Pat Ellis

Jonnie (Pat) Lumpkin Ellis... was a long time Chicago activist. She died in 2005, survived by her sisters, Elizabeth (Bay) Rollins and Bess Slifkin and her brothers Frank Lumpkin and Warren (Sam) Lumpkin.

Early life

Jonnie was one of 10 children of parents, Hattie and Elmo Lumpkin of orlando Florida.

In 1939. Her brother-in-law, Taft Earl Rollins, returned to Fort Bragg, N.C., unaware that a racist riot was raging. The Army sent his body back to Orlando with no explanation. Sergeant Lee, who accompanied the body, had strict orders to keep the casket closed.

Jonnie defied the orders, opened the casket and saw that Rollins’ head had been smashed in. It was a lynching, not an accident. Jonnie did not let the Army cover up the crime. She insisted on an open casket funeral. At that time, the Ku Klux Klan marched regularly in Orlando to intimidate the African American community. Jonnie’s courage, and the bravery of the Lumpkin family that backed her, were legendary.

Jonnie Lumpkin moved to Buffalo with her family in December 1941. She got a job as a housekeeper for a couple with a new baby. The couple were union organizers and members of the Communist Party USA. Jonnie soaked up their message of class struggle and socialism. She had looked for it all of her life. She joinedthe Young Communist League USA in Buffalo and rapidly rose to leadership.

War time and marriage

During WW2 Lumpkin began work at Bell Aircraft in Niagara Falls as a sweeper. She worked with the United Auto Workers and became a shop steward.

In 1947 Jonnie Lumpkin married Henry Ellis, a decorated war veteran who had stormed the beaches of Normandy, fought in the Battle of the Bulge and marched all the way to Berlin. She convinced him to join the Communist Party.

Communist Party work

In 1950, Jonnie became the organizational secretary of the Communist Party of Harlem. The party was short of leaders after the arrest of 11 under the Smith Act. In Harlem, Jonnie and Henry were known as “Pat” and “Al” to avoid harassment by the FBI. They kept those names.

In 1955, Pat and Al Ellis moved permanently to Chicago. Soon after they arrived, the murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till shocked and angered decent people all over the world. Pat encouraged Mamie Till Mobley, mother of Emmett, to have an open casket funeral. Mamie Till Mobley’s brave act triggered a huge protest. The protest led to the great Civil Rights Movement of the ’60s and ’70s.

Until her illness, Pat Ellis remained a community activist. She was a community representative on the Labor-Community Coalition to Save Our Schools. She served as organizational secretary of the Illinois Communist Party for many years.

Communist Party Labor Day call

The Communist Party USA paper People's Weekly World issued a statement to mark Labor Day 1995, entitled "We honor the dead and fight like hell for the living."

Of the more than 100 endorsers listed, almost all were identified members of the Communist Party USA.

Al and Pat Ellis, Chicago, were on the list.

Supporting John Lumpkin

In 1978, Patricia Ellis was on the Committee to Elect Dr. John R. Lumpkin for the 7th Ward Alderman, Chicago.

"Building Solidarity Against Corporate Attack", 1995

According to the People's Weekly World, June 24, 1995, Page 19, the PWW was holding a banquet themed on July 9 entitled "Building Solidarity Against Corporate Attack: Saluting Working Women & Men", Hickory Pit Restaurant, 2801 Halsted St., Chicago. "Guest Speaker" included:

• David Watts - president, UPIU Local 7837 of locked out Staley workers
• Larry Solomon - "Special Guest" - president, UAW Local 751, Decatur Caterpillar strikers
• Katie Jordan - president, \Chicago\ CLUW - honored working class activist
• Pat Ellis - labor/community activist - honored working class activist

"For information and tickets: "People's Weekly World Banquet 1995", 3116 S. Halsted St., Chicago, Ill, 60608, (312) - 842-5665"

Birthday Greetings to William "Red" Davis

In December 1995 the Communist Party USA newspaper Peoples Weekly World published a page of 75th birthday greetings to William (Red) Davis - "Lifelong working class fighter and Communist"

In the fight for the unity and integrity of the Party in St. Louis, Missouri, in the post-war years, "Red" has been a rock of confidence and commitment to building the Communist Party.

Greetings were sent from Pat Ellis and Al Ellis of Illinois.

References

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