DIGITAL ARCHIVE EXHIBIT
INTRODUCING
IVAN ALLEN
LETTERS OF APPRECIATION
In 1963, Mayor Allen testified before the senate committee to desegregate public accommodations and publicly announce his support for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Because of this, he had received numerous letters giving their opinion on the matter. As the only leader of the south to stand up and publicly fight for national desegregation, this was a major event that gained recognition all over the nation.
The following exhibit examines the specific letters in
p. 1-44 in Box 19, Folder 19
Attached below
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THE COURAGE TO FIGHT
Throughout every letter, Ivan Allen had received many compliments on his courage, forthrightness, and willingness to do the right thing. This was even perceived in letters of writers that even had disagreeing views. Letters below show why the nation had believed his testimony was a bold move.
DEEP APPRECIATION
This letter shows an example of the level of respect that every letter showed towards Mayor Allen. Later below we will see an example of disagreeing views showing this same level of appreciation. Many people around the country believed that Mayor Allen voicing his opinions would cause a ripple for change in the south.
JEOPARDIZED POLITICAL FUTURE
This letter puts into perspective the risks that Mayor Allen accepted when announcing his stand to outlaw racial discrimination. In the second paragraph, the writer explains that Mayor Allen earned his respect by willingly jeopardizing his political future. This comes from Mayor Allen being the first southern leader to voice against discrimination.
SOUTHERN SUPPORT
The letters cover a wide demographic with many letters from states farther north like Virginia and New York, and some farther west like California and Portland. From every region of the country, all citizens agreed with Mayor Allen's positions and put forth their views on the ignorant mindset of southern leadership.
The letters that came most surprising were ones that were directly addressed from "white southerners" and even "confederate families" showing their full support for Mayor Allen.
WHITE SOUTHERN CITIZENS
Like before, we see a similar level of appreciation for Mayor Allen's positions and actions. Some might even say that this writer shows an extended amount by saying that he is "the best thing to happen to Atlanta." He makes it clear and that he is a "white, native-born southerner" to show that it's not just the North and African Americans that support desegregation. By juxtaposing these two statements he shows that even white southerners support Mayor Allen's actions.
CONFEDERATE SUPPORT
The photo on the left is the bottom half of the letter. The first half describes an anecdote where he had seen an African American family show off their potential by becoming a family of doctors, lawyers, and engineers. This made him realize that "The survival of America is involved in your standing fast (referring the Mayor Allen's actions.) Just like the previous letter, the writer juxtaposes his support by mentioning that he is a "southerner and a son of the confederacy." By doing so, the writer shows Mayor Allen the wide demographic of support that he has.
FRACTURED BUSINESS INDUSTRY
The only letters that expressed their contrary opinions of Mayor Allen's views were business owners; however, not all business owners carried the same opinions. There were some businesses that vouched for their support for Mayor Allen while others who simply didn’t agree, and as an industry, it would seem that most would lean one way or the other. Through these letters, we will be able to see why differing opinions arose.
RESPECTFUL DISAGREEMENT
The following letter comes from the president of a news agency announcing his disagreement with Mayor Allen's position. Mr. Elson, does not go in depth at all of why he poses such a disagreement, rather he focuses on congratulating Mayor Allen. As with all letters that pose disagreeing views, they all focus on commenting about Mayor Allen's courage to voice.
A LACK OF COURAGE
The following letter suggests that the reason some businessmen disagree with desegregation is because they "lack the courage or sense to exercise their full responsibility to the community." This statements seems to make sense as the business industry is divided, showing that the opinions come down to character and opinion.
A DEEPER ANALYSIS
In one of my letters, addressed from Portland, I had found that the senate testimony had been recorded and also streamed on TV. One question we can ask is whether or not widespread media had an effect on the positions that citizens took, and the outcomes that occurred from Mayor Allen’s testimony. If this event was spread by word of mouth, on the other hand, biases may have had a larger effect as it spread through the south. Maybe then, Allen would not have received as much southern support.
Can media then be categorized as having a key role in southern change, or just a catalyst? It is important to recall that Mayor Allen had received a wide demographic of support going as far to receive support from confederate families.
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The main theme of these letters were to show the unanimous support Mayor Allen received for his courage. This movement is comparable to a more recent political event: the testimony of FBI Director James Comey. For some background, the testimony was in relation to Director Comey’s firing by President Trump. Many people from both party lines had commended the director for his courageous actions to uphold the integrity and truth of the justice department, regardless of political emotion. I see these comments align with the support that Mayor Allen is getting. Although there may be many people who do not agree with the specifics of Mayor Allen’s stance, everyone showed their gratitude for the courage that Mayor Allen partook when supporting the Civil Rights Act. Recall that one of the letters even mentions that in supporting the Act, Mayor Allen had put himself in a political crossfire, putting his career at risk, as with Director James Comey.