The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-08-17
PARTY LIFE
Conducted by the Org. Dept. Central Com
mittee, Communist Party, U. S. A.
Development of BIZ OK
Committees in Chattanooga
By HELEN MARCY

IMMEDIATELY after the arrest and conviction
of the Scottsboro boys, we began to look for
forms Of organization whereby we could organ-
1ze a wide, popular movement about the case.
One Of the first steps was the organization Of
Block Committees throughout the city These
consisted of neighbors within a block or GER
tain vicinity, who were interested in saving the
lives OF the Scottsboro boys, meeting together
once week, selling Liberators Labor Defenders
ana other literature. Another main task was the
raising Of funds for the defense Of the boys
These block committees had an extremely loose
organizational form No dues, membership books
or other organizational ties. The only function
airy was block secretary, who attended week.
ly meeting of block secretaries from all parts of
the city, where the plan of work for the next
week was discussed
The Block Committees Today
Since the local newspapers purposeIy omitted
the news of the revolt of the share CHOPPERS in
Camp Hill Ala, the block committees served inn
mediately as medium of acquainting the work.
ers of Chattanooga with the Camp Hill massa-
ere. The struggle of the Camp Hill troopers be-
came their own, and now Camp Hill and Scots
boro have become merged in the giant struggle
for Negro rights, and the right of workers to
organize.
OF great Importance is the initiative and Lead
ershlp the block committees are giving in the
fight against evictions in Chattanooga In spite
of the intimidation, stool pigeons and false ar
rests the block committees have twice organized
large groups of workers to put back the furni-
ture of an evicted, jobless worker Although
week has passed since the furniture was put back
the second time, this worker is still in the house
Our fight against evictions has laid the basis
for the building of many more block committees
One Neighborhood Committee to Fight Evic-
tons has already been formed in a block where
eight families were served eviction notices The
membership in the Block Committees is SWELL
ing because of the enthusiasm and admiration
of the workers for our fight against evictions
The Block Committees are losing their single
track character and are becoming efficient
fighters in all working class battles. The mem
berShip has become more or less responsible
one Each committee now has Block Captain
besides a secretary. The best worker in the
block is selected captain and delegated to at
tend the weekly Block Captains meeting, COM
posed of captains from all over the city
The Block Committees have conducted a con-
sistent fight against the Ministers Alliance and
the NA.A,C.P. These attacks are dealing hard
p4o"o W Cne CHURCH ana une race leaders ana
are effective in winning workers away from
their deadening influence
The Block Committees, Ell course, will prove
a very fertile field from which to draw CP and
YCL members, especially since any member of
block committee is Immediately considered a
Red by friends and enemies. The worker who
joins is usual apt to consider himself so and
must of necessity be militant, determined
fighter Conditions of illegalty and semi-ille-
gality tend to weed out weak elements.
believe the direction the Chattanooga Block
Committees are taking is correct one. I wrote
this history of our Block Committees hoping
other cities would tell us what is happening to
their Block Committees and how they are de-
veloping.