Desegregation of Baseball and the Popular Front - PSMLS Class

The People’s School for Marxist-Leninist Studies

The Comintern of 1935 tasked all Communists to become the patriots of their countries against fascism. We will focus on the campaign led by the Daily Worker journalist Lester Rodney, under the leadership of the Party to make “Communism 20th century Americanism,” by writing in the press, creating YCL-led picketing, and collecting petitions to integrate Black athletes into the Major Baseball League. Learn about all of the greatest names of baseball-stars of the Negro Baseball League like Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige, Willard “Homerun” Brown. It was the Communists that made the most vigorous effort in the fight for desegregation in America’s most loved sport. So, “buy some peanuts and some crackerjacks, and root root root for the working class,” and join us at the Peoples School for Marxist-Leninist Studies. Visit us at: Peoples School for Marxist-Leninist Studies: peoplesschool.us Party of Communists USA: partyofcommunistsusa.net New Outlook Publishers: newoutlookpublishers.store Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 1:30 The Party, Sports, and the Popular Front 12:40 Q&A 1 22:00 A Communist in the Press Box? 25:30 Video - Crime of the Big Leagues 35:40 Q&A 2 41:40 The Negro Baseball League, and Breaking the Color Line in Baseball 50:00 The Negro National League 57:45 Q&A 3 and Conclusion