Revels Cayton facts for kids

Revels Cayton (born in 1907, died in 1995) was an important American leader. He worked for civil rights, which means he fought for fair treatment and equal rights for all people. He was active in Washington state and California.

Revels Cayton's Early Life

Revels Cayton was born in 1907. His parents were Susie Revels Cayton and Horace Cayton, Sr.. They were well-known leaders in Seattle. His grandfather was Hiram Revels, who was very famous. Hiram Revels was the first Black senator in the United States.

When Revels Cayton was 15, his family faced money problems. He had to start working as a telephone operator. He later went to the University of Washington. But he left early because of the Great Depression, a time when many people lost their jobs.

While at the university, he learned about communism. In the 1930s, the Communist Party focused on helping workers and ending racism. Revels Cayton believed that a socialist system would treat everyone equally. He moved from Seattle to San Francisco sometime in the 1930s.

Working for Change

Revels Cayton was very active in 1934. He joined the Communist Party in the Northwest. He also helped start the Communist Party's Seattle group called the League of Struggle for Negro Rights. This group worked to get fair rights for Black people.

He also took part in the 1934 West Coast waterfront strike in San Francisco. This was a big protest by workers at the docks. In 1940, he sued a San Francisco restaurant. The restaurant had refused to serve him, Paul Robeson, and five other people because they were Black.

In 1941, Revels Cayton moved to Los Angeles. There, he became a director for the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). This group helped workers. He also became Vice President of the California State CIO Council.

After this, he moved to New York City. From 1945 to 1947, he was the Executive Secretary of the National Negro Congress (NNC). Under his leadership, the NNC asked the United Nations to help. They wanted the UN to know that 13 million Black Americans were not getting their full rights.

Revels Cayton returned to San Francisco in the 1950s. In 1960, he became the first manager of St. Francis Square. This was a new housing area in San Francisco. Later, he became a deputy director for the San Francisco Housing Authority. He also served as a deputy mayor for social programs.

Revels Cayton passed away on November 4, 1995, in San Francisco, California.