Stanford
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute

From Lawrence Dunbar Reddick

Author: Reddick, Lawrence Dunbar (Coppin State Teachers College)

Date: September 15, 1961

Location: Baltimore, Md.

Genre: Letter

Details

In preparation for the 27–29 September 1961 SCLC convention in Nashville, Reddick advises the SCLC board and executive committee to establish concrete plans as “many thoughtful persons are wondering why it is taking us so long to build a mass movement in the South.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Reverend Wyatt Tee Walker
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
208 Auburn Avenue, N.E.
Atlanta 3, Georgia

Dear Martin and Wyatt,

I had hoped to have a final huddle with you gentlemen before I left Atlanta but the packing up kept me busy and you two were very much on the move.1

Let me say in passing, that Ruth and I are well settled here in circumstances about as comfortable as Atlanta.2 We like it fine.

I will be down for our three-day convention in Nashville and wish to raise two questions in that connection. First, I am quite glad that we have such a good line­up for our public program—Belafonte, Jim Lawson and Jim Farmer, etc.3 I hope, though, that we will not have those long-drawn-out “country” meetings, in which every “dignitary” present has to have his say and nobody will enforce a time limit on the speakers. We should be more modern and sophisticated than that.

Secondly, please let us plan to have time for the Board and our Executive Committee to do some thinking and looking ahead. Frankly, many thoughtful persons are wondering why it is taking us so long to build a mass movement in the South. We have done well with the crisis situations but we need to plan really for establishing affiliates on a wide basis and to service these affiliates.4 I hope that we will not schedule so many concurrent operations during our Nashville Conference that the Board members can not be together for decision-making.5

The other point is about the SCLC Newsletter. Until we get a public relations man, I will be willing to do the newsletter.6 Since I do not believe in getting paid for any services that I may render The Movement, I would only need coverage of any expenses involved. Accordingly, we could save me a trip to Atlanta, if I could get from you, when I see you in Nashville, information on the following topics:

  1. Progress reports on projects—leadership training, etc.
  2. New projects—joint voter registration campaign, etc.
  3. Organizational and personnel changes and activities
  4. SCLC in the news
  5. Vignette of Month (I hope that Fred Shuttlesworth comes, for I’d like to interview him for the coming issue)

Martin ask your secretary to send me a list of your speaking engagements (since the last one she prepared for me) and include programs and leaflets.

If I can get the above information from you in Nashville, I can prepare the copy, sending both of you copies for correction and approval and then pass it on to the printer. He could air-mail proofs, etc.

Let me close by coming back to the point that we need to make a number of important decisions—some policy, some political—at Nashville and we will not be able to do this if many of us are running here and yon during the deliberations.

My home address: 3704 Winterbourne Road, Baltimore 16, Maryland. My tele­phone number is 947–9326.

Regards to all.

Sincerely yours,
[signed] Lawrence
L. D. Reddick

LDR/obg

1. A resident of Baltimore, Reddick stayed in Atlanta for the summer (Reddick to King, 9 May 1961, p. 222 in this volume).

2. Reddick refers to his wife, Ella Ruth Thomas Reddick.

3. Entertainer and movement supporter Harry Belafonte was scheduled to open the convention with a benefit concert honoring the freedom riders the evening of 27 September, but he canceled his appearance due to illness. The concert went on as scheduled with performances by folk singers Mir­iam Makeba and the Chad Mitchell Trio (SCLC, “Minutes of annual board meeting,” 27 September 1961; “Belafonte Ill, Won’t Be Here,” Nashville Tennessean, 27 September 1961). Lawson gave the keynote address on the morning of 28 September and Farmer spoke that afternoon (SCLC, Program, “Annual meeting of SCLC,” 27 September–29 September 1961).

4. The meeting’s minutes indicated King’s desire to expand direct action campaigns into South Carolina, Mississippi, and Alabama. In his annual report, Walker also expressed discontent with the organization’s progress, noting that “our growth has not been as great as it might have been” (SCLC, “Minutes of annual board meeting,” 27 September 1961; Walker, “Report of the director,” 28 September 1961).

5. After the conference, Reddick wrote that “all things considered, we had a great time in Nashville” (Reddick to King and Walker, 6 October 1961).

6. After allegedly making disparaging comments about King and Walker, public relations director James R. Wood was ousted by the organization; he resigned on 28 February 1962 (Wood to Walker, 18 January 1962). For more about Wood and his troubles with SCLC, see Wood to King, September 1961, pp. 263–265 in this volume. SCLC hired journalist Gould Maynard in January 1962 to handle public relations. SCLC did not release a newsletter during the interim period between Wood’s resignation and Maynard’s hiring.

Source: MLKP-MBU, Martin Luther King, Jr., Papers, 1954–1968, Boston University, Boston, Mass.