- Creator
- James, C. L. R. (Cyril Lionel Robert), 1901-1989
- Call number
- Sc MG 132
- Physical description
- 1.4 linear feet; 3 1/2 a.b
- Preferred Citation
- C.L.R. James letters, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The New York Public Library
- Repository
- Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division
- Access to materials
- Advance notice required. Request access to this collection.
West Indian scholar, political activist and writer. Died in 1989. Collection consists mainly of letters written by James to his former wife and political associate, Constance Webb. James' letters discuss a wide variety of subjects including love, politics, especially Marxism, art, history, sports, literature, and popular culture. Also included are miscellaneous letters and organizational materials documenting James' political activities in the United States, 1938-1953; and letters written to Webb regarding her writings on Richard Wright from Arna Bontemps, Lawrence Reddick, and Ellen Wright. Numerous letters also discuss the Johnson-Forest Tendency, a faction led by C.L.R. James under the pseudonym of J.R. Johnson and Raya Dunayevskaya (also known as Freddie Forest) within the Socialist Workers Party, which later evolved into the group, Facing Reality.
Using the collection
Location
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division515 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, NY 10037-1801
Second Floor