estig ious ▁membership ▁in ▁its ▁early ▁days ▁among ▁left ist ▁circles . ▁ ▁Later , ▁it ▁was ▁sometimes ▁used ▁in ▁reference ▁as ▁bad ge ▁of ▁shame ▁by ▁anti - comm un ists . ▁▁ ▁New ▁York : ▁ ▁Samuel ▁Lewis ▁Sh ane , ▁Wh itt aker ▁Ch amb ers , ▁Meyer ▁Sch api ro , ▁Robert ▁Cant well , ▁Jack ▁Con roy , ▁John ▁D os ▁Pass os , ▁Lang ston ▁Hugh es , ▁Kenneth ▁F ear ing , ▁Grace ▁L ump kin , ▁Joseph ▁Fre eman , ▁Mike ▁Gold ▁Gran ville ▁H icks ▁ ▁Chicago : ▁ ▁Richard ▁Wright ▁and ▁the ▁artist ▁Morris ▁Top chev sky ▁were ▁members ▁in ▁Chicago . ▁ ▁( In ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁Wright ▁dist illed ▁his ▁un com fort able ▁experience ▁in ▁an ▁Atlantic ▁Month ly ▁article , ▁" I ▁Tried ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁Commun ist ". ) ▁ ▁Prom inent ▁women ▁writers ▁who ▁were ▁J RC ▁members ▁include : ▁ ▁Jan ▁W itten ber , ▁Grace ▁L ump kin , ▁Till ie ▁L erner , ▁Mer idel ▁Le ▁Sue ur , ▁Joseph ine ▁Her bst , ▁and ▁Clara ▁We ather w ax . ▁ ▁Prom inent ▁African - American ▁writers ▁who ▁were ▁J RC ▁members ▁include : ▁ ▁Eug ene ▁Gordon , ▁Lang ston ▁Hugh es , ▁Richard ▁Wright , ▁and ▁Joe ▁Jones . ▁ ▁Ass ess ment ▁ ▁In ▁her ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁work ▁The ▁John ▁Re ed ▁Club s , ▁Laur ie ▁Ann ▁Alexandre ▁stated : ▁ ▁It ▁would