Pam Talley of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, St. Louis Branch, donated the chapter's records to the Western Historical Manuscript Collection on March 13, 1997.
The St. Louis branch of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARP) developed out of an earlier, similar group called the Coalition Against Racism and Political Repression in 1973. NAARP held its founding conference on May 13, 1973 in Chicago, Illinois. It defined its aims as counteracting the abuses of civil rights and oppression of minorities, the poor, laborers and prisoners that followed the Watergate scandal. The Watergate revelations "only scratched the surface and repression continues" according to an organizational flyer for NAARP. It organized over 800 representatives of trade unions, veterans groups, churches and political organizations to combat the "counter attacks against civil rights gains, revival of the death penalty...new frame-ups of minority activists and others organizing for change, [and] new assaults on the labor unions." NAARP became active in the defense and publicizing of many notable criminal prosecutions of civil rights activists, including those of the Wilmington 10; Charlotte 3; Joan Little; the Soledad Brothers; San Quentin 6; the Marion Brothers; George Merritt; and the Wounded Knee defendants. The group's national organizers included Angela Davis, William Kunstler and Benjamin Chavis.
The St. Louis group carried out the program of the national alliance by locally organizing petition drives, mass demonstrations, filling courtrooms with activists in support of defendants and otherwise publicizing important cases they felt represented a system of racist prosecutions. The notable area cases that it became involved with included those of J. B. Johnson; Nathaniel Butler; the Missouri 9; and Gerald Garrett. It was also involved with protests over the closing of Homer G. Phillips Hospital. The St. Louis NAARP also organized an annual Dr. Martin Luther King Human Rights Awards Banquet, presenting awards to local civil rights activists.
SCOPE AND CONTENT
The St. Louis branch of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression records include organizational flyers, posters, and handbills as well as newsletters and other publications of the group, much of it from the national alliance. It also contains meeting minutes and by-laws of the St. Louis branch, its executive board, and task forces that it
chartered. Arranged alphabetically.
FOLDER LIST
BOX 1 (047330)
FOLDERS 1-49
1. Allen, George, 1983
2. Allen, Phillip, 1975
3. Annual Report, 1975
4. Benson, Dennis, 1980
5. Black Leadership Roundtable, 11/17/79
6. Busch, Peter, 1977
7. Butler, Nathaniel, 1974
8. Civil Rights Coalition Address/Phone List
9. Civil Rights Abuses, 1972-1976
10. Committee To Defend The Missouri Nine, 1975
11. Correspondence, 1979-1980
12. Correspondence from National Office, 1976-1980
13. Correspondence to be read at Membership Meeting, 1977-1978
14. Death Penalty, 1980
15. Defense Committee Mail, 1974-1975
16. Definition of Political Prisoner, 1973
17. Ellison, Ella, 1974
18. Executive Committee, 1979-1980
19. FBI Wiretapping, 1981
20. Fifth Annual Martin Luther King Banquet, 1981
21. Fifth National Conference, New York, 5/11-13/79
22. Fourth Local Conference, 5/2-3/80
23. Freedom Is A Constant Struggle Newsletter, 1979
24. Garret, Gerald, 1975-80
25. Garret, Gerald
26. Garrett, Gerald, Defense Committee Newspaper Clippings
27. Garrett, Gerald, Defense Committee Newspaper Clippings
28. Garrett, Gerald, Defense Committee Newspaper Clippings
29. Hijacking Correspondence, 1978
30. Hospital Related Issues, 1980
31. Howard, Whitney
32. Hunt, James, 1978
33. Inmates, 1975
34. Johnson, J. B., 1974-78
35. Jones, Wilford, 1974
36. Jones, Wilford, 1974
37. Labor/Religious/Community Coalition (Chrysler), Address/Phone List
38. Laurel, Mississippi, 1979
39. Leaflets and Handbills, 1978
40. Lifers, Inc., 1978
41. Mailing Lists
42. McCoy, Antonio, 1980
43. Membership Committee, 1979
44. Merritt, George
45. Minutes, 1977-1980
46. Minutes, 1977-1980
47. Missouri Training Center for Men, Moberly, MO, 1975
48. Mitchell, Charlene
49. Organizational Flyer
BOX 2 (047362)
FOLDERS 50-85
50. The Organizer, 2-3/81
51. Our International Obligation, Winnie & Nelson Mandela, 1978
52. Peltier, Leonard, Defense Committee, 1978
53. Phone Tree
54. Posters, Angela Davis and Benjamin Chavis
55. Press Releases, 1980
56. Prison Conditions, 1977
57. Prisoners Rights, 1979
58. Publicity Committee Report, 1978
59. Reasonover, Ellen, 1986
60. Redmond, Melvin, 1977
61. St. Louis: Frame-Up City
62. St. Louis Mobilization for Survival, 1978
63. SANE Peace Awards, 1978
64. Save Homer G. Phillips, 1980
65. Scales, Rose, 1977
66. Second Annual Martin Luther King Banquet, 1978
67. Task Force on Behavior Control and Human Experimentation, 1978
68. Task Force on Police Crimes, 1976-78
69. Task Force on Political Prisoners and Racist Frame Ups, 1978-79
70. Task Force on Political Prisoners, Incoming Correspondence, 1978-1979
71. Task Force on Political Prisoners, Projects Files, 1978
72. Task Force on Rights of Labor, 1980
73. Third Annual Martin Luther King Banquet, 1/15/79
74. Truong, David, 1978
75. Tyler, Gary, 1976
76. US Peace Congress, 1973
77. Young, Olivia, 1980
78. Wilmington 10, 1976-1978
79. Wilmington 10, 1976-1978
80. Wilmington 10, 1976-1978
81. Wilmington 10, 1976-1978
82. Wilmington 10, 1976-1978
83. Woods, Dessie, 1977
84. Wounded Knee, 1974-75
85. Photographs
INDEX
Allen, George, f. 1
Allen, Phillip, f. 2
Benson, Dennis, f. 4
Busch, Peter, f. 6
Butler, Nathaniel, f. 7
Chavis, Benjamin, f. 54, 78-82
Civil Rights, f. 1-85
Davis, Angela, f. 39, 54, 85
Death Penalty, f. 14
Ellison, Ella, f. 17
FBI Wiretapping, f. 19
Freedom Is A Constant Struggle Newsletter, f. 23
Garrett, Gerald, f. 24-28
Hijacking, f. 29
Howard, Whitney, f. 31
Homer G. Phillips Hospital, f. 30, 64
Hunt, James, f. 32
Johnson, J. B., f. 34
Jones, Wilford, f. 35 & 36
King, Martin Luther, Memorial Banquet, f. 20, 66
Kunstler, William, f. 34
Labor, f. 1-85
Laurel, Mississippi, f. 38
Lifers, Inc, f. 40
Mandela, Nelson, f. 51
McCoy, Antonio, f. 42
Merritt, George, f. 44
Missouri Nine, f. 10
Missouri Training Center for Men, f. 47
Mitchell, Charlene, f. 48
Moberly, MO, f. 47
National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, f. 1-85
Olivette, MO, f. 24-28
Peltier, Leonard, f. 52
Political Prisoners, f. 16
Politics, f. 1-85
Prisons, f. 16, 33, 40, 56, 57
Radicalism, f. 1-85
Reasoner, Ellen, f, 59
Redmond, Melvin, f. 60
SANE, f. 63
St. Louis Mobilization for Survival, f. 62
Scales, Rose, f. 65
Truong, Dave, f. 74
Tyler, Gary, f. 75
U. S. Peace Congress, f. 76
Wilmington, MO, f. 78-82
Woods, Dessie, f. 83
Wounded Knee, f. 84
Young, Olivia, 1980, f. 77
STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI RESEARCH CENTER-ST. LOUIS
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS
222 THOMAS JEFFERSON LIBRARY
8001 NATURAL BRIDGE ROAD
ST. LOUIS, MO 63121
(314) 516-5143
fax: (314) 516-5853
whmc@umsl.edu