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Asthtant Secretary Marian Wynn Perry Chairmen Executive Commitice Arthur B. Spingarn MEMBERS {Partial List } Rogrr N. Baldwin Mary McLeod Bethune Charles G. Bolte Colone! Evans F. Carlson Rev. Allan Knight Chatmers Barley Crum Russell W. Davenport Jo Davidson Rion, Wilham L. Dawson fon. Helen Gahagan Douglas Roscoe Dunjec A’bert L. Einstein Marshall Field “Clark Foreman Frank P. Graham William L. Green Hon, William H. Harte Helen Hayes Dir. Georee E. Havnes Sidac. Hillman Rev. John Haynes Holmes Robert M. Hutchins Harold L. Ickes Dr. D. V. Jemison Fiorello H. LaGuardia Hon. Charles M. LaFollette Hon, Herbert H. Lehman Ira F. Lewis Henry R. Luce George Marshall Hus. Warne L. Morse Cari Murphy Phoip Murray james G. Patton, Clarence E Pickett A Philp Randolph ' Pitan Ween Scartere Herbert Bayard Swope Dr. Stephen $. Wise ——— @ © IN | COLUMBIA, | LEINNESSEE_ 20 WEST 40th STREET New York 18, N. ¥. Way 29, 1946 | | Thirty-one Negro citizens of Colurtis, Tennessee are under arrest, charged with crimes ranging from etterpted murder in the first degres to carrying conceeled weapens. Two other Negro prisoners have been killed, shot down in the Columbia jail by officers of the law. These men, more than half of their number recently diecherged servicemen, have been the innocent victims of race hetred and violence. The events which took place in Columbia on February 25th and 26th rose out of a dispute betreen a white shopkeeper and a Negro customer. They culmineted in lynch threets, an armed invesion of the Negro district, wanton destruction of Negro property and wholesele arrests end beatings of Negro citizens. The enclosed pamphlet, "Terror in Tennessee," adequately describes this series of outrages. Our Committee was formed to provide every possible safeguerd to those Negroes unjustly charged with crines and to assure them the jus- tice denjed thex by sworn officers of the law in Tennessea. We shall work with the legal staff of the Netional Association for the Advance- went of Colored People in providing adequate legal defense to the vic- tims, We will work to assure that those responsible for this bloodshed and mockery of the lew be tried for the real crimes committed. We shall attempt, so far es it lies within our power, to provide reparatiors for the damage occasioned Negro businessmen end householders by brutal mob action. Finally and above ali, we will tell the people this story of injustice and race hstred at Columbia so that Americans may take Measures to guard against a repetition of this tragic situation in thsir own commmities. * _ Please help us to win these objectives through your generous cor - tribution. Every dollar you give will help to assure simple justice to humble men who today stand charged with crize while the real criminels. Fe want an America where every man, Negro or white, may stand Help "e achieve thet ere free oe a on the sane footing before the law. Sincerely youre, =! eee rf . 7 23% Meron Astin LN guile vp TE P.S, This Comm’ttee represents & joint effort/én the part of ell corc-int gations and individuals working to ascurs justices far the defendants <5 Columbia. If you have received and responded to 4 Previous appeal i. 4 connection with this-tase, pleceso pass this letter on to & friend, ya 4ff-136b-99