Correspondence between members of the Massachusetts Black Legislative Caucus and Congressman John Joseph Moakley

Dublin Core

Title

Correspondence between members of the Massachusetts Black Legislative Caucus and Congressman John Joseph Moakley

Subject

Boston, Mass.
Boston Public Schools
Busing for school integration
Landsmark, Theodore C.
Massachusetts Black Legislative Caucus
Moakley, John Joseph, 1927-2001

Description

This correspondence includes a letter to Congressman Moakley from members of the Massachusetts Black Legislative Caucus, a division of the Commonwealth’s Great and General Court, as well as Moakley’s response. In their letter, the caucus members condemn recent racial violence in Boston, particularly an attack on Theodore Landsmark, a black lawyer, by a group of white youths. They assert that such attacks are part of a pattern of violence perpetrated by white youths and condoned by white adults and even local politicians. They “demand” that these politicians be investigated by the U.S. attorney general’s office and that federal funds to Boston be cut off “until it is established that a viable program has been created by Boston City Officials that guarantees access to all.” In his response, Congressman Moakley assures the caucus members that he “share[s] [their] anguish over the situation in our City today” and further condemns the recent acts of racial violence. He states, however, that he does not agree that funds should be withheld from the city, because too many people would be impacted by such funding cuts. Still, he goes on to assert that he will “continue working…to stem the tide of violence.”

Creator

Massachusetts Black Legislative Caucus

Source

Congressman John Joseph Moakley Papers, 1926-2001 (MS100)
Series 04 District Issues, Box 6 Folder 61

Publisher

John Joseph Moakley Archive & Institute at Suffolk University, Boston, Mass.

Date

April 20, 1976/May 7, 1976

Contributor

Kintz, Laura

Rights

Copyright is retained by the creators of items in this collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law. This item is made available for research and educational purposes by the Moakley Archive & Institute. Prior permission is required for any commercial use.

Relation

View the finding aid to the John Joseph Moakley Papers for more information (PDF).       

Format

JPEG (Image coding standard)

Language

English

Type

Letters

Identifier

DI-1157

Text Item Type Metadata

Original Format

Letters

Files

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Citation

Massachusetts Black Legislative Caucus, “Correspondence between members of the Massachusetts Black Legislative Caucus and Congressman John Joseph Moakley,” Stark & Subtle Divisions: A Collaborative History of Segregation in Boston, accessed March 28, 2024, https://bosdesca.omeka.net/items/show/303.