THE INTERCOMMUNAL COMMITTEE TO COMBAT FASCISM (ICCF)

The Intercommunal Committee to Combat Fascism began as the Berkeley NCCF - National Committee to Combat Fascism, which was developed as a result of the United Front Against Fascism Conference sponsored by the Black Panther Party in 1969. The Berkeley NCCF was founded by Cec and Saul Levinson who worked with the BPP for many years.

The Berkeley NCCF was unique in that is was a group of progressive white people who functioned as a BPP chapter. This is an example of the BPP commitment to Solidarity in the struggle. Members attended BPP weekly political education classes, worked at distribution in San Francisco Wed. nights to get the BPP newspaper out and participated in other Party activities. In our daily work, we organized in the white community to raise awareness about the need for solidarity among all oppressed and poor people. We worked to educate especially about the Black Panther Party programs and the oppression of black people.

The Berkeley NCCF and the West Berkeley BPP chapter worked together to organize a campaign for Community Control of the Police in Berkeley that was on the ballot in April 1970.

In 1970, the ICCF opened a community center in North Berkeley in which most of its members lived collectively. Programs sponsored through the center included a Free Medical First Aid Station, First Aid Medical Classes, A Poison Control Program, Free Plumbing and Maintenance, Free Child Care Center, Community Resource File and a weekly Free Film Showing of progressive and historical films. ICCF member David Levinson, was a member of the BPP delegation to China in 1970 and a member of the Party’s band, the "Lumpen."

Two members of the ICCF were sent by the BPP to several cities in the Midwest where there were functioning BPP chapters to help organize ICCF’s in the respective white communities and promote better working relationships between those chapters and local progressive white groups. Members of the ICCF were also instrumental in organizing in the white community for Bobby Seale’s campaign for mayor of Oakland in 1973.

All Power to the People!