National Council of Negro Women, Inc.

1318 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Washington 5, D.C.

May 19, 1960 

Mr. Bernard Lee 

c/o Committee to Defend Martin Luther King, Jr. 

312 west 125th Street

New York, New York

Dear Mr. Lee: 

This letter follows a conversation Miss Height had with you. We are all very happy that Marvin Rich, Community Relations Directors of CORE, has arranged for you to be one of the guest speakers at the Tribute Luncheon honoring Student Leaders in Sit-In Demonstrations in the South on Saturday, May 21, 12:30 o'clock in the South American Room at the Statler-Hilton Hotel, 16th and K Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C.

Enclosed is a copy of the invitation and of the program for this Salute to Youth Luncheon and also for the Political Conference of Women which is the feature of Mary McLeod Bethune Commemoration Week which this year inaugurates our Silver Anniversary.

Mrs. Bethune was a distinguished educator and government consultant. She was Founder and President of Bethune-Cookman College, Daytona Beach, Florida and with other women leaders founded the National Council of Negro Women in 1935. In the spirit of Mrs. Bethune who championed the needs and [illegible]pirations of youth, we salute you and other student leaders in Sit-In Demonstrations and look forward to seeing you at 12:30 o'clock, Saturday, May 21, 1960. Come directly to the Hotel.

Please remember that Mr. Rich has also arranged for you to be guest at the Capital Press Club Dinner, 7:00 P.M. in the Main Ballroom of the Willard Hotel, Saturday, May 21. Mrs. Fannie Granton, President, will give you more details when you come to Washington.

If you arrive before 12 noon, join us in the Political Conference in the morning.

Very sincerely yours, 

Dorothy C. Guinn 

Executive Director

DCG/ras

Enclosures