Interracial Conference of Church Women, Eagles Mere, Pa., September 21-22, 1926
Group portrait of attendees at the Interracial Conference of Church Women, Eagles Mere, Pa., September 21-22, 1926. The conference was held by the Commission on the Church and Race Relations of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America, Inc. (the Federal Council of Churches), the Council of Women for Home Missions, and the National Board of the YWCA. Mrs. Richard W. Westbrook (Mary L. Westbrook) of Brooklyn, NY, was the conference chairman. She stands in the front row (fifth from right) next to Charlotte Hawkins Brown, founder of Palmer Memorial Center, who stands in the front row center. Delegates identified: First row: Dr. Sara W. Brown (YWCA), second from left. Mrs. L. W. Kyles (A.M.E. Zion Church, Winston Salem, NC), third from left. Charlotte Hawkins Brown (founder Palmer Memorial Center), center. Mary L. Westbrook (conference chair), fifth from right. Miss Eva del Vakia Bowles (YWCA), second from right. Second row: Mary Anderson (first director U.S. Women's Bureau) third from left. Mrs. John Ferguson (Council of Women for Home Missions), fourth from right. George Edmund Haynes (sociologist, National Urban League), fourth row center. Third row: Adele Clark (League of Women Voters), left at end. Top row: Annetta M. Dieckmann (YWCA, Industrial Dept.), third from left. The Eagles Mere conference was noteworthy because it brought together white and black women leaders to study the possibilities of larger cooperation. Also of significance, delegates to the conference represented both the North and the South, giving the discussions a nationwide scope (Federal Council Bulletin, September-October, 1926, p.7). See all documents related to this conference.
M 9 Box 239, Adèle Goodman Clark papers, 1849-1978, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, VCU Libraries
Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, VCU Libraries
COPYRIGHT UNDETERMINED The copyright and related rights status of this Item has been reviewed by the organization that has made the Item available, but the organization was unable to make a conclusive determination as to the copyright status of the Item. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/
Learn more: Adams, B. L. (2016). Black women's Christian activism. Seeking social justice in a northern suburb. New York: New York University Press. Interracial Conference of Church Women, Social Welfare History Image Portal
Invitation to Virginia Church Conference on Race Relations to Adele Clark from Ben R. Lacy, Jr.
Letter of invitation from Dr. Ben R. Lacy, Jr. Chairman of the Conference Committe and President, Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, Va. Addressed to Miss Adele Clark. the letter invites her to attend the Virginia Church Conference on Race Relations, October 28, 1930. The conference was held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Richmond, Va. The conference theme was "Facing Facts With a Christian Program." Lacy begins, "The South faces no problem more far-reaching and difficult of solution than that caused by the presence in one territory of the white and Negro races. In any serious effor to find a way out, the Churches must take the place of leadership." The letter notes that "Only white people (except as indicated) will be expected to be present, in order that there may be the most freedom of expression in facing our responsibility." Representatives from the various denominations, "Presidents of Denominational Schools and Colleges, Editors of Church Press, Directors of Religious Education, Missionary Secretaries, Church Women's Societies, all white ministers, officials of the Y.W.C.A. and Y.M.C.A. and Special Students" were invited. See all documents related to this event. Among the speakers at the conference were Gordon B. Hancock, a professor at Virginia Union University, spoke on living conditions of African Americans in Richmond, and Dr. Robert Russa Moton, Principal of Tuskegee Institute whose address closed the conference.
M 9 Box 34, Adèle Goodman Clark papers, 1849-1978, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, VCU Libraries
Learn more: Profiles from the Archives: Benjamin R. Lacy, Jr. North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
Occasional Newsletter #1 (To State Committee Members in this Area)
A newsletter of the Commission for Interracial Cooperation addressed to the Virginia State Committee members in the area of Richmond, Va. Excerpts: p.1 The one thing important is for the leaders of both races to be close enough to each other to know the needs, and, as far as possible, the thoughts, feelings and attitudes of each race toward the other. I see nothing constructive in saying "We have the best Negroes (or white folks) in the world" unless that is based upon first-hand knowledge of the actual conditions; surface impressions may not be trustworthy. I could recite number of illustrations where trusted leaders of both races are patiently, quietly and courageously facing these situations where there may be injustice and discrimination and are trying to change the attitude out of which unsatisfactory conditions grow, thus producing a by-product of understanding and mutual trust upon which all permanent adjustments must rest. p.2 Have there been any lynchings in your section or in your state thus far in 1928? If so give particulars. During the past few years, the Commission, among many other constructive services, has conducted a vigorous campaign agaist the practice of lynching, all too prevalent in most American states. During three of the past four years, the number of lynchings has reached the low annual mark of 16, against a former forty-year average of more than 100. Certainly the Commission would not lay claim to all the credit for this progress; many factors have contributed, not the least of which is the press, which has created a more enlightened public opinion.
M 9 Box 35, Adèle Goodman Clark papers, 1849-1978, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, VCU Libraries
Virginia (white) Denominational Conference on Race Relations, October 28, 1930. Program and Resolution on "The Birth of a Nation."
Alternate name: Virginia Church Conference on Race Relations. A meeting of white religious leaders convened to discuss how churches might take a leadership role in race relations. See all documents related to this event.
M 9 Box 35, Adèle Goodman Clark papers, 1849-1978, James Branch Cabell Library, VCU Libraries
National Health Circle for Colored People, Inc. Hiking the Health Road for Others
Informational pamphlet about the National Health Circle for Colored People, Inc. The National Health Circle for Colored People developed out of the Circle for Negro Relief, an organization that helped meet the needs for black soldiers and their families during World War I. In 1919 the Circle was reorganized as a peace time program for the promotion of public health work in African American communities. Belle Davis, a graduate of Fisk University, served as the Circle's executive secretary. Davis made over 25,000 visits in nine years to promote public health and welfare and raise awareness of the needs of black communities. The National Health Circle for Colored People also worked to recruit, educate and place African American public health nurses. They raised money for scholarship loans and at one time provided office space for the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses. This pamphlet list six "Objects of the Organization" and speaks to public health conditions, their causes, and the remedy. An appeal to both white and black citizens for membership is followed by endorsements from Theodore Roosevelt, R. R. Moton, Haven Emerson, M.D., and C. Everit Macy. Dr. Will W. Alexander of the Commission on Interracial Cooperation is listed as a member of the Board of Directors. The Circle notes that "tuberculosis kills eleven times as many Negro boys between the ages of ten and fourteen as white boys, and about eight times as many colored girls as white girls." Life expectancy of blacks was less than that of whites, and as many as 96 out of every 1,000 African American babies died before their first birthday. Pictured on the front cover are two Scholarship Nurses of the Circle, Alice Alvenia Sightler, R.N., graduate of Mercy Hospital, Philadelphia (left) and Agnes Boozer, R.N., graduate of Harlem Hospital School of Nursing (right).
National Health Circle for Colored People, Inc.
Learn more: Organizing Black America: an encyclopedia of African American associations (2001). New York: Garland. Thoms, A. B. (1929). Pathfinders: a history of the progress of colored graduate nurses. New York: Kay Print House. Hine, D.C. (1989). Black women in white: racial conflict and cooperation in the nursing profession, 1890-1950. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. National Association of Colored Nurses records, 1908-1958. New York Public Library. Hodson, Jane (1911). How to become a trained nurse. 3rd ed. New York, W. Abbatt. See p. 255, "Schools for Colored Nurses (Exclusively)."
We Fight For Democracy, 1918 [Uncle Sam, Columbia, and Democracy]
Studio portrait of costumed figures before a sign saying "We Fight For Democracy." This photograph was taken during World War I. Ralph Harvie Wormley as Uncle Sam; Adeline Harmon Cowles as Columbia, Martha Jobson, as Democracy holding a ballot box. These young people rode in the Equal Suffrage League float during the Thrift Day Parade in Richmond, Va., March 23, 1918. A Foster studio photo.
M 9 Box 239, 242, Adèle Goodman Clark papers, 1849-1978, James Branch Cabell Library, VCU Libraries
NO COPYRIGHT - UNITED STATES The organization that has made the Item available believes that the Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The Item may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other countries. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/ Acknowledgement of the Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries as a source is requested.
Learn more: National Woman Suffrage Association, Social Welfare History Project Women's Suffrage: The Movement, Social Welfare History Project Richmond Times-Dispatch, March 24, 1918, Virginia Chronicle, Library of Virginia Woman Citizen, April 20, 1920, Social Welfare History Image Portal War Savings Stamps, Social Welfare History Image Portal
Published by Commission on Interracial Cooperation (CIC), The Southern Frontier was a monthly newsletter, first issued in January, 1940. Aiming to share the stories overlooked by traditional newspapers, the newsletter published stories of social progress, as well as stories of racial injustices faced by African Americans across the American South. As described by the then President of the CIC Howard W. Odum, the name The Southern Frontier alludes to the need for even greater pioneering and progress in the social and cultural frontiers, the American South being the most turbulent field in reference to race relations and progress at the time. Vol. 4, No. 4 contains contributions by H. Bynum Selected articles are: “Education for Security” – An article describing the underfunded Southern school system in face of the large sums being spent on military funding for World War II. "An Open Letter to Eugene Talmadge (Governor of Georgia)" from The Macon News, regarding his veto of a state training school for African American girls. “`The Mind of the South’ `Lanterns on the Levee’” – Reviews of two books describing the psyche and culture of the American South. "Short Changed" -- an editorial cartoon from the Louisville Courier-Journal
Jessie Daniel Ames Association of Southern Women for the Prevention of Lynching collection, 1930-1944, Austin Seminary Archives, Stitt Library, Austin Presbyterian Seminary Library
Austin Seminary Archives, Stitt Library, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary Library
NO COPYRIGHT - UNITED STATES The organization that has made the Item available believes that the Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The Item may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other countries. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/
Learn more: Pullen, Ann Ellis (2013). "Commission on Interracial Cooperation" New Georgia Encyclopedia. Commission on Interracial Cooperation, Social Welfare History Image Portal
Published by Commission on Interracial Cooperation (CIC), The Southern Frontier was a monthly newsletter, first issued in January, 1940. Aiming to share the stories overlooked by traditional newspapers, the newsletter published stories of social progress, as well as stories of racial injustices faced by African Americans across the American South. As described by the then President of the CIC Howard W. Odum, the name The Southern Frontier alludes to the need for even greater pioneering and progress in the social and cultural frontiers, the American South being the most turbulent field in reference to race relations and progress at the time. Vol. 2, No. 3 contains contributions by: Dr. Horace Mann Bond Arthur L. Coleman John Temple Graves II L. R. Reynolds C. H. Tobias D. E. Williams Selected articles are: "The Southern Negro as a Consumer" “A Blurred Mirror Distorts the Image” – Dr. Horace Mann Bond, President of Fort Valley State College, speaking in Chicago on Race Relations Sunday. Bond speaks on the negative stereotypes and perception of Black people in dominant American culture and the dangers posed to the psyche of the Black community. “Negroes have their own News Sources” – A commentary on the value of Black newspapers and how stories are presented differently than in White newspapers
Published by Commission on Interracial Cooperation (CIC), The Southern Frontier was a monthly newsletter, first issued in January, 1940. Aiming to share the stories overlooked by traditional newspapers, the newsletter published stories of social progress, as well as stories of racial injustices faced by African Americans across the American South. As described by then President of the CIC Howard W. Odum, the name The Southern Frontier alludes to the need for even greater pioneering and progress in the social and cultural frontiers, the American South being the most turbulent field in reference to race relations and progress at the time. Vol. 2, No. 1 contains contributions by: J. W. Haywood Selected articles are: “The South Has a `Bottleneck’” – An article describing the South as an environment common with incidents of governmental discrimination towards black citizens, as well as acts of goodwill on the parts of individual white citizens, but that are in turn done in silence or in secrecy to avoid backlash from governing or administrating entities. “Negro Soldiers Want White Commander” – An article describing a case in which a platoon of black soldiers holding resentment over being assigned a black commander. The article provides analysis of this story, one from a white southerner perspective, the other from a black southerner perspective. "Negroes Enter Army Aviation" discusses the formation of the Tuskegee Airmen. The article notes that the (Negro) National Airmen's Association opposes segregation in the military.
Learn more: Lapel pin, Airmen's Association of America, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Pullen, Ann Ellis (2013). "Commission on Interracial Cooperation" New Georgia Encyclopedia. Commission on Interracial Cooperation, Social Welfare History Image Portal
Published by Commission on Interracial Cooperation (CIC), The Southern Frontier was a monthly newsletter, first issued in January, 1940. Aiming to share the stories overlooked by traditional newspapers, the newsletter published stories of social progress, as well as stories of racial injustices faced by African Americans across the American South. As described by then President of the CIC Howard W. Odum, the name The Southern Frontier alludes to the need for even greater pioneering and progress in the social and cultural frontiers, the American South being the most turbulent field in reference to race relations and progress at the time. Vol. 2, No. 1 contains contributions by: Jessie Daniel Ames Selected articles are: "Negroes Make Progress--Many 'Firsts' in 1940" “Hot Spots Develop In Three States” – An article about high racial tensions in Memphis, TN; Dallas, TX; and Georgetown, SC, and how the general public, city governments, and police departments are responding. “What is a Lynching?” – An article describing a December 14, 1940 conference held at Tuskegee Institute in which a definition of lynching was accepted as needing “legal evidence that a person has been killed and that he met his death illegally at the hands of a group acting under the pretext of service to justice, race or tradition.” "Lynching Map of the United States for the Past Decade" "Why We Lynched--1940" notes the reasons for various lynchings in the South. An article on page 4 notes the unequal salaries of black and white teachers and school administrators in Virginia. "In the City of Richmond, the salaries of Negro principals of Negro high schools and elementary schools are a little more than one-half of the salaries paid to white high school principals--while white principals of Negro schools are paid approximately one-third more than Negro principals." "Negroes Refused Correspondence Courses" describes how the Texas Attorney General has rulled against black citizens who wished to take correspondence classes at whites-only schools.
Learn more: Ames, J. (1938). Editorial Treatment of Lynchings. The Public Opinion Quarterly, 2(1), 77-84. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2745056 Waldrep, C. (2000). War of Words: The Controversy over the Definition of Lynching, 1899-1940. The Journal of Southern History, 66(1), 75-100. doi:10.2307/2587438 Pullen, Ann Ellis (2013). "Commission on Interracial Cooperation" New Georgia Encyclopedia. Commission on Interracial Cooperation, Social Welfare History Image Portal
Let the people VOTE to end gerrymandering. [bumper sticker]
Bumper sticker created by OneVirginia2021, an American civic non-profit organization founded to advocate for a non-partisan redistricting of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Formed in 2014, OneVirginia2021 is made up of people from across the political spectrum, including Republicans, Democrats, and TEA party members. Sticker text: Let the People VOTE to END GERRYMANDERING. OneVirginia2021.org
Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries
IN COPYRIGHT This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Learn more: Miller, G. (2018). The map that popularised the word 'Gerrymander.' National Geographic (November 6, 2018). Ingraham, C. (2015, March 1). This is the best explanation of gerrymandering you will ever see. The Washington Post. Baker v. Carr, 1962. Reynolds v. Sims, 1964. Redistricting guru's hard drives could mean legal, political woes for GOP (2019, June 6), National Public Radio. One Virginia 2021, organization website
Vote. [League of Women Voters poster by Louis Bonhajo]
Poster shows a muse-like figure pointing towards the Capitol as a woman deposits her ballot into a locked ballot box. The voting woman holds the hand of a small female child dressed in pink. Poster text: "VOTE / League of Women Voters" Printed by Erie Litho & Ptg Co. Illustration by Louis Valentine Bonhajo (1885-1970)
M 9 Box 233 f7, Adèle Goodman Clark papers, 1849-1978 (location Oversize Ephemera Material in Map Drawer #23), James Branch Cabell Library, VCU Libraries
NO COPYRIGHT - UNITED STATES The organization that has made the Item available believes that the Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The Item may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other countries. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/ Acknowledgment of Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries as a source is requested.
I support voting districts for Virginians, not politicians. [tote bag]
Blue tote bag with white lettering reading "I support Voting districts for Virginians, not politicians." The OneVirginia2021 logo appears in the center with the words "For Fair Redistricting. OneVirginia2021.org" OneVirginia2021 is an American civic non-profit organization founded to advocate for a non-partisan redistricting of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Formed in 2014, OneVirginia2021 is made up of people from across the political spectrum, including Republicans, Democrats, and TEA party members. Gerrymandering is the practice of setting the boundaries of electoral districts to favor specific political interests. The redrawing of district lines takes place after each new U. S. Census to ensure that the "one person one vote" requirement is met. Partisan gerrymandering works to increase the power of a political party. Racial gerrymandering weakens representation, and therefore the political power, of minority voters.
End Gerrymandering Now! [pinback button]
Pinback button created by OneVirginia2021, an American civic non-profit organization founded to advocate for a non-partisan redistricting of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Formed in 2014, OneVirginia2021 is made up of people from across the political spectrum, including Republicans, Democrats, and TEA party members. Gerrymandering is the practice of setting the boundaries of electoral districts to favor specific political interests. The redrawing of district lines takes place after each new U. S. Census to ensure that the "one person one vote" requirement is met. Partisan gerrymandering works to increase the power of a political party. Racial gerrymandering weakens representation, and therefore the political power, of minority voters.
Free Our Districts! End Gerrymandering. [bumper sticker]
Bumper sticker created by OneVirginia2021, an American civic non-profit organization founded to advocate for a non-partisan redistricting of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Formed in 2014, OneVirginia2021 is made up of people from across the political spectrum, including Republicans, Democrats, and TEA party members. Sticker text: "Free Our Districts! End Gerrymandering. Authorized by the good people at OneVirginia2021 who are trying to stop politicians from rigging the system." Gerrymandering is the practice of setting the boundaries of electoral districts to favor specific political interests. The redrawing of district lines takes place after each new U. S. Census to ensure that the "one person one vote" requirement is met. Partisan gerrymandering works to increase the power of a political party. Racial gerrymandering weakens representation, and therefore the political power, of minority voters.
Report of the President's Commission on Registration and Voting Participation, November 1963
Report of the President's Commission on Registration and Voting Participation. The bipartisan commission was created by Executive Order on March 30, 1963 by President John F. Kennedy. The Commission was chaired by Richard M. Scammon, Census Director. The report was transmitted on November 26, 1963, just days after Kennedy's assassination. In February, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson mailed this report along with a letter to Eleanor P. Sheppard, Mayor of Richmond, Virginia. In its opening summary, the Commission wrote: "One-third of our adults do not vote in presidential elections, and more than half do not vote in congressional elections. The reasons for America's low voter participation are both psychological and legal. Psychological causes of low turnout must be attacked by education and educational programs. Every citizen and group has a responsibility to join in this effort. The Commission endorses the practice of comprehensive register-and-vote campaigns to encourage and inform potential voters. We specifically call for a new effort by our schools in the teaching of citizenship, and we underscore the great responsibility of parents in citizenship education. The Commission strongly believes that effective two-party competition in all areas of the Nation will build and maintain interest in public affairs and lead to greater voter participation. We commend the two party system and all efforts to strengthen that system. Restrictive legal and administrative procedures in registration and voting disfranchise millions. To overcome such restrictions, taking into account the disparity in law and practice amont the States, we recommend the following specific standards: [Twenty-one standards are listed, including the elimination of literacy tests and poll taxes and the extension of voting to persons eighteen years of age.] The implementation of these standards will guarantee the right to vote to every citizen, adduring in fact what we proclain in theory--the supremacy of the individual in American political life." Complete report available through HathiTrust.
President's Commission on Registration and Voting Participation
M 277, Box 11, Eleanor P. Sheppard papers, 1924 - 1978, James Branch Cabell Library, VCU Libraries
Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office
NO COPYRIGHT - UNITED STATES The organization that has made the Item available believes that the Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The Item may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other countries. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/ Acknowledgment of the Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries as a source is requested.
Learn more: Visit of the Commission on Registration & Voting Participation, 12:25PM, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. White House Staff Files of Lee C. White. General File, 1954-1964. Commission on Registration and Voting Participation, 23 April 1963-30 March 1964 Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. White House Staff Files of Lee C. White. General File, 1954-1964. Commission on Registration and Voting Participation, 21 December 1962–30 March 1963 Letter to Eleanor P. Sheppard from Lyndon B. Johnson, February 10, 1964
Letter to Eleanor P. Sheppard from Lyndon B. Johnson, February 10, 1964
Letter to the Honorable Eleanor P. Sheppard, Mayor of Richmond, Virginia from President Lyndon Baines Johnson. February 10, 1964. This letter accompanied the President's Commission on Registration and Voting Participation "Report on Registration and Voting Participation." Text: The White House Washington February 10, 1964 Dear Mayor Sheppard: Less than two thirds of Americans of voting age cast ballots in Presidential elections. Less than one half vote in Congressional elections. This is a serious void in our free society. Last March President Kennedy appointed a bipartisan Commission on Registration and Voting Particpation. Its task was to study the causes of nonvoting and to recommend remedies. After careful study this Commission has presented its report and I send one to you. More interest in voting can be stressed by local efforts. May I suggest that you might want to consider the appointment of a citizens committee to investigate possible restrictions to reistration and voting -- and to promote greater voter participation in the 1964 elections. At a time when people all over the world cry out for the right to vote, too many of our citizens neglect to use this most precious of all citizen privileges. Our states and our cities, by improving voting laws and voting practices, can help produce increased voting interest by all the people. Kindly give me a report on the situation in your city. Sincerely, Lyndon B. Johnson
NO KNOWN COPYRIGHT The organization that has made the Item available reasonably believes that the Item is not restricted by copyright or related rights, but a conclusive determination could not be made. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/ Acknowledgement of the Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries as a source is requested.
Learn more: Voting, Social Welfare History Image Portal Discovery Set: Controlling the Vote, Social Welfare History Image Portal Visit of the Commission on Registration & Voting Participation, 12:25PM, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. White House Staff Files of Lee C. White. General File, 1954-1964. Commission on Registration and Voting Participation, 23 April 1963-30 March 1964 Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. White House Staff Files of Lee C. White. General File, 1954-1964. Commission on Registration and Voting Participation, 21 December 1962–30 March 1963
Pilgrimage of Prayer for Public Schools, January 1, 1959 [broadside]
Broadside advertising A Pilgrimage of Prayer for Public Schools, January 1, 1959 in Richmond, Va. At this event, organizers played a seven-minute pre-recorded message from Dr. King. A description of the event by Wyatt Tee Walker as reported to Dr. King is available online. More than 1,500 people attended. Text: Martin Luther King joins your Religious and Civic Leaders in Urging All Virginians to Come to Richmond in A Pilgrimage For Public Schools on EMANCIPATION DAY January 1, 1959. You will assemble at THE MOSQUE Laurel and Main Streets promptly at 2:30 P.M. "Let us not deceive ourselves! We have among us politicians who will not hesitate to CLOSE ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN VIRGINIA. We must demonstrate to Virginia and the nation by our presence and action that we will not tolerate this crime against Virginia's children." --Dr. Philip Y. Wyatt WHICH WILL IT BE? Free Eduation? or Closed Schools? "Only through the preservation of a free, desegregated public school system can a people be fully emancipated from the shackles of prejudice and inequality. American democracy itself is at stake. This is your pilgrimage." --The Rev. Wyatt Tee Walker
M 306 Box 2, folder 8, Richmond Crusade for Voters collection, James Branch Cabell Library, VCU LIbraries
Learn more: Text of letter from Wyatt Tee Walker, pastor of Gillfield Baptist Church in Petersburg, to Martin Luther King, Jr. reporting on a 1 January Prayer Pilgrimage to protest the efforts of Virginia officials to block public school integration. Stanford University, The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute. Leaflet. Passive Resisance to Massive Resistance. Leaflet with photographs of the Prayer Pilgrimage. Digital Collections. Yale University Library. Program, Pilgrimage of Prayer for Public Schools, January 1, 1959. Library of Virginia. Massive resistance, Social Welfare History Image Portal. Massive resistance, Encyclopedia Virginia. Wyatt Tee Walker, Dr. King's Strategist and a Harlem Leader, Dies at 88, The New York Times. Martin Luther King, Jr., Social Welfare History Image Portal.
Virginia State Board of Elections Bulletin No. 29, May 22, 1958 [blank sheet voter registration]
Bulletin No. 29 addressed To ALL REGISTRARS OF VIRGINIA. Stamped in red "Important Read Carefully." Excerpts: The 1958 session of the General Assembly made several changes in the Election Laws of Virginia stressing the duties of the registrars and the procedure to be followed by all the registrars throughout the State in registering applicants who are eligible to have their names placed on the registration books in order that a uniform system will be stictly adherred to. If each registrar will follow the procedure whih is outlined below, step by step, in registering voters, we believe he will be fully meeting the requirements of the new law. 1. Every person applying for registration should be furnished one of the Information Sheets, Form No. 1, which we have printed and are furnishing each registrar, containing the pertinenet provisions of Chapter 576 of the Acts of the 1958 General Assembly and Section 20 of the Constitution of Virginia. 2. The registrar shall furnish the applicant a sheet of paper containing no written or printed data; in other words, just a blank sheet of paper for the applicant to supply in his own handwriting the information required by Section 20 of the Constitution and Section 24-68 of the Code, which is as follows: 1. Name of applicant. 2. Age of applicant. 3. Date of applicant's birth. 4. Place of applicant's birth. 5. Residence of applicant at the time application is made. 6. Residence of applicant for one year next preceding the making of the application. 7. Occupation of applicant at the time application is made. 8. Occupation of applicant for one year next preceding the making of the application. 9. Whether applicant has previously voted. 10. If applicant has previously voted, the State, County and precinct in which applicant last voted. While making his application for registration, which must be done in the presence of the registrar, the applicant shall not be permitted to refer to any pamphlet, booklet or other memorandum, printed or written, nor to discuss with any person any matter concerning the requirements necessary in order to register other than the provisions of Section 20 of the Constitution and Section 24-68 of the Code which we have printed for his use on Form No. 1. If an applicant makes application in his or her own handwriting, and without aid, suggestion or memorandum, other than the right to refer to the pertinent provisions of the Code and the Constitution, then such applicant has satisfied the requirements of the law, so far as a written application is required.
Commonwealth of Virginia, State Board of Elections
M 306 Box 2, folder 6, Richmond Crusade for Voters collection, James Branch Cabell Library, VCU LIbraries
Learn more: Nurturing the Roots: 90for90 and Black Political Power. The Progressive, July 15, 2016.
You've got it...USE IT! [Richmond Crusade for Voters flyer]
Richmond Crusade for Voters flyer. A hand brings down a heavy hammer that says VOTE, and breaks a chain. Text: you've got it...USE IT! Votes mean FREEDOM. Register and vote Votes mean EQUALITY. Register and vote Votes mean first-class citizenship. Register and vote. Votes mean better schools, better jobs, better housing. Register and vote USE YOUR VOTE TO WIN YOUR RIGHTS To Vote in November, you must REGISTER NOW!
Learn more: Komp, C. (2017, October 26). The Lasting Legacy of the Richmond Crusade for Voters. Community Idea Stations. Matthews, K. A. (2017). The Richmond Crusade for Voters. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing.
Letter from John M. Brooks to Medgar W. Evers, May 20, 1958 [carbon copy]
Carbon copy of letter from John M. Brooks, Director of Voter Registration, Virginia NAACP to Medgar W. Evers, Field Secretary, Mississippi NAACP. Sent 20 May 1958 in response to Evers' letter of 15 May 1958. Text: Mr. Medgar W. Evers 1072 Lynch Street Jackson, Mississippi Dear Medgar: Your letter was a real pick up for me...keep up the good work. I am sending a letter of congratulations to the Meridian group from this office. I hope your Jackson meeting will be as good as the one in Meridian. Don't fail to call on me for any help needed. Sincerely yours, John M. Brooks NAACP Registration Director JMB/eww
M 296, Box 2, John Mitchell Brooks Collection of NAACP Files 1957-1978, James Branch Cabell Library, VCU Libraries
Learn more: Medgar Evers, SNCC Digital Gateway
Letter from Medgar W. Evers to John M. Brooks, May 15, 1958
Letter from Medgar W. Evers, Field Secretary, Mississippi NAACP to John M. Brooks, Director, Voter Registration, Virginia NAACP. Dated May 15, 1958, the letter is an update on the progress of voter registration efforts in Mississippi. Text: Mr. Johnnie M. Brooks Director, Registration and Voting 404 1/2 North Second Street Richmond, Virginia Dear Mr. Brooks: On last night, May 14, I attended the third successful meeting of the "Crusade for Voters" in Meridian, Mississippi. It is amazing how the enthusiasm that was generated in the first two meetings has continued. It is definitely an encouraging sign. At last night's meeting there were represented persons from six of the seven presincts in Meridian, Mississippi, also representatives from two of the county supervisory districts. At this meeting we set up temporary precinct machinery and indications are that within the next two weeks the precinct organizations will be a reality. The list of qualified Negro voters is in the process of being secured, also maps setting forth the boundaries of the various precincts. I do feel personally that in Meridian we are getting off to a very good start. Tonight is Jackson's night. I shall report ot you on its progress later. We had at last night's meeting approximately forty persons, more or less. Sincerely yours, Medgar W. Evers Field Secretary
Letter from John M. Brooks, NAACP Registration Director to voter registration activists, Mississippi, July 7, 1958
Letter of encouragement from John M. Brooks, NAACP Registration Director following a meeting he attended in Mississippi. Text -- Dear Friend: My meeting with you in Mississippi was an inspiration to me. It proved my belief that, "if people are given a clear picture of the voting situation, they will cooperate". The people in Meridian and Jackson are well on their way toward increasing their voting strength and becoming first-class citizens. Your future activities will tell what Y O U are going to do in your city. Talk to your neighbors and invite them to join your group. A large attendance will be an inspiration to all concerned. It is my sincere hope that your organization will be a guiding light for other communities all over Mississippi to follow. IT CAN BE DONE would be the wrong words to us, IT WILL BE DONE because of Y O U. Sincerely yours, John M. Brooks NAACP Registration Director
Learn more: Voting, Social Welfare History Image Portal
Letter to H. D. Dillard from Martin L. Calhoun, Alabama Male Association Opposed to Woman's Suffrage [typed letter, signed]
Letter from Martin L. Calhoun, Secretary Treasurer of the Alabama Male Association Opposed to Woman's Suffrage dated 15 August 1919. The letter was sent to the Hon. H. D. Dillard (of Franklin County, Va.), General Assembly, Richmond, Va. Calhoun is opposed to the Fifteenth Amendment (which prohibits the federal government and each state from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen's "race, color, or previous condition of servitude") and the ratification of the proposed "Anthony Amendment" (which would become the Nineteenth Amendment). The letter associates woman suffrage, African American suffrage, and socialism. The organization's platform is printed on this letterhead near the top of the page. "Platform:--The Alabama Male Association Opposed to Woman's Suffrage-- Stands for HOME and NATIONAL DEFENSE aggainst Woman's Suffrage, Feminismand Socialism. For MAN-POWER in Government, believing that Democracy must be STRONG to be SAFE. For the PRESERVATION of the established foundations of the American Republic as a Model for the World. For the RECOGNITION and ENFORCEMENT of the INHERENT RIGHT of EACH STATE to control the question of Woman's Suffrage for ITSELF. For EFFICIENCY and PROGRESS without Waste and Duplication in Government. For the CONSERVATION of the BEST WOMANHOOD of all conditions and stations in life, along NON-PARTISAN lines, so that the interests of Womanhood, Childhood and Civilization may be advanced FREE from the strife and division of politics, factions and parties. For the retention of the BEST IDEALS of the past, adapted to the advantages and opportunities given women under modern conditions, so that the FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES of Morality, of Patriotism and of World Progress may be more firmly established in the present and future generations." Excerpt of letter text: "Susan B. Anthony was instrumental in securing the Fifteenth Article to the Federal Constitution, the adoption of which has always stood as a blot on the escutchen of our Country. Her purpose and intent was to further humiliate and oppress the then down trodden South. This in itself should condemn her namesake in the heart of every true Southerner. We are calling upon all the Southern States to REJECT [handwritten in margin "(it now)"] her namesake and if we can get the twelve Southern States to the two which have rejected - Georgia and Alabama - we can bury Old Susan where she belongs. If we, of the South, surrender our control of suffrage to the Federal Government we should not complain of the Fifteenth Amendment or what may follow under the adoption of the Anthony Amendment, for we would be traitors to that grand martyr of your State- Robert E. Lee and we are not worthy of our sires."
M 9 Box 51, Adèle Goodman Clark papers, 1849-1978, James Branch Cabell Library, VCU Libraries
Learn more: Letter from the Alabama Male Association Opposed to Woman's Suffrage, DocsTeach, National Archives
Equal Suffrage League of Richmond, Va., February, 1915
Equal Suffrage League of Richmond, Va. in front of Washington Monument, Capitol Square, Richmond. The members of the ESL were promoting the suffrage film, "Your Girl and Mine." Photo published in The Times-Dispatch: Richmond, Va., February 28, 1915, p. 10 Members of the Equal Suffrage League photographed that day: (left to right in car) Mrs. G. Harvey Clarke (Mary Ellen Pollard Clarke), Mrs. Roy Knight Flannagan (Lucy Catesby Jones Flannagan), Nora Houston, Mrs. John Grant Armistead (Rosalie Fontaine Jones Armistead), Mrs. Alice Overbey Taylor, Mrs. Della E. Hooker (widow of J. W. Hooker), Mrs. Charles Vivian Meredith (Sophie “Posie” Meredith), Mrs. Georgia May Johnson (identified on photo as Mrs. Frank L. Johnson; perhaps Mrs. Francis L. Johnson) (left to right outside car) Adèle Clark, Mrs. Archer Gracchus Jones (Annie Boyd Jones), Mrs. John Garland Pollard (Grace Phillips Pollard), Mrs. Carter Wormeley (Sarah Harvie Wormeley), Mrs. Earnest Meade (Aline Jennings Mead(e), Mrs. Earnest C. B. Meade), Lynda McCalanahan Koiner, Mrs. James Stuart Reynolds (Virginia “Boogie” Dickinson Reynolds), Mrs. W. Hill Urquhart (Dorothy Gordon Tait Urquhart), Mrs. W. W. Foster (Carrie Palmore Hughes Foster)
M 9 Box 242, Adèle Goodman Clark papers, 1849-1978, James Branch Cabell Library, VCU Libraries
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Learn more: Campbell, A.W. (2019). Your Girl and Mine (suffrage film), Social Welfare History Project Equal Suffrage League, Social Welfare History Image Portal