Vicki Garvin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vicki Garvin
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Vicki Garvin preparing to speak at the founding convention of the Harlem Trade Union Council, 1949
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| Born |
Victoria Holmes
December 18, 1915 Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
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| Died | June 11, 2007 (aged 91) |
| Spouse(s) |
Leibel Bergman
(divorced) |
Victoria Garvin (December 18, 1915 – June 11, 2007) was an American activist. She worked for fairness and equality for all people. Vicki Garvin was especially focused on the rights of Black people and workers. She was also a strong supporter of Pan-Africanism, which means uniting people of African descent worldwide.
Vicki grew up during the Great Depression, a time when many families faced hardship. This experience showed her the challenges faced by working-class people. It also showed her how unfair treatment based on race affected many. She became an important organizer during a time called McCarthyism. This was when people who were thought to be communists faced a lot of pressure. Later, she traveled to Nigeria, Ghana, and China. In Ghana, she helped plan the visit of civil rights leader Malcolm X. Vicki Garvin spent her life working to connect different movements. These included the Black Power movement, Pan-Africanism, and freedom movements in other countries.
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Early Life and Education
Victoria Holmes was born in Richmond, Virginia on December 18, 1915. Her father, Wallace J. Holmes, worked as a plasterer. Her mother worked in people's homes. The Holmes family moved to Harlem, New York, hoping to find better jobs. However, Vicki's father struggled to find work. Her mother faced tough working conditions and low pay. The family often had to move to avoid being evicted. To help her family, Vicki spent her summers working in clothing factories.
Vicki went to Wadleigh High School for Girls. There, she started a club to learn about Black history. After graduating at 16, she attended Hunter College. She earned a degree in political science. In 1940, she went to Smith College for her master's degree. She became the first African American woman to get a graduate degree in economics from Smith College. At Smith, she studied Marxist economics. She also stayed very involved in student activism.
Union Activism and Communist Organizing
Vicki Garvin first got involved with labor unions in 1942. She joined the National War Labor Board during World War II. After the war, she became more active in union work. She was the National Research Director for a union called the United Office and Professional Workers of America (UOPWA). This union was part of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO).
In 1947, she joined the Harlem branch of the Communist Party USA. She often disagreed with white Communist Party members because of racism. Around this time, she married a fellow union organizer. The marriage was short, but she kept his last name, Garvin. She met Malcolm X when he was a bartender. She tried to convince him to join the Communist Party, but she was not successful.
In the 1950s, Vicki Garvin worked as vice president of the National Negro Labor Council (NNLC). She also served as an executive secretary in its New York office. She spoke up for Black women and Black workers' rights. She also criticized the CIO for removing the UOPWA because of its communist ideas.
Because of her activism, Vicki Garvin faced challenges. The government was against communism during the Cold War. In 1953, she was called to speak before the House Un-American Activities Committee. This committee investigated people suspected of being communists. The NNLC closed down in 1955 due to political pressure. Garvin left the Communist Party in 1957.
Travel to Ghana, Nigeria, and China
After leaving the Communist Party, Garvin found it hard to continue her union work. This was due to McCarthyism and anti-communist feelings. In 1960, she found a job opportunity in Nigeria. Nigeria had just gained independence from the United Kingdom. While living in Lagos, she saw that independence did not solve all problems. Nigerians still faced poverty and division. This was due to neocolonialism, where powerful countries still had control.
By 1963, Garvin decided to leave Nigeria. She moved to Accra, Ghana. Ghana, led by Kwame Nkrumah, was a center for Black activism and Pan-Africanism. Garvin lived with Maya Angelou and Alice Windom. She was part of a group of Black thinkers. This group included Julian Mayfield, W.E.B. and Shirley Du Bois, and Ollie Harrington. During this time, she became more interested in global freedom movements.
When Malcolm X visited Ghana in 1964, Garvin was part of the committee that planned his trip. She had met him before in Harlem. She went with him to meetings with leaders from Algeria, China, and Cuba.
In 1964, Garvin received an offer from the Chinese Ambassador. She moved to Shanghai, China. There, she taught English at the Shanghai Foreign Language Institute. She also created a course on African American history. In 1966, the Cultural Revolution began in China. This caused problems in education, and Garvin lost her job. She then became an editor for an English newspaper in Beijing.
In 1968, Mao, China's leader, made a statement supporting the Black American struggle. Garvin's former students invited her back to Shanghai. She gave a speech at a rally. Speaking to millions of Chinese people supporting Black power made her even more committed to global freedom movements.
Return to America
Vicki Garvin returned to the United States in 1970. She moved to Newark, New Jersey with her husband, Leibel Bergman. They had married in China. Garvin used her organizing skills to stay active in politics. She directed the Tri-City Citizen's Union. Later, she worked at Columbia University.
In 1974, Garvin became an editor for New China. This was a newspaper published by the US China Peoples Friendship Association (USCPFA).
Garvin and Bergman moved to Chicago in the late 1970s. There, Garvin joined the Revolutionary Communist Party. She helped guide its new members. In the 1980s, Garvin moved to Jamaica, Queens, New York, after her divorce from Bergman. She joined the National Black United Front (NBUF).
Other members praised Garvin for her smart thinking. She helped the group work through different ideas. With her many years of experience, Garvin helped shape the NBUF's goals. She was part of the NBUF's Women Committee, which worked for women's equality. In 1985, Garvin and the NBUF Women Committee went to the United Nations World Conference on Women in Kenya.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Garvin remained active. She supported groups like Sisters Against South African Apartheid. She also supported Black Workers for Justice and the Black Radical Congress. She took part in protests for political prisoners, like Mumia Abu Jamal. Vicki Garvin passed away on June 11, 2007, after a serious illness.
