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; Gement to the black Cormmu- , Mmswer of the Communist leader The Communist Party and burying her face J stqgred Had 1 nists, I was shocked to hear that ~ ¥, who had been only to grammar schoo}, had been classified as an INTELLECTUAL, - I Jearned, to my dismay, that the black Communists in my ynit bad commented upon my shined i the tle z . t was enough to condemn me forever as ae * s LJ PARTY DUTIES BEOKE into my efforts at expression. The club decided upon a conference of at] the Left-Wing writers of the Middle West. I supported the Mine one mae ms. My arguments were re- ected. The , the od FORRAL IE. TE defini re Woes or polltieal e - Both, was the answer. Write = few hours ¢ day ais - aay ana march on the picket Hne the other hours. : The conference convened with @ leading Communist att aa adviser. The question debated was: What does the Communist Party expect from the club? The - cl my party cell—“unit,” as it was called— to assign me to wrote Yor ee, ee Wires sor eae UWA, arucse nan teeter tine duty in thé @yark ‘the New Masses about Joe Louis. as i ed to unit a report of my activities, writing, & Oe et waete ive my ae Oe . ieee = ~ Tment of sports we've yet had. Ta f "he began, “we're short ~ ~ef forces, We're facing a grave : <eriais, His smile left and he stared at there's a cris” “* “You're a funny guy,” he said, la snorting age “Bot we've a job to do, We're alert- ing our work. ‘ascism's the danger, the danger to all ke. * =f understand,” I sald. “We've got to defest the Fas cists," he paid, snorting from asthma. “We've discussed mm and know your abilities. e want you te werk with us. We've got to out of our narrow way of working and get our to the church people, “I don't know i7 I fit into things,” I said openly. “We want, to trust you with an important d ” he “What do you want me to do?” “We want you to organize a commitiee against the high cost of living? ..-2.:2050 L----" To was in the mist of writing a hovel and he was calling me i " The"Names mi ran from to- writing and: informed’ me of the novels. I argued that either a man organized or he wréte novels. The Party leader said that both muét be done. The at- titude of the Party leader pre category. Yet I think I can write. vailed and Left Front, which I don’t want to ask for T had worked so long, was voled wm in the of out of exisienca, ~ I hope to complete The ideas I had expounded bt or so. Let me con- the “sung i had roused tat Fm s c [ hankering to write among Negro Communists ; on the South Side, and the Com wit you af oe munist Party “agw certain ‘sala, | his in Ste midst, It was ‘whispered “hway an Insect that Teas W lead a pecret annoying him, “you've Fred tearned txt desiel of ac “ : - ot tions war tseless. wat ‘ sertonsiy now painfal te mect a Commu: decided that nist, for I did not knbw what his {0st pt this teak.” attitude would be. a 7 angry with - I AVOIDED UNIT “MgETINGS He’ suftercd bat either I for fear of being subjected te would snort ‘ . Miscip! Occasionally, a Negro vala.«-: . - Communist—defying the code , “They tell . that enjoined him te shun sus © “I try te."7 pect elements—came to my home “You can w: * | v J w, Sere Si a if iU VETTE INDEXED - 127 Vee con CLASS eg ; BA SEP, . 1950 Fre Lit Us Par ca a SE BAS feel OE EX Data By yy ee eT ” T said students, club people, profession- at from it to tabulate the price of in -munists The ‘Author % Good stuff. First political treat-~. pichard Wright was born pt 1908 on os plantation 25 mile. from Natches, Miss; ef poor fleult story witich I do not care to r elte now; it would serve no pu . But I tell you honestly th: P think Wve found a solution ¢ me = difficulte. potest ta I am pronosin I am propos here tonight that my member be dropped from the Pari ro} “No ideological differences in pel me to say this. I simply ¢ not wish to be bound any Jonge by the Party's decisions, I shou: Uke to retain my membership i those organizations In-sSéeh-t Party has influence, and [ sha comply with the Party's progra: those organtationz I hor that my words will be accepte tm the spirit in which they oar sald. Perhaps sometime in th ~ future I can meet and talk wit the leaders of the Party as t what tasks I can best perform. I sat down amid a profoun silence. vio “Is there amy discussion o Comrade Wright's fae the secretary asked . « move “that o Wright's statement be deferred, The next it two Negro Cor. at.my home. The pretended to be Ignorant ef wh: happened at the ualt mec ing. Patiently, I explained wh: ,?Your story does. not agri with what Nealson says,” the anid, . *, “and what does Nealson say: T asked. * “He says that you are in leagn with a Trotskyite group, and th. you made-an appeal for oth: Party members to follo * you | Perhaps, sinct I was leaving t Party, I thought, out of my tr , dings I. could fins spark inte this darkness. I wot try. not because I-wanted to h because I felt that I bad to if were to live at all. ¥ would hurl words into i feunger for life that gnaws in _ail, to keep alive m our heart: ‘gense of the inexpressibly hum: From the book THE Gt HAT FAILED. Copyright € richard Wright. Published