ALS, one page, 7.75 x 10.25, no date but circa 1943–44. A letter praising Walter Francis White for his work with the NAACP. In full: “I want to add my words of appreciation & gratitude to this twenty-fifth anniversary of your service in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. What you do for your own people is indirectly done for us all, since, when conditions are bad for the colored they are usually bad for the white as well. You have been patient & courageous & inspired others to unselfish service & I send you my best wishes for many more years of profitable work.” Nicely double-matted and framed with a portrait of Roosevelt to an overall size of 20 x 17. In fine condition, with light toning to borders.
White was a prominent civil rights activist who began by taking on the dangerous task of investigating lynchings and race riots throughout the 1920s. He became an executive officer of the NAACP in 1918 and the executive secretary in 1931, serving in that capacity until his death in 1955. Eleanor Roosevelt’s support for Civil Rights increased after she met White, who opened her eyes to the institutional racism present in America. This piece dates to World War II during her time as first lady, when she fought hard against segregation in the military and offered her prominent support to the Tuskegee Airmen. She also fought against racial discrimination in the general workforce, arguing that African-Americans and other racial minorities should be given equal pay, equal work, and equal rights A superb, boldly penned letter with excellent content concerning the Civil Rights movement as it began to reach its peak. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA.
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