Organization
The group was formed at a radical conference in Detroit held on April 27–28, 1946. Early goals included abolition of HUAC and protecting southern workers' right to unionize. In December 1947, the National Negro Congress merged into the group. International Labor Defense (ILD) national secretary William Patterson led the group throughout its existence. Frank Marshall Davis served on the organizations National Executive Board. Patterson also headed the Abraham Lincoln School in Chicago, with Davis also on the faculty and Board of Directors.
The group gained about 10,000 members. It was generally stronger on the coasts and weak in the South, but it did conduct several major campaigns to defend the legal rights of Southern Blacks. It also created more than 60 local chapters which sought to combat racial discrimination, racist stereotyping, and legal injustice in their communities.
The U.S. Congress and courts weakened the group with legal restrictions in 1951. In 1956, members voted to disband.
Read more about this topic: Civil Rights Congress
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