April 28, 1960

Dearest Patricia and Priscilla: 

I received both your letters with pleasure. What an unusual experience to have while in jail! I stopped into the office of the Committee of Defend Rev. King Etc. and showed them Patricia's letter and then called in the other one which I received upon arriving home. They are extremely interested and are taking steps now to see that you will be in New York in a couple weeks. They will get in touch with CORE and work cooperatively. I hope so much that I might have the pleasure of meeting you in N.Y. I'm sure that you will be the busiest people there are when you arrive in N.Y. but if you have a moment free sometime perhaps you might give me a call - Dayton 8-8390. I don't really expect you to do this at all but am including my number just in case. I shall at least be able to see you from the audience at the May 17th affair.

I am including some clippings which I found very interesting. The "College President's Gettysburg Address" is particularly interesting to me. I certainly would have enjoyed hearing the whole speech. It's wonderful that a man in his position has the courage to come out and admit these things for after all, it suggests a revolt against the parents - which by the way, is long overdue. You young people seem to be handling this very nicely with your own parents and I'm very happy that you are able to do so. Your particular parents are of course also progressive.

I may have been unusually busy this week or I would have written sooner. My husband's Fraternity is holding a dance the end of this month in order to raise more money to back all of you. From what I have gathered in my conversations in the 'Committee's" office, New York is the headquarters for the whole movement. I had hoped that there were offices in all the large cities but this is not so yet since it takes quite a lot of work, dedicated people, space and more money to set them up and get them going. however, money is being sent up to N.Y. from everywhere and there are about three other offices in various other places in the process of getting started. The people I know in N.Y. office are working from early in the morning till late at night - most of them for nothing at all and about two or three with small salaries. Groups of young people, white and negro come in each day after school to help with mail, typing, etc. - voluntary of course.

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There are some very nice groups of young people here in N.Y. interested and active in many things. My son, Kurt, who is 17 is a member of the "Tom Paine Discussion Group" who meet every two weeks in various member's homes. Each meeting night they have a speaker for the evening on some subject they are interested in and following that a discussion concerning same and then refreshments. For this they leave .50¢. One evening they had a Bayard Rustin who is Rev. King's righthand man and in charge of the "Committee" office from which I'm working out of. There are young people in this group from 15 to through college. Really some of the brightest kids in the city. Things are happening here all the time so that there is never a dull weekend for anyone. (except mothers who iron all day Sunday afternoon because they work all week). Blast it!

There are also the "Sane Nuclear Policy" groups which Kurt also belongs to. They are having a big and important meeting down at Madison Square Garden on May 14th and I would certainly be there except that my husband and I have tickets for "Raisen in the Sun" which I'm sure you know all about. My other son, Karl, is 14 and although he goes on the picket line with such enthusiasm that he almost [losses] his voice, he is still too young to be out late in the evening at the other affairs and cannot accompany his brother home since Kurt has a girlfriend whom he escorts home each evening they are out.

I must go now before my boss fires me for neglecting my work.

All my love,

Mrs. Nellie Baker

675 E. 170 St.

Bronx 56, New York

P.S. Do not forget - some day you must read "The Nature of Prejudice" by Gordon Allport. In order to fight prejudice you must know exactly what it is and how it works and it is many things which all add up to madness.