- 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 -4- April 28, 1958 attorneys for the Board of Education, the NAACP, and the segre- gationists could get together and formulate principles under which we might proceed toward an agreement. This suggestion likewise failed to receive discussion. I have no reason to believe that I misinterpreted your state- ment to the effect that when I admitted a Negro student to the University School of Law 10 years ago I did so only because the Federal courts were looking over my shoulders. That accusation on your part was not true. I have no question in my mind about the accuracy of my recol- lection concerning your reference to the Unites States Government, the Army and the Federal Courts as being your friends, and that under those circumstances you need not compromise. I watched you intently as you spoke, and your sentence made an indelible impression. There is but one word in repetition of your statement that I can find any reason whatsoever to question and that is the word “only” in reference to them as your “only friends”. After I had spoken subsequently to a group of Negro leaders – a meeting which you did not attend- the questions from the white moderates became more pressing: “What reaction have you had from the Negroes? Will they go along in a cooperative effort? Have you talked to the NAACP? What is Mrs. Bates going to do?”…etc., etc. Frankly, I had carried the appeal as far as I could. We knew where the die-hard segregationists stood, for they had made their position known. Here and there the white moderates had publicly endorsed the plan, while many other in letters and conversations had told me where they stood. I reckoned their strength as sufficient for action, provided the Negroes would indicate a desire to see an amicable solution with justice and hope – and respect – for the members of the Negro race. After my meeting with you and the open meeting with Negro leaders, which you did not attend, I lost my last firm hope that this matter can be settled around the conference table, as civilized men and women should solve their differences in community and civic affairs. I had put months of work and thought into this effort. It had gone far beyond being a personal affair with me; it was a matter of great concern to many people – people who wanted very much to see an end to this bitter- ness. When I reached the end of the way – when there was no other source of help among the Negroes toward which I could turn- there was nothing left for me to do but to admit that the Negro race in Arkansas, with you as its leader, had turned its back upon this gesture of friendship. You had not made a public statement, after our conversation and I had no choice but to quote your remarks to me, in order that the public might know your attitude toward the matter. The matter of good race relations is on of mutual responsibility. Will there be any response from you – any indication that you will accept - Metadata URL:
- http://digitalcollections.uark.edu/cdm/ref/collection/Civilrights/id/1271
- IIIF manifest:
- https://digitalcollections.uark.edu/iiif/2/Civilrights:1271/manifest.json
- Additional Rights Information:
- Please contact Special Collections for information on copyright.
- Contributing Institution:
- University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Libraries
- Rights:
-
Herbert L. Thomas Explains Arkansas Plan to Daisy Bates
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