National Negro Labor Council
Encyclopedia
The National Negro Labor Council (1950 - 1955) was a labor union dedicated to serving the needs and civil rights of black workers.
In 1951, black workers formed the National Negro Labor Council (NNLC), which was brought about to serving the needs and civil rights of black workers. This organization was there to do certain tasks that the National Negro Congress
could not do since its failed return after the war. Also the NAACP failed to stay on the labor leaders who were not in accordance with the unions of certain radial elements. For years, African Americans have faced hardships, which are considered to be strong setbacks. In the early 1950s when the civil rights movement was taking place and making a statement of power, Africans Americans began to take a militant role in order to proceed in prosperity and thus the NNLC was built.
On June 1950, a meeting named the National Labor conference was held in Chicago
, Illinois
. African leaders such as William R. Hood, Cleveland Robinson, and Coleman A. Young
were selected as the leaders of Negro Labor Council (NLC) chapters that formed out of the conference. And by 1951, twenty three NLC chapters were established across the nation. In October of that same year, representatives from all 23 chapters met again in Cincinnati, Ohio
and founded The National Negro Labor Council.
Some of the founders of NNLC were Coleman Young (future mayor of Detroit, MI), William Hood (recording secretary of UAW Local 600), Paul Robeson
, Ernest Thompson, and William Marshall
. One of the leaders, Paul Robeson supported Soviet Union
because he believed that it did not have racial discrimination.
When the National Negro Labor Council began cooperating with the union leaders, things did not work as planned. Appeals were made to elect black officers, but they were urgently met with racism charges. It was a reversal to continue to hold down the deeply oppressed minority. The National Negro Labor Council was involved in various important battles which aided in the advancement of a group of people. It aided in militant strikes to obtain jobs for blacks, it also attempted to stop brutal slayings of blacks by law enforcement, and to attempt to gain access and full use of public transportation. with all of its prosperity and good causes, there comes negative publicity as well.
The NNLC carried out many things such as militant strikes, campaigns to acquire more jobs for Afro-Americans, gain the right to vote or to use public facilities. The organization led job campaigns against companies such as Sears-Roebuck, Ford Motor Company
, General Electric
and others. But instead of focusing on the issues raised by NNLC, some union leaders of the AFL
and CIO
decided to attack the NNLC. As a result, it caused investigations by the McCarthyite House Un-American Activities Committee
(HUAC). HUAC charged NNLC of having communist sympathies.
. The organization was accused of being a Communist-front organization. This was due to protesting against the American companies’ treatment of black workers. It was charged with an enormous legal defense bill which the organization was not able to pay.
When the charges began to amount to an uncontrollable portion, the NNCL decided to vote. When the vote was counted, it was decided that it would dissolve itself. The legal charges were too much for the organization to handle and remain prosperous, so this decision had to be made.
The NNCL was an organization that was very useful and served its purpose, but unfortunate circumstances prevented it from developing into what was truly possible for it. Lasting for only about five years, this organization became one of the shortest-lived organizations of the civil rights history. However, it did inspire future civil rights movements.
In 1951, black workers formed the National Negro Labor Council (NNLC), which was brought about to serving the needs and civil rights of black workers. This organization was there to do certain tasks that the National Negro Congress
National Negro Congress
The National Negro Congress is an organization which was put into place by the Communist Party of the United States of America in 1935 at Howard University. It was a popular front organization created with the goal of fighting for Black liberation and was the successor to the League of Struggle for...
could not do since its failed return after the war. Also the NAACP failed to stay on the labor leaders who were not in accordance with the unions of certain radial elements. For years, African Americans have faced hardships, which are considered to be strong setbacks. In the early 1950s when the civil rights movement was taking place and making a statement of power, Africans Americans began to take a militant role in order to proceed in prosperity and thus the NNLC was built.
On June 1950, a meeting named the National Labor conference was held in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. African leaders such as William R. Hood, Cleveland Robinson, and Coleman A. Young
Coleman Young
Coleman Alexander Young served as mayor of Detroit in the U.S. state of Michigan from 1974 to 1993. Young became the first African-American mayor of Detroit in the same week that Maynard Jackson became the first African-American mayor of Atlanta.-Pre-Mayoral career:Young was born in Tuscaloosa,...
were selected as the leaders of Negro Labor Council (NLC) chapters that formed out of the conference. And by 1951, twenty three NLC chapters were established across the nation. In October of that same year, representatives from all 23 chapters met again in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
and founded The National Negro Labor Council.
Some of the founders of NNLC were Coleman Young (future mayor of Detroit, MI), William Hood (recording secretary of UAW Local 600), Paul Robeson
Paul Robeson
Paul Leroy Robeson was an American concert singer , recording artist, actor, athlete, scholar who was an advocate for the Civil Rights Movement in the first half of the twentieth century...
, Ernest Thompson, and William Marshall
William Marshall
-Politicians, noblemen and military leaders:*William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke , 12th-13th-century Anglo Norman nobleman*William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke -Politicians, noblemen and military leaders:*William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1146–1219), 12th-13th-century Anglo Norman...
. One of the leaders, Paul Robeson supported Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
because he believed that it did not have racial discrimination.
When the National Negro Labor Council began cooperating with the union leaders, things did not work as planned. Appeals were made to elect black officers, but they were urgently met with racism charges. It was a reversal to continue to hold down the deeply oppressed minority. The National Negro Labor Council was involved in various important battles which aided in the advancement of a group of people. It aided in militant strikes to obtain jobs for blacks, it also attempted to stop brutal slayings of blacks by law enforcement, and to attempt to gain access and full use of public transportation. with all of its prosperity and good causes, there comes negative publicity as well.
The NNLC carried out many things such as militant strikes, campaigns to acquire more jobs for Afro-Americans, gain the right to vote or to use public facilities. The organization led job campaigns against companies such as Sears-Roebuck, Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
, General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
and others. But instead of focusing on the issues raised by NNLC, some union leaders of the AFL
American Federation of Labor
The American Federation of Labor was one of the first federations of labor unions in the United States. It was founded in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions disaffected from the Knights of Labor, a national labor association. Samuel Gompers was elected president of the Federation at its...
and CIO
Congress of Industrial Organizations
The Congress of Industrial Organizations, or CIO, proposed by John L. Lewis in 1932, was a federation of unions that organized workers in industrial unions in the United States and Canada from 1935 to 1955. The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 required union leaders to swear that they were not...
decided to attack the NNLC. As a result, it caused investigations by the McCarthyite House Un-American Activities Committee
House Un-American Activities Committee
The House Committee on Un-American Activities or House Un-American Activities Committee was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives. In 1969, the House changed the committee's name to "House Committee on Internal Security"...
(HUAC). HUAC charged NNLC of having communist sympathies.
Charges before the House Un-American Activities Committee
Although this organization had accomplished many tasks relating to civil rights and race discrimination, it came to an end in 1956. It was called before the Subversive Activities Control BoardSubversive Activities Control Board
The Subversive Activities Control Board was a United States government committee to investigate Communist infiltration of American society during the 1950s Red Scare....
. The organization was accused of being a Communist-front organization. This was due to protesting against the American companies’ treatment of black workers. It was charged with an enormous legal defense bill which the organization was not able to pay.
When the charges began to amount to an uncontrollable portion, the NNCL decided to vote. When the vote was counted, it was decided that it would dissolve itself. The legal charges were too much for the organization to handle and remain prosperous, so this decision had to be made.
The NNCL was an organization that was very useful and served its purpose, but unfortunate circumstances prevented it from developing into what was truly possible for it. Lasting for only about five years, this organization became one of the shortest-lived organizations of the civil rights history. However, it did inspire future civil rights movements.