Guide to the Civil Rights in Brooklyn Collection, 1961 - 2005 Brooklyn Public Library Grand Army Plaza Brooklyn, NY 11238 Contact: Brooklyn Collection Phone: 718.230.2762 Fax: 718.857.2245 Email: [email protected] www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org Copyright © 2012 Brooklyn Public Library. All rights reserved.

Descriptive Summary Creator: Title: Date Span: Abstract:

Various Civil Rights in Brooklyn Collection 1961-2005 (bulk 1960s) The collection consists of four series: Series I: Congress of Racial Equality (C.O.R.E.) Documents Series II: FOCUS - A newsletter and other materials relating to an integrated, but predominantly white Civil Rights group based in the shorefront area of Brooklyn. Series III: Various books, pamphlets, articles and items on Civil Rights issues compiled by the donor Series IV: Black News Quantity: 11 Boxes Location: Brooklyn Collection, Map Room, Shelves 1.5 – 1.7 Repository: Brooklyn Public Library – Brooklyn Collection Reference Code: BC0023

Biographical History In the early 1960s, the Civil Rights movement moved up north. Inspired by the Freedom Fighters in the South, a small group of intrepid people led by Doctor Robert Palmer decided to do something about the appalling conditions in the Bedford-Stuyvesant ghetto: crumbling and ratinfested housing; inadequate garbage collection, inferior schools, and very high unemployment. Thus was born Brooklyn CORE (The Congress of Racial Equality). During the early 1960s, the Brooklyn Chapter of CORE was one of the most dynamic civil rights organizations in New York City. From 1960-64, members of Brooklyn CORE led local demonstrations to desegregate apartments, integrate public schools, create jobs, and improve sanitation services to BedfordStuyvesant.

FOCUS (Freedom Organizations Coordinated for Unity in Shorefront) was another group that made significant contributions to the Civil Rights movement. Working out of the Sheepshead BayShorefront area, the group was instrumental in suspending the licenses of several real estate brokers who discriminated in selling and renting houses and apartments. They also took direct action against violators of public accommodations such as the American Legion and Cabana Clubs. Operation Open City was active in obtaining housing for minority families who had been discriminated against. Between them, these organizations were successful in making new areas of Brooklyn available to minorities. Rioghan Kirchner, compiler and donor of the collection, was personally involved in many CORE actions, and served as Chair of the Focus Housing Committee, where she organized black and white couples to test landlords for housing discrimination.

Scope and Content The collection contains both original materials documenting the work of CORE, FOCUS and other Brooklyn groups during the 1960s, and secondary materials, especially newspaper and magazine articles from the 1960s-1980s, that refer to ongoing civil rights struggles on the national stage. Series I covers CORE actions against employment discrimination, housing and school discrimination in Brooklyn, as well as the organization’s participation in the March on Washington in 1963. It includes legal cases and photographs of actions and individual activists. Series II contains FOCUS newsletters and other materials relating to housing discrimination. Series III is a compilation of books, articles, typescripts and ephemera on various aspects of the Civil Rights movement. Series IV consists of a run of the newsletter Black News (124 volumes from October 1969 to March 1984). These volumes contain articles by and about: Amiri Baraka (Leroi Jones), Betty Shabbazz, Jitu Weusi, Julius Nyerere, Stokely Carmichael, Angela David, Malcolm X, Idi Amin, Joanne Little, Elijah Muhammad, Rap Brown, James Meredith, Bob Marley, Charlayne Hunter and many others.

Restrictions Access Restrictions Collection is located in the Brooklyn Collection at the Central Branch at Grand Army Plaza. The collection may only be used in the library and is not available through interlibrary loan. Requests to view the collection must be made at least 48 hours in advance of visit. Use Restrictions While many items in the Brooklyn Collection are unrestricted, we do not own reproduction rights to all materials. Be aware of the several kinds of rights that might apply: copyright, licensing and trademarks. The borrower assumes all responsibility for copyright questions.

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Access Points Subject Topics: Civil rights movements--New York (State)—New York Race relations—New York (State)—New York Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)—history

Related Materials Available at the Brooklyn Collection: Civil Rights in Brooklyn Oral History Tapes. Interviews conducted by Brian Purnell of activists in the Brooklyn Civil Rights Movement. Interview subjects: Bob law, Edith Diamond, Maxine Craig (daughter of Oliver and Marjorie Leeds), Lacqueline Lee Young, Paul and Rita Heiegg, Dr Douglas Bibuld, Riohan Kirchner, Elaine Bibuld, Frances Phipps, Mary Ellen Phipps Kirton, Jerome Bibuld, Edith lewinson, Gilbert Banks, Sunny Carson, Msemaji Weusi and Nandi Weusi.. Location: MR Shelf 1.5

Black News Table of Contents

A listing of articles in each issue of Black News, by date. Brian Purnell. A movement grows in Brooklyn: the Brooklyn chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the northern civil rights movement during the early 1960’s. Ann Arbor, MI: UMI 2006 August Meier and Elliott Rudwick. CORE: a study in the civil rights movement, 1942-1968. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1975

Administrative Information Provenance The Civil Rights in Brooklyn Collection was donated to the Brooklyn Public Library by Rioghan Kirchner in 2003-2005. Preferred Citation This collection should be cited as the Civil Rights in Brooklyn Collection, Brooklyn Collection, Brooklyn Public Library.

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Arrangement

Series I: Congress of Racial Equality (C.O.R.E.) Documents Series II: FOCUS - A newsletter and other materials relating to an integrated, but predominantly white Civil Rights group based in the shorefront area of Brooklyn. Series III: Various books, pamphlets, articles and items on Civil Rights issues compiled by the donor Series IV: Black News Folder List Series I: Congress of Racial Equality (C.O.R.E.) Documents Box 1: Location MR Shelf 1.5 1.1 Fast for Freedom – August 1961. Includes press articles and photograph of James Peck, injured Freedom Rider 1.2 Employment Discrimination– Downstate medical Center – 1963 1.3 Employment Discrimination. Downstate Medical Center 1.4 Employment Discrimination- Broadway- Sealtest- Ebinger’s –White Castle –Sheffield Farms – Wolfie’s Restaurant. 1.5 Employment Discrimination – Ebinger’s Bakery – Photographs 1.6 Operation Clean Sweep - 1962 1.7 CORE pickets Whitehouse – Federal Intervention in Georgia 1.8 School Discrimination- Bibuld Case. 1963-64 (1) 1.9 School Discrimination- Bibuld Case (2) 1.10 CORE - Route 40 1961-63 1.11 CORE - March on Washington 1963 1.12 Civil Rights misc 1.13 Howard Beach 1986 1.14 A Day of Outrage 1987 Box 2: Location MR Shelf 1.5 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9

CORE Housing Discrimination (1) 1961-64 First sit in, IRA Management; Safrin & Safrin; Ginsberg vs. Ryan; Diamond-Greaves; Christie-Jacobovitz; Lawson vs. Nieman; Cole vs Vanderveer Estate CORE Housing Discrimination (2); The Whitings vs Molo Const etc; State and Federal Funds for Discrimination?; Lefrak; photograph of Rose Beverley & friend in her new apartment. CORE Housing Discrimination (3) Weiner-McGuire; White Bros vs Cohn & Kahn Housing discrimination—miscellaneous newspaper articles, 1963-1987 Housing Discrimination. Real Estate Brokers. Focus Housing Discrimination. Real Estate Brokers. Focus Housing Discrimination. Henderson vs Wurman; White Brothers. Housing Discrimination. Johnson-Ganz. Housing Discrimination. Braithwaite vs Vitucci & Cam Construction. (Includes original documents and photographs of Braithwaite family)

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2.10 2.11 2.12

CORE Community Organizing. Rent Strikes 1963-64. (Includes two photographs of protest against police brutality.) Operation Open City Brooklyn Ministers’ Coalition

Box 3: Location MR Shelf 1.5 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8.1 3.8.2 3.9 3.10 3.11

Operation Clean Sweep “Taxation without Sanitation.” 18 photographs numbered 3.1.1 to 3.1.18 Fast for Freedom. 1 photograph numbered 3.2.1 Stall-in at the World’s Fair 1964 School Integration – Bussing – Boycots, Etc. 1964-1969 Federal Intervention in Georgia 1962—CORE. 3 photographs , numbered 3.5.1, 3.5.1 (copy 2), 3.5.2 Brooklyn CORE Organization St. John’s Episcopal hospital / Urban League 1962 People of Brooklyn CORE; Oliver Leeds, Arnold Goldwag, Major Owens, Elaine Bibuld, Prof Edward Lewinson People of Brooklyn CORE; Dr Barbara Wallace, Rioghan Kirchner, Marjory Leeds James Farmer Sit-in photographs—Molo Construction. 6 photographs numbered 3.10.1 to 3.10.6 Board of Education—CORE (16 photographs numbered 3.11.1 to 3.11.14 with 2 copies

Series II: FOCUS Box 4: Location: MR Shelf 1.5 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.10 4.11 4.12

FOCUS Newsletter Vol 1 No 1 -Vol 1 No 3, 1964 FOCUS Newsletter Vol 2 No 1- Vol 2 No 5, 1965 FOCUS Newsletter Vol 2 No 6 –Vol 2 No 9, 1965 FOCUS Newsletter Vol 3 No 1- Vol 3 No 3, 1966 FOCUS Newsletter Feb 1967 In Memoriam Dorothy Fulmer FOCUS—Letter from Ira Gruber, Sheepshead Bay student, in Mississippi FOCUS—Public Accommodations FOCUS—Misc articles 1964-1967 Cartoons from FOCUS newsletters (3 original on tissue paper) Low-income housing on Emmons Ave—opposition by whites Copsic—Committee on Preservation of a Self-Integrated Community Tester’s Handbook. FOCUS Housing Committee. Rioghan Kirchner Chairman

Series III: Various books, pamphlets, articles and items Box 5: (flat) Location MR Shelf 1.6 5.1 5.2

Life magazine September 6, 1963. Coverage of March on Washington with color and b & w photos Press articles on March on Washington: NY Amsterdam News Sept 7, 1963; Murray Kempton in the New Republic, Sept 14, 1963;

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5.3 5.4 5.5.1

5.5.2

The Nation, Sept 14, 1963; Time Sept 6, 1963; NY Post Apr 6, 1968. U.S. News and World Report Sept 9, 1963; Newsweek Sept 2, 1963; Ebony November 1963; New York Times Magazine, Aug 25, 1963 “Preparing the March on Washington…”; Leaflet, The Issue is Silence, text of address by Joachim Prinz, President of the American Jewish Congress, at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Lincoln Memorial, Aug. 28, 1963 Typescript, Why Not Next Door? A number of human interest stories on the subject of discrimination, by Rioghan M. Kirchner. Facsimile edition, New York Times Thurs Aug 29, 1963 “200,000 march for civil rights…” Miscellaneous newspaper and magazine articles: New York Post May 19, 1963. Martin Luther King, “A letter from Birmingham Jail” Source unknown, possibly Life Magazine, June 1963, “Five Days in Mississippi.” Life Magazine Apr 23, 1965. “Hooded horsemen gallop out of the past in a sudden revival of the KKK.” Muhammad Speaks Aug 2, 1963. “Fortitude of 4,000.” Source unknown, possibly Life magazine n.d. “Crusade in Mississippi.” New York Times Magazine Aug 11, 1963. “Once more—the KKK.” Saturday Evening Post Sept 1962. “The Mississippi Story.” Source unknown, n.d. Harry S. Ashmore, “The coming showdown in the race crisis.” Time magazine, Sept 27, 1963, from cover with portrait of Governor Wallace of Alabama. Source unknown, n.d. “Selma: Hora Historica para la Libertad.” NY Amsterdam News, Apr 13, 1968 “I have a dream” speech, reactions to slaying of MLK Source unknown, n.d. 6 portraits of African-Americans Source unknown, possibly New York Times, n.d. “CORE will defy Negro university,” and 2 other short articles New York Times, July 3, 2005. “Some Blacks in Howard Beach see acceptance, within limits.” Leaflet, William Moses Kunstler Racial Justice Awards. Notice (original) “These housing accommodations are the subject of a complaint before the City Commission on Human Rights…” Further newspaper and magazine articles re murder of Medgar Evers, KKK etc. Evers, Myrlie. “He said he wouldn’t mind dying—if…” No source, n.d. “In memoriam Medgar Evers” no source, n.d. Bennett Jr., Lerone “SNCC: Rebels with a cause.” No source, n.d. “School plan hit by Oklahoma City” New York Times? N.d. Full text: Dr. M.L. King’s Historic Nobel Prize speech…” N.Y. AmsterdamNews, Dec 12, 1964 James L. Hicks, Freedom’s fraternity. No source, dated in red pencil Jul7 27, 1963 “Clay draft trial opens in Houston.” New York Times, Jun 20, 1967 “The two faces of Sherriff Rainey.” New York Times Magazine Feb 21, 1965 “White hate groups.” No source, n.d. Fairlie, Henry. “An Englishman goes to a Klan meeting.” New York Times Magazine,

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5.6 5.7 5.8

May 23, 1965 Newsweek cover, “Bombing in Birmingham,” Sept 30, 1963. “Civil Rights.” Time Sept 27, 1963 “ Bad medicine for the Klan. North Carolina Indians break up Ku-Kluxers antiIndian meeting.” No source, n.d. “White cleric, battered in Selma, feared near death.” No source, Mar 11 1965 “Historic turning point for the Negro’s cause.” Life magazine Mar 26, 1965 “Civil rights face-off at Selma. The savage season begins. Life Magazine Mar 19, 1965 “Not token freedom, real freedom.” New York Times Magazine June 9, 1963 Barry, Joseph. “On going to jail.” Reprint from New York Post, Sept 20, 1961. New York: CORE, n.d. Brown vs State of Louisiana (photocopies.) Several photocopied articles and printouts of two articles on CORE “La Revolte de Los Angeles.” Paris Match, 28 Aout, 1965 “A Mailman’s last delivery.” Special CORElator supplement in commemoration of William Moore. “Birmingham’s shame…the many guilty” No source, Sept 1963 Original poster, “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom August 28, 1963. “We Shall Overcome.” Signed lo Monaco. Two copies. Sheepshead Bay. A Pictorial Tour, compiled by Focus. R.M. Kirchner, Housing Chairman. 6 mounted photographs 13.5” x 9” with handwritten captions describing conditions. Police Brutality. Clippings on police brutality, 2 photographs (numbered 5.8.1 and 5.8.2) of a 1999 protest rally, a 1964 City of New York memo, recounting an incident of police brutality.

Box 6: Location MR Shelf 1.6 6.1

A collection of books and pamphlets relating to the Civil Rights Movement. A Political Biography of Angela Davis. New York: Committee to Free Angel Davis n.d. 9pp. Brown, Robert McAfee and Randall, Frank. The Freedom Riders. A Clergyman’s view, a historian’s view. New York: CORE n.d. Unpaginated, 6 leaves Calendar of Coercion New York: CORE n.d. unpaginated, 6 leaves Carawan, Guy and Carawan, Candie (compilers). Songs of the Southern Freedom Movement. We Shall Overcome. New York: Oak Publications, 1963. 112pp Chasan, Dan. All about CORE. New York: CORE n.d. Unpaginated, 10 leaves Civil Rights and Civil Wrongs. Hollywood, CA; Front Page Publications, 1964. 98pp CORE rules for action (foldout leaflet). New York: CORE n.d. Farmer, James. Louisiana Story 1963. New York: CORE 1963. Unpaginated, 6 leaves. Fortas, Abe. Concerning dissent and civil disobedience. New York: Signet, 1968 128pp Free at last. A history of the Civil Rights Movement and those who died in the struggle. Montgomery, AL: Southern Poverty Law Center n.d.104pp Freedomways. A quarterly review of the negro freedom movement. Summer 1962. New York: Freedomways Associates. Pp 229-350.. Cover detached. Gaither, Thomas, Jailed-in. New York: CORE, 1961. Unpaginated, 8 leaves. Haas, Ben. Troubled Summer. New York: Grosset and Dunlap, 1966, 155pp

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6.2 6.3 6.4.1 6.4.2 6.4.3 6.5

Hansberry, Lorraine. The Movement. Documentary of a struggle for equality. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1964 127pp. Johns, Major and Moore, Ronnie. It happened in Baton Rouge. A real life drama of our Deep South today. New York: CORE, 1962 Unpaginated, 6 leaves (2 copies) Justice? New York: CORE n.d. 33pp pamphlet Peck, Jim. Cracking the Color Line. Non-violent direct action methods of eliminating racial discrimination. New York: CORE, n.d. 32pp Rights and Reviews Winter 1966/7. Black Power Issue. New York: CORE 1966. 46pp Sit-In Songs. New York: CORE, 1962. 19pp This is CORE (foldout leaflet). New York: CORE n.d. U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Civil Rights under federal programs. An analysis of Title VI. Washington D.C.: The Commission, 1965. 15pp X, Malcolm. Malcolm X speaks. New York: Grove Press1982. 226pp, lacks rear cover. 4 pieces of artwork 9” x 10.5” by lomonaco, mounted on board Bibuld family photographs numbered 2 through 8. (Photograph no. 1 missing, 1/5/2012) with captions printed on 2 separate sheets. Photocopied compilations of poems. Poems of Protest (photocopies.) various authors, various dates. Photocopied compilation of poems. Illustration sources for poems of protest Untitled, image of chained slave on cover of 4-fold binder Ephemera Two blue cotton hats inscribed “C.O.R.E. Freedom Now! Congress of Racial Equality.” One paper armband inscribed “Birmingham Children.” One photocopied greeting card with image of Birmingham children 6 original pins Various flyers, leaflets and photocopies.

Series IV: Black News Arranged chronologically in 5 boxes numbered 7 to 12, location MR Shelves 1.5 and 1.7 124 volumes from October 1969 to March 1984. See Black News Table of Contents for a detailed listing of articles by issue. Box 7: Location MR 1.5 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5

Black News Covers Black News Vol. 1, No. 1 – 10, October 1969 – March 7, 1970 Black News Vol. 1, No. 11 – 20, March 21, 1970 – September 5, 1970 Black News Vol. 1, No. 21 – 25, September 26, 1970 – December 10, 1970 Black News Vol. 1, No. 26 – 30, December 27, 1970 – March 28, 1971

Box 8: Location MR 1.7 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5

Black News Vol. 1, No. 31 – 35, May 7, 1971 – October 22, 1971 Black News Vol. 1, No. 36 – 40, December 1971 – May 1972 Black News Vol. 1, No. 41 – 43, July 1972 – October 1972 Black News Vol. 1, No. 44 – 46, November 1, 1972 – March 15, 1973 Black News Vol. 2, No. 1 – 2, April 1, 1973 – April 15, 1973

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Box 9: Location MR 1.7 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6

Black News Vol. 2, No. 3 – 5, May 1, 1973 – June 30, 1973 Black News Vol. 2, No. 6 – 8, July 1973 – September 1973 Black News Vol. 2, No. 9 – 11, October 1, 1973 – December 7, 1973 Black News Vol. 2, No. 12 – 14, December 26, 1973 – February 1974 Black News Vol. 2, No. 15 – 17, March 1974 – May 1974 Black News Vol. 2, No. 18 – 20A, July 1974 – September 1974

Box 10: Location MR 1.7 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5

Black News Vol. 2, No. 21 – 25A, October 30, 1974 – April 1975 Black News Vol. 3, No. 1 – 3, May 31, 1975 – September 1975 Black News Vol. 3, No. 4 – 10, October/November 1975 – June 1976 Black News Vol. 3, No. 11 – 19, July 1976 – September 1977 Black News Vol. 3, No. 20 – 25, October, 1977 – September 1978

Box 11: Location MR 1.7 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6

Black News Vol. 4, No. 1 – 9, October 1978 – September 1979 Black News Vol. 4, No. 10 – 16, November 1979 – January/February 1981 Black News Vol. 4, No. 17 – 21, c. March 1981 – May 1982 Black News Vol. 4, No. 22 – 23, August/September 1982 – November/December 1982 Black News Vol. 4, No. 24 – 25, May/June 1983 – c. August 1983 Black News Vol. 5, No. 1 – 2, c. November 1983 – February/March 1984

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