African Americans; United States -- Race relations
Besides, the recent dirty diatribes against the Negro in a Texas
paper, which is still on our national list of Socialist papers; the
experiences of Mrs. Theresa Malkiel in Tennessee where she was
prevented by certain people from addressing a meeting of Negroes on
the subject of Socialism, and certain other exhibitions of the thing
called southernism, constitute the challenge of caste. Can we ignore
this challenge? I think not. We could hardly afford to have the taint
of "trimming" on the garments of the Socialist party. It is
dangerous—doubly dangerous now, when the temper of the times is
against such "trimming." Besides it would be futile. If it is not met
now it must be met later when it shall have grown stronger. Now, when
we can cope with it, we have the issue squarely presented: Southernism
or Socialism—which? Is it to be the white half of the working class
against the black half, or all the working class? Can we hope to
triumph over capitalism with one-half of the working class against us?
Let us settle these questions now—for settled they must be.
The Negro and Political Socialism.
The power of the voting proletariat can be made to express itself
through the ballot. To do this they must have a political organization
of their own to give form to their will. The direct object of such an
organization is to help them to secure control of the powers of
government by electing members of the working class to office and so
secure legislation in the interests of the working class until such
time as the workers may, by being in overwhelming control of the
government, be able "to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new
government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing
its power in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect
their safety and happiness"—in short, to work for the abolition of
capitalism, by legislation—if that be permitted. And in all this, the
Negro, who feels most fiercely the deep damnation of the capitalist
system, can help.
The Negro and Industrial Socialism.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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