Hunter O'Dell

Background

Jack O'Dell was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1923.

Education

He attended an all-black college Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans from 1941 until 1943.

Career

During World War II, he served in the U.S. Merchant Marines, which functioned as a branch of the military forces for the duration of the conflict. During this time, he joined the National Maritime Union, one of the few racially integrated labor unions in the U.S. He worked with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. O'Dell was a director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).

Because of O'Dell's past involvement with the Communist Party, Dr. King received pressure from many liberal leaders—including the Kennedy brothers, John and Robert—to distance himself from O'Dell. Jack O'Dell worked closely with the Rev. He was a senior foreign policy advisor to the "for President" campaign in 1984.

He also worked with Jackson as an international affairs consultant to the National Rainbow Coalition O'Dell wrote for Freedomways, an African-American political journal, from its beginning in 1961 to its end in 1985. He was Chair of the Pacifica Foundation, which supports the Pacifica Radio Network, from 1977 to 1997. He is active in mentoring new generations of political activists—as well as historians of the Civil Rights Movement—in the Pacific Northwest.

Membership

During the 1950s, Jack O'Dell was a member of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA).(The Man Behind the Myth, Des Griffin, p20).

Connections

ally:

Civil Rights