Charles S. Preston, “Mayor Denies Telling Rights Commission Head to ‘Slow Down’,” Indianapolis Recorder, April 29, 1961, p. 1, 2 – Transcript || Annotation || Archive
Mayor Charles H. Boswell stands behind the anti-discrimination activities of his director of human rights.
The Mayor’s suggestions for improvement of a newsletter issued by Rev. James Jones, executive director of the Mayor’s Commission on Human Rights, were directed soley at its appearance and journalistic form.
Mayor Boswell in no way has told Rev. Jones to “slow down” his vigorous efforts which have resulted in the cooperative desegregation of several eating establishments and harmonious settling of tension-packed racial incidents.
“We believe that public accommodations must be open to all people without regard to race or color,” the Mayor told The Recorder on Wednesday. “We have always believed it.
That’s the law.
“We believe in the Constitution and all it provides.”
THE QUESTION HAD arisen because of an item published in Saturday’s Indianapolis News, reporting that Rev. Jones “has been ordered to slow down his journalistic efforts.
“While Mayor Charles H. Boswell was taking a short vacation in Florida earlier this month,” the story continued, “Jones put out a newsletter reporting on activities of his department including the race problems he has faced and how he has handled them.
“The Mayor didn’t like some of the stories and he says some of the commission members also were upset by them. From now on, proposed copy for the monthly newspaper will be submitted to the commission and Boswell for approval.”
PUBLICATION OF THE item aroused widespread alarm among Negroes and other liberty-loving citizens. They have fought for years to get a full-time executive director for the Mayor’s Commission. And it is no exaggeration to say that Rev. Jones’ forthright activities, in his two-month tenure of office, have brought forth a new birth of hope and confidence.
What these persons feared – from bitter experience of the past when the city seemed indifferent to minority problems – what that the Mayor might be “putting the clamps” on his sincere and energetic director.
ATTY. RUFUS C. KUYKENDALL, chairman of the Indiana Conference on Civil Rights Legislation, was one of those who spoke out. In a letter to the Mayor, he cited the jimcrowing of Floyd Patterson and Jackie Robinson in the city and asserted:
“The Reverend Mr. Jones is doing an outstanding job with more cooperation from the proper persons in authority, I believe that persons in authority, I believe that tribution to race relations in this city.”
Rev. Mozel Sanders, president of the Fair Share Organization, wrote to Mayor Boswell:
“Should we bridle the one man, Rev. Jones, who has the intestinal fortitude to fight for his convictions and the moral right of every person regardless of race, creed or color to live, work and eat in this city with equality?”
A delegation of about 40 members of Rev. Jones’ church, the People’s Temple Disciples of Christ, called on the Mayor to protest, it was reported.
HOWEVER, MAYOR BOSWELL, in a frank and cordial discussion with this writer, declared the fears were groundless.
“What I said was that the newsletter could be improved upon – the quality of paper, the printing job – its very appearance,” the Mayor related.
“Rev. Jones of course does not have experience in this field but Father Raymond T. Bosler, editor of The Criterion, is a member of the Commission and has offered to help him in this matter.”
The Mayor said Rev. Jones “will learn as he works in the position.” He expressed concern that Jones might be “trying to do too much” in his church, civic and personal duties – not “too much” for the city, but for his own health.
PRIOR TO THE “tempest” stirred up by the daily newspaper’s story, some supporters of Rev. Jones had said privately the newletter could stand technical improvement. With this, the young minister himself agreed.