Coleman Stephens

Mr. Uhrman

CLUE 8

3-23-2018

Esther and James Jackson: Civil Rights Activists and Communist Pioneers

Esther and James Jackson were communist pioneers and civil rights activists, but even

their bumpy ride through life parallels to Animal Farm in many interesting and surprising ways.

They were also minorities both racially and politically making their journey through life with Jim

Crow laws and bills such as the Smith Act so eventful. Esther and James Jackson parallel to their

backgrounds of prejudice and discrimination, the coming of their communist ideals and the

committees they formed to act on them, and the way they were censored by the US government

parallels to Snowball in more ways than one.

Esther and James Jackson both had different paths to their communist ideals and civil

rights aspirations. When James was younger he formed the first black boy scout group, according

to People's World, “...the Scout uniform did not garner him the same respect shown the white

youth, as he was accosted by a white couple wielding James’ very own Boy Scout ax. ...Other

indignities followed which eventually led James to recall to Esther Cooper that he had “a

ferocious hatred for the haters of my people…” In Animal Farm, the animals suffer the same Commented [1]: citation? also - why the ellipsis on
both sides of this quote?
bigotry from man and started a movement to end this and put equality for animals. Old Major Commented [2]: There are words following in the
sentence, I am cutting it off before the period.
states, “...among us animals let there be perfect unity, perfect comradeship in the struggle”

(Orwell 10). Both James Jackson and the animals had gotten their start in communism through

oppression. The animals had been enslaved by man, and express that they should make sure they
treat themselves as equals in order to never have this ever happen again. For the Jacksons, the

ability for everyone to be considered equal would be necessary for the full assimilation of black

people as members of society. For, the animals it was necessary for everyone to be equal in order

to survive in their already working life, while the Jacksons were trying to get to the point where

they can have equal working opportunities.

The SYNC parallels directly to the Sunday meetings in Animal Farm. According to

blackpast.org, “The Southern Negro Youth Congress (SYNC) was formed in 1937 by young

people who had attended the National Negro Congress (NNC) in Chicago, Illinois in 1936 and

wanted to implement its call for action.” The animals call for action was the meeting with Old

Major, when he describes Animalism and why this system should be implemented throughout

the farm by overthrowing man. The SYNC was a group founded to inspire a communist and civil

rights revolution to overthrow the oppressive government that prevents them from enjoying the

same civil rights as their comrades. Just as the animals needed a trusted source to be influenced

by, being Old Major, according to blackpast.com the SYNC “had the support of prominent black

adult leaders including Mary McCloud Bethune, Paul Roberson, Charlotte Hawkins Brown, A.

Philip Randolph, and W.E.B. DuBois.” The animals and leaders of the SYNC were also

organized and inspired to organize in very similar ways.

Just as Snowball formed committees within Animal Farm: “Snowball also busied himself

with organising the other animals into what he called Animal Committees.” Just like Snowballs’

committees, Esther looked to help her specific sector, black females through communism and

find them more working opportunities saying “organizing domestic workers into labor unions (a

communist platform) would help redefine black women as employees.” Esther even includes the Commented [3]: where is this coming from?

mention of labor unions, which is basically what Snowball was forming within the animals.
Esther does this in order to improve the working lives of black women just as Snowball seeks to

hear ideas about improving the working conditions of each animal within their duty to help the

Animal Farm. Just as Snowball used this to gain favor within the community, Esther was able to

more quickly rise up the ranks of the SYNC with her backing of black females.

The last parallel between Animal Farm and the Jacksons’ life is the censorship problems.

In Animal Farm, Napoleon ejects Snowball do to his threat to his rise to power, in this scene he

does so by forcibly removing him,“They dashed straight for Snowball, who only sprang from his

place just in time to escape their snapping jaws. ...Then he out on an extra spurt and, with a few

inches to spare, slipped through a hole in the hedge and was seen no more” (Orwell 53). Jackson

also fled after getting in trouble with the United States government “In June 1951, he was

indicted under the Smith Act (charged with advocating the overthrow of the U.S. government)

and went underground to avoid arrest.” In Animal Farm Snowball was forced to flee Napoleon's

wrath as he was threatening Napoleon's way of government Both James Jackson and Snowball

were both deemed powerful enough to potentially overthrow sitting government. Snowball and

Jackson even fought for their rights similarly. They were both eloquent and preferred to grace

their listeners with verbal prowess more than brute fear. While Napoleon looked to degrade

Snowball’s legacy, even reducing his status to that of a traitor, the US government used anti-

communist propaganda to degrade the image of communists in the country. Even though he was

underground for five years, his ideals and ideas were influencing members of the U.S.

communist party, just as Snowball’s idea of more rigid equality influenced the animals.

As seen by these three examples the life of these two communist pioneers does not differ

much from certain Animal Farm storylines. Between the reasons for getting into communism,

forming committees, and facing censorship there are more paralless than meet the eye such as the
censorship of powerful opposition, forming Unions to improve working conditions, or even

inspiring revolutions within a system of government they suffer within. Animal Farm is a

political allegory that is so accurate in its depiction of this form of government it parallels to a

minority movement that many are unaware of.

Works Cited

Orwell, George. Animal Farm. Penguin, 1946.

Johnetta, Richards. Southern Negro Youth Congress (1937-1949). www.blackpast.org/aah/southern-

negro-youth-congress-1937-1949.

Filardo, Peter Meyer, and Aniko Szucs. “Guide to the James E. Jackson and Esther Cooper Jackson

Papers.” Guide to the James E. Jackson and Esther Cooper Jackson Papers TAM.347, Tamiment

Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archive, 9 Nov. 2017,

dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/tamwag/tam_347/bioghist.html.

Pecinovsky, Tony. “James and Esther Cooper Jackson, African American Activists in a Joint

Biography.” People's World, 14 Dec. 2016, www.peoplesworld.org/article/james-and-esther-cooper-

jackson-african-american-activists-in-a-joint-biography/. Commented [4]: Fix.

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/05/