Southern Christian Leadership Conference Records

The Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library is a place of discovery. All are welcome to visit and explore our unique holdings, whether as a researcher or an observer. The breadth and depth of our collections are vast, and it is nearly impossible to investigate every nook and cranny. We invite you this year, through our blog, to tour some of those places you didn't know existed, and get acquainted with collections you might not have previously explored. Check back in with us weekly over the course of 2013 as we offer you a delightful look into some of the favorite, but perhaps lesser-known, corners of our collections. These pieces are visually interesting, come attached with fascinating stories, and are often 3D objects you might not have realized are part of what makes up The Extraordinary World of MARBL.

It is with great pleasure that the Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library announces the opening of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference records as of May 1, 2012. Made possible by a grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources to uncover hidden archival and special collections, the SCLC records will shed new light on a hugely important, and largely undocumented, civil rights organization.
 
The collection consists of the records of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference from 1957-2007, with the bulk of the material from 1968-2003, including records from various offices and departments; files of various programs; financial and legal records; printed material; photographs; audiovisual materials; and artifacts and memorabilia.

by Ryan Taylor, Project Archivist, MARBL

"Working for Freedom: Documenting Civil Rights Organizations" is a collaborative project between Emory University's Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library, The Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History, The Amistad Research Center at Tulane University, and The Robert W. Woodruff Library of Atlanta University Center to uncover and make available previously hidden collections documenting the Civil Rights Movement in Atlanta and New Orleans. The project is administered by the Council on Library and Information Resources with funds from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Each organization regularly contributes blog posts about their progress.

The photographs of SCLC provide a unique window into the wide array of leaders, entertainers, politicians, and personalities that have aided or interacted with SCLC and its members throughout the lifetime of the organization. Featured below are some candid moments captured on film by members of SCLC staff. 

Above left: Muhammad Ali with two of his daughters, undated. Above right: Harry Belafonte, undated.

by Ryan Taylor, Project Archivist, MARBL

"Working for Freedom: Documenting Civil Rights Organizations" is a collaborative project between Emory University's Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library, The Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History, The Amistad Research Center at Tulane University, and The Robert W. Woodruff Library of Atlanta University Center to uncover and make available previously hidden collections documenting the Civil Rights Movement in Atlanta and New Orleans. The project is administered by the Council on Library and Information Resources with funds from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Each organization regularly contributes blog posts about their progress.

Through correspondence, case files, and office files, the Legal Records of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference provide a look into the operations of the organization’s legal counsel between 1960 and 2002. The documents primarily cover the time from 1968 to 2002, when SCLC and its employees and affiliates were most engaged in litigation and other projects, like the SCLC Gun Buyback Project, dealing with copyright infringement and use of the “Martin Luther King, Jr.” name, and offering legal assistance and advice, even when not directly involved in a particular suit. The papers in this series are mostly comprised of the records of Chauncey Eskridge, who acted as King’s attorney, Director of the Southern Christian Leadership Foundation, and SCLC’s general counsel from the mid-1960s to the late 1970s. There are few records documenting legal activity during the 1980s, but the series provides a more comprehensive view of SCLC’s involvement in legal affairs throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, under the legal direction of Roxanne Gregory. In addition to aiding SCLC in legal affairs, Ms. Gregory also championed many social causes, both for SCLC and other organizations, like the Center for Children and Education, as a representative of SCLC and its mission.

by Ryan Taylor, Project Archivist, MARBL

"Working for Freedom: Documenting Civil Rights Organizations" is a collaborative project between Emory University's Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library, The Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History, The Amistad Research Center at Tulane University, and The Robert W. Woodruff Library of Atlanta University Center to uncover and make available previously hidden collections documenting the Civil Rights Movement in Atlanta and New Orleans. The project is administered by the Council on Library and Information Resources with funds from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Each organization regularly contributes blog posts about their progress.

Through financial records, grant documents, correspondence, and records related to a variety of social projects, the papers of the Southern Christian Leadership Foundation provide a comprehensive view of the activities of the charitable organ of SCLC between 1962 and 2001. The documents primarily cover the period from 1966 to the mid-1990s, when the Foundation was most active, administering grants to individuals, organizations, and SCLC, as well as overseeing and operating textile business ventures, like Crawfordville Enterprises, under the leadership of Chauncey Eskridge, the Foundation’s Director. The papers in this series primarily document the actions of Eskridge as Director (though he also served as SCLC’s legal counsel), a position he held from the inception of SCLF in 1966 (originally called the Martin Luther King, Jr. Foundation) until the mid-1980s, when operational responsibilities were taken over by Betty Brooks, the Foundation’s long-time administrative assistant and aid to Eskridge. Included in the series is correspondence, the records of Crawfordville Enterprises, financial records, documents detailing grants to SCLC to cover operating expenses, other grants to fund projects undertaken by individuals and organizations, and other ventures SCLF involved itself in, including the MLK International Freedom Games.

By Ryan Taylor, Project Archivist, MARBL and Michael R. Hall, Graduate Processing Assistant, MARBL

"Working for Freedom: Documenting Civil Rights Organizations" is a collaborative project between Emory University's Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library, The Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History, The Amistad Research Center at Tulane University, and The Robert W. Woodruff Library of Atlanta University Center to uncover and make available previously hidden collections documenting the Civil Rights Movement in Atlanta and New Orleans. The project is administered by the Council on Library and Information Resources with funds from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Each organization regularly contributes blog posts about their progress.

The photographs of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference are a rich and comprehensive look into the history of the civil rights struggle in America and a view into one of the movement’s most influential organizations. Nowhere is this better demonstrated than in the photographs documenting the SCLC’s National Conventions, which span over forty years and capture the spirit of those working within SCLC and the organization’s allies. Below are some selected images which highlight the sweeping breadth of the SCLC National Convention photographs.

Above left: Television producer Fred Sullivan receives award for his work in producing the TV movie "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman" at the 17th National Convention, 1974. Above right: Joseph Lowery, Fred Taylor, Rosa Parks, and Walter E. Fauntroy unveil the Rosa Parks Award at the 23rd National Convention, 1980. Click to view full size images.