Communists in Harlem During the Depression

No socialist organization has ever had a more profound effect onblack life than the Communist Party did in Harlem during theDepression. Mark Naison describes how the party won the earlyendorsement of such people as Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and how itssupport of racial equality and integration impressed blackintellectuals, including Richard Wright, Langston Hughes, and PaulRobeson.This meticulously researched work, largely based on primarymaterials and interviews with leading black Communists from the1930s, is the first to fully explore this provocative encounterbetween whites and blacks. It provides a detailed look at anexciting period of reform, as well as an intimate portrait ofHarlem in the 1920s and 30s, at the high point of its influence andpride.