These are the official records of the Brooklyn, New York chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), co-founded by Oliver and Marjorie Leeds in 1962. Although there are earlier and later materials, the bulk of the material is from 1962 to 1967, when the chapter was most active with a membership of around 35 people. The material is arranged by committees and subjects which include the following: housing, schools, civil rights, employment, transportation and traffic, youth, political action and folders dealing with specific projects of the Brooklyn Chapter. The files are grouped in two categories as BROOKLYN CORE COMMITTEES AND PROJECTS and the BROOKLYN CORE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
BROOKLYN CORE COMMITTEES AND PROJECTS
The Organizational File (1961-1967) contains information on developing good community projects, a do and don't list for Brooklyn CORE, the constitution of the Brooklyn Chapter, minutes, and samples of newsletters. It also includes proposals from programs (1966-67), Brooklyn CORE career and action program, convention proposals and Brooklyn CORE meeting and activity schedule.
The General Correspondence File (1960-1970, 1977-1978) consists of the incoming and outgoing correspondence of Oliver Leeds, copies of letters written by other members of Brooklyn CORE to the National CORE organization, and letters to Floyd McKissick and James Farmer, both of whom served as Directors of the National CORE organization. Also included is a letter from Robert Kennedy, U.S. senator for New York, with a copy of a speech he gave at the Biltmore Hotel in New York entitled “Child in the City.” Other correspondence includes a racist reply to Mr. Leeds on the failure of Black people to pass exams for teachers or civil servants, and a letter from an older woman commenting on fair housing and equal education for everyone. The bulk of the correspondence is from 1962 to 1967 although some is not dated and is at the beginning of the folder.
The Civil Rights File (1959, 1961-1968) covers Brooklyn CORE'S involvement in many civil rights issues. It includes papers on the deportation hearing of Mrs. Joanne Santiago and her support, a news article on Oliver Leeds and the direction of CORE, information on the accomplishments of the New York Civil Rights bureau since its organization in 1959, a CORE sit-in song book, a speech by Madison S. Jones, Executive Director of the City Commission on Human Rights, and press releases on agreements between Equal Opportunity Housing and the City Commission on Civil Rights. Also included are proposals on political action and community organization, a statement of the principles of the Black Defense Committee, a letter of concern by Mohammed Arif on the possibility of his being deported, and a press release by Robert Carson, Chair of Brooklyn CORE, on violence against black students by teachers.
The Roy Innis File contains a Little Black Book of Quotations (circa 1971) attributed to Mr. Innis, Director of the National CORE with annotations by either Oliver or Marjorie Leeds. Also included are flyers for and against the election of Roy Innis to Congress as well as a news article regarding his switching party affiliations from Republican to Democrat while urging blacks to register Republican.
The Projects File (1950, 1962-1963, 1965) includes correspondence sent and received from the Department of Sanitation in regards to trash pick-up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area, minutes from meetings with the Department of Sanitation, calendars of events, news articles on sanitation improvement and flyers on the Clean-Sweep project.
The Ebinger Bakery File (1962) follows from start to finish a successful business boycott by the Brooklyn Chapter of CORE promoting equal employment for everyone (Blacks and Puerto Ricans). It contains the Statement of Understanding and Declaration of Intention between Brooklyn CORE and the Ebinger Bakery and magazine articles on the success of the sit-ins and the boycott.
The Employment File (1962-1963) contains information on hiring African-American youth, newspaper articles on helping youth find jobs, and pamphlets dealing with hiring teenagers. It also includes information on equal opportunities in building trades and information on a Skilled Trade Guide handed out by CORE.
The Housing File (1962-1966) includes information pertaining to fair housing in the New York area, open letters to and from Marjorie Leeds and the Board of Education on housing proposals, letters from the Rochester Housing Authority in regards to issues dealing with fair housing, and the by-laws of the Association of Fair Housing Committee. It also includes a pamphlet on what every landlord and tenant should know, newspaper articles relating to housing problems, and information on the Hanover Tenants Union.
The Operation Bedford-Stuyvesant File (1963-1964, 1966-1967) includes information on proposals on youth programs for the area, supermarket evaluation dealing with conditions, service, quality and quantity of product, and an outline for the Bedford-Stuyvesant Youth in Action program. It also includes steps to organizing a block association, a letter to Oliver Leeds on the need for Bedford-Stuyvesant to be represented in Congress, and a table showing the population and schedule for trash pick-up in the New York area.
The Political Action File (1960-1961, 1963, 1966) contains information on boycotting northern stores that discriminate, elections material on Major Owens and James Farmer, and voting flyers. Also included are newspaper articles dealing with sit-ins and a booklet on guidelines for political action.
The Transportation--Traffic File (1958, 1962-1964) has newspaper articles dealing with bus transfers, mass transit problems, traffic lights at dangerous intersections, and a copy of a brochure from the Transport Workers Union to inform citizens of the changes in bus services.
The Youth File (1957, 1961-1963) contains news articles on summer programs for youths, a copy of the Central Brooklyn Coordinator proposal for CORE to sponsor a Children's March, and an Ad-Hoc committee report on youth violence in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area and its recommendations to correct the problem. Also included are pamphlets on children's intelligence, on the Brooklyn Heights Youth Center and on draft counseling for young black men. There is also a survey on social and welfare services offered by private social and welfare agencies in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area, a proposal to replace PS129K with PS324K and a letter encouraging parents to boycott school in opposition to segregation.
BROOKLYN CORE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
The Parent's Workshop File (1960-1963) contains a draft copy of the constitution of Parent's Workshop for Equality in New York City schools, statement of purpose for the Parent's Action Committee for Equality and a membership list, and newsletters and flyers on open enrollment activities for schools.
The School Committee File (1962-1965) documents the activities of this committee including the integration of schools, school boycotts, a manual from the Harlem Parent's Committee, and a paper on obtaining and maintaining experienced and stable school staff. It also contains pamphlets on the integration program of the New York City Public Schools and on how to get effective education in New York City, a report on effective programs and structure for special service schools, and a poem about The Little Yellow Bus written by Marjorie Leeds.
The Independent School District for Harlem File (1967) contains newspaper articles on a proposal for an Independent School District presented by Roy Innis and Victor Solomon to the Constitutional Convention Committee. Also included is a question and answer sheet regarding the proposal and an outline of areas where research was done for a feasibility study on an Independent School District.
The Quality Education File (1960-1967, 1973) includes information on open enrollment, a manual for organizing school boycotts, press releases announcing a meeting with Commissioner James Allen to discuss proposals on school integration, and a progress report.
The Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Bibuld File (1962-1963) deals with the challenge that the Bibulds faced when they tried to enroll their children in an all white school. It includes a request for support for the family as well as newspaper articles talking about the Bibulds' two victories over the school board.
