Sojourning for freedom : black women, American communism, and the making of black left feminism

__Sojourning for Freedom__ portrays pioneering black women activists from the early twentieth century through the 1970s, focusing on their participation in the U.S. Communist Party (CPUSA) between 1919 and 1956. Erik S. McDuffie considers how women from diverse locales and backgrounds became radicalized, joined the CPUSA, and advocated a pathbreaking politics committed to black liberation, women’s rights, decolonization, economic justice, peace, and international solidarity. McDuffie explores the lives of black left feminists, including the bohemian world traveler Louise Thompson Patterson, who wrote about the “triple exploitation” of race, gender, and class; Esther Cooper Jackson, an Alabama-based civil rights activist who chronicled the experiences of black female domestic workers; and Claudia Jones, the Trinidad-born activist who emerged as one of the Communist Party’s leading theorists of black women’s exploitation. Drawing on more than forty oral histories collected from veteran black women radicals and their family members, McDuffie examines how these women negotiated race, gender, class, sexuality, and politics within the CPUSA. In __Sojourning for Freedom__, he depicts a community of radical black women activist intellectuals who helped to lay the foundation for a transnational modern black feminism. Sojourning For Freedom Portrays Pioneering Black Women Activists From The Early Twentieth Century Through The 1970s, Focusing On Their Participation In The U.s. Communist Party (cpusa) Between 1919 And 1956. Erik S. Mcduffie Considers How Women From Diverse Locales And Backgrounds Became Radicalized, Joined The Cpusa, And Advocated A Pathbreaking Politics Committed To Black Liberation, Women's Rights, Decolonization, Economic Justice, Peace, And International Solidarity. Mcduffie Explores The Lives Of Black Left Feminists, Including The Bohemian World Traveler Louise Thompson Patterson, Who Wrote About The Triple Exploitation Of Race, Gender, And Class; Esther Cooper Jackson, An Alabama-based Civil Rights Activist Who Chronicled The Experiences Of Black Female Domestic Workers; And Claudia Jones, The Trinidad-born Activist Who Emerged As One Of The Communist Party's Leading Theorists Of Black Women's Exploitation. Drawing On More Than Forty Oral Histories Collected From Veteran Black Women Radicals And Their Family Members, Mcduffie Examines How These Women Negotiated Race, Gender, Class, Sexuality, And Politics Within The Cpusa. In Sojourning For Freedom, He Depicts A Community Of Radical Black Women Activist Intellectuals Who Helped To Lay The Foundation For A Transnational Modern Black Feminism. -- Publisher Description. Black Communist Women Pioneers, 1919-1930 -- Searching For The Soviet Promise, Fighting For Scottsboro And Harlem's Survival, 1930-1935 -- Toward A Brighter Dawn : Black Women Forge The Popular Front, 1935-1940 -- Racing Against Jim Crow, Fascism, Colonialism, And The Communist Party, 1940-1946 -- We Are Sojourners For Our Rights : The Cold War, 1946-1956 -- Ruptures And Continuities, 1956 Onward. Erik S. Mcduffie. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [261]-295) And Index. Sojourning for Freedom portrays pioneering black women activists from the early twentieth century through the 1970s, focusing on their participation in the U.S. Communist Party (CPUSA) between 1919 and 1956. Erik S. McDuffie considers how women from diverse locales and backgrounds became radicalized, joined the CPUSA, and advocated a pathbreaking politics committed to black liberation, women's rights, decolonization, economic justice, peace, and international solidarity. McDuffie explores the lives of black left feminists, including the bohemian world traveler Louise Thompson Patterson, who wrote about the "triple exploitation" of race, gender, and class; Esther Cooper Jackson, an Alabama-based civil rights activist who chronicled the experiences of black female domestic workers; and Claudia Jones, the Trinidad-born activist who emerged as one of the Communist Party's leadings theorists of black women's exploitation. Drawing on more than forty oral histories collected from veteran black women radicals and their family members, McDuffie examines how these women negotiated race, gender, class, sexuality, and politics within the CPUSA. In Sojourning for Freedom, he depicts a community of radical black women activist intellectuals who helped to lay the foundation for a transnational modern black feminism. Book jacket Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 Abbreviations 14 Introduction 16 Chapter 1: Black Communist Women Pioneers, 1919–1930 40 Chapter 2: Searching for the Soviet Promise, Fighting for Scottsboro and Harlem’s Survival, 1930–1935 73 Chapter 3: Toward a Brighter Dawn: Black Women Forge the Popular Front, 1935–1940 106 Chapter 4: Racing against Jim Crow, Fascism, Colonialism, and the Communist Party, 1940–1946 141 Chapter 5: “We Are Sojourners for Our Rights”: The Cold War, 1946–1956 175 Chapter 6: Ruptures and Continuities, 1956 Onward 208 Notes 236 Bibliography 276 Index 312 Illuminates a pathbreaking black radical feminist politics forged by black women leftists active in the U.S. Communist Party between its founding in 1919 and its demise in the 1950s.