From Glenn E. Smiley
Author: Smiley, Glenn E. (Fellowship of Reconciliation)
Date: November 20, 1956
Location: New York, N.Y.
Genre: Letter
Topic: Montgomery Bus Boycott
Details
FOR's field secretary asks for details regarding his participation in the MIA's Institute on Nonviolence and Social Change, where Smiley served as forum moderator and lecturer. He also informs King of FOR's plans to produce a comic book about the bus boycott; the resulting publication, which appeared in late 1957, was Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story.
Martin Luther King
309 S. Jackson
Montgomery, Ala.
Dear Martin:
I am anxiously looking forward to the December 4-7 dates and know that it will be a significant event. Could I have more particulars about the sort of meetings contemplated, as far as my own participation is concerned? Are you going to show the “Walk to Freedom” film again during this celebration? You have your own copy, don’t you?
I mentioned to your secretary over the telephone that I am available to come down if at this time you wanted to push the matter of riding the buses, and needed some white participation. Since I have not heard from you, I judge that you are waiting on this particular matter. I would be in Michigan Nov. 26-29 and after that time would be available to come down and help if you thought that you needed me. Naturally, I would come at F.O.R. expense completely.
The Fund for the Republic is now actively interested in helping us to publish the Story of Montgomery in comic book form, about which I had talked to you at one time. As I said before, as soon as we have anything definite to submit to you, we will do so for your approval and suggestions. We plan to publish a quarter of a million copies and they would sell for 10¢ each, but groups could buy them for considerably less than this and in this way could make a substantial profit for their own cause. I would assume that many Negro churches in the south, and all NAACP groups, protest movements, etc., would be anxious to promote such a deal because it will have two or three pages of explanation of the nonviolent techqnique and movement. We shall keep you informed about this.
Our best regards and prayers for the success of the movement.
Sincerely,
[signed] Glenn
Glenn E. Smiley
GES/hs
Source: MLKP-MBU, Martin Luther King, Jr., Papers, 1954-1968, Boston University, Boston, Mass.