Arthur Kinoy

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Arthur Kinoy

Arthur Kinoy was a leftist lawyer and stalwart of the National Lawyers Guild. In a legal career that spanned about 60-70 years, Kinoy was one of the Communist Party's top legal protectors and protector of its members before governmental bodies, especially the House Committee on Un-American Activities. He was instrumental in the Rosenberg case/appeal, in leading the attacks on the FBI, HCUA and other governmental investigative bodies, and later in life, in attempting to create a new marxist party out of the Mass Party Organizing Committee and then the National Committee for Independent Political ActionNCIPA[1]. Kinoy was elected to the National Committee of the Peoples Alliance as cited in ID and as a Vice-Chairman of NCIPA[2]

Kinoy was a legal representative for the communist "united front" The New Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam[3], and was described on p. 8 as a member of the "communist-controlled Emergency Civil Liberties Committee and by the Law Center for Constitutional Rights , the latter eventually renamed as the Center for Constitutional Rights . One of his law partners and radical colleagues was William Kunstler, also a member of the ECLC and the National Lawyers Guild (p. 8)

Among Kinoy's writings on the role of the radical lawyer was an article included in the book Radical Lawyers: Their Role in the Movement and in the Courts, editor Jonathan Black, Avon Books1971, "The Crisis in American Legal Education".

Secret communist

One group of secret Communists in the United States was led by Arthur Kinoy, a radical lawyer who ended his long career as a distinguished professor at Rutgers Law School, and included Dr. Jeremiah Stamler, a pioneering cardiologist at Northwestern Medical School, whose lawsuit marked one of the first successful challenges to the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). And Stanley Levison, a key aide and supporter of Martin Luther King, Jr.. [4]

Center for Constitutional Rights

The Center for Constitutional Rights (originally "Law Center for Constitutional Rights") was founded in November 1966 by attorneys Morton Stavis, Arthur Kinoy, Ben Smith and William Kunstler, whose legal work representing civil rights activists in Mississippi convinced them of the need for a privately funded legal center to undertake innovative, impact litigation on behalf of popular movements for social justice.

Robert Boehm, who worked with the CCR from its inception, was instrumental in the effort to turn the vision of the founders into a reality. Peter Weiss became part of CCR early in its history and has played an outstanding role, especially in the area of international human rights.

Born out of the early experiences of its founders, CCR develops pro-active legal strategies to address pressing problems and ensure that the basic rights of all citizens are protected under the law. From the beginning, the Centre used innovative impact litigation to move the law forward and facilitate the construction of a more just society.[5]

DC demo

April 15, 1978 — In one of the most militant and massive demonstrations held anywhere in the United States since the civil rights struggle of the 1960s, over 35,000 people, the majority Black, Asian and Latin youth, came to Washington, D.C., to voice their total opposition to the racist Bakke case now pending before the Nixon-packed U.S. Supreme Court.

Chanting “We won’t go back, send Bakke back,” the angry voices of thousands of youth from the oppressed communities demanding the overturn of the notorious Bakke decision, an end to racism and upholding of affirmative action programs were undoubtedly heard in the hallowed halls of the Supreme Court and the White House.

At the assembly point, the crowd enthusiastically waved their flags in the air as Dennis Serrette, chairman of the New York National Committee to Overturn the Bakke Decision, and Belinda Lightfoot, co-coordinator of the Washington National Committee to Overturn the Bakke Decision chaired the first rally, which heard from a number of individuals active in the struggle against racism and the Bakke decision. Some of the speakers represented were Alice Jennings, co-chairwoman of the Detroit National Committee to Overturn the Bakke Decision; Arthur Kinoy, progressive constitutional lawyer; Frank Schaefer-Corona, a member of the Washington, D.C., School Board; Odette King of the Asian Focus of the National Committee to Overturn the Bakke Decision; and Bernard Hughes, East Coast regional coordinator of the National Committee to Overturn the Bakke Decision.[6]

Guardian

In March 1979, the New York radical magazine the Guardian issued an emergency appeal to funds in an effort to save the publication.

Over fifty supporters endorsed the appeal including Arthur Kinoy.[7]

NCIPA (members who joined Peoples Alliance later on

A number of people who attended the Peoples Alliance Strategy Conference of November 9-11, 1979 later showed up as members of the National Committee for Independent Political Action. From the Sept.-Oct. 1984 NCIPA Newsletter we find these individuals listed on the NCIPA Steering Committee.

"SURVIVALFEST 84"

Survivalbaby.JPG

SURVIVAL FEST 84 was held August 5 1984 in MacArthur Park.

"Come To Hear And Strategize With Those Changing The 1980's"

  • How can we support each other in electing progressive local candidates?
  • How can we make electoral work serve the grassroots movements for a freeze, for U.S. out of Central America and human needs?
  • How can we over turn the racist dual primary system in the South?
  • Is working inside and outside the Democratic Party a viable strategy and how can it be done?
  • How can we formulate demands to revitalize our basic industries without falling into the pitfall of the chauvinist anti-import solution -- letting U.S. finance capital off the hook?

This event was organized by the Communist Workers Party front, the Coalition for a People's Convention. The event was advertised in a half-page notice in the Marxist weekly Guardian, their Book Supplement - Summer 1984, p. 12, and the Communist Workers Party and Federation For Progress were listed as participants.

Speakers included Arthur Kinoy - Chair, National Committee for Independent Political Action.

National Committee for Independent Political Action (NCIPA)

Founded in early 1984, the National Committee for Independent Political Action NCIPA was an attempt to forge a new marxist movement from the remnants of earlier groups, caucuses and "movements". Their stated early goals were "First and foremost is the responsibility we all have to do all we can to defeat Ronald Reagan and the Reaganites in Congress" by "active involvement in and stepping up the work of voter registration and education" [8].

Its initial conference was a zoo of marxists, communists, socialists, left-liberals and unaffiliated radicals, with the prominent speakers being Arthur Kinoy, the founding father of NCIPA, and Dorothy Healey, former leader of the Communist Party of Southern California, who had left the Party over its support of Soviet aggression in Czechoslovakia (1986) and Afghanistan (1979-80).

While it lasted as somewhat functioning organization until the late 80's, it never became the premier marxist organization of that era in the 80's where a great vacuum existed. Other attempts to form marxist parties and organizations continued into the 1990's with such groups as Frontline Magazine, Line of March, and Transactions/Crossroads trying to fill this gap. The rising into prominence re massive anti-defense demonstrations by the once-Trotskyite, later Stalinist Workers World Party WWP, put the final nail in most efforts to create a new marxist vanguard organization.

NCIPA Steering Committee

The Steering Committee for Sept.-Oct. 1984 included:

1993 NCIPA National Steering Committee

As of Spring 1993, the National Committee for Independent Political Action Steering Committee included Arthur Kinoy.

Rainbow Convention

At conferences in Houston and Washington DC, Jesse Jackson announce d the National Rainbow Coalition's Midterm Conference. He was flanked by Rep. Mickey Leland, chair Congressional Black Caucus, David Cortright of SANE, James Zogby of the Arab American institute, Clarence Mitchell, chair National Association of Black State Legislators, C. Delores Tucker, DNC Black Caucus, Arthur Kinoy Center for Constitutional Rights, and Marion Barry, chair, Conference of Black Mayors. [10]

NCIPA Co-Chairs

In The Times Founding sponsors

In 1976 founding sponsors of the Institute for Policy Studies/New American Movement linked socialist journal were;

1987 Rainbow conference/Board

At the 1987 National Rainbow convention in Raleigh North Carolina, a new board was elected, which included Arthur Kinoy.

Socialist Scholars Conference

Arthur Kinoy and Frances Fox Piven, Irving Beinin were speakers on the The Left & the '92 Elections: Boycott, Third Party, or the Democrats? panel sponsored by Socialist Dialogue at the Tenth Annual Socialist Scholars Conference. The conference was held April 24-26, 1992 at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, New York City[13]

People's Progressive Convention

In 1992, a "call" went out to leftist radicals and communist revolutionaries of various orientations to hold a national People's Progressive Convention in Ypsilanti, Michigan, August 21-23, 1992.

Endorsers included Arthur Kinoy - peoples lawyer.

Conference on Perspectives for Democracy and Socialism in the 90s

The Conference on Perspectives for Democracy and Socialism in the 90s was the Committees of Correspondence's first national conference held in Berkeley, California July 17-19, 1992.[14]

Workshops that were held at the conference on Saturday, July 18 included:[15]

Electoral What should be the place of electoral activity on the left's agenda? What would be an effective strategy for this year, the 90s and beyond?

Committees of Correspondence

At the Committees of Correspondence conference, Berkeley California, July 17-19, 1992. Arthur Kinoy, co-chair NCIPA, was a candidate[16] for the CoC National Coordinating Committee-from New York-president National Committee for Independent Political Action.[17]

The following are listed in order of votes they received as members of the Committees of Correspondence National Coordinating Committee, elected at the Conference on Perspectives for Democracy and Socialism in the 90s held at Berkeley California July 17-19.:[15]

In July 1994 Kinoy (NJ) was elected to the 15 member National Co-ordinating Committee of Committees of Correspondence at CoC's founding conference in Chicago.[18]

In 1997 Arthur Kinoy served on the National Co-Ordinating Committee of the Committees of Correspondence.[19]

CrossRoads

In the mid 1990s Kinoy wasa contributing editor to Oakland based Institute for Social and Economic Studies- sponsor of CrossRoads magazine, which sought to promote dialogue and building new alliances among progressives and leftists... and to bring diverse Marxist and socialist traditions to bear while exploring new strategies and directions for the progressive political movements.[20]

Advisory Board Maurice & Jane Sugar Law Center

As at Winter, 2008, the following served on the Advisory Board of the Maurice & Jane Sugar Law Center:

In Memoriam:

References

Template:Endorsers of the Conference on Perspectives for Democracy and Socialism in the 90s

  1. ↑ Peoples Alliance Strategy Conference, November 9-11,1979, as reported in Information Digest December 14, 1979
  2. ↑ NCIPA Newsletter Vol. 1, #3, Sept.-Oct. 1984,
  3. ↑ New Mobe Staff Study, 1970
  4. ↑ The Weekly Standard, Childs at Play The FBI’s Cold War triumph. SEP 5, 2011, VOL. 16, NO. 47 • BY HARVEY KLEHR AND JOHN EARL HAYNES & RONALD RADOSH
  5. ↑ H a n s - L i t t e n – P r i z e A w a r d i n g 2 0 0 6 , B e r l i nT o M i c h a e l R a t n e r , N e w Y o r k
  6. ↑ Workers World, WW in 1978: 35,000 march to ‘Beat back Bakke!’ Workers World is in its 50th year of publication. We reprint this article from the April 21, 1978, issue of the paper as part of our special archival series. By Jaime Veve
  7. ↑ Guardian March 2 1979
  8. ↑ NCIPA Newsletter, Vol. 1, #3, Sept-Oct. 1984, p. 1
  9. ↑ NCIPA Newsletter, Vol. 1, #3, Sept. - Oct. 1984
  10. ↑ [The Rainbow Organizer Vol 3, no 1]
  11. ↑ NCIPA letterhead, May 12, 1989
  12. ↑ [1] In These Times home page, accessed March 6, 2010
  13. ↑ SSC Tenth Annual Conference Program, 1992
  14. ↑ Conference program
  15. ↑ Jump up to: 15.0 15.1 Proceedings of the Committees of Correspondence Conference: Perspectives for Democracy and Socialism in the '90s booklet, printed by CoC in NY, Sept. 1992 (Price: $4)
  16. ↑ CoC official ballot paper
  17. ↑ http://www.usasurvival.org/docs/CCDSbckgrnd.pdf
  18. ↑ http://www.greenleft.org.au/1994/155/9068
  19. ↑ CoC Corresponder November 1996/January 1997 Page 2
  20. ↑ Crossroads March 1996
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