Primary Document Analysis: Rose Chernin on Organizing the Unemployed in the Bronx in the 1930s (1949)
Rose Chernin was ambivalent about Judaism, charismatic, and a courageous woman. She greatly devoted her life in advocating for the rights of the minority and disenfranchised people in the community including the farmers without a union, the unemployed following the Depression, black home buyers, and the foreign-born leftists. Rochelle Chernin was born in Chasnik, Russia in 1901. She was later renamed as Rose when her three siblings and their mother moved to Ellis Island in 1913. Rose Chernin was a member of the Communist Party and became popular when she left left-wing activism which led to her arrest in 1951. She was prosecuted for forming a conspiracy to overthrow the government. Chernin’s document contained the rights of the disfranchised groups.
Chernin’s Unemployed Council played an important in the Bronx. First, the Council convinced the congressman to introduce a bill for the unemployment insurance. Chernin’s and her council circulated a petition, through a door-to-door process in the apartments of Bronx. The council also managed to convince the congressman to give milk to children. Another accomplishment of the Chernin’s Unemployed Council is that they managed to provide home relief. The council also advocated for housing for the poor people residing in city dumps. One of the aspects that her organizing work that made Chernin accomplished is founding a committee for the protection of the foreign-born in 1950. Chernin considered women a great part of her unemployed council. She involved women to help him monitor the prices of foods at all times. Women were so cooperative such that if an item became expensive, they would go for a strike. Just like during the Great Depression, the current periods of Covid-19 are hard for every person across the world. The prices of items are likely to increase and it has led to increased unemployment.