Herbert L. Thomas Explains Arkansas Plan to Daisy Bates

Allow image comparison in viewer

What is IIIF?

Collection:: Land of (Unequal) Opportunity: Documenting the Civil Rights Struggle in Arkansas
Title:: Herbert L. Thomas Explains Arkansas Plan to Daisy Bates
Publisher:: Fayetteville, Ark. : University of Arkansas Libraries
Date of Original:: 1958-04-28
Subject:: African Americans--Arkansas
Civil rights--Arkansas
Race discrimination--Arkansas
Segregation--Arkansas
Location:: United States, Arkansas, 34.75037, -92.50044
Medium:: documents (object genre)
Type:: Text
Format:: application/pdf
Description:: Herbert L. Thomas writes long letter to Mrs. L.C. (Daisy) Bates highlighting points of contention between over The Arkansas Plan
Racism -- Desegregation -- Integration -- Little Rock Central High School -- African-Americans -- Blacks -- Little Rock (Ark.) -- Little Rock -- Pulaski
Mrs. L.C. Bates -2- April 28, 1958 I do not mean to imply that statement that I did not hold Private conversations with individuals before presenting my proposal to the public. I hold many conversations with men and women of stature of both races. I wanted to test each part of my proposal in the un- biased and independent judgment of these people, and I also wanted some measure of evidence that large segments of both races could and would unite in its support, or at the least adopt it as a starting point for further discussions. I have felt from the beginning that it is essential for the viewpoints of all segments of the population to be known. The view- point of the extreme segregationists is well known, for they have placed themselves on public record time after time. I think it is essential that we know the attitude of the moderates among the white race. There is now no organized leadership among the white moderates which could go on public record, but I have received many, many letters and telephone calls from individual moderates. I am firmly convinced that I know now how they stand, and I am confident that capable leadership could be formed quickly should circumstances indicate even a remote hope that success could be achieved. I think that it is essential for the viewpoints of the Arkansas branch of the NAACP to be publicly known. I think we should know whether or not the NAACP leadership is willing to seat down with members if the white race and discuss a matter of great importance to both races, and I think such a knowledge should come through a straight-forward statement, pro or con, from the NAACP leadership it- self. I also think that we should know whether or not the Arkansas NAACP leadership is free to act on its own, to enter into discussions freely, to express its own opinions publicly, and to make its own commitments. There are rumors that it is not free so to act. I hope that rumor is not true. I also feel that it is important for us to know how various Negro individuals personally feel, and whether or not they are free to express their own viewpoints and act according to their own judgment, regardless of whether they follow the official views and actions of the NAACP. Again, I might add, there are rumors that few Negroes dare face the pressures which are brought against them if they do run counter to the stand taken by the NAACP. I also hope that rumor is not true. Only by knowing each other’s viewpoints, aspirations, hopes, and even prejudices, can we hope to cut through this tangle of mis- understandings to a better time that is filled with justice and oppor- tunity for both races. There has been no public statement of sub- stance from the Negro leadership. There was a statement of rejection from you, immediately after I made the first announcement concerning my proposal, but it was hardly a statement of understanding, and most certainly it was not a statement of constructive nature. Time after time following the first announcement of my pro- posal, moderates among the white race said to me in effect: “Have you talked to the Negroes? It’s not the white race that will block the matter; the Negroes won’t go along.”
Metadata URL:: http://digitalcollections.uark.edu/cdm/ref/collection/Civilrights/id/1269
IIIF manifest:: https://digitalcollections.uark.edu/iiif/2/Civilrights:1269/manifest.json
Additional Rights Information:: Please contact Special Collections for information on copyright.
Contributing Institution:: University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Libraries
Rights: