1940 American Women Against Communism Broadside Map of the American South

Cold War, Civil Rights, Anti-Communism.

This is the only known example of a c. 1940 anti-Communist persuasive broadsheet and map of the U.S. South published by the organization American Women Against Communism (A.W.A.C.). The sheet details and denounces a supposed international Communist plot to create a 'Negro Republic' in the 'Black Belt' of the South.

A Closer Look

The map at the bottom of the sheet depicts the American South with various levels of shading indicating the proportion of the Black population therein, noting that African-Americans form a majority of the population when the counties of the 'Black Belt' are combined. The rest of the sheet consists of text denouncing subversive Communist plots that were supposedly at the root of the Civil Rights Movement and the 'Communist-aiding, left-wing white politicians' supporting it. The text quotes extensively from James W. Ford (1893 - 1957), himself a Black man from the deep south, who was the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) nominee for President in 1932, 1936, and 1940. Quotes are also drawn from the book What is Communism?, written by CPUSA General Secretary Earl Browder. Indeed, the CPUSA was a vocal supporter of the Civil Rights Movement at the height of Jim Crow and helped to prevent gross legal injustices, as with the notorious 1931 case of the Scottsboro Boys.

American Women Against Communism (A.W.A.C.)

The map and associated materials reflect a worldview informed by contemporary right-wing conspiracy theories. These were partially rooted in truths, such as an extensive and well-funded Soviet political warfare campaign in the United States and other Western countries, including support for (generally unwitting) political organizations, but also the clearly Soviet-aligned CPUSA. But groups like A.W.A.C. tended to see Soviet designs behind a range of internal developments, including the Civil Rights Movement and U.S. Supreme Court decisions that aided it. Compared to some affiliated anti-Communist organizations of the era, A.W.A.C. was notable for being less directly tied to White Nationalism and Antisemitism (though still very critical of the civil rights movement) and more focused on religious issues and the domestic sphere.

A.W.A.C. was founded in the late 1930s and gained significant momentum in the 'Red Scare' following World War II (1939 - 1945). Its most influential figure was Mrs. Alice Widener (1905 - 1985), a prolific writer and commentator who served as the organization's President. Widener was a formidable force in conservative circles, often appearing on radio programs and writing for publications, including her own U.S.A. magazine, which was first published in 1952. Under her leadership, the organization aimed to mobilize American women, particularly mothers and housewives, to recognize the 'insidious' spread of Marxist-Leninist ideology within American institutions. Aside from distributing literature such as this broadsheet, A.W.A.C. encouraged grassroots organizing against educational materials seen as anti-American and in support of the efforts of Sen. Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee. By the early 1960s, the organization's influence began to wane as the 'Red Scare' subsided, but it laid the groundwork for future conservative women's organizations, such as Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum, by proving that 'feminine' domestic concerns could be a powerful tool for political mobilization.

Publication History and Census

This broadsheet was issued by the A.W.A.C. from its headquarters in New York. No printed date is included, but a handwritten date of May 1940 appears at the bottom. We have not found any other examples of this broadsheet, though it may be included in the Records of the American Women Against Communism held in the Special Collections of the Divinity Library at Yale University.

Condition

Very good. Closed edge tears professionally repaired on verso.