The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-11-09
The Socialist Party Denies
Existence of the Black Belt.
By Their Words and Deeds the S. p Misleaders Uphold
Oppression of the Negro People

CIldG according 10 census IlSureS
only one state, Mississippi, has a
clear majority of Negroes, and like
an ignorant-or shall we say for
notwithstanding, asks where "the
autonomous Negro republics" are
to be.
WE ARE DUBIOUS
MATHEMATICIANS"
The official organ of the S. p,
the New Leader" Of Nov. S, 1882,
in what pretends to be only a
small section of a more detailed
study" presents a map and an i'm
posing array of figures which are
supposed to prove that the Com
munist plank Of 'self-determina-
ton of the Black Belt is both
automatically dubious and inept
and historically misleading in the
face Of the great Negro migrations
going on at the present time"
The author of this highly schol-
arly article" who cannot even
avoid mistakes in simple addition,
accuses the Communists of con
yenient mathematical reckoning
to "conjure up for themselves a
continuous Black Belt" He finds
that the accepted principle Of
classification whereby a county
having a Negro population of 1876
per cent is classed with the ma
jority Negro counties, when used by
the Communists casts light upon
the honesty Of their scholarship"
r IKE typical petty bourgeois poll
Ii ticians who stoop TO SANDER
when they are unable to meet the
arguments of their opponents, the
New Leader" is reduced to prac-
tice mathematical magic under the
cloak OF scholarship, in order to
deny the existence of the continu-
Gus Black Belt. They can do it in
no other way.
To prove his point, the Social
list scholar" adduces three argu-
ments: % Only in Mississippi are
the Negroes in majority, and only
a tiny one at that; ~ there has
been a great northward migration
of Negroes since the war, which,
If I may conclude his argument, is
reducing the Negro majority in the
Black Belt; CD figures are mar
shalled in an attempt to show that
there is no continuous stretch of
territory with Negro majority.
NEGRO VIBRATIONS
To take his second argument
first: During the World War and
up to 1922 there were mass migra-
tons Of Negroes from the Southern
plantations to industrial centers
both in the North and South. The
number of Negroes migrating to the
North during this period is various
ly estimated (there are no exact
figures) at from 100000 to 1000 900.
This was movement of tremen-
dous significance to the Negro peo-
pie and to the working class as a
whole. For, during the brief period
of few years, it turned hundreds
Of thousands Of Negro peasants in
to industrial workers and strength
ened the decisive class in the strug-
gle for Negro liberation. AT the
same time 1t increased the northern
market Of the Negro bourgeoisie,
broadened its base; and thus mi
tiated strong bourgeois national
LIST current among the Negroes.
The Northern Negroes were sub
jected to fiercer oppression as
national minority by the ruling
class. At. the same time. the draw
ing of Negro and white workers
into the same industries in the
North created the basis for the
growing class solidarity we are ex-
periencing today.
At THE time Of these migrations
n the, argument was rife that the
Negro population would be diffused