Update 13-30: Sunday, Dec. 15, 2013.
"Towards Party Reorganization," by Jay Lovestone [Oct. 24, 1925] Top-ranking Workers Party of America leader Jay Lovestone provides details of the forthcoming reorganization of the WPA on the basis of "shop" and "street nuclei" instead of the historical "parliamentary district" and "federation" form of organization in question-and-answer format. Lovestone reveals that "under no circumstances should any of the existing language branches maintain themselves as branches, in name or in fact, after party reorganization" -- that the new "international" units based upon the workplace (if three or more party members are present) or neighborhood are to be permanent. Members speaking non-English languages are to establish "workingmen's clubs" open to all who "in general, the idea of the class struggle, regardless of how little he knows about or how unready he happens to be at this time for party membership," Lovestone states. These are to be formed with a goal "to draw as many as possible such non-Communist workers into these clubs so that we may have the chance to propagate Communism amongst them," he says. Members in workplaces with three or more party members are to take the initiative of establishing shop nuclei themselves, Lovestone declares, adding "don’t wait for anybody to come around and try to organize you." The first task of every member of such nuclei is to obtain is to obtain one or two new party members. "You will see how your shop nucleus will grow, how much new blood you will add to your group through your being active, in accordance with the instructions given in the CEC reorganization plan," Lovestone optimistically asserts.
"American Negro Labor Meet Opens With Gigantic Mass Demonstration in Chicago." (Daily Worker) [event of Oct. 25, 1925] Concurrently with reorganization of the Workers Party of America on the basis of shop and street nuclei came the establishment of a new Communist organization for propaganda amongst American black workers -- the American Negro Labor Congress. This short article from the Daily Worker makes note of the commencement of the first national congress of the ANLC, held in Chicago from Oct. 25-31, 1925. A very brief daily agenda is presented, to conclude with an "international ball" on Saturday, Oct. 31, "when workers of all races will mingle." The last-mentioned event was intended as a fundraiser for the new organization, the article notes. Headquarters of the ANLC were located at 3456 S. Indiana Ave. and the convention held at the Metropolitan Community Center, 3118 S. Giles Avenue, Chicago, a few blocks away. Neither building is still extant.
