Correspondence on the Southern Movement

Quite a bit of correspondence these days on the Southern Movement of half a century ago. I answer everything.  Here's a sampling.  Regarding M.A.'s letter, I was honored by the Tougaloo student body with the 1963 Faculty Citizen of the Year award.  That plaque resides on our living room wall, always. (H)

From M.A., former Tougaloo student and strong supporter of Jackson Boycott Movement of 1962-63:

Interesting piece dated Apr. 12, 2013. I was over in Columbus, Ohio last weekend to attend a surprise 80 th birthday celebration for my older brother. 
Had a great time celebrating with  family and friends.
I,too, have found it interesting that you grass root leaders & workers have  not received  any recognition for your contributions during the Jackson Movement.
I recently read somewhere on the internet that the Tougaloo Nine who started change in Jackson , Ms. in  the Spring of 1961 have been neglected also and some surviving  members of that group are not too happy.
I recently received a request from Tougaloo for a donation to a 50 th Anniv. Celebration of persons involved in the Civil Rights Movt.. Those to be honored are  Robert "Bob" Moses, Ph.D., whom I remember during my days with Dr. Borinski in the Social Science Lab   and Morris Dees founder of Southern Poverty Law Center. Over the years , I 've contributed financially to that organization. Another honoree is Marian Wright Edleman whom I know of but do not recall her being involved in the Movt. of the 60s. There was a  fourth person , maybe a fifth ,whom I have never heard and can't recall his name since I discarded the request.
Presently , I'm listening to the reports on the bombings in Boston so I'll bid you adieu for now.
Regards to the clan. 
WWW,
Mary Ann

From the Northeastern North Carolina Blackbelt Movement Days, Willa Cofield (formerly Willa Johnson), another very old friend who was a extremely staunch supporter of our organizing work in that rugged and challenging Klan-infested segregationist complex, is doing some writing.  Here is this  from me:

Dear Willa:

Thanks very much indeed for your very kind letter and kind thoughts.  Delighted to hear from you!  Very sorry to learn you have had a bout of illness -- but you are a very "tough" customer. I've had a little Facebook contact with Tanya but Facebook, whatever its interesting qualities, is kind of unreal.  I recently left it temporarily but have kept my "set up" on it intact -- Profile, etc -- and will return to it fairly soon.  Please give Tanya our very best.

Here are some things with which to get started:

1)  The list of names are, as you surmise, those of the Georgetown University Law students who helped us much in legal research and observation, especially in the Fall 1964 voter registration campaign.  Their agency affiliations in the DC area would be where they were doing their formal internships and they listed those to politely intimidate our segregationist adversaries.  They also dressed so properly that our foes thought they might be from the Justice Department.

2)   I don't know if you have encountered this on our website, or not, but a very key dimension of Enfield/Halifax material starts with this Link: http://www.hunterbear.org/creative.htm There are about 20 consecutive pages, including even some photos from our 1965 Black Belt Conference which were taken by J.V. Henry.  All of this gives a very good overview with much detail.  For example, the long article in the June 1964 SCEF monthly, Southern Patriot, has much on the Voting battles.

3)  There is a great deal of Black Belt material in my collected papers at the Wisconsin Historical Society (formerly the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.  Its basic contact number is 608/264/6460.  Should you call them, ask to be connected with the National Social Action Collection.  My stuff is under three names, simultaneously:  John R Salter, Jr. /  John Hunter Gray /  Hunter Gray.  They charge copying fees but I don't what such are specifically.  These would be very helpful documents and related materials: (I have a rough list of most of the materials I donated.)

(a)  Agenda for organizational meeting of the Halifax Movement held at Enfield on February 21 1964.

b)    Long report letter from Salter to Jim Dombrowski (SCEF Executive Director), June 5 1964.

c)     Salter's report to the SCEF Board of Directors, April 15 and 16th, 1965.  (several pages)

d)    Salter's final report to the SCEF Board of Directors, October 4, 1965.  This is long -- maybe about a dozen legal
       sized pages.

 e)   There are many relevant news clippings in my collection re the Enfield/Halifax Co./Black Belt campaign.  Many involve the Voting battles:  Raleigh News and Observer, Raleigh Times, Roanoke Rapids Herald (I think that's the name.)  Copies of  those would be very helpful.

  f)    There are legal documents from our Voting Case -- Alston vs. Butts -- and I think there are some affidavits.

  g)    And, of course, there are legal documents from your own very important case, Johnson vs. Branch.

  h)    There are a number of our leaflets in the Collection.

   i)     There are two page meeting/speaking schedules for both the spring and fall 1964 voter registration campaigns.
           Of course, we added many, many other meetings as we went along.

There is much more on the Blackbelt campaign in my Collection but the foregoing will constitute a very good launch for your quite worthwhile project.  And you should certainly feel free, Willa, to contact me with any questions at any time.

Basically, we are all OK here.  No rest for the wicked.  Forest fires loom ahead and even earthquakes could be a problem.

I am sending this with "receipt" requested because I want to make certain you receive it.  Frankly, I don't always find e-mail absolutely infallible!

Eldri joins me in sending our very best to you all.  You are among our very oldest friends and we value that relationship most highly.

Take good care / Keep fighting!

In Solidarity,

John or Hunter or Anything


And Willa writes yesterday evening:

Hi, Hunter -

Thank you so much for your detailed and very comprehensive response to my E-mail.  I received both copies.  The note made me remember long years ago when you sat at the dining room table and typed brilliant, single-spaced letters with multiple thin carbon copies, all error free.  I will follow
up on the web-based sites and other sources that you mentioned immediately.   Thanks also for letting me know that I can call on you again.

Best always,
Willa 

(I still miss my big old Underwood typewriter.  H.)

HUNTER GRAY [HUNTER BEAR/JOHN R SALTER JR] Mi'kmaq /St. Francis 
Abenaki/St. Regis Mohawk 
Member, National Writers Union AFL-CIO
www.hunterbear.org  (social justice)

See the new expanded/updated edition of my "ORGANIZER'S
BOOK." It's the inside story of the rise of the massive Jackson
Movement -- careful grassroots organizing, bloody repression, sell-out 
and more.  It also covers other organizing campaigns of mine through
 the decades since Mississippi. It's replete with grass-roots organizing
examples and "lessons."  And it has my new 10,000 word 
introduction.  Among a myriad of positive comments and reviews:
 ". . .a local activist's important account of the deleterious effects
the involvement  of national organizations can have on indigenous
protest movements."  (Historian David Garrow.)
http://hunterbear.org/jackson.htm

See the related:  http://crmvet.org/comm/hunter1.htm

Stormy Adoption of an Indian Child [My Father]:
http://hunterbear.org/James%20and%20Salter%20and%20Dad.htm