Twin-City herald. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1927-1940, 1936-09-19
Jas. W. FORD
Continued from page one)

DISCHARGED: After the armis-
tice, Ford was honorably discharged
from the Army. Although an expert
radio operator, he found it impossible
to get work even in the Government
service because he was a Negro.
Finally landed job as an unskilled
laborer in mattress factory, but
he quit when he learned that he was
being trained as scab to replace
white workers at a lower wage.
After a long wait, he became a
parcel post dispatcher and member
of the Postal Workers Union, No. /.
At one time he was candidate for
president of the union, and was
only defeated by the officials count
ing him out. Elected as a delegate
to the Chicago Federation of Labor
by Negro and white workers. Played
as member of the Postal Workers
baseball team, and was the only
Negro member of the team.
JOINED THE COMMUNIST
PARTY: Activity in trade union af-
fairs and his special interest in the
fight for the emancipation of the
Negro people resulted in his joining
the Communist Party.
1929: Delegate to the End World
Congress of the League against I'm
perialism at Frankfort, Germany, in
July. In 1880, arrested in New York
City for leading a protest demonstra-
ton against the shooting of Haitian
natives by the United States Marine
forces.
1880: Delegate to the First Inter-
national Conference of Negro Work
ers at Hamburg. Leader of the Pro-
visional Committee of international
Trade Union Committee of Negro
Workers, which organized this con-
ference. This conference set up the
International Trade Union Committee
of Negro Workers, now permanent
organization. 1t established the
Negro Worker, it's official organ.
Ford was it's first editor, and is now
one of the contributing editors of the
magazine.
Was one of the leaders of the
League of Struggle for Negro Rights
in America, of which Langston
Hughes, noted Negro poet and author
is president and Ford vice-president.
1892: Communist presidential
candidate. VIM. z. Foster, national
chairman of the Communist Party
and leader of the great steel strike
in 1929, was presidential candidate.
Travelled throughout the country
speaking to hundreds of thousands of
workers. Was arrested on account of
militant speeches and activities on
campaign tour.
1885: Delegate to the 7th World
Congress of the Communist Interna-
tional. Spoke on international Negro
liberation movement. Elected as can
didate to the Executive Committee
of the Communist International, the
highest coordinating body of the In
ternational Communist movement.
1896: Head of the Harlem Division
of the Communist Party, the largest
such division of the Communist Party
in the United States. Member of the
Central Committee of the Communist
Party and of it's Political Bureau.
Elected as head of the International
Relations Department of the National
Negro Congress at session in Chi.
cago, February, 1886.
Commended by the Mayors Com
mittee for the investigation of condi.
lions in Harlem, for valuable aid to
the Harlem Community in fighting
against discrimination, jim-crowism
police brutality, unemployment anG
other evils which caused the spon.
taneous outburst of Negroes in Har.
lem on March 10, 1886.
1886: Communist vice-presidentia
candidate. Earn Browder, general sec.
rotary of the Communist Party
presidential candidate.