The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-09-16
PART
LIFE
White Chauvinism in
Providence, r. /.
BY LORETTA STARR

BY LOREIIA SIAhh
THE struggle against white chau-
4 whist tendencies, both concealed
and open, in the Party, was sharply
dramatized by the famous Yokinen
case. We still find, however, that
our work among the Negro masses
does not bring the results that we
should attain. This is largely due
to the lack of understanding of the
Negro question and the failure of
our comrades to root out white
chauvinist tendencies from our
ranks.
Many comrades who are not in
volved in Negro work maintain
that they are devoid Of chauvin-
istic tendencies. When drawn into
Negro work, their concealed white
chauvinism comes into the open.
Such is the case in the Providence,
r. l., unit.
During the Lucille Wright tour,
this sister of two of the Scottsboro
boys was scheduled to speak in
Providence. The Party unit was
informed and asked to make ar
rangements for this meeting.
FIRST WRONG STEP
At the unit meeting, the Party
made a decision that one comrade
should visit a Negro worker who
had dropped out Of the Party. This
Negro comrade was to prepare for
the meeting, get hall, draw up
leaflet, and they, the Party, would
help him give them out.
This wrong attitude is typical Of
many units in connection with Me-
gro work. The idea that only Ne
gro comrades should be given Ne
gro work and the indifference and
passiYity on the part of our COM
rades who allowed this to happen
is the most prevalent expression of
the influence of white chauvinism.
Y.CL. FIGHTS CHAUvINISM
Seeing this incorrect an dindif-
ferent attitude to the Lucille
Wright meeting, the section of the
Young Communist League ard an,
other Y. G. L. comrade tffed to
form a united front with Negro
and Cape Verdean workers. Prep
arations were made by these COM
radeS, a hall secured and leaflets
printed. During the course of these
preparations, a discussion arose on
the Negro question, between lead
ing Party comrade in this section
and the Y.CL. comrades. There
this leading Party comrade made
a statement which openly exposed
his white chauvinistic tendencies:
Those 'niggers" don't want to be
organized" They're too dumb"
etc. This brought about further
discussion which involved other
Party comrades.
The chauvinistic tendencies which
have so long been concealed were
expressed in statements such as:
1.-THE Party is on its knees to the
Negro workers, flinging arms around
their necks in its desire to keep
them in ats ranks; insinuating
that the Negroes are inferior be-
cause their brains are smaller
than the white; mo special at
tention should be paid to the Ne
gro workers: they are exploited
more than the white workers and
should realize who their enemies
are" This was followed up with
white chauvinist bourgeois talk
about sex.
PRACTICAL POISON
At the next Party meeting, the
unit decided that they could not
raise the deposit on the hall. Their
excuse was that in the first place
the Scottsboro meeting would be a
flop, anyway. To save money,
their suggestion was that Lucille
Wright should speak on street
corner. No arguments could con-
vince them otherwise. They said
they were not white chauvinists.
They were only "being practical"
When it was pointed out that
their statements and their attitude
towards the Scottsboro meeting
we're clear-cut white chauvinism
the comrades denied it. 1t is clear
that the comrades who made these
statements do not think themselves
chauvinist. They say: IT helped
prepare for Ford's meeting; 81
was angry when called them mig
gers"
SOCIALIST PARTY POISON