CORE

Congress of Racial Equality

A national organization with affiliated local groups working to abolish racial discrimination by direct, nonviolent methods

38 Park Row

New York 38, New York

COrtlandt 7-0408

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Roger N. Baldwin

Algernon D. Black

Allan Knight Chalmers

Grenville Clark

Earl B. Dickerson

Eugene E. Frazier

Harold Gibbons

Rabbi Roland B. Gittensohn

Sidney Hollander

E. Stanley Jones

Martin Luther King

Will Maslow

A. J. Muste

A. Philip Randolph

Ira DeA. Reid

Jackie Robinson

Arnold M. Rose

Lillian Smith

Howard Thurman

Goodwin Watson

Jerry Wurf

Charles S. Zimmerman

OFFICERS

Charles R. Oldham, chairman

Henry Hodge, vice chairman

Anna Holden, Secretary

Lula A. Farmer, treasurer

James Peck, CORElator editor

regional representatives

Walter Hayes

George M. Houser

Herbert Kelman

Frank Robinson

Rev. Charles Smith

Earl Walter

STAFF

Gordon R. Carey, field secretary

L. W. Holt Esq., field secretary

James T. McCain, field secretary

Marvin Rich, community relations director

James R. Robinson, executive secretary

March 28, 1960

Miss Patricia Stephens

Leon County Jail

Tallahassee, Florida

Dear Pat:

Sorry to be so late with answering your letter. Your postcard just arrived this morning with the announcement of the anniversary party. Part of your earlier letter was carried in Jackie Robinson's column, and copies are going off to Mr. Haley today -- I was not sure I could enclose one in this letter, but I am sure that Mr. Haley will see that you see a copy.

We all admire you and the seven others very much indeed. In fact, we believe that your sacrifice in going to jail may very well have precipitated Governor Collins! statements -- which are very good indeed from anyone in Southern political life. In our congratulatory telegram to Governor Collins, we asked him to [do] everything in his power to secure your release. As lawyers have explained to us, there is probably nothing he can do on the official level, but he might be able to influence local authorities if he wished to do so.

I am sure that you are doing a great deal to spread the sit-in movement and the supporting picket lines and boycotts through your sacrificial jail term. In Los Angeles last weekend, every Woolworth store was picketed, and the coordination was handled by Los Angeles CORE. We hope to do the same here in New York this coming Saturday.

Changes are occurring. In addition to San Antonio, there is one other large Southern city where the counters have opened, with the express understanding that it not be announced, but people are being served. Similar breaks are expected elsewhere this week and next.

And much of this is thanks to you and the Tallahassee CORE group.

Sincerely Yours, 

[Signature] James R. Robinson

Executive Secretary

(F.S.U. Student) P.S. Robert Armstrong plans to write the governor and ask why they (the whites) cannot see us.

Pat