Downloadable Content
Download audio
Other
Russell, Clayton (audio interview #1 of 1)
Clayton Russell Jr., the minister of the People's Independent Church of Christ, was a leading organizer in the Black community. He had one of the first Black radio show in Los Angeles and used his weekly program to mobilize the community for social action. As a founder of the Negro Victory Committee, one of the "Double V" groups formed in Black communities throughout the nation during WWII, he played an important role in the fight to desegregate the unions. During the war years, he also was instrumental in establishing cooperative markets in the Black community, some of which survived into the 1950s. Russell was interviewed as part of the Rosie the Riveter Revisited project. It was his organizing efforts that led to the hiring of Black women workers at the aircraft plants. Only one, relatively lengthy interview was conducted with Clayton Russell. Wilson Williams, who had worked with Russell on the Negro Victory Committee participated in the interview, and at times, others, including Juanita Williams joined in. Others were People's Independent Church of Los Angeles; racial discrimination; protest march on the United States Employment Service; Negro Victory Committee; NAACP; Depression; World War II; and cooperative grocery markets; There is occasional background sound of voices from another room, sometimes making it difficult to hear the narrator(s);racial discrimination; People's Independent Church of Christ; protest march on the United States Employment Service; gender discrimination in employment; Negro Victory Committee; WWII; CIO; Boilermakers Union; and racial discrimination in the military; There is occasional background sound of voices from another room, sometimes making it difficult to hear the narrator(s);People's Independent Church of Christ; Negro Victory Committee; March on Washington, D;C;; Hispanic community; Women's Auxiliary of the Negro Victory Committee; and Black women and work; There is occasional background sound of voices from another room, sometimes making it difficult to hear the narrator(s);Negro Victory Committee; Black women and work; and child care; Juanita Williams is the principal narrator on this side of the tape; There is occasional background sound of voices from another room, sometimes making it difficult to hear the narrator(s);
- Date
- 2019-09-24
- Resource Type
- Creator
- Sponsor
- NEH
- Campus
- Keywords
- Handle
- Language
- Notes
- 1979-11-07 Audio Segments and Topics: lhducrussell1.mp3 (0:00-4:24)... No introduction. Tape begins abruptly with a discussion on the others who will join Russell during the interview. Russell explains that Wilson Williams was joining him during the interview. Williams compiled figures and acted as Russell's lieutenant. Williams' wife, Juanita Williams, who was active during the 1940s, will also join him during the interview. Russell explains that he invited these people because they worked with him and were more familiar with women's issues than him. There is a general discussion about some people involved in community activities, including Charlotta Bass and Gilbert Lindsay, who he describes as a schooled person. He also discusses the circumstances surrounding Russell's campaign as supervisor and the other candidates for the position, one of whom was Lindsay's boss. (4:24-6:46)... Russell describes the activities of the People's Independent Church of Christ, indicating that in addition to providing religious instruction, representatives of the church were involved in community and social action. The church coordinated its efforts with federal, state, county, and city organizations and agencies. In 1938, the church operated an employment placement service for the community; it also worked with voter registration programs to get the Black community educated and involved in the voting process. In 1939, they opened a Boys Home for children from broken homes. Russell explains that he did not request any funds from the Community Chest for his programs because he wanted the Black community to learn how to support themselves. The church contributed to and funded the programs until the county provided supplemental funds. (6:46-10:23)... Russell believe that the church was doing more for the community than the NAACP. It waged fights against the trade and railway unions and the employment agencies and worked with the local Manpower Commission. It was not until 1943, when he became vice-president of the local NAACP, that the NAACP began working with the Negro Victory Committee. Williams describes the activist climate as a "public front" that included the NAACP, the church, and several other local churches. Williams and Russell explain that Bass (publisher of the California Eagle) supported the NAACP and the Urban League and was also the spokeswoman for the Negro Victory Committee. (10:23-16:59)... There is background noise of people talking in this segment. Williams believes that the Negro Victory Committee was formed in 1941 at the outbreak of WWII. Russell states that the purpose of the committee was to combat discrimination and help with the war effort. They saw the war as a perfect opportunity to challenge racial discrimination in America. The first effort of the committee was a march against the United States Employment Service, protesting unfair hiring practices. (Note: later in the interview, they refer instead to the California Department of Employment.) Williams explains that the Negro Victory Committee was ahead of its time, claiming that the civil rights movement mirrored the activities of the committee. Russell provides specific examples of how the Negro Victory Committee organized mass protests against discriminatory practices. There were between 500-1,000 members in the Negro Victory Committee, including community ministries and civil rights organizations. He characterizes the NAACP as a very conservative organization at the time; they simply sent money to NAACP in Washington, D.C. and did not tackle local issues. In contrast, Russell and representatives of the Negro Victory Committee went to Washington, D.C. and other areas to lobby for change. (16:59-19:23)... Russell describes the mass protest against the Board of Education, which had set up training centers in Inglewood, a headquarters for the Ku Klux Klan. Approximately 200 people, mostly women, attended the Board of Education meeting to protest the location of the training centers. Because of their efforts, school training centers were set up in other districts besides Inglewood and Glendale. During this period, Russell explains, there was unity between "Negro" and Mexican groups. This unity, coupled with the war climate, is what achieved results. (19:23-21:46)... In 1936, Russell became the pastor of the church and recalls that programs were set up to help people suffering from the Depression. The membership of the church then was between 5-6,000 people and peaked at 11,000. Between 1936-50, the church also had a radio station called KFOX, which was used to agitate for social action, as well as for religious instruction. The church could not separate religion from the necessities of life. It provided people with jobs and food, or whatever was necessary to help a man educate his children and provide a good home. (21:46-28:54)... There is background noise in this segment. Prior to the development of their church, there were no other churches in the area working towards social action in the community. They were pioneers in this and challenged other churches in the community to expand their activities. Other ministers in the community welcomed Russell when he visited their church to talk about his activities. The churches also held joint meetings where community activities were discussed. In 1941, the church established five cooperative markets in the community ; these continued to operate for five years. Initially, they encountered difficulty with suppliers who did not want to be associated with their organization. However, they persisted and were able to find other wholesalers to cooperate. He called together sixteen Black ministers of the leading congregations within the community to manage and operate the stores. They also decided to open a packing house, cannery, and agricultural plots to assist with the effort. In the first year, the stores made over million dollars, but were $9,000.00 in the red. The concept behind the idea of the cooperative markets was to instill a "You can do it," attitude within the community. (28:54-31:05)... He discusses the formation of the Negro Victory Committee, indicating that a small group of people met to discuss the problems in the community and outlined the procedures for the organization. Although there were people present from other churches, most of the members were from People's Independent Church. end of tape File: lhducrussell2.mp3 (0:00-7:55)... Tape begins abruptly with Russell's description of how he became involved with the church. Williams' wife, Juanita, is also present during the interview. Prior to the creation of the Negro Victory Committee, the church was active in the community, acting as a "self-help" group in the neighborhood. They hired a social worker and paid him $200 to handle problems in the community. Williams recalls that when the state issued a statement that Negro women were not interested in helping the war effort, the church organized a mass meeting to march on the Department of Employment. The Negro Victory Committee was formed out of this mass protest. Russell recalls that he went on the radio and announced that they would be holding a mass meeting in protest. More than 1,000 people met that evening and the next morning they marched on the employment office with approximately 3,000 people. (7:55-16:17)... Williams recalls that the church and the Negro Victory Committee had a cooperative relationship with the CIO. Although they worked with Slim Connelly in an attempt to find work for Blacks, it was difficult to change the discriminatory attitudes practiced by many of the industries. They were the only church in the community that opened its doors to labor unions. Harry Bridges and others often came to the church for support and Walter Williams, a Black organizer for the CIO, was a member of the Negro Victory Committee, and was a representative of the AFL. They worked with these unions on various issues, including salary negotiations after the issuance of Executive Order 8802. Although the IAM (International Association of Machinists) was a traditionally a prejudiced organization, Juanita recalls that many Black women went to work for Lockheed and organized for the union. There were special training classes for work in the aircraft industry and she and many other Black women took advantage of them and then went to work in the plants. (16:17-20:45)... The Negro Victory Committee coordinated other mass meetings to protest discriminatory practices. For instance, they organized a meeting to protest housing quotas that favored Whites and were successful in negotiating a resolution to this issue. Russell also recalls the battle with the Boilermakers Union over the existence of a Jim Crow local. He digresses regarding the march on the unemployment service, indicating that after negotiations, the Negro Victory Committee sent a telegram to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who resolved the issue by outlawing discrimination in the USES. (20:45-29:11)... The Negro Victory Committee also worked with the Armed Forces in several areas in California. William notes that whenever a Black person was headed towards Los Angeles, he or she was referred to Russell and the Negro Victory Committee. He describes their organization as the "underground." Russell discusses the action he took involving a discriminatory commander at Port Hueneme who vowed that he would never promote a "nigger." Russell notes that the Black community and the church were very powerful during this time and any action by the Negro Victory Committee came to the attention of the Roosevelt administration. Because of Russell's influence, this commander was discharged. The Black soldiers stationed in the surrounding areas in California came to the church once a month for holy communion before they went overseas. He recalls a story when four Black men were stranded at sea and found comfort in the scripture given to them by the church. end of tape File: lhducrussell3.mp3 (0:00-11:55)... Russell explains that the Negro Victory Committee was an outgrowth of the spirit and leadership of people in the churches in the Black community. Their activities changed the concept of religion to serve the needs of the community. He attempted to introduce their program to the Community Churches of America and in the 1940s, he became the president of the National Council of Community Churches. He recalls his trip to Washington, D.C. to participate in the march on Washington. (Note: there is some inconsistency here about dates. He undoubtedly is referring to A. Phillips Randolph threatened March on Washington during the early years of the war.) During this period, the Negro Victory Committee developed a close relationship with Harry S. Truman and Russell was appointed as the first Black Democratic delegate from California to speak on a civil rights platform at the Democratic convention. He believes that their efforts became a determining factor to Truman's success in California. (11:55-19:58)... Although their association with the "Hispanic" community was limited, they did coordinate community efforts with Burt Corona. Russell recalls an incident when he came into contact with a "Spanish" boy at a community meeting in which the boy said, "You Negroes had it but we are going to take it now." He believes that this was around 1952 and contested mayoral election. Russell agreed to support Fletcher Bowron if he created more jobs for Negroes and removed race categories from civil service examinations. Bowron begrudgingly agreed to these conditions after Russell told him that the Hispanic community was also opposed to his candidacy. When Bowron won the election, Russell was given a position in his administration. From about 1950, the focus of the Negro Victory Committee became more political in nature. (19:58-27:58)... During WWII, the Negro Victory Committee formed as a result of the discrimination experienced by Negro women, but worked to combat discrimination within the Black community in general. Women were an integral part of the Negro Victory Committee and the purpose of the women's auxiliary was to recruit more women and get them interested in war work. Juanita recalls that the emphasis was to get women out of domestic service and into training programs so that they would have more opportunities to find work in other areas. (27:58-31:04)... Juanita explains that companies such as Lockheed, North American, and McDonnell Douglas opened their doors to Black women during the war. She discusses her decision to go into war work and her position within the plant. Although she quit before the war ended, she believes that many women retired in their positions and were not pushed out of their jobs after the War ended. end of tape File: lhducrussell4.mp3 (0:00-2:17)... Williams explains that their emphasis was on developing laws to end discrimination and motivating people to fight for these laws. It was the job of people within the Negro Victory Committee to accompany Blacks to the employment service to find jobs, as many Blacks would not approach these agencies because of their experiences with race barriers. It was not until the Negro Victory Committee began marching and calling for social action that the Black community realized its ability to enact change in their lives. (2:17-4:37)... Juanita indicates that when the Negro Victory Committee was formed she was pregnant. She often met with Russell in his home to discuss her ideas about the community. In 1942, her husband was drafted into the army, at which time she persuaded her mother to care for her child so that she could go to work. While working at North American, she took an examination dealing with unemployment insurance because she wanted to secure a position elsewhere in case she lost her job at the end of the war. She worked for an unemployment insurance agency on a part-time basis for several years. (4:37-5:54)... Note: other women speak during this segment on the issue of child care. Also, there is background noise of people talking. Juanita recalls that she lived in the Pueblo Del Rio community. When her daughter was two years old, she took her to the community child care center. Child care during this period was difficult, but some of the churches in the area did develop child care centers to help the families. In many instances, however, elderly family members cared for children. <b>End of tape.
- Rights Note
- This repository item may be used for classroom presentations, unpublished papers, and other educational, research, or scholarly use. Other uses, especially publication in any form, such as in dissertations, theses, articles, or web pages are not permitted without the express written permission of the individual collection's copyright holder(s). Please<a href="http://www.csulb.edu/library/Common/SubmittedForms/digital_rep_request.html"> contact the CSULB Library Administration</a> should you require permission to publish or distribute any content from this collection or if you need additional information or assistance in using these materials.
Thumbnail Title Date Uploaded Visibility Actions 
0685229959302543-lhducrussell1.mp3 2023-10-19 Public Download
4596622642605115-lhducrussell2.mp3 2023-10-19 Public Download
0028783024403136-lhducrussell3.mp3 2023-10-19 Public Download
6455718601792702-lhducrussell4.mp3 2023-10-19 Public Download 8515658964076995-ducrussell1.jpg 2023-10-19 Public Download