RESOLUTIONS
of the NATIONAL NEGRO CONGRESS
Held in
CHICAGO, Ill.
February 14, 15, 16, 1936
A. PHILIP RANDOLPH, President
•112 PRICE TEN CENTS
Randolph's Speech Mr. Chairman, Officers of the National Sponsoring Committee of the National Nef ro Congress, Fellow Delegates, Fellow Workers and Friends: Greetings and felicitations upon this great Congress. Though absent in the flesh, I am with you in the spirit of the deathless courage of the 18th and 19th century black rebels and martyr for human justice, in the spirit of Frederick Douglass and Nat Turner, of Gabriel and Denmark Vesey, of Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth—those noble rebels who struck out in the dark days of slavery that Negro men and women might be free. We have met in times of worldwide storm and stress, of social confusion, economic chaos, political disorder and intellectual uncertainty. Social institution, from the church to the family, evince change and instability. Unemployment A Pall Unemployment falls like a deadening pall upon every great power and machine nation. Democracies and Dictatorships vie for supremacy. Witness the march of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany along their imperialistic paths of manifest destiny. Note their utter and flagrant abolition of democratic institutions, claiming that democracy is not only futile, but a menace to progress. Observe, too, tendencies toward Fascist growth and development in existing countries with democratic govern ments, such as America, France and England. These are signs of grave and sinister portent to the world of workers, lovers of liberty and minority groups. In threatening and disturbing significance, another world war looms upon the horizon. Many danger spots of conflict between great world powers stand out. Japan is restive in the face of the constant growth and power of Soviet Russia and is steadily resorting to provocative acts of war. Hitler seeks to serve as a spearhead of modern monopoly capitalism against the workers' republic. Italy vs. Ethiopia Already Fascist Italy is on the march to subjugate the Ancient Kingdom of Ethiopia, while France and Germany are in a state of truce, still at bay, awaiting the hour to strike for another conflict. England and Italy are in competition for place and prestige in the Mediterranean and darkest Africa, while Japan threatens to close the open door to American investigation and advance her claim to the adoption of a Monroe Doctrine over the Pacific which may bring Uncle Sam and Nippon to grips. Meanwhile, Tokio proceeds on its long conquering trek of China. With the collapse of the naval conference, a frenzied armament race swings into a high pace and a war of world currencies, credits and trade is renewed. Thus the world is pregnant with the seeds of war, another war, a war in the air, on and under the water, with poison gases and high explosives, which may put an end to civilization as we know it. "The American Scene" Now what of the American scene. It is no less forbidding and full of con tradictions, unsettlement and cross currents in our social, economic and political life. Of the outstanding problems, that confront us following the collapse of capitalist prosperity and seeming stabilization of 1929, unemployment, trenching hard upon 15 millions, is one of the most perplexing. It has been attacked by the New Deal with its myriad legions of alphabets, but to little avail. Nor is there any solution offered either by the rugged individualists, despite their cry for the restoration of the grand era of Coolidge and Hoover, with a mythical "chicken in every pot" and a "flivver for every family." With the economic affliction of nation wide joblessness stand the liquidation of the farmers, the small shop owners, the middle class, the poor sharecrop and farm laborers, the foreclosure of hundreds of thousands of mortgages upon the homes of the workers and the lower strata of the middle class, with no prospects of permanent rehabilitation by the hectic, sketchy, patchy, and makeshift capitalist program. 1 Not Only Challenge But economic insecurity, though baffling, is not the only challenge to the American workers, black and white and the middle classes. There is also political and civil insecurity. Even the most credulous can sense an existing grave danger to our democratic institutions and constitutional liberties. This danger is fascism—Fascism which seeks the complete abrogation of all civil and political liberties in the manner and method of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. It is a menace to America. It is a world menace. It is a menace to black workers. It is a menace to religious tolerance and to the freedom and security of all minority groups. And war is the twin evil sister of Fascism. Its coming is not now improbable. It is a danger, an immediate danger, a danger to the American workers, black and white, who fight and pay for all wars in blood and taxes, while the bankers and munition makers, such as the Morgans and DuPonts, reap huge and fabulous profits. "The National Negro Congress" But this congress is called to attempt to meet the problems of black America the submerged tenth of the population. While this is true, it is also true that the problems of the Negro peoples are the problems of the workers, for practically. 99 per cent of the Negro peoples win their bread by selling their labor power in the labor market from day to day. They cannot escape the dangers and penalties of the depression, war or Fascism. However, our contemporary history is a witness to the stark fact that black America is a victim of both class and race prejudice and oppression. Because Negroes are black, they are hated, maligned and spat upon; lynched, mobbed, and murdered. Because Negroes are workers, they are browbeaten, bullied, intimidated, robbed, exploited, jailed and shot down. Because they are black they are caught between the nether millstones of discrimination when seeking a job or seeking to join a union. No Union Card Thus, voteless in 13 states; politically disregarded and discounted in the others; victims of the lynch terror in Dixie, with a Scottsboro frame-up of notorious memory; faced with the label of the white man's job and the white man's union; unequal before the law; jim-crowed in schools and colleges throughput the nation; segregated in the slums and ghettos of the urban centers; landless peons of a merciless white landlordism; hunted down, harrassed and hounded as vagrants in the southern cities, the Negro peoples face a hard, deceptive and brutal capitalist order, despite its preachments of Christian love and brotherhood. What has brought us to this?, is the insistent question. The answer in brief lies in the World War, the sharpening and deepening of capitalist exploitation of the workers of hand and brain, the acceleration of a technological revolution creating a standing army of unemployed, the ripening and maturing of monopoly capitalism thru trustification, rationalization and the rapid march of financial imperialism, and the intensification of racial and religious hatreds, together with increasingly blatant and provocative nationalism. War Brings Change But the war itself was the effect of a deeper cause and that cause was the profit system which provides and permits the enrichment of the few at the expense of the many, allowing two per cent of the people to own ninety per cent of the wealth of these United States, a condition not much different in other capitalist countries, and also makes for the robbery and oppression of the darker and weaker colonial peoples of the world. "Of The Remedies" But the diagnosis of the causes of social problems such as wars, economic depressions and Fascism is only designed to enable the victims to seek and find a remedy. Before dealing with some of the remedies, however, let me speak briefly of what are not remedies: 2 First, the New Deal is no remedy. It does not seek to change the profit system. It does not place human rights above property rights, but gives the business interests the support of the state. It is no insurance against the coming of Fascism or the pre vention of war on a recurrent depression, though it be more liberal that the Republican Tories. Second, the restoration of Republican rule is no solution. It was during the rule of the Grand Old Party under which the depression came. Negroes have watched themselves disfranchised and lynched under both regimes, Republican and Democratic. Third, the Townsend Plan is no panacea. While an adequate old age pension should be fought" for, a pension far greater than that offered by the New Deal Security legislation, the Townsend Plan is well nigh impossible of execution, and if executed would not achieve its aim. Moreover, its aim is not designed to modify the structure of organized profit making private property, and any old age pension law will be so manipulated as to nullify its meritorious features so long as the workers have no effective voice in the councils of government. Huey Long Fantastic Fourth, the "Share the Wealth" plan of the Huey Long movement is fantastic and superficial, since it pretends to seek to share wealth while also seeking to maintain inviolate the profit system of exploitation. Fifth, the currency cant of the Radio Priest is a glitering mirage and not a remedy, for it would merely effect inflation, thereby creating more money which has no magic power to reapportion or reallocate goods or wealth among the people. Money is merely the measure of value and has no casual power of effecting the distribution of values. This can only be done by the organized might of the workers practically every government of the world has at one time, or another tried the experiment of inflation, only to its sorrow and the sharper victimization of the workers. Nor is deflation or reflation of any basic value. The mere existence of varying amounts of money does not affect the empty pockets of unmployed workers. Back TO Remedies But back to remedies. At the top of the list of remedies I wish to suggest the struggle of, the. workers against exploitation of the employers. Next the struggle of the workers against Fascism' and for the preservation of democratic institutions, the arena in which alone their economic power may be built. Third, the struggle to build powerful Negro civil rights organizations. Fourth the struggle against war which wrecks the organizations of the workers, and stifles and suppresses freedom of speech, the press and assembly. Fifth, the struggle to strengthen the forces of the exploited sharecropper and tenant farmers. Sixth, the struggle to build mass consumers' movements to protect the housewives against price manipulation. Instrumentalities: For Action But the struggle to apply the aforementioned remedies can only be achieved through definite social, economic and political instrumentalities. Thus the fight against the economic exploitation of the workers can only be effectively carried on through industrial and craft unions, with the emphasis on the former. The industrial union is important in this stage of economic development because modern business has changed in structure and assumed the form of giant trust and holding companies, with which the craft union can no longer effectively grapple. Moreover, the craft union invariably has a color bar against the Negro worker, but the industrial union in structure renders race discrimination less possible, since it embraces all the workers included in the industry, regardless of race, creed, color or craft, skilled or unskilled. Thus, this congress should seek to broaden and intensify the movement to draw Negro workers into labor organizations and break down the color bar in the trade unions that now have it. The next instrumentality which the workers must build and employ for their protection against economic exploitation; war and fascism, is an independent working class political party. It should take the form of a farmer-labor political organization. 3 This is indispensibie in view of the bankruptcy in principles, courage and vision of the old line parties, Republican and Democratic. They are the political committees of Wall Street and are constructed to serve the profit making agencies and therefore can no more protect or advance the interests of the workers than can a sewing machine grind corn. It is poor working class wisdom to fight big business for economic justice on the industrial field and vote for it on the political. With these two major instrumentalities, there should also be built up great consumers' cooperatives which, while less fundamental, they none the less provide the basis for mass, collective action on the part of the workers and lower middle classes. They have stood the workers in good stead wherever they have been con structed, providing they are shaped and directed by working class and not bourgeois interests. The fight for civil and political rights of the Negro peoples can effectively be carried on if only those organizations that are pushing the struggles are broadened and built with a wider mass base. Those organizations that are serving on the civil rights front effectively for the Negro are the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the International Labor Defense. It needs to be definitely understood however, that the fight in the courts for civil and political rights cannot be effective except when backed by a broad nation-wide, if not international mass protest through demonstrations in the form of parades, mass meetings and publicity. TACTICS AND STRATEGY: UNITED FRONT But the fight for civil and political liberties for the Negro peoples, while it has been brilliantly waged by the N.A.A.C.P. and the I.L.D., the gravity and complexity of the problems of civil and political liberties, accentuated and widened by the evil of fascist trends in America, demands that new tactics and stratgey be« employed to meet the situation. The maneuvering and disposing of the forces of Negro peoples and their sympathetic allies agaist their enemies can only be effectively worked out through the tactics and strategy of the united front. The task of overcoming the enemies of democratic institutions and constitutional liberties is too big for any single or ganization. It requires the united and formal intergratihg and coordinating of the various Negro organizations, church, fraternal, civil, trade union, farmer, profes sional, college and what not, into the framework of a united front, together with the white groups of workers, lovers of liberty and those whose liberties are similarly menaced for a common attack upon the forces of reaction, backed by the embattled masses of black and white workers. The united front strategy and tactics should be executed through methods of mass demonstration, such as parades, picketing, boycotting, mass protests, the mass distribution of propaganda literature, as well as legal action. The united front does not provide an excuse for weakness or timidity, or reliance by any one organization upon the others who comprise it, but, on tha contrary, it affords an opportunity for the contribution of strength iby each organization to the common pool of organizational power for a common attack or a common defense against the enemy. Thus the Negro peoples should not place their problems for solution down at the feet of thein white sympathetic allies, which has been and is the common fashion of the old school Negro leadership, for, in the final analysis, the salvation of the Negro, like the workers, must come from within. The power and effectiveness of the united front will be developed by waging the struggles around definite, vital and immediate issues of life and living. These issues should be obvious, clear and simple, such as prevention of stoppage of relief, cuts in relief allotments, lay-offs of relief workers or workers in any industry, discrimination in the giving of relief, exorbitant rents, evictions, rent increases, police brutality, denial of free assembly, freedom of the press, freedom of speech to unpopular groups, denial of civil rights to Negroes, such as the right to be served in hotels and restaurants, to have access to public utilities and forms of transportation, such as the Pullman car. Wage struggles around war upon Ethiopia by the fascist dictator Mussolini, strikes and lock-outs of black and white workers, the amendment to the federal Constitution of the adoption of social legislation such as the Retirement Pension Act for railroad workers, fight for the freedom of Angelo Herndon, the Scottsboro 4 boys, the Wagner-Costigan anti-lynching bill, the violations of the Wagner Labor Disputes bill, the forcing of teachers to take the oath, the goose-stepping of students in the school system thru the R. O. T. C, the abolition of the color bar in trade unions, the murder of Shoemaker in Tampa, Fla., exposing the menace of the American Liberty League, William Randolph Hearst and the Ku Klux Klan, and supporting the movement of John L. Lewis for industrial unionism. Such is the task of Negro peoples. This task comes as a shar'p and decisive challenge at a time when new atrocities and nameless terrorism are directed against black America and when the workers, black and white, are being goaded by oppres sion and intimidation, to resort to general strikes such as took place in San Francisco and in Pekin, 111., as well as national strikes such as the textile workers the miners and the workers' revolts in Minnesota and Toledo. To meet this task, the Negro peoples, pressed with their backs against th« wall, must face the future with heads erect, hearts undaunted and undismayed, ready and willing and determined to pay the price in struggle, sacrifices and suffering that freedom, justice and peace shall share and enjoy a more abundant life. Forward to complete economic, political and social equality for Negro peoples. Forward to the abolition of this sinister system of jim-crowism in these United States! The united front points the way. More power to the National Negro Congress! The future belongs to the people! A. Philip Randolph "The National Negro Congress, as its name plainly expresses, is a Negro movement, and it has been projected to fight for Negro rights. It was not, is not and will not be dominated by either Communist®, Republicans, Socialists or Democrats. Being a Negro movement, it naturally includes Negroes of all political faiths as well as Negroes of various religious creeds and denominations." "No, the National Negro Congress was not Communist. It is not dominated by Communists. It has Communists in it; it has Republicans in it. It makes no apology for this." "I am not a Communist. John P. Davis, the moving spirit of the Congress and secretary, is not a Communist . . . But while I am not a Communist, I am willing to go down fighting for the rights of any Negro to exercise his constitutional /right as a free man to join the Communist party or any other party he may choose to join." Excerpts from the Chicago Defender Youth Takes Stand Race folk erveywhere are awakened to a new realization! They have donned their war toga, and through concentration of efforts and intelligence are driving away to better things. At last, it appears there is some light on the horizon. Here at this Congress the youth of America has acted to make itself hteard, and to make its influence felt. It marked the first time in the history of America that Race colleges have sent delegates to a Congress that had for its purpose the lifting of the almost unbearable weight from the shoulders of the Race in this country. Students raised money among themselves, so anxious were they to par ticipate in a program designed to work out a system that will ultimately mean every American up and nobody down. It is reliably reported that many of the students used their pin money; others pawned personal belongings so as to be able to make the trip here for the Congress. Disturbed because of the present outlook, which makes things seem dark for them when they leave school and seek employment, these students are ready to take issue with the powers that be who control them by misrule and utter disregard for their welfare. They are following the lead of foreign students, who, through their own activities have done so much to block misrule by government officials, whose oppression of the underprivileged class has been so notorious. This National Negro Congress has blazed the trial, and the torch to guide the way through the wilderness of despair to a great day now hangs high in the heavens like the star of Bethlehem. Members of the Race are aroused! A new day has dawned. Black America 5 must be heard! Just what swept through the minds of the army of delegates in session here is expressed in the many resolutions the groups proposed for adoption. The fight will be carried forward to break down the segregation policy of railroads in denying the race equal accommodation in the Southland. Pullman cars, diners and other comforts of travel must be opened up to Blacks as well as whites. Members of the Race will demand the right to enjoy every facility they have the money to employ, to eat in restaurants of their choice whether they be located in the heart of New York, the nation's capital, Atlanta, New Orleans, or Chicago's South side, the rule must be the same, one's ability to pay the bill and that alone must be the determining factor. Members of the Race will demand the right to travel freely in this country and abroad, and the practice of certain departmenst in bringing pressure on foreign diplomats to block the visaing of passports of persons desiring to visit South America and other continents must be stopped. The Race believes its cause is a just and true one, and that justice and truth will get a hearing, and eventually triumph.
Excerpts from N. Y. "Amsterdam News" Randolph Heads Negro Congress To Place Organization on Permanent Basis Chicago, Feb. 20.—A. Philip Randolph, president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, was unanimously elected president of the National Negro Congress, which in its closing session here Sunday night voted to continue as a permanent organization. Randolph, ill in New York, was unable to attend the congress. Elected to serve with him were John P. Davis of Washington, secretary, and Miss Marion Cuthbert, national Y. W. C. A. executive, treasurer. All three had been acting in their respective offices since Davis first began the organizational work on the congress. For purposes of administration the congress divided the country into fifteen regions with a director or vice-president at the head of each. Lester B. Granger secretary of the Workers' Bureau of the National Urban League, was named director of the New York-New Jersey region. Clifford McLeod of the Building Service Employees' Union was named asssitant director. A national executive committee of seventy-five was elected to carry on the organizational work. Representatives of trade unions, fraternal, civic and political organizations and churches were elected to this committee.
Delegates From 27 States at Congress Eighty Trade Unions Send Representatives to Meet Chicago, Feb. 20.—Twenty-seven States and the District of Columbia were represented at the National Negro Congress which closed a three day session here Sunday night. New York with 156 had the second largest delegation, being bested by Illinois with 328. Indiana was third with 56 delegates From Californai came five and from Florida, six. Mississippi sent three and the State of Washington, one. A total off 767 delegates registered, representing 551 organizations with total memberships of 3,322,093. There were 214 civic groups and societies which sent delegates. The trade unions were next, 80 of them being represented. Church and religious organizations numbered 76; fraternal societies, 70; political groups and parties, 44; youth organizations, 2; women's organizations, 19; educational organizations, 13; and professional groups, 5. The governors of Pennsylvania and Minnesota and the Mayor of St. Louis designated official representatives to attend the congress. 6 New Yorkers Active at National Meeting
Harlemites Take the Leadership in Several General and Sectional Sessions
Chicago, Feb. 20.—Members of the New York delegation of 150 were among the most active participants in the National Negro Congress, which closed here Sunday night. From the very first meeting it became apparent that this delegation would be one of the most important in determining the policies of the congress.
Headed by Clifford McLeod, the dynamic leader of the Building Service Employees Union, and chairman of the New York sponsoring committee, the New York delegation brought ideas and plans as well as enthusiasm to the gathering. They participated in all the topical sections as well as in the general sessions.
There was Adam Powell, chairman of the presiding committee, fervently calling upon the Negro church "to put aside the patterns of the white man's denominationalism and unite as one in Christ; to make of the Negro church, a vital instrument in the struggle of the people.''
There was suave Lester Granger smoothing the troubled waters after the announcemnt that Earl Browder had been denied the right to speak in the armory. There was Lousie Thompson, insistent in her demand for fuller recognition of women in the congress proceedings. There was Roy Wilkins earnestly pleading for support of the fight against lynching as conducted by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Big Ben Davis, Jr., was there proposing methods of fighting for enforcement of the War Amendments. Augusta Savage, the artist, was programmed for the section on Negro culture and history. There was Max Yergen, the Y. M. C. A. missionery, soberly advocating organization of South African natives in order to attain "the god life". There was Dr. Arnold Donowa with a well organized plan for aiding Ethiopia.
And, of course, there were scores of rank and file delegates serving on com mittees, leading sectional discussions, recording minutes of the proceedings and otherwise participating in the deliberations of the Congress. To Place Demands Before Roosevelt Committee Named to Make White House Visit Chicago, Feb. 20.—A special steering committee was named at the recently concluded meeting of the National Negro Congress to call on President Roosevelt March 16 and present resolutions passed here, as well as proposed remedies.
Named on this committee are Arthur H. Fausett, Charles W. Burton, Rev. W. H. Jornagin, Bishop Mathew Clair, Neva Ryan, Dr. Tinsley, James W. Ford, Edward Strong, Isom Williams, Louis Redding, D. E. Rice, Clifford McLeod and Thyra Edwards.
The national executive committee of 75 is to meet in Cleveland in June to lay plans for next year's national congress and continuation of the work begun this year, it was announced.
7 Ethiopia
WHEREAS: The suffering of Ethiopia is sufficiently great to warrant support of all civilized nations and peoples of the world against the atrocities being com mitted upon Her by the invading armies of Mussolini and his fascist party, and WHEREAS: There are many organizations in these United States of America which are raising funds to help Ethiopia in her struggle to maintain her indepen dence, and WHEREAS: The costs of maintaining such organizations are too exorbitant, and WHEREAS: There is need for coordinating the many organizations and their plans of operations, therefore, be it RESOLVED: That the National Negro Congress now in session in Chicago adopt the following principles of organizational procedure in the United States as a basis for operation and centralized control for helping to supply Ethiopia with medical aid, etc.: 1. That a national organization be established. 2. That the purpose of said body shall be to coordinate the activities of the various organizations interested in aiding Ethiopia; to secure direct contact with the proper Ethiopian office to which funds and supplies should be sent; and to devise ways and means of facilitating and enhancing the collection of funds and supplies and the promotion of the welfare of Ethiopia. 3. That the name should be such an inclusive one as the "American Asso ciation for the Aid of Ethiopia." 4. That the officers—president, vice-president, corresponding secretary, re cording secretary, and treasurer—be elceted by the constituent societies from the members of the board of directors. 5. That there be a board of directors; that the board of directors be com posed of the representatives elected by the constituent societies. 6. That the principal committees be executive, finance, publicity and mem bership. 7. That the duties 6f these committees be as follows: That the executive committee transact all business between meetings of the board of directors; that the finance committee outline the budget and pass on all bills; that the membership committee develop new organizations and recommend approval of existing ones, using information obtained from local accrediting bodies or organizations; that the publicity committee supply the various societies with periodic bulletins and news articles and secure bulk printing when feasible. 8. That funds and supplies be distributed through the Ethiopian Consulate office, the minister of finance in Ethiopia, depending on the method finally de termined best. 9. That societies may send their funds directly to the established agency provided notation of the fact is made to the national body. 10. That the expense of the national body should be met by the constituent bodies on a pro rata basis. Adopted as submitted. WHEREAS: Fascist Italy is making war upon the Ancient Kingdom of Abys- sinnia with a view to its exploitation and subjugation for the benefit of Italian im perialists, be it therefore RESOLVED: That the Natonal Negro Congress goes on record as condemning this piece of international brigandage as a threat to world peace and unjustified invasion upon the land of peace loving people, and be it further RESOLVED: That the copies of this resolution be brought to the attention of the President of the United States and the chairman of the committee on foreign relations of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and to the trade and industrial unions, farmer organizations, unemplyoed workers' movements and the liberal and professional groups of the country. Respectively submitted, Delegate A. Phillip Randolph Resolution on Personal Aid to Ethiopia WHEREAS: There is a desire on the part of many American Negroes to offer their services to Ethiopia in her present struggle, therefore be it RESOLVED: That the Congress shall through an appropriate committee, 8 make known this desire to the Ethiopian government and ascertain that government's policy with regard to accepting services, and be it further RESOLVED: That the Congress through its appropriate committee, shall make known to the American Negro the result of its approach to the Ethiopian government. Civil Liberties WHEREAS: The National Negro Congress has seriously considered the vital problems of Civil Liberties, including lynching, Jim Crowism, residential segregation disfranchisement, gag-laws destructive of freedom of speech, press and assembly, and the increasing fascist threats to the rights of the Negro and other minority groups, and WHEREAS: Since the Civil War over 5,000 lynchings have taken place in the United States and in the last few years a veritable wave of lynchings and terror have swept over the country, it being clear that lynchings and vigiiante terror are a fascist menace to the black and white toilers of the United States, and its causes are deep in the social and economic structure of the nation which are designed to keep the Negros and other oppressed groups in a state of peonage and subjugation, and WHEREAS: Such events as the recent lynching in Tampa, Fla„ of Joseph Shoemaker, a white worker and share-cropper, demonstrates that lynchings are directed not only against Negroes, but also against white workers and sharecroppers who also struggle for the improvement of their conditions, therefore be it RESOLVED: That the National Negro Congress endorses and supports the Gostigan-Wagner Federal Anti-Lynch Bill and recommends that safeguards be in corporated to prevent the use of this measure against those whom it is intended to protect, and be it further RESOLVED: That the National Negro Congress calls upon the Congress of the United States to adopt a resolution introduced into the Senate by Senator Frederick Van Nuys of Indiana, for an open, thorough, and impartial investigation of all lynchings since May 1935, and be it further RESOLVED: That we condemn ail existing and proposed gag-laws, such as the "Tydings-McCormack Act," the "Kramer Sedition Bill," the "Washington, D. C. Anti-Communist Rider," the Criminal Syndicalism and Anarchy Acts," "Slave In surrection Laws," "Sterilization Laws" and the "Teachers' Oath Laws" that we will vigorously support every fight against all such oppressive and fascist legislation, and be it further RESOLVED: That we condemn all legislation and practises designed to ex clude Negroes from the Constitutional exercise of the franchise, and that we exert mass pressure for the exclusion of all Congressmen who are elected from the states which restrict Negroes from the free and untrammeled use of the ballot, that we bitterly condemn the decision of the United States Supreme Court in Grovey vs. Townsend, a Texas Primary case, whereby Negroes may be legally excluded from membership in political parties and the effective use of the ballot in those localities, that we support further action designed to achieve full participation of the Negro in all functions of political parties, and be it further RESOLVED: That the National Negro Congress demands and will fight for the enforcement of all the Constitutional Amendments guaranteeing Civil Liberties, especially the 13 th, 14th and 15 th Amendments and call for adoption by the Congress of the United States, for their enforcement, including the enactment of uniform laws affecting the election of all Federal officers, and be it further RESOLVED: That the National Negro Congress call fcjr the abolition of the torturing of prisoners through police brutality, for the aboliraipn of the barbarous chain-gang system, and be it further i- RESOLVED: That the National Negro Congress will take immediate steps to prosecute the lynchers of Norris Brady, and to popularize the facts and ties of this case, and be it further RESOLVED: That we endorse the United Front Defense of nine innocent Scottsboro boys, Angelo Herndon, Tom Mooney, and be it finally RESOLVED: That we call upon the permanent committee of the National Negro Congress to devise methods to coordinate the energies of all existing organi zations to give effect to these resolutions. 9 RESOLVED: That the Congress go on record as heartily endorsing the program of workers' education and mass action for Negro workers sponsored by the National Urban League and carried out in the program of the Negro Workers Councils, as a means or acquainting Negro workers with the economic nature of their problems, with the essential unity of white and Negro workers' interests, and with the history, technique and necessity of collective workers action, and be it further RESOLVED: That the Congress give all possible support to the Negro Work ers Councils in their campaign for membership and in their attempts to establish understanding and intelligent cooperation among workers of both races, within and without the ranks of organized labor. WHEREAS: The workers of Local 370, Dining Car Employees Union, New Yorkj employed on the Pennsylvania Railroad recently voted for a genuine action York, employed on the Pennsylvania Railroad recently voted for a genuine union honest decision to have an economic instrument of their own choosing instead of company unions dominated by the employers who harassed this local union which worked hard in order to educate its membership so that they may be always ready to support all matters pertaining to the interests and welfare of working people, and which union though newly organized, has taken initiative and sent delegates to the National Negro Congress, therefore, be it RESOLVED: That the National Negro Congress congratulate members of Local 370 Dining Car Employees Union, and commend their action, and that greetings from this Congress with the assurance of full support be tendered Local Union 370 through its delegates, President George E. Brown and Vice President T. A. Jackson, and be it further RESOLVED: That the action
WHEREAS: The exploitation and subjugation of the Negro Masses is general and world-wide in scope, and 14 WHEREAS: Negro toilers in one nation are not free so long as the brother toilers elsewhere are subjected to the degrading horrors of exploitation, and WHEREAS: A deeper sympathy and class-consciousness of all Negro workers throughout the world, can best be developed by an International Congress of Ne groes, and be it further RESOLVED: That immediately upon the establishment of this Congress, up on a permanent basis it work for the fulfillment of such an International Congress of Negroes. Women WHEREAS: The National Negro Congress assembled in Chicago on Febru ary 14, 15 and 16, has given thorough discussion of and consideration to the prob lems, conditions and circumstances of the Negro women of the United States of America, and; WHEREAS: The Negro women of America are subjected to three-fold ex ploitation as women, as workers, and as Negroes, and are forced through discrimina tion into the most menial labor under the worst conditions without organizational protection, and; WHEREAS: The Negro mother who must bear the greatest brunt of eco nomic crisis, having to maintain the family on the lowest income and relief provi sions, is without organization which will enable her to combat higher prices and in adequate housing, health, recreational and educational facilities for the family, and; WHEREAS: The newspapers are full of talk about returning prosperity, we housewives, Negro and white, see very little of it, for wages are stationary or on the decrease, but prices of food continue to creep upward. Relief is being cut and countless families are living on starvation diet, or dangerously close to it, and; WHEREAS: It has been found that there are many unfair, unjust, deplorable and illegal conditions extent that vitally effect the welfare of women, and; WHEREAS: We deem it necessary to remedy, correct and improve such conditions: THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That a national movement be instituted under the direction of the NNC to organize the domestic workers, who include 85 per cent of all Negro women workers, as a unit to sponsor and promote laws, regulations and requirements for the accomplishment of the following: 1. To demand and secure complete equality .for Negro women with all other women workers, as to: (a) Low wages: (b) Long, irregular hours: (c) Poor, unsanitary and non-moral living quarters and conditions. (d) General attitude which involves the lack of respect for employees by employer and public; (e) Exploitation in all respects by employers of Negro, foreign and inexperi enced female workers; 2. (a) Drafting uniform bills to be enacted into law by the Federal govern ment and the legislatures of the several states for the protection of the domestic workers: (b) Regulating voluntary agreements between employer and employee: (c) Education of employer, employees and public in mutual work relationships, including training schools for employees: (d) Uniform laws creating standards for employment agencies: 3. Recommendation of methods of action through: (a) Household sectional groups or unions: (b) Hotel maids and other hotel women workers: (c) Private female clubs: (d) Committees organized for this purpose. (e) Industrial committee of state federations of women. 4. Urgency of inclusion of Negro domestic workers by American Federation of Labor. 5. (a) The organization of Negro housewives leagues to combat higher prices segregated and inadequate housing, health, recreational and educational facilities (b) The organization of Negro professional women to fight the discrimination which they also face. 15 (c) The linking of the special problems of these groups with their general problems as women and as Negroes, supporting the fight against war and fascism, for adequate social legislation and the like; and be it further resolved, that: We call upon ail women to join in groups as organized housewives' leagues against the high cost of living. We especially call upon the women present at the first NNC, gathered here from 40 different states of the union, to pledge themselves to unite all Negro and white housewives in their home cities or towns—bringing together clubs, church groups, women's auxiliaries, and all possible organizations in united groups of women with one aim in mind, the formation of women's leagues against the high cost of living, to fight for a reduction in the prices of food, rent, gas, electricity, and all necessities of life—and thus to improve the conditions of all working class families, both Negro and white. Submitted by Sub-Committee of Resolutions Committee, Mrs. Nellie Hatel, chairman women's division; Charles F. White, Mrs. Brown. UNITED STATES NUTRALITY ACT WHEREAS: The neutrality act of the United States has operated to aid Italy as against Ethiopia by permitting the shipment of vital war supplies to Italy against the expressed wish of the Department of State, and WHEREAS: The neutrality act of the United States does not specifically provide against the shipment of such vital war supplies as oil, metal, cotton, etc., to the nations at war, therefore be it RESOLVED that the NNC go on record as advocating and urging the Congress of' the United States to extend the provisions of the neutrality act to include a ban on oil, metals, and cotton to nations at war, and be it further RESOLVED that this congress call on all workers, particularly those in the trans portation industry, to refuse to handle shipments of supplies to Italy and to support fully any groups of workers engaged from time to time in such activity. Trade Unions
WHEREAS: Thousands of Negro workers are joining and have already joined the unions of the A. F. of L. and whereas adequate representation has not in every case existed therefore be it resolved that the National Negro Congress go on record for a vigorous campaign to get Negro representation in ail executive bodies of local unions, of the central trades labor bodies, federation of labor, executive bodies of the international unions and the general executive council of the A. F. of L. BE IT RESOLVED: That the National Negro Congress go on record instruct ing the incoming executive committee to establish a trade union committee to carry out the decision pertaining to the organization of Negro labor into the union of the A. F. of L. Be it further resolved That the National Negro Congress go on record as opposed to company unions in any form. That the National Negro Congress go on record requesting) executive officials of the American Federation of Labor to change the location of the 1936 Convention of the American Federation of Labor from Florida and all other states that dis criminate against Negro labor. WHEREAS: The employers have made every effort and to a great exent have succeeded in weakening the ranks of labor in the division among color and racial lines, and WHEREAS: In these United States this is expressed by the wanton discrimina tion, segregation, brutal lynching and persecution of Negro workers who are system atically excluded from many occupations and are compelled to work for lower wages, longer hours and under worse conditions, and WHEREAS: In order for labor to maintain its rights and living conditions it is necessary for all workers regardless of race, color or creed or nationality to unite in a solid front against the employers, and WHEREAS: Discrimination is practiced against Negro workers in the trade unions by segregation of Negro members, or denying membership to Negro workers, thus compelling these workers to remain unorganized and work for lower standards, therefore be it RESOLVED: That this congress go on record endorsing the resolution of A. 16 Phillip Randolph of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters at the 54th convention of the A. F. of L., and be it further RESOLVED: That definite steps be taken to establish in every industrial center conferences of labor unions be called for the purpose of establishing a Negro Labor Committee for the special purpose of organizing the unorganized Negro workers, the organizing of extensive education to end the discrimination in any form within the A. F. of L. Old Age Pension
WHEREAS: We believe that the great amount of unemployment is due to the major mechanical labor saving devices being used in such a manner as to decrease the necessity for manual labor, be it therefore resolved, that the work of accomplish ments of the labor saving mechanical devices be taxed, to the extent that it will equalize the competition between manual and mechanical labor. That this tax be used for the unemployment insurance, old age pension, and unemployable com pensation. War and Fascism
WHEREAS: Fascism in its developing forms fans the flames of race hatred, increasing the misery and oppression of the minority groups, and WHEREAS: There exists today forces in America (such as Hearst, the American Liberty Leaguers, Brisbane, etc) who are allying themselves with the fascists in Germany and Italy and are responsible largely for the deplorable plight of the Negroes, and WHEREAS: They are these same forces who seek to restrict the democratic rights of free speech and assembly thus further restricting the civil liberties of the American Negro, therefore be it RESOLVED: That the National Negro Congress goes on record as vehemently opposed to the aims of the Hearst and American Liberty League groups, and be it further RESOLVED: That the National Negro Congress shall establish a permanent commission which shall regularly conduct an investigation of every manifestation of fascism developing against the Negro people and the population at large, issue regular educational material against this and for the establishment of better race relations. Resolution No. 2 WHEREAS: The threat of fascism is real and immediate, involving attacks against all organizations of the population (trade unions, civic organizations, of the menace of fascism in their midst, and be it further churches, political parties, etc.) and in view of the splendid message sent to this Congress by our leader, Brother Randolph, be it RESOLVED: That the National Negro Congress shall exert every effort in bringing about the closest cooperation of all organizations and groups opposed to war and fascism, and be it further RESOLVED: That in its turn the National Negro Congress itself will par ticipate with all organizations in a common, united, cooperative effort against the menace of fascism. Resolution No. 3 WHEREAS: The Mexican people are about to come together in a national people's Congress against war (Feb. 7), be it RESOLVED: That the National Negro Congress send an official Congress delegate to participate in their function and extend a greeting of cooperation against war and of solidarity. Resolution No. 4 WHEREAS: The women and children are made a special butt by fascism 17 (witness Germany and Italy, militarism among the youth, place the women in the kitchen, etc) be it therefore RESOLVED: That the National Negro Congress refers back to all repre sented organizations urging that each organization adopt special measures to bring the women folk, youth, and children into the main stream of the common struggle against fascism. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF FASCISM TO NEGROES WHEREAS: The present onslaught of fascist Italy on Ethiopia reveals the nature of fascism in that it suppresses all individual and democratic freedom, and ruthlessly violates the rights of other peoples and nations, therefore be it RESOLVED that this congress go on record as favoring a campaign by the Negro press and ministry and by other means to make the American Negroes aware of the menace of fascism in their midst and be it further RESOLVED that the congress shall through an appropriate committee, under take to. inform American Negroes of. the disastrous menace of certain political combinations, such as the American Liberty League, etc., which are taking place in America today. WHEREAS: The National Association of Colored Women, Inc., have re claimed and maintained the home of Frederick Douglass at Anacosta, Washington, D. C, as a National Shrine, and WHEREAS: . There, is need of improvement of the ground and landscaping of same, we are*petitioning this Congress to join in an effort to have the Congress of this United States make an; appropriation to defray the expenses of landscaping and of building a wall around the Frederick Douglass estate. WHEREAS: This Congress has set apart the natal day of Frederick Douglass we heartily commend them for consideration and we pledge our support and earnestly urge closer cooperation of men with women in all programs for the general good. WHEREAS: The National Association of Colored Women has had introduced into Congress a bill known as Senate Joint Resolution No. 202 by the Senator Neely of West Virginia, we ask the endorsement of the members of this Congress in bringing it to the attention of the appropriation committee that said bill shall be passed when it comes in for final reading. The exposition herein referred to is to encourage, mechanical, agricultural and cultural advancement of Negroes throughout the United States and to give definite examples of the progress made by them since emancipation. Respectfully yours: E)r. Mary F Waring, National President; Mrs. Irene McGaines, Illinois; Mrs. Carrie Horton. Illinois: Mrs. Tracy Mitchell, Kansas; Mrs. Estelle Davis, Ohio; Mrs. Tarea H. Pittman, California; Mrs. Grace Wilson, Indiana; Miss Gertrude Brown, Minnesota; Mrs. S. Joe Brown, Iowa; Mrs. Helen O. Brascher, Illinois; accepted.
18 Foreign Born Negroes
Resolutions from the Section on the Foreign Born Negroes
1. That the Congress go on record as condemning any form of discrimination practiced against foreign-born Negroes in the United States.
2. Due to the fact that the foreign-born Negroes have integrated themselves in American life by taking an active part in the economic, educational, and political aspects, be it resolved that the Congress goes on record as opposing any attempt at deporting foreign-born Negroes or dropping them from relief.
3. That the Congress go on record as bringing out a better relationship between the foreign-born and native born Negroes.
4. That the Congress go on record as supporting foreign-born Negroes in their struggle for economic and political freedom in their respective homes.
5. That the Congress try to bring about an International Negro Congress in order to establish better relationship among Negroes throughout the world.
Alonzo G. Miron, J. Robert Smith, Bonita Williams, A. L. King, Harold Williams.
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