The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-01
Party Life
Unit Group System
Initiates Better
Work in Harlem

]
MO doubt in the recent months,
~ there has been a decided change
in the work of our Vel. in Harlem,
both in the inner life and in the
mass campaigns around the League
organizations. We have been sue
cessful in leading a number Of
struggles which have resulted in us
winning our demands. The Vol.
led fight at the Salvation Army on
124th Street near It'll Avenue, for
better conditions for the young men
on the inside and against terror
that was existing there against the
fellows. Here we won better food
and were able to draw about 20 to
80 young fellows into the YCL. We
also we-e in the forefront of the
struggle at the Empire Cafeteria
where the Young Liberator organ
ization of 100 to $50 young workers
was built, the most advanced Of
these young fellows being drawn in
to the Y.C.L. These are only two
of the many struggles that the
Y.CL. is and has been involved in
during the recent period and proves
conclusively that the Y.C.L. can be
built among the Negro youth in
Harlem when we go out and lead
them in struggle for their day-to-
day needs.
Some one may ask, then why is 1t
that we do not have a mass Y.C.L
that is rooted among the Negro
Youth?
The reasons are as follows: %
Our work is not properly organized,
We still rely to a certain extent up
on Spontaneity. CD There is incon-
sistency in our work, jumping from
one campaign to another, not be-
ing able to link one campaign with
another. (3) There is a lack of sys-
tematic campaign for the Marx
feminist education of our units.
All of this results in big turn
over, and f1uctuation, which is one
of the biggest problems that is fac
ing the League today. We have
hundreds of young Negro workers
who have come into our organization
during the Scottsboro upsurge or in
our struggle for relief or other
struggles and only stay in the
League a very short time.
New Methods Improve Unit Life
Since the question of fluctuation
is one of the basic weaknesses IN
connection with our work, it is nee
essary to understand here how our
League is dealing with the ques-
ton. Take for example unit 402.
In this unit two classes will be held,
one class for beginners, which will
deal more or less with current prob
lens, and explain to the newer
comrades in the Vel. actually
what the Y. G. L. is. The other class
which is for more advanced COM
rades will deal with the Communist
position on the Negro question, and
the more basic questions. We have
divided our unit into squads, where
closer check-up and assistance
can be given to each comrade. This
method recently has been very in
strumental in stopping the huctua-
ton in our Y.CL. unit. In the Sec
ton as a whole, this method is be-
ing carried out, and in my opinion.
will be great aid in changing the
existing situation.
Another great weakness in carry
ing out our work, was lack of
any contact whatsoever with the
bourgeois controlled organizations
and the Negro petty bourgeois ma
tionalist organizations. Thus we
were not able to carry on any work
inside these organizations exposing
their leaders and winning these
youth for our program. In this also
we have made change, by assign
ing some of our leading comrades to
work in these organizations.
think, in order to get a clear
understanding of the work of the
Y.CL. we must also understand the
relation of the Party to the Vel.
in the section. While on the whole
there is healthy attitude on the
part of the Party leadership
towards the Y.CL. it is not al
together true in regard to number
of the rank and file Party mem
bers, who lock at all of the short
comings of the Y. c. L. and see
none of the achievements, thereby
using this negative side in order to
center an attack against the YCL..
instead of explaining to the Y.CL.
comrades through real constructive
bolshevik criticism, helping the COM
rades to overcome these mistakes
and go forward to other victories. If
the decision of the recent conven-
ton is studied and carried out by
every Party member in the lower
units in connection with building
the Y. G. L., we will be able to
go forward to a mass Y.C.L. in the
Harlem section.
BY j. A.
Harlem Section,
NeW VOrk