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Consultative Conference on Desegregation, records

 Collection
Identifier: I-516

Scope and Content Note

This collection contains records of the Consultative Conference on Desegregation from 1956 to 1960; the materials are divided into folders according to the conference's committees to which they pertain. The represented committees are: Committee on Local Community Organizations, Committee on Social Agencies, Executive Committee, Fact-Finding Committee, Liaison Committee, Mass Media Committee, and the Treasurer. These folders contain information related to the conference's founding, organization, and participating agencies; correspondence; meeting minutes; and memoranda. The final folder contains information regarding a negative editorial published about the conference in The Richmond News Leader as well as correspondence discussing the proper reaction to the article. A copy of the editorial is included.

The 1956 correspondence of William Karp, executive director of the Bureau on Jewish Employment Problems, was removed from this collection and added to I-303, Records of the Bureau on Jewish Employment Problems. The correspondence includes letters concerning the bureau's 501(c)(3) status; letters about the President's Committee on Government Contracts regarding their slow action on discrimination complaints, including a letter to Richard Nixon, chairman of the committee; the bureau's plans for processing complaints; and a list of complaints filed.

Minutes from meetings of the General Jewish Council in 1941 and 1942 were removed from this collection and placed in Box 1, Folder Minutes-1941-42 of I-170.

Items relating to the General Jewish Council's 1941 Seminar on Civic Protective Activities were removed from this collection and placed in Box 2, Folder Seminar on Civic Protective Activities (October 19-21, 1941) of I-170.

Correspondence of the General Jewish Council was removed from this collection and placed in Boxes 2-4 of I-170.

Dates

  • Creation: 1956-1960

Creator

Language of Materials

The collection is in English.

Access Restrictions

The collection is open to all researchers by permission of the Director of Library and Archives of the American Jewish Historical Society, except items that are restricted due to their fragility.

Use Restrictions

Information concerning the literary rights may be obtained from the Director of Library and Archives of the American Jewish Historical Society. Users must apply in writing for permission to quote, reproduce or otherwise publish manuscript materials found in this collection. For more information contact:

American Jewish Historical Society, Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY, 10011

email: reference@ajhs.org

Historical Note

The Consultative Conference on Desegregation was founded in 1956 with the purpose of facilitating "cooperation among the participating organizations in relation to problems of desegregation."1 The conference did not participate in political actions itself, instead functioning as an organization through which participating agencies could reach out to each other. The conference also facilitated the issuance of joint statements by participating agencies wishing to sign on to such statements. Any organization that was interested in furthering the cause of desegregation was able to voluntarily join the conference. At the time of its founding, the conference had the following committees: Committee on Community Organization, Committee on Mass Media, Committee on Community Chests, Committee on Investigation, Committee on Liaison, Committee on Relief and Relocation, Committee on Interreligious Activities, and Committee on Structure.

The following organizations participated in the Consultative Conference on Desegregation: American Baptist Convention, American Civil Liberties Union, Americans for Democratic Action, American Friends Service Committee, American Jewish Committee, American Jewish Congress, Anti-Defamation League, Catholic Committee of the South, Catholic Interracial Council, Congregational Christian Churches, Disciples of Christ Department of Social Welfare, Evangelical and Reformed Church, Jewish Labor Committee, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Community Relations Advisory Council, National Conference of Christians and Jews, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, National Council of Jewish Women, National Council of Negro Women, National Council of the Protestant Episcopal Church, National Sharecroppers Fund, National Social Welfare Assembly, National Urban League, Presbyterian Church in the USA, Southern Regional Council, Southern Leadership Conference, Synagogue Council of America, Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Unitarian Service Committee, United Automobile Workers of America, United Church Women, United Steelworkers of America, Women's Division of Christian Service of the Methodist Church, Young Women's Christian Association.2

Footnotes

1 Constitution, Consultative Conference on Desegregation records, I-516, Box 1, Folder 1, Collection of the American Jewish Historical Society, Boston, MA, and New York, NY.

2 Organizations Participating in the Consultative Conference on Desegregation, December 23, 1958, Consultative Conference on Desegregation records, I-516, Box 1, Folder 3, Collection of the American Jewish Historical Society, Boston, MA, and New York, NY.

Extent

.25 Linear Feet (1 half manuscript box)

Abstract

This collection contains records of the Consultative Conference on Desegregation from 1956 to 1960; the materials are divided into folders according to the conference’s committees to which they pertain. The represented committees are: Committee on Local Community Organizations, Committee on Social Agencies, Executive Committee, Fact-Finding Committee, Liaison Committee, Mass Media Committee, and the Treasurer.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into a single series.

Acquisition Information

Donated by the American Jewish Historical Society, Boston in 2011.

Title
Guide to the Records of Consultative Conference on Desegregation, 1956-1960   *I-516
Status
Completed
Author
Processed by Sarah Glover
Date
© 2011
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Description is in English.

Repository Details

Part of the American Jewish Historical Society Repository

Contact:
15 West 16th Street
New York NY 10011 United States