Minutes of General Executive Board (G.E.B.) of the IWO,Plenary Session Meeting
- Description:
- Max Bedacht, General Executive Board (G.E.B.) Meeting 2/12-2/13/44. Item 1 and resolutions stress organizing Negro masses and advocating for their rights, positing the role of the National Societies on this pivotal issue as garnering support for FDR and the IWO: "Winning masses of Negro Americans for this society will be a tremendous stimulus to the involvement of our national groups in the struggle for Negro rights as an integral part of their fight for the preservation and extensions of democracy in our country. Such a society, rooted in the Negro community, will likewise help to bring the full implications of Teheran as they apply to the Negro people into that community and thereby assist in rallying them for support to President Roosevelt and the complete realization of his win-the-war-and-the peace program." (4) Minutes are followed by numerous resolutions including those by Sam Milgrom in a "Call for National Unity" promoting the re-election of FDR, by June Gordon on the proposed founding of the Jewish People's Fraternal Order's (JPFO) women's Emma Lazarus Division, by the Slavic Sections on Slavic communities, the World War II effort and hoped-for European and American outcomes that include the proposed complete reorganization of the national sections. Notably Louise Thompson Patterson on the founding of a Black, Frederick Douglass Section, and resolutions condemning Antisemitism and the British White Paper are approved. FEPC (Fair Employment Practices Committee) resolution passed notes: "While our Negro citizenry is taking an increasing part in the war effort both as flghting men & as soldiers of production, the practice of many employers in discriminating against Negroes in industry has not been abandoned. This shameful practice constitutes an insult to a great part of our nation & a breach of the elementary principles of democracy." (16) Attendees: Altieri, Bacich, Bedacht, Billy, Bloom, Brodsky, Candela, Chaunt, Colon, Den, D'Inzillo, Dmytryshyn, Doroshkin, Eberhardt, Eiseman, Gebert, Gill, Goldman, Gordon, Gordon, Grosfield, Hamburger, Haracz, Harisiades, Hanusiak, Hochberg, Kasustchik, Kelner, Komlos, Konecky, Kruth, Lawry, Littinsky, Logoyda, Maccallini, Mann, Marinos, Melamed, Middleton, Miles, Milgrom, Mintus, Musil, Nelli, Nelson, Nikolauk, Paivio, Papas, Papas, Pevzner, Pilutik, Polak, Poleschuk, Rajkovich, Rakocky, Rody, Rotenberg, Rymer, Salerno, Saltzman, Sandler, Schachter, Schiffel, Schiller, Seligson, Shipka, Slocum, Smotrich, Soorko, Star, Stein, Steinberg, Thompson, Tkach, Vail, Vines, Vocila, Vrabel, Vukcevich, Vuorela, Weiner, West, Wood. This text uses the term ‘Negro’ and/or 'Negro Labor' to refer to the concerted efforts made primarily in the 1920s-1940s to fight racial discrimination so as to ensure the fair employment of Black people, in union and other jobs including those in the private sector, civil service, as well as advocacy for the full integration of Black people into the armed services. Black unemployment and under employment were extremely high due to racial barriers. While the term ‘Negro’ might be read as pejorative today, the term was then used in a positive regard, including by Black leftists.
- Date:
- 1944-02-12 to 1944-02-13
- 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:
- Bedacht, Max, 1883-1972
- File Name:
- 5276b01f11_01
- Identifier:
- International Workers Order (IWO) Records #5276, Box 1, Folder 11
- Repository:
- Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Martin P. Catherwood Library, Cornell University