The Communist meetings were held in many places. While trying to gain power in the black workforce, meetings were held during the lunch break where other workers could "accidently" come across a meeting. Invisible Man stumbles into one of these meetings and later finds himself one of the many exploited black leaders. The Communists exerted a great amount of influence over "the Tobacco Workers Union, Needle Trades Union, Metal Workers Union...National Urban League's Harlem Workers Council" (Hutchinson 109). With their new found power, they were able to manipulate new black members into forcing non activist groups like the Urban League to take action. The Depression hit the black community hard, and the Communists appeared to have a successful way of organizing the unemployed black workers. The Urban League had to back down and work with the Communists to help blacks "...fighting for jobs" and to "pressure the unions to drop their color barriers..." (Hutchinson 115). The Communist appearance of wanting to help blacks rise from their oppression converted many people, particularly during the Depression when times went from bad to worse.

Black Nationalists were also part of the black equality scene in the Twenties and Thirties. They believed in black-only campaigns for racial equality. The nationalists clashed greatly with the Communists, who felt that the nationalists were wrong in the way they fought for black rights. For instance, nationalists picketed white employers in Harlem who refused to hire blacks. They specifically told the Communists to stay out of the way. However, the Communists believed that alliances between the races could reap better results not just for the educated blacks but for the poor members of the community (Hutchison 137). Ras the Exhorter symbolizes the nationalists in Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man. Ras wants Invisible Man and Tod Clifton to leave the Communists and join the nationalists. The Communists in the book try to join with Ras's group, but he declines because he is against black and white alliances. The Communists felt that nationalists taught their followers to hate all whites, and so they took great care to ensure their members were very loyal to the Party.

Communism created an outlet for black frustration. The Party opened its arms to the black community in a time of severe economic depression. They offered rallies to fight back and brought the blacks together to support a common cause. However, as shown in Invisible Man, when more important events arise, one part of the movement must make way for the new. Although the fight for black rights was never truly forgotten, it did move to the back for more pressing issues. Blacks hoping for immediate results were often frustrated and resigned from the Communist party. Later, with the rise of Black Power and militant groups, the need for the Communists waned. The power the Communists had, particularly in Harlem, should be studied as a true part of black history. Their role in fighting for racial equality broke many barriers that helped later groups in their own campaigns against black oppression. Today, the effects can be seen everywhere with the integration of schools, the workplace, and African-Americans who hold political offices.