Founded in 1931 in Tallapoosa County, Alabama, the Sharecroppers’ Union (also known as SCU or Alabama Sharecroppers’ Union) had its origins in the Croppers’ and Farm Workers’ Union (CFWU). Among its first members was Ned Cobb, whose story was told in Theodore Rosengarten’s All God's Dangers: The Life of Nate Shaw. It was founded with the support of the Communist Party 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.