 It was founded with the support of the Communist Party USA and, although theoretically open to all races, its membership by 1933 was solely African-American.Its aims were to improve wages and work conditions for sharecroppers, also referred to as tenant farmers.SCU's initial demands included continuation of food advances, which had been suspended by landowners in an attempt to drive down wages; the ASU also demanded the right to sell surplus crops directly in the market rather than having to rely on brokerage by the landowners.