The Washington socialist. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1914-1915, 1915-04-24
SOCIALISM AND
THE COLORED RACE
ECONOMIC STATUS
OF THE NEGRO
BY HUBERT HARRISON

The ten million Negroes of America
form group that Is more essentially
proletarian than any other American
group. In the first place the ances
tors of this group were brought here
with the very definite understanding
that they were to be ruthlessjy OK
plotted. And they were not allowed
any choice In the matter Since they
were brought here as chattels their
social status was fixed by that fact.
IN every case that we know of where a
group has lived by exploiting another
group, 1t has despised that group
which II has put under sublection.
And the degree OF contempt has al.
ways been In direct proportion to the
degree OF exploitation.
inasinuch, then, as the Negro was Of
,ne period the most thoroughly ex.
plotted OF the American proietarian.
10 was tho most thoroughly despised
That group which exploited and despis
ed him, being the most powerful
section OF the ruling class, was able
TO diffuse It's own necessary contenpt
Of the Negro first among the other
sections OF the ruling class, and after
wards among all other classes of
Americans. For the ruling class has
always determined what the social
ideas and moral IDEAS Of society
should be; and this explains how race
prejudice was disseminated until all
Americans are supposed to be saturat-
ed with 1t. Race prejudice, than, is
tho fruit for economic status. It is the
reflex Of social caste system. That
caste system In America today is
what we roughly refer to as the Race
Problem, and 1t Is thus seen that the
Negro problem 10 essentially an eco
nomic problem with It's roots in
slavery past and present.
Notwithstanding the fact that It is
usually kept out of public discussion,
he bread-and-butter side of this pro-
blem is easily the most important
The Negro worker gets less for his
work-thanks to exclusion from the
craft unions than any other worker;
he works longer hours as a rule and
under worse conditions than any other
worker; and his rent in any large city
Is much higher than that which the
white worker pays for the same tene-
ment. In short, the exploitation OF the
Negro worker is keener than that of
any group Of white workers In
America. Now, the mission Of the So.
ciaIist Party is to tree the working
class from exploitation, and since
the Negro 10 the most ruthiessiy ex-
plotted working class group In
America, the duty Of the party to
champion his cause Is as clear as day.
This is the crucial test of Socialisms
sincerity and therein lies the value of
this point Of view-Socialism and the
Negro.
The Need Of Socialist Propasanga
So far, no particular effort has been
made to cary the message of Socialism
to these people. All the rest of the
poor have had the gospel preached to
them, for the party has carried on
special propaganda work among the
Poles, Slovaks, Firms, Hungarians and
{fhYranyouC tor v,,sI1
Americans. all proletarians, hanging
on the ragged edge of the impending
class conflict Lett to themselves
they may become as great a menace
to our advancing army as is the army
Of the unemployed, and for precisely
the same reason: they can be used
against us. as the craft unions have
begun to find out. Surely we should
make some effort to enlist them I'M
der our banner that they may swell
our ranks and help make us invincible.
And we must do this for the same
reason that is impelling organized
labor to adopt an all-inclusive policy;
because the other policy results in the
artificial breeding Of scabs. On
grounds of common sense and en-
iightened self-interest It would be
we'll for the socialist party to begin to
organize the Negroes Of America in
reference to the class struggle. You
may depend on 1t, comrades, the
capitalists of America are not wait
ing Already they have subsidized
Negro leaders Negro editors, preach
ers and politicians to build up in the
breasts Of black people those senti-
ments which will make them subser-
Went to their WILL For they recognize
the value Ito them) of cheap labor
power and they know that if they can
succeed In keeping one section of the
working class down they can use that
section to keep other sections down
too.
The Negroes Attitude Toward Socialism
If the Socialist propaganda among
Negroes is to be effectively carried
ON the members and leaders of the
party must first understand the
Negroes attitude toward Socialism.
That attitude finds It's first EXPRESSION