Death Blow to Jim Crow

The National Negro Congress and the Rise of Militant Civil Rights

By Erik S. Gellman | Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press

About the book

During the Great Depression, black intellectuals, labor organizers, and artists formed the National Negro Congress (NNC) to demand a “second emancipation” in America. Over the next decade, the NNC and its offshoot, the Southern Negro Youth Congress, sought to coordinate and catalyze local antiracist activism into a national movement to undermine the Jim Crow system of racial and economic exploitation. In this pioneering study, Erik S. Gellman shows how the NNC agitated for the first-class citizenship of African Americans and all members of the working class, establishing civil rights as necessary for reinvigorating American democracy.
Much more than just a precursor to the 1960s civil rights movement, this activism created the most militant interracial freedom movement since Reconstruction, one that sought to empower the American labor movement to make demands on industrialists, white supremacists, and the state as never before. By focusing on the complex alliances between unions, civic groups, and the Communist Party in five geographic regions, Gellman explains how the NNC and its allies developed and implemented creative grassroots strategies to weaken Jim Crow, if not deal it the “death blow” they sought.

Editions of Death Blow to Jim Crow

Hardcover
ISBN 9780807835319
Paperback
ISBN 9781469618999
EBook
ISBN 9780807869932
EBook
ISBN 9781469601960
EBook
ISBN 9798893133899
PDF
ISBN 9798890884589

Read an Excerpt

During the Great Depression, black intellectuals, labor organizers, and artists formed the National Negro Congress (NNC) to demand a “second emancipation” in America. Over the next decade, the NNC and its offshoot, the Southern Negro Youth Congress, sought to coordinate and catalyze local antiracist activism into a national movement to undermine the Jim Crow system of racial and economic exploitation. In this pioneering study, Erik S. Gellman shows how the NNC agitated for the first-class citizenship of African Americans and all members of the working class, establishing civil rights as necessary for reinvigorating American democracy.
Much more than just a precursor to the 1960s civil rights movement, this activism created the most militant interracial freedom movement since Reconstruction, one that sought to empower the American labor movement to make demands on industrialists, white supremacists, and the state as never before. By focusing on the complex alliances between unions, civic groups, and the Communist Party in five geographic regions, Gellman explains how the NNC and its allies developed and implemented creative grassroots strategies to weaken Jim Crow, if not deal it the “death blow” they sought.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Death Blow to Jim Crow about?

During the Great Depression, black intellectuals, labor organizers, and artists formed the National Negro Congress (NNC) to demand a “second emancipation” in America. Over the next decade, the NNC and its offshoot, the Southern Negro Youth Congress, sought to coordinate and catalyze local antiracist activism into a national movement to undermine the Jim Crow system of racial and economic exploitation. In this pioneering study, Erik S. Gellman shows how the NNC agitated for the first-class citizenship of African Americans and all members of the working class, establishing civil rights as necessary for reinvigorating American democracy.
Much more than just a precursor to the 1960s civil rights movement, this activism created the most militant interracial freedom movement since Reconstruction, one that sought to empower the American labor movement to make demands on industrialists, white supremacists, and the state as never before. By focusing on the complex alliances between unions, civic groups, and the Communist Party in five geographic regions, Gellman explains how the NNC and its allies developed and implemented creative grassroots strategies to weaken Jim Crow, if not deal it the “death blow” they sought.

What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Death Blow to Jim Crow?

Society and Social Sciences > Society and culture: general > Social groups, communities and identities > Ethnic studies / Ethnicity

Where can I read a sample of Death Blow to Jim Crow?

You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780807835319

How long is Death Blow to Jim Crow and how many pages does it have?

Death Blow to Jim Crow has 368 page(s)

Is Death Blow to Jim Crow part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?

Yes it is a part of series The John Hope Franklin Series in African American History and Culture

Who is/are the Author/s of the book Death Blow to Jim Crow?

Erik S. Gellman

Who is the Publisher of the book Death Blow to Jim Crow?

The University of North Carolina Press

What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?

Death Blow to Jim Crow is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780807835319) and paperback(ISBN 9781469618999) and ebook(ISBN 9780807869932) and ebook(ISBN 9781469601960) and ebook(ISBN 9798893133899) and pdf(ISBN 9798890884589)

Where can I buy Death Blow to Jim Crow online or support local independent bookshops?

You can buy Death Blow to Jim Crow from below

Where can I buy Death Blow to Jim Crow?