Memorandum on Negro work to the National Convention - 7/28/45 [handbill]

n.p.: [Communist Party USA], 1945. Handbill. 8.5x11 inch handbill mimeographed both sides, brittle and chipped around the edges, but text complete. The African American Communist leader begins, "I think our previous policies have led us to some very serious weaknesses of work among the Negro people," and argues for drastic changes. Criticizes "A failure to constantly bring the work of our Negro personnel under scrutiny. There is a complete moratorium on criticism of our Negro personnel. While it may be necessary in some cases to temper the criticism to suit the occasion, adjustment of criticism should not be turned into a moratorium on criticism. This is particularly serious when we look at such people as Angelo Herndon, Richard Wright, etc. who are casualties and who are, it seems to me, casualties in the main because they have been robbed of bolshevik criticism in time to save themselves...