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Highlander Folk School — Part 14

69 pages · May 10, 2026 · Broad topic: Civil Rights · Topic: Highlander Folk School · 69 pages OCR'd
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made for spreading the revolutionary theories out the South.” Mr. Frey further texifed: in cone tion with this I might mention that the Highlander Folk School at Monteagle, Tennessee, was mixed up in this secret convention, in which these three C.1.0. or izers took a very prominent part.” (See Dies Com. mitiee Hearings, Volume 1, page 126.) Paul Crouch testified before the Senate Subcommiit- fce on Internal Security, as follows: “The Highlander Folk School is a school operated at Monteagle, Tennes- see, ostensibly as an independent Jabor school, but actually working in close cooperation with the Com- Munist Party.” (See Hearings, page 47.) Dombrowski “ - at instructor at the Highlander Folk School for a number of years, The following colloquy took place between Senator Eastland, Committee Counsel Arens, and Mr. Crouch during the latter's testimony: SENATOR EASTLAND. Mr. Crouch, did you ever visit Dr. Dombrowski's home? MR. CROUCH. I visited the Highlander Folk School where he was working. I didn’t visit at his home, but we spent a night at the same home to- gcthe:, Caroline Stevenson’s and he and Leo Sheiner discussed in my presence the actual hideout of Com- runist leaders the night we were traveling to Winter Haven. MR. ARENS. He and Sheiner discussed in your preseace the hideouts for Communist leaders, top Right leaders; is that correct? MR. CROUCH. That is correct, sir. (See hearings, p. 52.) Don Wesi, who has already been mentioned as con- rected wth the Highlander Folk School, was district director of the Communist Party of North Carolina. (See House Committee Hearings, May 6, 1949, page 191} At the New Orleans hearings of the Senate Commit- tee, On March 20, 1954, Myles Horton was ejected by the United States Marshal from the witness stand and the hearing room, for disorderly conduct. James Dombrowski'’s record of pro-Communist ac- .+.ue and connections will be discussed under the sec- » ac SOuthern Conference Educational Fund, an organization which is playing a key role in the drive for integration in the South, Abner W. Berry The presence of a prominent Communist Party Negro leader at the Highlander Folk School seminar is of major significance. Through Abner W. Berry, the Com- munist Party established personal contects with the Southern leaders of the fight for integration. The Party, 9 Me precert-day strategy, sets the highest value on 18 guch personal contacts. It is the curtent strategy of etration. Abner W. Berry is a veteran Communist Party leader. More than 25 years ago, he was a member of the na- tional council of the League of Struggle for Negro Rights, a Communist spuinik which will be discussed later, For 20 years, Berry bas been a member of the national committee of the Communist Party. He has also been a menober of the smaller central committee of the Party (Daily Worker, May 23, 1938, p. 5). In 1946, he was educational director of the Communist Party of Michigan (Daily Worker, Jan. 21, 1946, p. 5). He was an instructor at the Communist Party’s Jefferson School of Social Science for several years before the school closed in December, 1956. Abner W. Berry is, and has been for years, a feature writer for the Daily Worker, In this newspaper of the Communist Party, Berry made a tengthy report on his visit to the Highlander Folk School. In his report, Berry said: Here for four days Negro and white Jeaders of the South representing millions of southerners, had the precious communications established with each other that had been disconnected during the past few years. (Daily Worker, Sept. 10, 1957, p. 5) Berry has been a writer for other Communist pubii- cations: Masses & Mainstream, Michigan Herald, New Masses, People's Daily World, and Political Affairs. He served for a number of years on the editorial board of Political Affairs, the theoretical organ of the Communist Party. It is apparent that Abner W. Berry is a high ranking leader of the Communist Party. It goes without saying that the Party sent him to the Highlander Folk School seminar. Such leaders receive their assignments from the highest command of the Communist Party; they do not go anywhere on their own. The cordial reception which Berry was accorded at the Highlander Folk School is convincing evidence of the school’s ideological orientation. Berry states that “two southern NAACP branch presidents” attended the Highlander Folk School semi- nar on integration.” Pete Seeger Another individual who has a long record of Com- Mmunist affiliations and activity was also a prominent participant in the Labor Day weekend conference at the Highlander Folk School, namely, Pete Seeger. Peie Seeger is a nationally known folk singer who has been prominently identified with the Communist movement in this country for many years. He has been named as a member of the Communist Party in swern imony. ~ a
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