Primary Resources

Cold War & Civil Rights

JFK Library Citations

Wofford, Harris. “Harris Wofford Papers.”  Group 8.3, Series 1 and 2; Boxes 1-3 and 11, 13. 

• Box 1
• Folder “B-Misc. Documents”          
• Berl Bernard Speech, February 1962.  Bernard, the Staff Director of the United States Commission on Civil Rights, compares the threats of totalitarian leaders abroad totalitarian anti-Civil Rights radicals at home.  The rest of his speech chronicles both the progress in Civil Rights (largely by government entities) and the continuing threats to the movement.  Bernard (on page 12) advises that those Conservatives who call Civil Rights workers “Communists” are creating/maintaining divisions in American society that can be exploited by actual Communists and quotes JFK’s statement that as the defenders of freedom, the US has the “responsibilities of freedom” (13). The end of the document also explicitly discusses the links between the Civil Rights movement and the Cold War.   This document is easy to read/understand and gives a good overview of both the progress of Civil Rights and its connection to Cold War era concerns.

• H.G. Brown Letter with Newspaper Clippings
• Folder “ACLU”  Brown’s letter thanks Wofford for the report (on which the above speech was based) but asks Kennedy’s help in seeking further Civil Rights legislation.  Brown includes clippings from a radical black newspaper and asks about the possibilities of reparations (as discussed in the newspaper).  He also includes articles arguing AGAINST sit-ins and integration. The articles include photos of brutal lynchings and question why African Americans would want to associate with what the paper sees as their white oppressors. 
• Letter from the American Civil Liberties Union to Senator John F. Kennedy, July 1961.  The ACLU writes to Wofford arguing for more vigorous action in support of Civil Rights.  Wofford’s response is included.
•   Box 2
• Folder “Civil Rights Misc. 1960-Jan. 1962”
• Letter, Dean Rusk to Robert Kennedy, January 31, 1961. Secretary of State Dean Rusk writes to Robert Kennedy about the problems that diplomats from African and Asian nations have finding accommodations (restaurants, hotels, etc.) in segregated Washington, D.C.  Rusk states, “My own person view is that this question cannot be solved satisfactorily simply in terms of diplomatic personnel.  I do not believe that, in the Nation’s Capital, a diplomatic passport should be required for the enjoyment of the normal rights of citizenship without discrimination.”
• Democratic National Campaign Civil Rights Campaign, 1960  This DNC publication poses JFK as a candidate for Civil Rights.  In includes discussions about his work on Civil Rights initiatives as well as the text of several campaign speeches.  Kennedy’s speech in Harlem links the opportunities for African Americans at home with the role/strength of America abroad.
• Letter, Housing for African Diplomats, January 5, 1961  This report was generated around the same time as the above exchange between Rusk and RFK.  It goes into greater detail about the problem of housing African diplomats and refers the several articles that appeared in The Washington Post about this problem.
• John F. Kennedy Campaign Flyer for Civil and Human   Rights Platform, 1960This flyer lays out JFK’s work on behalf of Civil Rights and his presidential platform.
• Box 3
• Folder “F—Miscellaneous”
• African American Heritage Association Letter. The African American Heritage Association includes an article detailing a meeting by the anti-Semitic, anti-black States Rights Party of Illinois.  The African American Heritage Association asserts, “A long history of lies deliberately infused in the American popular mind about ‘race’ has frustrated the realization of the Declaration of Independence of our founding fathers, aborted and surrendered Civil War victory to the former slaveholders of the South, and inundated and denuded the Constitution of the United States.  These facts leave us with an image before the world, no matter what our Government does as ‘racist tyrants.’”
• Folder “G—Miscellaneous”
• Hugh G. Grant Telegram.  Hugh Grant (not the actor J) writes from Georgia to counter JKF’s assertion that in order to be a world leader, the US needs to integrate its schools.  Grant argues that forced integration is actually antithetical to the principles of American government that limit the federal government’s power in state matters.  He further points out that segregation began in the North and has been upheld in several court cases (one in Boston!)  Grant’s telegram ignores the Brown V. Board of Ed. Decision.
• Box 11
• Civil Rights—Agency for International Development
• Agency for International Development Meeting, January 19, 1962. A report on the progress and activities of the AID meeting.  The Agency publicized the Civil Rights activities of the administration.

 

Beer, Samuel.  “Samuel Beer Papers.”  Group 22, Box 3.

• Box 3
• Folder “Foreign Policy Folder 3”
• Americans for Democratic Action Files (select documents).  The Americans for Democratic Action passed several resolutions relating to Civil Rights.  The first transcript directly links the progress of Civil Rights at home with the global perception of the United States.  It advocates that the United States help all people who are fighting for independence.  The second transcript speaks out against the riots in Birmingham.
• Box 5
• Folder Massachusetts
• Massachusetts Chapter State Platform, 1963  This document outlines the state platform of this political action committee for the 1963 election.  The second paragraph asserts their opposition to totalitarianism abroad AND at home, where it threatened the free exercise of rights.

 

White, Lee C.  “Lee C. White Papers.” Group, Box 19

• Box 19
• Folder “Civil Rights—General”
• John F. Kennedy Administration Civil Rights Accomplishments.  A list of the JFK administration’s Civil Rights accomplishments as of 1962.  It lists these items according to several categories, “General Attitude,” “Government Employment,” “Education,” “Interstate Travel,” “Hospital Desegregation,” “Desegregation in Armed Forces,” “Legislation,” “Equal Employment Opportunity,” and “Voting Rights.”
• Louisiana Reverse Freedom Riders.  This letter and enclosure details the laws surrounding the “Reverse Freedom Riders”.  Citizens Councils in Louisiana and Arkansas, in part to embarrass the Kennedy administration, paid the fare for African Americans to take the bus to Hyannis.  The Citizens Councils made false claims about the opportunities for African Americans on the Cape in order to get them to come.  This document details  a statute that provided bus tickets out of state  for Louisiana’s African Americans on welfare.
• Opposition to Martin Luther King, Jr. Statutes, 1962  A flier by the Committee to Organize Opposition to Negro Statues about a proposed MLK statue in Post Office Square in Washington, D.C.  The White House apparently looked into the situation and found that there said proposal for an MLK statue didn’t exist.
• States’ Rights Amendments--New York Times, 1963.  This article about several proposed States’ Rights amendments argues that they could be used to disenfranchise African American voters.  The amendments were not ratified.
• Syracuse University Protest, 1963.  This correspondence between several members of the Kennedy administration show their concern over what constituted a reasonable and moderate position on Civil Rights.
• Folder “Civil Rights—General II” 
• Non-Discriminatory Hotels and Restaurant Guide This guide, published in 1962/1963 offered a complete listing of integrated hotels, restaurants and motels in the United States.  It offers a state-by-state travel guide.  It includes a section on southern accommodations, warning travelers not to stray from the specified businesses/areas.
•  

Marshall, Burke.  “Burke Marshall Papers.” Group, Box 66 and 67

• Box 66
• “Civil Rights” Folder
• Yale Law Journal Article, 1965.  This article debates the utility of existing Civil Rights laws.

• Box 67

• “Civil Rights II” Folder
• Birmingham Manifesto, 1963.  The Birmingham Manifesto launched the demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama that so famously landed MLK in jail.

• “Civil Rights Newspaper Articles” Folder
• New York Times, July 4th, 1964
• “Civil Rights Newspaper Articles II” Folder
• New York Times, August 3rd, 1964
• New York Times, 1964 Roy Wilkins
• New York Times, July 27th, 1964
• “Civil Rights Newspapers Articles III” Folder

Neshoba Co. On Trial, December 1964