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GREENSBORO BRANCH
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE
post office box 20642
Greensboro. North Carolina 27420
March 11, 1982
The Honorable John Conyers, Chairman
Subcommittee on Criminal Justice
Of the House Committee on the Judiciary
House Annex 2 H2-362
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Mr. Conyers:
The Greensboro branch of the NAACP respectfully request that your subcommittee
conduct a congressional fact-finding session here; in the city of Greensboro
surrounding the November 3, 1979 shooting deaths of five rally participants.
On November 3, 1979, the serenity of Greensboro's predominantly Black Moning-
side community was abruptly ended by gunfire, bloodshed, and death. People
dashed for cover as cameras clicked and film rolled, permanently documenting
the vicious attack in video for all time. The terrorist attack was carried out
by the infamous Klu Klux Klan. The onslaught left five people dead. A morbid
atmosphere gripped Greensboro's Black community. There was a feeling of anger,
fear, sadness, and outrage. However, the community did not explode as some had
predicted. This did not occur for many reasons. Instead, the people endured
the siege of terror upon their community without an eruption.
Since that dreadful day of November 3, 1979, there has been much publicity, a
trial and many distortions and ambiquitles by many local forces to bring about
a simplistic return of normalcy to the city. The distortions and amb1qu1ties
silenced many advocates of justice from speaking out against the atrocity for
fear of being branded a radical, or worst, a communist sympathizer. The terrorist acts committed by the Klansman and Nazis were dubbed by members of the
local press as a "shootout", thus implicating guilt to the victims and Innocence
to the Klan/Nazi perpetrators. This characterization by the press of the Morningside incident continues to this day. The trial and subsequent acquittal of the
K1an/Naz1 defendants by an all-white jury only added to the frustrations -and
anxieties of the Black community. It was viewed as qiving the Klu Klux Klan a
"license to kill".
There were many who witnessed the events of that day. A hearing conducted here
in Greensboro would make it more convenient for those individuals to testify.
There would be greater access to local agencies and individuals involved in the
investigation, prosecution and media coverage of the incident. Furthermore, a
congressional fact-finding process conducted here in Greensboro would symbolize
the Importance and worth the American government place on human life everywhere.
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| Full text | GREENSBORO BRANCH NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE post office box 20642 Greensboro. North Carolina 27420 March 11, 1982 The Honorable John Conyers, Chairman Subcommittee on Criminal Justice Of the House Committee on the Judiciary House Annex 2 H2-362 U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Mr. Conyers: The Greensboro branch of the NAACP respectfully request that your subcommittee conduct a congressional fact-finding session here; in the city of Greensboro surrounding the November 3, 1979 shooting deaths of five rally participants. On November 3, 1979, the serenity of Greensboro's predominantly Black Moning- side community was abruptly ended by gunfire, bloodshed, and death. People dashed for cover as cameras clicked and film rolled, permanently documenting the vicious attack in video for all time. The terrorist attack was carried out by the infamous Klu Klux Klan. The onslaught left five people dead. A morbid atmosphere gripped Greensboro's Black community. There was a feeling of anger, fear, sadness, and outrage. However, the community did not explode as some had predicted. This did not occur for many reasons. Instead, the people endured the siege of terror upon their community without an eruption. Since that dreadful day of November 3, 1979, there has been much publicity, a trial and many distortions and ambiquitles by many local forces to bring about a simplistic return of normalcy to the city. The distortions and amb1qu1ties silenced many advocates of justice from speaking out against the atrocity for fear of being branded a radical, or worst, a communist sympathizer. The terrorist acts committed by the Klansman and Nazis were dubbed by members of the local press as a "shootout", thus implicating guilt to the victims and Innocence to the Klan/Nazi perpetrators. This characterization by the press of the Morningside incident continues to this day. The trial and subsequent acquittal of the K1an/Naz1 defendants by an all-white jury only added to the frustrations -and anxieties of the Black community. It was viewed as qiving the Klu Klux Klan a "license to kill". There were many who witnessed the events of that day. A hearing conducted here in Greensboro would make it more convenient for those individuals to testify. There would be greater access to local agencies and individuals involved in the investigation, prosecution and media coverage of the incident. Furthermore, a congressional fact-finding process conducted here in Greensboro would symbolize the Importance and worth the American government place on human life everywhere. |
