The Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA), founded in 1919 by members of the left wing of the Socialist Party USA, played an important role in the labor movement, particularly in the building of the Congress of Industrial Organizations in the 1930s-1940s, in struggles for civil rights for African Americans, while its cultural initiatives attracted a number of prominent artists and intellectuals, and its struggles to attain and maintain its legality were an important chapter in the history of U.S. civil liberties. Its membership peaked during World War II, reaching some 80,000, organized and led various more broadly based organizations such as the Civil Rights Congress and the International Workers Order, and Communist-led labor unions had a membership of over one million. Its large Jewish membership, and its militant advocacy of civil rights for African Americans are reflected in the backgrounds of the majority of the interviewees.
From the guide to the Communist Party of the United States of America Oral History Collection, Bulk, 1980-1990, 1962 - 1992, (Tamiment Library / Wagner Archives)
