Class war within Black Chattanooga during the early Depression as unemployed couple, and Scottsboro activists, Andrew and Hattie Brazier are three times evicted from their Garfield Ave. home, then arrested and jailed. Supported by the neighborhood Scottsboro Defense Block Committees, the Braziers’ faced not only the police and courts, but the local preachers in the Minister’s Alliance supporting a Black landlord.

‘Chattanooga Workers Stop Eviction’ from Southern Worker. Vol. 1 No. 51. August 8, 1931.

Put Furniture Back Twice in Same House–Dr. Stevens and Stool Pigeons Spy on Workers Cause Arrest

Determined to stop evictions of unemployed workers in Chattanooga before winter sets in, workers of the Bushtown, Churchville and Rosstown sections of the city have started a mass campaign by putting back the furniture of one evicted worker two times. Andrew Brazier and wife, at 1914 Garfield Ave., were set out of their house because they could not pay rent Thursday of last week. Workers called together by the Scottsboro Defense Block Committees in that section, put the furniture back the same evening.

Put Furniture Back Twice

The next day fellow-worker Brazier was again evicted, altho this time the sheriffs had not read him out and given him the customary ten-days notice. The same day a large crowd of workers gathered and put the furntiure back again.

Mrs. Miller, Brazier’s colored landlady and thoroughly despised by many colored workers for her viciousness is working together with Dr. Stevens of the Ministers’ Alliance and a petty stool-pigeon named Richard Coates in an effort to get Brazier out of his house and have him arrested. Comrade Brazier is known as being very active in the defense of the Scottsboro boys and Dr. Stevens, arch-betrayor of the boys, is trying his best to have Brazier evicted again and arrested. Stevens uses Coates, who lives across the street, as a spy, reporting everything that is done back to him.

A Lecture On “Reds”

After Comrade Brazier’s furniture had been put back a second time, sheriffs appeared at his house, arrested him and his wife without a warrant—not even knowing whether Mrs. Brazier was the right woman—and took them before Justice of the Peace, Thrasher. Thrasher told Comrade Brazier that if he is not out of the house by Monday, Aug. 3 at 2 p.m. he would have him evicted again and arrested for “breaking in.” He gave him a long lecture against the “reds” about whom Brazier asked the squire a few questions. Thrasher explained to Brazier and his wife that a “red” is one who says that the white and Negro workers must get together to put back the furniture of all workers and caused lots of trouble (for the bosses). Brazier’s reply was that if that was the meaning of a “red,” he guessed he was one, for he had nowhere to go, no money with which to move or rent another house, since both he and his wife had been unemployed for a number of months. He told the squire that he could not move on Monday because he wouldn’t have the money then either. Thrasher then threatened some more. But on Monday Brazier didn’t move and did not even bother to inform the Squire about it.

Must Stop Evictions

As a result of the fight put up by the workers in his neighborhood by putting the furniture back Brazier is still in his house on Garfield avenue. The sheriff has threatened again to come back and put the furniture out again and arrest him, in which case the workers’ organization will be ready to get Brazier out on bond immediately, put his furniture back again, and continue doing this in every eviction case until the bosses are forced to stop evictions. Wholesale evictions of unemployed families are taking place thruout the city, many workers are also being forced to move on eviction notices.

Neighborhood committees are being organized in all parts of the city to lead the fight against evictions and for free rent, free water, free light, free gas for unemployed workers. Only by putting back the furniture of all evicted workers can the workers stop these brutal evictions.

‘Jail Evicted Workers: I.L.D. Defends Him’ from Southern Worker. Vol. 1 No. 52. August 15, 1931.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. Andrew and Hattie Brazier, unemployed Negro workers, whose furniture had been put back. twice by workers in the neighborhood, were arrested last Thursday night, and bound over to the grand jury on charges of “trespassing.” The International Labor Defense, whose attorney, George W. Chamlee, will defend the workers, immediately obtained their release on $500 bond each.

The furniture was put back twice by workers called together by the Scottsboro Defense Block Committees in the neighborhood The workers are determined to stop evictions before the winter sets in and under the leadership of branches of the Unemployed Council, which are now being organized in 21 sections of the city, will continue putting the furniture back of evicted families.

Already as a result of this action in the Brazier case other landlords in the section have withdraw eviction notices, or told those workers on whom they have served notices that they may remain in their houses.

Begun in August, 1930, Southern Worker was a semi-legal regional newspaper of the Communist Party, USA (CPUSA) primarily aimed at building the Party in the South among Black workers and farmers. Pseudonyms of editors and writers, false publication places, illegal paper drops, and clandestine meetings were a necessary hallmark of the Southern Worker’s life. The paper extensively covered the campaign against lynching and southern unionization efforts. Originally a weekly, it went to a monthly in 1934 and ceased publishing in 1937. Editors included Solomon Auerbach (under the name “Jim Allen”), Harry Wicks, and Elizabeth Lawson.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/southernworker/v1n51-aug-08-1931-sw.pdf

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/southernworker/v1n52-aug-15-1931-sw.pdf