National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

Willoughby Abner Papers

drice — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:53:43 -0400

The papers of Mr. Abner reflect his work with the UAW, and to a lesser extent, his involvement in civil rights and community activities.

Part I consists of correspondence, reports, newsletters, and miscellaneous publications reflecting Mr. Abner's positions with the UAW and his social concerns. Until 1963 Mr. Abner was with the Education and Citizenship Department of UAW Region 4, located in Chicago. In 1963 he moved to Detroit to become the assistant director of the Leadership Study Center of the UAW. Subjects include the labor movement on local, state, and international levels; urban affairs and social problems.

Part II reflects Mr. Abner's involvement with the NAACP, the city of Chicago, college campus unrest, prison conditions mediation, and community development activities. Subjects include: Affirmative action; labor mediation; civil rights; employment discrimination.

AFSCME Office of the Secretary-Treasurer: William Lucy Records

jruss — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 14:21:25 -0400

The AFSCME Office of the Secretary-Treasurer oversees the general financial health of the international union, keeping records for its locals, councils, and the headquarters staff. The Office keeps files on council and local trusteeships, maintains per capita dues payments by locals and councils, issues charters to new locals, and suspends and disbands locals or councils when problems arise. William Lucy held this position for 38 years, 1972-2010.

Lucy joined AFSCME as a civil engineer in Contra Costa, CA in 1956. A decade later, he was working for the International in Washington, D.C. Proving his leadership abilities during the 1968 sanitation workers strike in Memphis, during which Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated, Lucy became AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer in 1972. Alongside his work with AFSCME, Lucy also served with countless labor, civil rights, and civic organizations to advance causes for blacks, women, and workers locally in Washington, D.C., nationally, and internationally. Lucy helped found the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) in 1972 to represent African Americans in the labor movement. He was instrumental in the Free South Africa Movement's efforts to end apartheid in South Africa. He served as president of Public Services International (PSI) and as a member of the AFL-CIO Executive Council. These activities are reflected in the Records. Lucy retired from the position of Secretary-Treasurer in July 2010 at the AFSCME biennial convention.

The AFSCME Office of the Secretary-Treasurer: William Lucy Records document the activities and operations of AFSCME International, the Office of the Secretary-Treasurer, and AFSCME’s state and local councils. The Records also convey the actions of William Lucy in a number of labor and civil rights organizations, including TransAfrica, the NAACP, CBTU, PSI, and the AFL-CIO. The Records include correspondence, reports, speeches, financial information, legal documents, convention transcripts and proceedings, publications, and meeting minutes. Several boxes of audio recordings of International Executive Board meetings are included, and a very small number of photographs appear in the collection.

Jerome P. Cavanagh Photographs and Other Material

drice — Fri, 08 Sep 2017 11:06:29 -0400

The Jerome P. Cavanagh Photographs and Other Material consists of numerous photographs, the majority of which were taken during his time in office. These photographs cover events such as the 1968 Olympic Bid, visits from Lyndon B. Johnson, aftermath of the 1967 unrest, and Mayor Cavanagh with various prominent Detroit business people, union members, and politicians. Also included in the collection is memorabilia from his 1966 Senate campaign, 1968 Olympic information, and other various memorabilia during his time in office.

CIO Office of the Secretary-Treasurer Records

drice — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 09:58:06 -0400

Part 1 contains James B. Carey records, secretary-treasurer of the CIO from 1938 to 1955. Mr. Carey served as chairman of the CIO Civil Rights Committee and secretary-treasurer of the Philip Murray Memorial Foundation. He was the CIO representative to many international conferences, held a number of advisory positions with U.S. government agencies, and was on the executive boards of many private organizations. The topics cover a wide range of CIO activities. Among these are attempts to reunite the AFL and the CIO from 1937 to 1942 and again in 1955; Harry Bridges; communism in the labor movement; financial affairs of the CIO; International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and World Federation of Trade Unions; disputes within electrical workers' unions; CIO and Latin America; labor in World War II; anti-communism, and political action. Correspondents include nearly every major labor figure for the period.

Part 2 contains George L.P. Weaver records. In addition to serving as assistant secretary-treasurer of the CIO, he also held at various times the positions of assistant to the president of the United Transportation Service Employees Union; director of the ClO's Civil Rights Committee; assistant to the chairman of the National Security Resources Board; and member of the Committee to Reorganize the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. Mr. Weaver also played leading roles in the senatorial and presidential campaigns of Stuart Syrnington. In addition to labor topics, the Weaver papers cover Americans for Democratic Action; civil rights; Atlantic Conference of 1959; tin missions to Bolivia and southeast Asia (1951-52); housing; defense; manpower; McCarran-Walter Immigration Bill; NAACP; and the Taft-Hartley Act.

Part 3 contains records from the office of James Carey. In addition to material relating to his tenure as Secretary-Treasurer, there are some records relating to his role in the IUE. Topics covered include: UE; anti-Communism; expulsion of left-led unions from CIO; and HUAC.

Detroit Organization of School Administrators and Supervisors Records

aorchard — Wed, 11 Mar 2015 09:30:22 -0400

The Detroit Organization of School Administrators and Supervisors was formed in 1966 and received sole collective bargaining rights with the Detroit Board of Education in 1967. The union had between 1,300 and 1,400 members at its creation, and it continues to represent administrators and supervisors in Detroit Public Schools in regards to salaries and working conditions.

In the early 1980s, the administrators were working without a contract for a brief time and they conducted a sick-out, where principals and assistant principals used their sick days in order to protest labor without contract. Their main concerns wages and job security.

The Detroit Organization of School Administrators and Supervisors Records contains correspondence, newsletters, and newspaper clippings about the sick-out, as well as documents explaining their ultimate collective bargaining goals. Additionally, this collection contains some newspaper clippings related to controversial administrative transfers and a case of an inappropriate relationship between two administrators and former students. Finally, this collection holds some materials from related organizations such as the American Federation of School Administrators and information about the NAACP Overground Railroad March in 1983.

Detroit Committee for Responsible Banking Records

dgolodner — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:17:59 -0400

The Detroit Committee for Responsible Banking (DCRB) grew out of awareness that banks in Detroit were under-funding city development while frequently supporting development in suburban areas. The DCRB was formed by James M. Edwards and Patrick J. Murray, both Detroit lawyers, and backed by an advisory board of community members. Initially, they focused their efforts on one bank – Comerica – and later went after Standard Federal, National Bank of Detroit, Manufacturers Bank, First of America, Michigan National Bank, and First Federal of Michigan.

The Detroit Committee for Responsible Banking Records document the efforts of the committee to bring attention to redlining practices of banks in the city of Detroit. They reflect a multi-faceted approach, including direct correspondences with banking officials, protests to state and federal banking oversight institutions, correspondence with various news media, and collaboration with other organizations. The materials in the collection include correspondences, acquisition and merger applications, mortgage and home improvement loan statements; Community Reinvestment Act files; bank publications, notes, news clippings, and related reports.

Joe Felmet Papers

drice — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 14:49:04 -0400

Joe Felmet participated in the first “freedom ride” of the civil rights movement. This 1947 trip, known as the “Journey of Reconciliation,” was meant to test the Supreme Court’s ruling that banned segregation on interstate travel. The sixteen riders were arrested multiple times along the way and Felmet was sentenced to three weeks on a chain gang in North Carolina.

Felmet was a lifelong peace activist and an advocate for civil liberties. He was a conscientious objector during World War II and refused to be inducted into the military. He went on to become an active leader of the Southern chapter of the Workers’ Defense League (WDL). He later ran for the US House in 1974 and the US Senate in 1978.

His papers consist of articles and personal remembrances of his civil rights and free-speech activism and copies of FBI files on the WDL.

Collection is unprocessed.

Aaron Henry Papers

drice — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:32:05 -0500

Mr. Henry, a native of Mississippi, has been a leader in the struggle for civil rights in that state for many years. He has been president of the Clarksdale NAACP, state president of the Mississippi NAACP, chairman of the Mississippi Voter Registration and Education Project, president of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and also its delegate to the 1964 Democratic National Convention. The collection deals with nearly every phase of the civil rights battle, Democratic politics, and various government poverty programs in Mississippi. Letters of Ramsey Clark, John Doar, Everett Dirksen, Charles Evers, Orville Freeman, Hubert Humphrey, Edward Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King, James Meredith, Sargent Shriver, and nearly every leader in the field of civil rights appear in this collection.

Rachel Boone Keith Papers

drice — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:10:27 -0400

Dr. Rachel Boone Keith came to Detroit from New York City in 1951 after receiving her medical degree from Boston University and was an internist in private practice from that point forward, practicing medicine at several Detroit area hospitals. Dr. Keith served on a number of professional commissions and committees and was active in civic, cultural, and educational organizations, including her work as a lifetime member of the NAACP. Dr. Keith’s papers document her education, professional career, and civic activities as well as containing information on her father’s and mother’s families, the Booths and Tharps, and their service as doctors, missionaries, and religious ministers.

Charles F. Kellogg Papers

drice — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 14:58:12 -0400

Charles Flint Kellogg was a respected historian, Professor of American History, and Chair of the Department of History at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He was awarded grant money to study the history of the NAACP. His papers contain manuscripts, research, photographs, and notes used to write his 1967 book, NAACP: A History of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Volume I: 1909-1920, which describes the beginnings of the organization, its leaders, and the issues they faced.

Mae Mallory Papers

abarker — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:42:40 -0400

Active in the civil rights movement, Mae Mallory advocated for African-Americans’ right to armed self-defense and was closely associated with NAACP member and author of “Negroes with Guns,” Robert F. Williams. Ms. Mallory was imprisoned for alleged kidnapping but was later released after the North Carolina Supreme Court determined racial discrimination in the selection of the jury. Ms. Mallory’s papers document her imprisonment and reflect her participation in the radical civil rights movement.

Wade H. McCree, Jr. Papers

drice — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 13:55:18 -0500

Wade Hampton McCree, Jr. began his career as a lawyer in the Detroit law firm of Harold E. Bledsoe and Hobart Taylor. He later served on the state’s Workmen’s Compensation Commission and as a judge in the county and U.S. court system. During his tenure on the bench, McCree took part in a number of school desegregation cases iand as the government’s lawyer, he argued a number of significant cases before the Supreme Court. He resigned in 1977 to accept appointment as U.S. Solicitor General in the Carter administration. In the last few years of his life, McCree taught law at the University of Michigan, and consulted on various cases and served as Special Master for the U.S. Supreme Court in cases in which it exercised original jurisdiction. Judge McCree’s professional, educational, civic and charitable activities were many and he was the recipient of numerous honors and awards.

His papers contain his personal and professional correspondence, speeches and writings, voluminous case files, including his notes and opinions, meeting minutes, publications and other material relating to his service on the bench and as the federal government’s chief lawyer as well as his work on professional committees and his involvement with a wide range of civic, fraternal and charitable organizations.

Michigan Coalition for Human Rights Records

drice — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:26:19 -0400

The Michigan Coalition for Human Rights (MCHR) was formed in Detroit in December
1980 by a group of Detroit-area religious leaders representing a broad range of Judeo-
Christian and Muslim denominations. Initially organized with the goal of providing a
liberal alternative to conservative Christian organizations such as The Moral Majority,
the group’s primary issues included racism, militarism, gay rights, unemployment,
poverty, and other socio-economic and local political topics. The organization was dedicated to improving race relations in the Detroit area and promoting social justice and other liberal causes in the state of Michigan and nationwide as well as the promotion of human rights in Africa and other international regions.

The Michigan Coalition for Human Rights Records document its operations and activities
between the organization’s formal inception in 1981 and 2003, with some supplemental
articles and materials on human rights issues from the period of 1975-1980. Materials
reflect the goal of the MCHR to encourage those in the Detroit-area to participate in
events and campaigns promoting better race relations, increased civil liberties, and a
greater respect for human rights abroad. Issues including capital punishment, race
relations in Detroit, gay rights, children’s rights, apartheid in South Africa, US
involvement in Central America, as well as the internal financial operations of the MCHR
are documented.

William Oliver Papers

drice — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:24:13 -0400

In 1941, William Oliver became the first African-American to serve on the executive board of UAW Ford Local 400. Five years later he was co-director, with Walter Reuther, of the UAW Fair Practices and Anti-Discrimination Department, of which he became sole director after Reuther's death in 1970. Oliver's papers reflect his work under the auspices of the UAW Fair Practices Department as well as his involvement with the NAACP throughout the 1970s and 1980s as vice-president and president of the National Housing Corporation.

Carrie Burton Overton Papers

drice — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:06:08 -0500

Mrs. Overton served as a stenographer for the NAACP from 1924-28; executive secretary to Julian Rainey, head of the "Colored Division" of the National Democratic Committee for 1932, 1936 and 1940; and in secretarial positions with Howard University, Vanguard Press, and the Community Church of New York City. Her papers comprise correspondence, leaflets, reports, notes, and clippings, and cover black voters, employment in the federal government for blacks, activities of the NAACP, Democratic politics, and Mrs. Overton's early years in Wyoming. Correspondents include Mary Bethune, Gloster Current, James Parley, Harold Ickes, Mary White Ovington, Julian Rainey, Algernon Tassin, Lyman Ward, and Walter White.

Carrie Burton Overton Photographs

drice — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 15:52:28 -0400

Carrie Burton Overton was active in African-American educational, political, and arts organizations through much of the twentieth century. The collection includes a series of studio portraits dating from around the time of her marriage; portraits of family members and some other individuals; scenes at Howard University and the Tuskegee Institute; and several panoramic group pictures at alumni, political, and arts events.

Mary White Ovington Papers

drice — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:29:15 -0500

Mary White Ovington began her career as a social worker, devoting her efforts to the problems of African-Americans in New York and other cities. She helped found the National Association for Advancement of Colored People and remained an officer and prominent figure until her retirement in 1947. Her papers reflect her interest and involvement with the living conditions of the poor in New York City and African-Americans in the south in the early 1900s; the foundation and growth of the NAACP; the civil rights movement; and her family history.

Rosa Parks Papers

drice — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:39:46 -0500

Rosa Parks, often referred to as the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement, is most famous for her refusal to give up her bus seat to a white rider in segregated Montgomery, Alabama in December 1955. She was secretary of her local and state NAACP and was a member of Michigan Congressman John Conyers staff after her family moved to Detroit. Her papers reflect mainly her years in Detroit and her association with numerous church, community, and civil rights organizations.

Helen and Mardy Polaner Papers

abarker — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:06:21 -0400

Attorney Helen Moore Polaner was active in various civil liberties and labor organizations, including Americans for Democratic Action and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Ms. Polaner served as president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers from 1945-1950 and was the first female vice president of the Michigan Federation of Labor. Mardy Polaner served as a labor organizer for the American Federation of Labor (AFL), working with the Seafarers International Union (SIU) in the Great Lakes Region and the Hotel & Restaurant Employees Union in Ohio. The Helen and Mardy Polaner Collection documents their careers in the labor movement and their involvement in civil liberties issues in the Detroit area.

SEIU Executive Vice President's Office: Patricia Ford Records

aorchard — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 14:41:28 -0400

In 1973, Pat Ford, then a clerical worker at Alameda County Hospital, aided in the creation of Local 616 by affiliating the 4000-member association with SEIU. Ford held various leadership positions in Local 616, including president (the Local’s first African-American woman president), and Executive Director. In addition to Ford’s service to Local 616, in 1996 she was elected as SEIU Executive Vice President, and reelected in 2000. During her tenure with SEIU, Ford helped to found the Caucus of African Descent (AFRAM), lead SEIU’s government affairs program, and coordinated SEIU’s civil and human rights activism. A full biography on Patricia Ford, may be found in Ford’s oral history held at the Reuther Library.

The SEIU Executive Vice President’s Office: Patricia Ford Records contains digital transcripts of 25 speeches given by Patricia Ford during her tenure as SEIU Executive Vice President. The records particularly reveal Ford’s involvement with organizations such as CBTU, CLUW, and NAACP. Also included is one folder of photographs, primarily featuring Ford at various SEIU events.

Speech transcripts may be found here:
https://www.reuther.wayne.edu/search/node/pat+ford+speech+transcript

Book Announcement: The Color of Law

teller — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 18:45:25 -0400

Next month metropolitan Detroit authors and frequent Reuther Library researchers Steve Babson, Dave Riddle, and David Elsila are releasing their book The Color of Law: Ernie Goodman, Detroit, and the Struggle for Labor and Civil Rights, which uses information garnered from collections held at the Reuther.

We have many records and manuscript collections that reflect how the local government, legal system, and organizations have addressed the intersection of civil rights, race, and the law in metro Detroit. read more »

Collection Spotlight: Wade McCree's contribution to Detroit and the nation

ljones — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 09:37:16 -0500

The Walter P. Reuther Library continues to celebrate Black History Month by highlighting the life of Wade McCree and his papers.

In his work as a judge, appointed official, and educator coupled with his sense of civic responsibility, Wade Hampton McCree, Jr. made a unique contribution to the Detroit metropolitan area and beyond. His success in these areas are noteworthy by themselves, but even more so given the barriers to success experienced by African Americans read more »

NAACP Detroit Branch Records - An addition to a long history of fighting for civil rights and community improvement

srafferty — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 14:11:00 -0500

The Walter P. Reuther Library is happy to announce an addition to the NAACP Detroit Branch Records collection.

The Detroit Branch of the NAACP was established in 1912, making it one of the oldest branches in the country. Over the past century, this organization has worked to support and improve the lives of African Americans, particularly in areas of housing, employment, education, police-community relations, and voting. read more »

Subject Focus: NAACP

jruss — Thu, 05 May 2011 11:58:47 -0400

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was formed in early 1909. It held its first convention in May of that year. This May, 102 years later, we showcase collections related to the history of this vital civil rights organization.

The Reuther holds the papers of NAACP founding member Mary White Ovington. Her papers reflect the development of the organization and the civil rights movement generally. Also documenting the growth of the national organization are the papers of NAACP stenographer Carrie Burton Overton, civil rights leader Rosa Parks, and NAACP historian Charles F. Kellogg. read more »

(5906) Civil Rights, Demonstrations, "March to Freedom," Detroit, 1963

eclemens — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 10:15:20 -0400

Thousands rally against racial discrimination in downtown Detroit during the “Walk to Freedom” civil rights demonstration.

Demonstrators carry signs that read " Fight for Freedom -- Join the NAACP,' "Evers Died for You -- Join the NAACP for Him," "3rd Congressional District Democrats," and "The UAW Supports President Kennedy's Civil Rights Program."

(8787) NAACP, UAW, Ford Strike, Dearborn, 1941

eclemens — Wed, 11 May 2011 07:30:10 -0400

Men in the picket line outside of the Ford Rouge plant and police officers on horseback pause to listen to the broadcast from the NAACP Detroit Youth Council sound car during the 1941 Ford Strike, Dearborn, Michigan. It is assumed that Horace Sheffield is behind the wheel of the sound car.

(12363) Silent March on Washington, DC, 1989

scaloia — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 15:10:23 -0400

Participants dressed in early 1900s-era clothing during the NAACP’s Silent March on Washington, DC, August 26, 1989. AFSCME was among the many organizations which supported the march, a protest of Supreme Court decisions that had been made that year. The event was modeled after the NAACP’s 1917 silent march in New York City.

(12365) Silent March on Washington, DC, 1989

scaloia — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 14:46:08 -0400

A young participant leads a crowd during the Silent March on Washington, DC, August 26, 1989. The NAACP organized the event as a protest of Supreme Court decisions made that year. An estimated 500 AFSCME members participated.

(12366) Silent March on Washington, DC, 1989

scaloia — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 14:50:30 -0400

Participants walk with linked arms during the Silent March on Washington, DC, August 26, 1989. AFSCME was among the supporting organizations of the NAACP-led event, which was a protest of Supreme Court decisions made that year. Participants included Rev. Jesse Jackson.

(12367) AFSCME President McEntee at Silent March on Washington, DC, 1989

scaloia — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 14:56:53 -0400

AFSCME President Gerald McEntee (head turned toward camera) participates in the Silent March on Washington, D.C. August 26, 1989. Second from left is Richard Trumka. AFSCME was among the supporting organizations of the NAACP-led event, which was a protest of Supreme Court decisions made that year.

(12368) Silent March on Washington, DC and Rally, 1989

scaloia — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 15:01:51 -0400

AFSCME members participate in a rally held after the Silent March on Washington, DC. The NAACP-organized event was a protest of Supreme Court decisions made that year.

(12369) Silent March on Washington and Rally, 1989

scaloia — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 15:04:55 -0400

Participants, including AFSCME members, gather and hold signs at a rally held after the Silent March on Washington, DC. The NAACP-organized event was a protest of Supreme Court decisions made that year.

(12370) Rosa Parks, Silent March on Washington, DC, 1989

scaloia — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 15:07:50 -0400

Rosa Parks (second from right) stands on stage with other leaders during a rally following the Silent March on Washington, DC, August 26, 1989. AFSCME was among the supporting organizations of the NAACP-led event, which was a protest of Supreme Court decisions made that year.

(24850) NAACP, Demonstrations, State Captiol, Lansing