LAUSR

Jarvis Tyner: I was a black working-class kid from Philadelphia, a trade unionist who came from very modest circumstances. We didn’t have a home library. I had heard the name Du Bois growing up. I can’t tell you when or how. I think it was from our friend and neighbor who had made it to college. My minister may have referenced him also. W.E.B. Du Bois was an esteemed figure for many of the leaders in our community. For me, as a black worker, trade unionist, and civil rights activist when I joined the Communist Party in 1961 there was a lot of talk about him because he joined the same year. When I joined the Party, I was active with the Socialist Youth Union, a Party-led youth group. It was important and inspiring for me working against racism for unity and peace. It was a real transitional moment in my life. The significance of everything we were fighting for really hit me in 1963 at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Our group