A00309 - Benjamin Jefferson Davis, Jr. (Amherst College Class of 1925), New York City Councilman and Communist Party Martyr

 Next on my Memorial List is Benjamin Jefferson Davis, Jr.



a 1925 graduate of Amherst College and a Harvard Law School graduate. 

A Georgia native, Davis was a childhood friend of Martin Luther King, Jr.
who migrated north to Amherst College for his college education.  After his education, he returned to the South, where he became involved in the legal defense of Angelo Herndon


Radicalized by his experience with Angelo Herndon, Davis left the South and became a Communist activist and politician in New York City which, after World War II, resulted in his persecution for his Communist affiliations.

I encourage everyone to take a look at Benjamin Davis' life and reflect that, at least for today, such persecution for political beliefs is rare.

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Fairfield, California
August 9, 2023  

P.S. Below is the BlackPast article on Benjamin Davis, Jr.

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Benjamin Davis, Jr. (1903-1964)

Posted onJanuary 17, 2007by contributed by: Michael N. Searles
Ben Davis, Jr.
Fair use image



A major figure in Harlem community politics and the Communist Party during the 1930s and 1940s, Benjamin Davis, Jr. was born into a prominent African American family in Atlanta, Georgia in 1903. He migrated north to Massachusetts to attend college at Amherst, where he was an all-American football player, and in 1932 graduated from Harvard Law School. After returning to Atlanta to practice law, Davis rose to national prominence as the lead attorney for Angelo Herndon, a black Communist charged under an archaic slave law with inciting insurrection after he attempted to organize unemployed workers. The experience radicalized Davis, who was impressed with the Communist Party’s commitment to racial justice and joined the Party during the trial.

Amid threats on his life in the aftermath of the Herndon trial, Davis moved to Harlem in 1934 where he replaced Cyril Briggs as editor-in-chief of the Harlem Liberator. Davis’ arrival was part of a larger transition in Harlem Communist Party leadership as the first generation of black Communists, led by West Indian-born nationalist revolutionaries like Briggs and Richard Moore, gave way to American-born blacks like Davis and James Ford who advocated more rigid Party discipline and closer, more pragmatic alliances with white workers.

Davis quickly became a popular figure both inside the Party and in the community. He was appointed to the Communist Party’s National Committee and played a key role in building the Popular Front organization, the National Negro Congress. He also helped organize a number of community-centered campaigns against racial discrimination including protests for improved housing and employment. In 1942, running on the Communist Party ticket, Davis was elected to fill Adam Clayton Powell’s seat on the New York City Council. Following a successful second term on the city council from 1945-1948, Davis fell victim to the post-war “Red Scare.” Along with several other members of the Communist Party National Committee, he was prosecuted under the Smith Act and sent to federal prison. After his release Davis returned to Harlem but could never regain his former influence in the changed political atmosphere of the Cold War.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A00245 - Must See TV for the Month of March 2024: PBS: "Dante" and Book of the Year for 2024: Dante's "The Divine Comedy": The Inferno

  By some "divine" coincidence, the following was the quote from the Monday, March 18, 2024, page of "A Year of Zen" calendar; "The mountain of release is such that the      ascent's most painful at the start, below;     the more you rise, the milder it will be. "And when the slope feels gentle to the point that     climbing up sheer rock is effortless      as though you were gliding downstream in a boat, "then you will have arrived where this path ends." Dante ***** I do not know where this Dante quote comes from, but what I do know is that the Monday, March 18, 2024, episode of PBS's "Dante" covered the life of Dante through the year 1306 and covered Dante's Divine Comedy through The Inferno.  The program has been insightful and profound.   I highly recommend that everyone watch the program and ponder on Dante's motivation for writing this monumental work.  Both the watching and the pondering could pr...
Read more

A00143 - Hot off the press: Manhattan Beach apologizes!

Image
I received an email a few moments ago from my Amherst College classmate, Peter Alfvin, who is a resident of Manhattan Beach ... and who has been keeping me informed of the City discussions concerning the return of the Bruce Beach property to my Bruce Family relatives and the compensation paid along with the protracted process of the Bruce Family receiving an apology for what was done to the family one hundred years ago.  Peter's email title says it all and the attached newspaper article says it all.   At long last, the City of Manhattan Beach has apologized to the Bruce Family.  Now, finally, ... maybe ... the reconciliation can begin. Peter, lunch is on me when next I come down your way.  We have much to talk about my friend. Peace, Everett "Skip" Jenkins  Barcelona, Spain April 5, 2023 88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 Manhattan Beach Off...
Read more

A00244 - Fatima Bernawi, The First Female Palestinian Resistance Organizer

  March is Women's History Month Women's History Month - Wikipedia and on March 11, Ramadan began Ramadan (calendar month) - Wikipedia Ramadan was the time when it was hoped that the Israel-Hamas War would be paused for humanitarian reasons  Israel–Hamas war - Wikipedia but it was not.  In a previous email (see below), I discuss the legacy of the 1948 Deir Yassin Massacre which gave rise to the Nakba. Sadly, the 75th-year anniversary of the Nakba has predictably proven to be woefully tragic. As a student of history, I sense that the result of this latest episode of the Nakba will not bring peace but will produce a generation of young Palestinians who are committed to resist. One example of such historical resistance fighters created by the Nakba was Fatima Bernawi    Fatima Bernawi - Wikipedia I encourage everyone to become aware of her story.  I found it intriguing not just because she was the first Palestinian woman to organize a resistance attack in Isra...
Read more