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owe e Se ee ery Ot et ee Te - NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR JUSTICE Co-Céairmen leanor Roosevelt ‘hanoing H. Tobias Treasurer shns Hammond Secreta ry “alter White Assistant Secretary " farian Wynn Perry Chairman Executive Commitize ‘chur B. Spingarn MEMBERS (Partial List) wer N. Baldwin » McLeod Bethune arkes G. Bolte i ane! Evans F, Carlson ' Man Kaight Chalmers ay Crug oH AW. Davenporr ewidson » Witliam L. Dawson Olen Saban Douydas wo bdunee ort Ly. Einsteia Jal! Fidd *. Fureman eT. Grinam a 2b. Green “A waamn WH. Masne i disse. rope Te Fuliman hohe Tlines Flolaes + MM. Hutwhins ‘TR, Yokes “OW. Jemison lie HL. LaGuardia Chailes M. LaFoliette : Herbert H, Lehman i. Lewis 2 buee Marshall onc L. Morale s Muti ' Aavnes Muorse ef Poles po Bead * William Scarlett OW Selznick | Bernard J. Sheil «TL Stanley i Straus « Bavand Swope “phen &, Wise IN COLUMBIA, TENNESSEE 20 WEST 40ch STREET New York 18, N. Y. LONGACRE 3-6890 May 29, 1946 Dear Friend; Thirty-one Negro citizens of Columbia, Tennessce ere under arrest, charged with crimes ranging from attempted murder in the first degree to carrying concealed weapons. Two other Negro prisoners huve bcoen killed, shot down in the Columbia jail by officers of the law. These wen, more than half of their number recently discharged servicemen, have been the innocent victims of race hatred end violence. The events which took place in Columbia on February 25th and 26th rose cut of a dispute between a white shopkeeper and a Negro customer. They Culminated in lynch threets, an armed invasion of the Negro district, wanton destruction of Negro property and wholesale arrests and beatings of Negro citizens. The enclosed pamphlet, “Terror in Tennessee," adequately describes this series of outrages, Our Committee was formed to provide every possible safeguard to those Negroes unjustly charged with crimes and to assure them the jus- tice denied tnom by sworn officers of the law in Tennessee. Ws shell work with the legal steff of the National Association for the Advance- went of Colored People in providing adequete 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 as it lies within our power, to provide reparations 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 rece hatred at Columbia 50 that Americans may take + et a t moanoureaa tA ene ret ta repe anode lad Sok Nate td Nok LY deal — ethene agains own communities. Please help us to win these objectives through your genzrous con- tribution. Every dollar you give will help to assure simple justice to humble wen wnao today stand charged with crime while the real criminals are free. We want an America where every man, Negro or white, may stand on the sama footing before the law. Help us to achieve that. Sincerely yours, oe 4 tiie P.S. This Committee represents a joint ettori/n the part of all organi- zations and individuals working to secure justice for tho defcndants in Columbia. If you have received and responded to a previous rppesl in ean 4 mlaasea an thin latte nad connection with thia case, pisass pass this latter on to a fricnd. 6 2-8/2 72-/