The History of the North Carolina Communist Party

by Gregory S. Taylor

Based on oral histories, archival sources, and previously unpublished documents of the Communist International, The History of the North Carolina Communist Party is the first comprehensive narrative account of the Tar Heel State's Communist Party during its half century of existence. Gregory S. Taylor's chronicle of the Party's sustained efforts in North Carolina draws extensively from Comintern files that, after decades of secrecy, have only recently been made available for historical examination. Although others have studied isolated moments of Communist activity within the state, Taylor ties those moments together, linking them with previously unexamined Communist efforts and demonstrating remarkable continuity of activity in North Carolina.As Taylor notes, the North Carolina Communist Party was a vibrant, socially conscious activist group as well as a political party, and the first organization of its kind in a southern state. In the 1920s North Carolina saw prolonged and violent struggles between the owner and hired protectors of industrial enterprises and the laborers who worked the mills and factories. From 1929 to 1956 the Party took a leading role to implement it unionized tobacco and textile industries, pushed for legislation to benefit the unemployed, demanded civil rights for the disenfranchised, called for peaceful foreign policy, sought judicial and prison reforms, and opposed segregation and what the Party considered "creeping fascism." In recounting Party activities from this era, Taylor shows that the main objective was to organize and aid the economically, politically, and culturally downtrodden through social reform rather than through Communist revolution. He reveals Party members to be conscientious North Carolinians, and by extension he challenges long-held assumptions about the Communist presence throughout the United States.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

272 pages, Hardcover

First published May 15, 2009

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A balanced view on the few successes of the North Carolina Communist Party, its efforts in attempting to aid labor, the poor, and the African American community, and its ultimate failure and death. Excellent in its scope and conclusions. Highly recommended.

[Brian Bean · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though full of some fascinating information and information about the early days of the North Carolina Communist Party I feel like this book has a lot of problems. Somehow he talks about the CP if that era and does not mention Third Period or Popular Front, claims that national self determination was "discovered" (authors word) by the 6th Congress in 1928. He argues that the NCCP (even in the 20s and 30s) were "not radical revolutionaries" (his words) but pro-American reformists. This line is evident by how much attention he pays to the party and praise to the party of the 40s & 50s. In that manner this book comes off as anti-communist despite its attempt to "save " the party from its detractors by presenting the history in a way that feels either to not be situated in a broad understanding of the international communist movement or to be distorted. However, if you can sort through that the detailed description of the early life of the party is fascinating.