress became a leading force in ending racial limits on who could join many unions. In 1934, A. Philip Randolph had urged leaders at the American Federation of Labor meeting to remove any "color clause" from union rules. He also wanted unions that kept such rules to be kicked out.

Working Together Across Races

Communists believed that if Black and white workers cooperated, it could ease racial tensions instead of them competing against each other. They thought that true unity would come from Black and white workers struggling together. Besides the racial divide in larger unions, there was also a big difference in wages, with Black workers earning much less than white workers. For example, in the book The National Negro Congress: A Reassessment, the author Lawrence S. Wittner explains the very difficult conditions and low pay for African-American workers.

He noted that in 1936, about 85,000 Black steelworkers made up 20% of the laborers and 6% of the operators in the industry. They were given the worst jobs, with intense heat and bad gases. They also faced many unfair pay differences, earning an average of only $3.60 per day.

Industries and unions often treated Black workers as just a way to make money. Keeping Black workers out of white-dominated unions was a way to treat them as less than human. The National Negro Congress confirmed the importance of Black Americans' struggles and their existence in the United States.

However, A. Philip Randolph noticed that the National Negro Congress was leaning too much towards left-wing ideas. He fought to keep its main focus on Black community strength and unity. He didn't want the Congress to be tied to any major political parties, the Communist Party, the Socialist Party, or even the Soviet Union. He believed none of these groups truly put the interests of Black people first. Many radical parties focused only on class struggle, ignoring the specific challenges faced by Black Americans because of their race. This neglect made it harder for many Black Americans to speak up about their experiences in the workforce.

Randolph also believed that if the NNC ever relied on a radical party, it should never be controlled by that party for its own benefit. He asked for a leadership that would be "free from pressure, manipulation, or control... a leadership that is independent and answers only to the Negro people." By staying independent from any political party, Randolph wanted to create a space for people to organize from the ground up. He believed that the interests of the people should come from the people themselves. Even though he supported Black workers joining the AFL-CIO, Randolph wanted the National Negro Congress to be a separate place. It would be a place where Black workers from other unions could find support and affirm their struggles as a Black working class.

Supporting Black Artists and Heroes

Marian Anderson singing at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939.

In 1939, a group called the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) refused to let the famous singer Marian Anderson perform for a mixed-race audience in their Constitution Hall. At that time, Washington, D.C., was a segregated city. Black audience members were upset because they had to sit at the back of Constitution Hall. The hall also didn't have separate public bathrooms, which was required by D.C. law for segregated events. The D.C. Board of Education also said no to using a white public high school auditorium.

In 1940, Paul Robeson, another famous artist, learned a patriotic song called "Chee Lai!" from a Chinese activist. Robeson sang the song at a big concert in New York City and recorded it in both English and Chinese. He also performed it at benefit concerts for China Aid Council and United China Relief. One concert was planned for Constitution Hall, but the Daughters of the American Revolution blocked it because Robeson was Black. This caused a lot of anger. Even Eleanor Roosevelt, President Roosevelt's wife, and the Chinese ambassador joined as sponsors. However, when organizers offered tickets to the National Negro Congress to help fill the larger venue, these sponsors pulled out because of the NNC's Communist ties.

In 1942, Doris Miller became known as one of the first U.S. heroes of World War II. He was praised by the U.S. Secretary of the Navy. A radio show even dramatized his brave actions. The All-Southern Negro Youth Conference started a campaign to get signatures for him. On May 10, the National Negro Congress spoke out against the Secretary of the Navy's recommendation not to give Miller the Medal of Honor. (The next day, President Roosevelt approved the Navy Cross for Miller, a high honor.)

In 1944, Aubrey Pankey gave a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City, which was produced by the National Negro Congress. His extra songs included a march popular with Soviet troops and "Die Moorsoldaten," a song about the victims of Nazi concentration camps.

In 1946, the National Negro Congress organized protests outside theaters in big cities where the film Song of the South was playing. Protesters held signs that said "Song of the South is an insult to the Negro people." They also chanted, "Disney tells, Disney tells / lies about the South." On April 2, 1947, protesters marched around the Paramount Theatre (Oakland, California) with signs saying, "We want films on Democracy not Slavery" and "Don't prejudice children's minds with films like this."

Important Members of the NNC

Many dedicated people were part of the National Negro Congress. Here are some of them:

What Happened to the NNC?

Around 1946, the National Negro Congress joined with two other groups, the International Labor Defense (ILD) and the National Federation for Constitutional Liberties (NFCL). Together, they formed a new organization called the Civil Rights Congress (CRC), which existed from 1946 to 1956.

See Also

• League of Struggle for Negro Rights
• International Labor Defense
• National Federation for Constitutional Liberties
• Scottsboro Boys
• A. Philip Randolph
• Civil Rights Congress
• Colored Conventions Movement

External Sources

• eblackstudies.org
• encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org
• blackpast.org
• collection.johnpdaviscollection.org
• negroparty.com
• blackradicalcongress.org