CORE records, 1941-2011

Author / Creator

Congress of Racial Equality

Available as

Physical

Summary

Records of a national inter-racial organization of semi-autonomous groups dedicated to the use of non-violent direct action to combat racial discrimination. Although CORE was founded in 1942, the m...

Records of a national inter-racial organization of semi-autonomous groups dedicated to the use of non-violent direct action to combat racial discrimination. Although CORE was founded in 1942, the majority of the records date from the period 1959-1964 when the organization expanded greatly in size, financial support, and activities. During this period CORE also received its greatest national attention through sit-ins protesting discrimination in public accommodations in the South in 1960, Freedom Rides in 1961, participation in the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project in 1964, and various other national projects protesting discrimination in employment and housing. Earlier records are contained in the files of the executive secretary and the National Action Council; later material on the administration of Floyd B. McKissick is not included.

Although the type of materials present vary for each series, the documentation generally consists of correspondence, constitutions, minutes, reports, memoranda, financial statements, press releases, clippings, and printed matter. Most of the collection is available on film from the Microfilm Corporation of America, together with a printed guide, The Papers of the Congress of Racial Equality, 1941-1967 (1980).

The processed portion of the collection is summarized above, dates 1941-1967, and is described in the register. Additional accessions date 1945-2011 and are described below.

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