John E. Middleton letter, March 9, 1945 on IWO Harlem interracial solidarity rally and ongoing need for interracial organizing
- Description:
- Letter March 9, 1945, to all IWO New York lodges from IWO Vice President John E. Middleton on attending Harlem interracial, intergroup solidarity rally on March 25 to mark Negro History Week. The rally organized by the IWO Negro Organizing Committee is to be held at the Golden Gate Ballroom with Adam Clayton Powell, Councilman Benjamin Davis Jr., and Earl Browder. Middleton states “inter-racial unity is not something to be worn like a Sunday suit of clothes - on certain special days of the year.” His stress is on the importance of the daily work of creating racial equality within the IWO and its broader organizational implementation. Letterhead with logo at bottom in red: "Life Insurance, Sick and Accident Benefits, Family Medical, and Specialist Service, Birth Control Centers." The letterhead is from the IWO's New York City Central Committee whose officers include Middleton, Jesus Colon and Maurice Grubin. This text uses the term ‘Negro’ to refer to Black people in the context of the concerted efforts made primarily in the 1920s-1940s to fight racial discrimination. While the term ‘Negro’ might be read as pejorative today, the term was then used in a positive regard, including by Black leftists.
- Date:
- 1945-03-09
- Copyright:
- The copyright status and copyright owners of most of the images in the International Workers Order (IWO) Records Collection (Kheel Center #5276) are unknown. This material was digitized from physical holdings by Cornell University Library in 2016, with funding from an Arts and Sciences Grant to Jonathan Boyarin. Documents include language and representations which comprise the historical record and should not be interpreted to mean that Cornell University or its staff endorse or approve of negative representations or stereotypes presented. Cornell is providing access to the materials as a digital aggregate under an assertion of fair use for non-commercial educational use. The written permission of any copyright and other rights holders is required for distribution, reproduction, or other use that extends beyond what is authorized by fair use and other statutory exemptions. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permissions ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item. Cornell would like to learn more about items in the collection and to hear from individuals or institutions that have any additional information as to rights holders. Please contact the Kheel Center at kheel_center@cornell.edu
- Creator:
- Middleton, John E.
- File Name:
- 5276b08f04_03
- Identifier:
- International Workers Order (IWO) Records #5276, Box 8, Folder 4
- Repository:
- Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Martin P. Catherwood Library, Cornell University