Archdiocese of Detroit

Mike Hamlin and Joann Castle Papers

drice — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 15:59:07 -0400

Michael Charles Hamlin was born Oct 17, 1935. He graduated from Ecorse High School and attended the University of Michigan on a scholarship. He enlisted in the Marines, working as a firearms instructor until he was discharged in 1960. He worked as a delivery truck driver for the Detroit News, where he met Kenneth Cockrel and John Watson. He later worked for Wayne State University’s newspaper, “South End.” Mike Hamlin was active in political groups such as the Black Workers Conference. He was a founding member of the League of Revolutionary Black Workers and served as an officer. He also organized the black radical newspaper, “Inner City Voice.”

Joann Carole Castle was born May 30, 1937. In 1957 she married Donald J. Castle, Chairman of the Catholic lay organization Hourglass, with whom she had six children. After their marriage ended in the early 1970s she began attending Wayne State University. Both Hamlin and Castle were active in the Motor City Labor League (MCLL). Hamlin was a founder of the organization and Castle worked for a period as a coordinator. Both attended meetings of the Control-Conflict-Change group of the Ad Hoc Action Group of Concern Citizens.

The papers consist of records from Mike Hamlin and Joann Castle’s involvement in MCLL, largely through the Red Squad files of police surveillance that documented meetings, personal actions and information. The collection also includes articles, clippings and correspondence from the controversy over the Archdiocese Opportunity Program to aid the impoverished in Detroit and the Hourglass group involvement to support self-determination of African Americans in the late 1960s. Joann’s thesis on the Community Health Associations is also included.

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.

(DN_17101) UAW Public Review Board, Reuther, Adler, McRae, Oxnam, 1957

eclemens — Thu, 17 Mar 2016 13:07:26 -0400

Walter Reuther meets with the newly established UAW Public Review Board.

Shown: Bishop Oxnam, Msgr. Higgens, Judge McRae, Rabbi Adler, and Dr. White and Walter Reuther.