(An excerpt from my work-in-progress manuscript on the Scottsboro Mothers)
Josephine Powell, Ida Norris, Viola Montgomery, and Mamie Williams joined Ada Wright in New York on April 28, greeting a crowd numbered in the thousands at Pennsylvania Station. From there, a welcome committee escorted them to several workers’ homes where they would reside during their stay in the city.[1] The CPUSA was ready for the parade; the Daily Worker published where and when demonstrators were to meet, the marching divisions they were to join, and even a handy list of lyrics to songs.[2]
The weather was on their side; a mild and sunny spring day inspired the masses to assemble.[3] An estimated 25,000 men, women, and children marched, representing unions, veterans’ leagues, student organizations, radical groups, and international clubs of Chinese, Spanish, Japanese, Lithuanian, Irish, German, Italian, and Ukrainian workers.[4] A large, black open-top car led the procession, bearing the five Scottsboro Mothers, Ruby Bates, and communist Elle Reeve Bloor. Above the car’s windshield was a banner reading “Immediate and safe release of the Scottsboro Boys.” The mothers carried large bouquets of bright yellow and red flowers, and at one point, stopped on Broadway to pose for a photo. The five mothers and their fellow passengers raised their fists in the time-honored workers’ salute.[5] It was the grandest thing in the world,” Mamie Williams commented, “The comrades sure was marchin’.”[6]
It took hours for the procession to make its way to Union Square, where a small stage stood. An astonishing 75,000 to 85,000 people gathered at the open-air rally to hear fiery speeches from speakers from the metal, marine, clothing, food, and industrial unions, anti-war groups, students’ leagues, the Unemployed Councils, and CPUSA committees.[7] A “forest of red flags and banners, of placards, trucks, busses, and floats” spilled into the streets.[8] Nearly 2,000 New York City policemen look on, but there were no incidents.[9] As the Scottsboro Mothers passed through the square, they were met with deafening cries of “The Scottsboro Boys shall not die!”[10]
The culminating event of May Day came that night at Madison Square Garden. At 7pm, workers streamed into the Garden, “electrifying the entire atmosphere of the gigantic arena with roaring avalanche of songs of the revolutionary working class.”[12] The five mothers sat directly behind the speakers’ podium in the front row on the stage. The Baltimore Afro-American later reported the women “were paid an acclaim that a Pope or potentate could well envy.”[13] After speeches from key communist leaders protesting capitalists “bosses,” police violence, Hitlerism, Fascist, and political prisoners, the crowd stood and cheered for several minutes as Janie Patterson approached the microphone to speak to the 17,000 gathered in the arena. “I’m Haywood Patterson’s mother,” she began. “He has been sentenced to die three times on a framed-up charge. Who got the sentence off? The International Labor Defense and the Communists.”[14] Viola Montgomery followed, dramatically declaring, “I’m with you until death separates us.”
[1] “5 Scottsboro Mothers Arriving Today to Lead May 1 Parade,” Daily Worker, April 28, 1934.
[2] See Daily Worker, April 30, 1934.
[3] “100,000 Reds Hail May Day,” New York Amsterdam News, May 5, 1934.
[4] “United Front Parade of 100,000 Largest May 1st March Ever Held in U.S.,” Daily Worker, May 2, 1934.
[5] “United Front Parade of 100,000 Largest May 1st March Ever Held in U.S.,” Daily Worker, May 2, 1934.
[6] “5 mothers Express Thanks for Fight Waged by ‘Daily,’” Daily Worker, May 11, 1934.
[7] “United Front Parade of 100,000 Largest May 1st March Ever Held in U.S.,” Daily Worker, May 2, 1934; “100,000 Rally Here With No Disorder,” New York Times, May 2, 1934.
[8] “United Front Parade of 100,000 Largest May 1st March Ever Held in U.S.,” Daily Worker, May 2, 1934.
[9] “100,000 Rally Here With No Disorder,” New York Times, May 2, 1934.
[10][10] Otto Hall, “‘They Shall Not Die!’ Cry of Thousands on May Day, Thrills Scottsboro Mothers,” Daily Worker, May 5, 1934.
[11] Sender Garlin, “The Marching Thousands Fling the Words, ‘May Day is Our Day,’” Daily Worker, May 2, 1934; “5 Scottsboro Mothers Cheered,” Baltimore Afro-American, May 5, 1934.
[12] Harry Raymond, “17,000 Meet in Madison Sq. Garden to Hail Greatest New York May Day,” Daily Worker, May 3, 1934.
[13] “5 Scottsboro Mothers Cheered,” Baltimore Afro-American, May 5, 1934.
[14] “United Front Parade of 100,000 Largest May 1st March Ever Held in U.S.,” Daily Worker, May 2, 1934
Melissa Ford, Phd 