Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law Collection (T/035)
Collection Details:
Collection Name and Number: Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law Collection (T/035).
Creator/Collector: Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law.
Date(s): 1952-1981.
Size: 70.00 cubic feet.
Language(s): English.
Processed by: Tougaloo College staff; Finding aid by Clarence Hunter, 2005.
Provenance: Loan of Tougaloo College of Madison County, MS, in 2004.
Provenance: Gift of Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law of Jackson, MS, To Tougaloo College in 1978.
Repository: Archives & Records Services Division, Mississippi Department of Archives & History.
Rights and Access:
Access restrictions: Collection is open for research. Boxes 34, 54-55, and 57-59 are restricted.
Publication rights: Copyright assigned to Tougaloo College. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to MDAH Reference Services, Attention: Tougaloo College Civil Rights Collection. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Tougaloo College as the owner of the physical items and as the owner of the copyright in items created by the donor. Although the copyright was transferred by the donor, the respective creator may still hold copyright in some items in the collection. For further information, contact Reference Services.
Copyright notice: This material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code).
Preferred citation: Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law Collection (T/035), Tougaloo College Civil Rights Collection, Mississippi Department of Archives & History.
History:
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
In June 1963, United States President John F. Kennedy saw the need to provide legal protection for black citizens in the south and the activists supporting them as they struggled for full legal rights. He called a group of prominent attorneys to the East Room in the White House to ask for their support in this effort. The American Bar Association responded by enlisting attorneys to volunteer in southern communities to assist those who had been deprived of their rights and did not have the resources to hire legal counsel. These attorneys had been dubbed the “President’s Committee,” to reflect the origin of the meeting at the White House. The American Bar Association chose to name the group the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (LCCRUL). Another group of lawyers organized by Melvin Wolf of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), formed the Lawyers Constitutional Defense Committee (LCDC). The Legal Defense Committee of the NAACP joined these two groups to help handle the more serious issues dealing with education desegregation.
These organizations assisted their clients on a variety of issues, from police misconduct and abuse to discrimination in taxation policies within the government, and finally to false imprisonment. Some of the most important issues to confront the Lawyers’ Committee were voter registration; redistricting; and the attempts to negate blacks’ ability to vote without interference. As blacks began to take advantage of the changes in voting procedure through the Civil Rights Act of 1964, they found their way blocked by the white opposition. This opposition was contested through a series of cases handled through the Lawyers’ Committee, such as Hall v. Issaquuena County Board of Supervisors James v. Humphrey County Boards of Election Commissioners or Howard v. Adams County Board, et al.
In its efforts to bring justice to all the people in the state the lawyers did not confine themselves to discriminatory events affecting blacks, but also sought out other injustices that affected those people who did not have the means to seek proper representation. The major case in this category was Nazareth Gates, et al. v. John Collier Superintendent, Mississippi State Penitentiary, et al. (1964-1976).This case was a part of the Prison Reform Project, an endeavor that aimed at correcting many of the abuses present in the correctional system in Mississippi. It helped to eliminate some of the horrors of Parchman Penitentiary and to provide indigent prisoners some legal relief to their problems. Gates v. Collier became one of the major cases of correctional reform in the United States.
Several important civil rights attorneys served on the Committee during its history. The most prominent was Frank Parker, a Pennsylvania native and a graduate of Harvard Law School. He joined the Lawyers’ Committee in 1968 and helped black plaintiffs in their redistricting battle in the state legislature. Parker was best known for his assistance with voter registration and fighting injustice in election procedures. Constance I. Slaughter (Harvey) was another attorney who gained recognition through the Lawyers’ Committee. She was best known for her work in Myrtle Green Burton, et al. v. John Bell Williams, et al. a case that grew out of the shooting incident at Jackson State College (now University), Hinds County, Mississippi, in 1970.
The full time operation of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law ended in June 1985.
Scope and Content Note:
Scope and content note to be written at a later date.
Series Identification:
Series 1: Police Misconduct Cases: 1967-1975.
Subseries 1.1: Reverend John M. Perkins, et al. v. State of Mississippi, 1969-1973, n.d.
Boxes 1-2
Subseries 1.2: Ollie Mae Brown and Margaret Brown v. Allen Thompson, et al. 1967-1973; n.d.
Box 3
Subseries 1.3: Myrtle Green Burton, et al. v. John Bell Williams, et al., 1960-1975; n.d.
Boxes 4-12
Box 13, folders 1-52
Subseries 1.4: State of Mississippi v. David Alan Sansing, et al., 1970.
Box 13, folders 53-55
Subseries 1.5: Julia A. Wheeler v. Pat Lott, 1967-1969.
Box 13, folders 56-64
Series 2: School Suits, 1966-1976, n.d.
Subseries 2.1: Bennie G. Thompson, et al. v. Madison County Board of Education, 1969-1975; n.d.
Box 14
Box 15, folders 1-7
Subseries 2.2: A, B, C, etc., (Plaintiffs) v. J. M. Tubb, Superintendent of Public Education of the State of Mississippi, et al., 1965-1969; n.d.
Box 15, folders 8-16
Subseries 2.3: Betty Joe Baker, et al. v. Columbus Municipal Separate School District, et al., 1970-1971.
Box 15, folders 17-20
Subseries 2.4: John A. Donald, et al. v. University of Mississippi, et al., 1970-1975.
Box 15, folders 21-29
Series 3: Other School Suits, 1966-1975, n.d.
Box 16
Series 4: Selective Service Conflict, 1965-1972, n.d.
Subseries 4.1: John Otis Sumrall, et al. v. Lieutenant Colonel Harley L. Brown, et al., 1966-1970; n.d.
Box 17, folders 1-6
Subseries 4.2: United States of America v. John Otis Sumrall, 1967-1970; n.d.
Box 17, folders 7-25
Subseries 4.3: John Otis Sumrall v. Major William J. Kidd, et al., 1967-1972.
Box 17, folders 26-38
Subseries 4.4: Bennie G. Thompson v. Selective Service System Local Board, No. 28, Raymond, Mississippi, et al., 1966-1971; n.d.
Box 17, folders 39-55
Box 18
Series 5: Unlawful taxation, 1954-1973; n.d.
Subseries 5.1: White v. Edward, 1965-1968.
Box 19, folders 1-5
Subseries 5.2: Bland v. Angelo, 1954-1973; n.d.
Box 19, folders 6-27
Subseries 5.3: Bland v. McHann, 1968-1973; n.d.
Box 19, folders 28-40
Series 6: Redistricting, Political Controversies, and Jury Malpractice Cases, 1964-1981; n.d.
Subseries 6.1: James Moore, et al. v. Leflore County Board of Election Commissioners, et al. 1970-1974.
Box 20
Subseries 6.2: Reverend Leon Howard and Barney Schoby v. Adams County Board of Supervisors, et al., 1970-1975, n.d.
Boxes 21-22
Subseries 6.3: Clarence Hall, Jr., and Willie Bunton, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated v. Issaquena County Board of Supervisors, et al., 1969-1976; n.d.
Box 23
Box 24, folders 1-9
Subseries 6.4: Fred R. Jones, et al. v. City of Hazelhurst, et al. 1969-1981; n.d.
Box 24, folders 10-19
Subseries 6.5: Madison County Election Commission Contest, 1971-1973; n.d.
Box 24, folders 20-28
Subseries 6.6: Kermit James, et al. v. Humphreys County Boards of Election Commissioners, et al., 1970-1975; n.d.
Box 24, folders 29-34
Box 25, folders 1-36
Subseries 6.7: Willie Fears, et al., v. City of Aberdeen, Mississippi, et al., 1976-1978.
Box 25, folders 37-40
Box 26, folders 1-7
Subseries 6.8: Will Phillips, individually and on behalf of all persons similarly situated, et al., v. D. L. Cole, as Mayor and Police Justice of the City of Indianola, Mississippi, et al., 1967-1969.
Box 26, folders 8-10
Subseries 6.9: Mrs. Jewell A. Medlock v. U. S. Industries, 1969-1972.
Box 26, folders 11-16
Subseries 6.10: Political Education, 1971.
Box 26, folders 17-19
Subseries 6.11: Eddie Goodloe v. Terry McFarland, et al., 1971-1972.
Box 26, folders 20-22
Subseries 6.12: Walter L. Small, Jr., v. Mildred Thompson, et al., 1972.
Box 26, folders 23-24
Subseries 6.13: Lillie Willis, et al.; United States of America, Intervener, v. Joe Carson, et al., 1966-1968.
Box 26, folders 25-27
Subseries 6.14: State of Mississippi v. Lillie Willis, 1965-1970.
Box 26, folders 28-31
Subseries 6.15: Jessie Newsome, et al. v. Town of Mendenhall, Mississippi, et al., 1970-1971.
Box 26, folders 32-34
Subseries 6.16: John M. Perkins, et al. v. Garland Reed, Circuit Clerk of Simpson County, Mississippi et al., 1965-1971.
Box 27
Subseries 6.17: Alfred Windom v. Tom Cook, 1965-1971; n.d.
Box 28
Subseries 6.18: Redistricting Maps, 1970-1971.
Boxes 29-30
Series 7: Unlawful Imprisonment, 1952-1973; n.d.
Subseries 7.1: Katie Ruth Anderson, et al., v. J. J. Nosser, individually and as Mayor of the City of Natchez, Mississippi et al., 1965-1971; n.d.
Boxes 31-33; 35
Boxes 34; 54-55 (restricted)
Series 8: Prison Reform Project, 1966-1976; n.d.
Subseries 8.1:Nazareth Gates, et al., and the United States of America v. John Collier, et al., 1966-1976; n.d.
Box 36
Box 37, folders 1-27
Box 38
Box 39, folders 1-9
Subseries 8.2: Supportive witnesses statements, 1970-1974, n.d.
Box 37, folders 28-45
Subseries 8.3:Supportive Cases and Letters requesting assistance, 1970-1976.
Box 39, folders 10-45
Box 40
Box 41
Box 42
Box 43
Subseries 8.4: Monthly report of Mississippi Penitentiary, 1971-1973.
Box 44
Series 9: Educational Disputes, 1947-1972.
Subseries 9.1: Phillip R. Speake et al. v. Rader Grantham et al., 1947-1971; n.d.
Box 45, folders 1-10
Subseries 9.2: University of Southern Mississippi Chapter of the Mississippi Civil Liberties Union v. University of Southern Mississippi, 1970-1972.
Box 45, folders 11-17
Series 10: Discrimination in Employment, 1962-1973; n.d.
Subseries 10.1: Grozelia Carr, et al. v. Conoco Plastics, Inc., et al., 1966-1973; n.d.
Box 45, folders 18-31
Box 46
Box 47, folders 1-5
Subseries 10.2: Coda M. Fears, et al. v. Burris Manufacturing Company, 1970-1972; n.d.
Box 47, folders 6-14
Subseries 10.3: Julia Davis, et al. v. University of Southern Mississippi, et al., 1970.
Box 47, folders 15-17
Subseries 10.4: Mrs. Jewel A. Madlock, et al. v. Sardis Luggage Company and Jewel A. Matlock, et al. v. U. S. Industries, 1969-1972; n.d.
Box 47, folders 18-24
Series 11: Assault, 1966-1974; n.d.
Subseries 11.1: Eugene Griffin, et al. v. Lavon Breckenridge, et al., 1966-1974.
Box 47, folders 25-34
Box 48
Box 49, folders 1-12
Subseries 11.2: Other statewide cases in Mississippi, 1956-1974.
Box 49, folders 13-39
Series 12: Lawyers Constitutional Defense Committee and Lawyer Committee for Civil Rights under Law, 1967-1971; n.d.
Subseries 12.1: Lackey Rowe, Jr., v. State of Mississippi, et al., 1967; n.d.
Box 49, folders 40-44
Subseries 12.2: Monette Travis, et al., v. W. B. Noble, et al., 1970-1971; n.d.
Box 49, folders 45-49
Subseries 12.3: James E. Sanders v. Allen Halbert, et al., 1968.
Box 49, folder 50
Subseries 12.4: Vernando Simpson Witness Case, 1966-1971.
Box 49, folders 51-54
Subseries 12.5: Vernon Davis, et al., v. H. T. Ashford, Jr., Circuit Clerk, 1970; n.d.
Box 50, folders 1-3
Subseries 12.6: State of Mississippi v. Roosevelt Anderson, 1969-1970.
Box 50, folders 4-7
Subseries 12.7: City of Greenwood, Mississippi v. James Evans, 1969.
Box 50, folders 8-9
Series 13: Microfilm Rolls, 1961-1971; n.d.
Box 51 (Rolls 30-83)
Box 52 (Rolls 84-136)
Box 53 (Rolls 137-170)
Series 14: Audio Cassettes, 1967-1971; n.d.
Box 56
Series 15: Other Duplicate and Restricted Materials.
Boxes 57-59