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Hib RS ae: i? : — “HIGHLANDER FOLK _. ES: MONTEAGLE, TENN Fewer be 8 do 8 eee ey ows . oN ey 1951 “(~ of ype x REE D Ze Honorable J, Howard MeG , United States Attorney Gena Washington, D. C, Dear Mr. McGrath: =e N \ in cInTERA Ade + CIVIL RIGHTS BEC, .,” Miss Lucy Randolph: Mason, Southe m or RR Relations . Representative, has suggested that I ask your advice about a problem growing out of the attendance of Ne gree s at the Highlander Folk School, Because of your ovm personal feeling in regard to discrimination, Miss Mason felt that you would understand the problem here and be in a position to give advice. The Highlander Folk School endeavors to put racial democ— racy into practice; consequently we can expect a measure of opposi- tion. We hardly expected, however, to have Negro students sede the subject of investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On October lith I wrote Senator Estes Kefeuver that FBI agents were asking our neighbors about the attencance of Negroes and implying that our nene_diseriminsntion rnolicy ves commmistic end animo ral Baio OUP TCT KGLe CPL iui Ee ee TI eed bk ed Cod ee ee | Tris line of questioning has created confusion in the minds of our reighbors regarding the rights of Negroes to be at the School, Gn Dece: sabe x loth I raised this question with Mr. Hugh H, Clece, Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Inwstigation, and quoted one of the FBI agents who had told me that he thought our enclosed rews release condemning discriminztion would be. con-= sidered co:munistic by a majority of Southern people, The apparent confusion of racial democracy with communism by the FBI agents and the implication of this kind of thinking alarmed the Highlander Executive Council members wio met January 22 and 23. gy \ he Sei arg a a RECORDED - 24 C /58 FFE Ste piney 4 ! WES Kz 4 ALL ata CONTAINED ~~ *