GREENSBORO JUSTICE FUND
Southeastern Building, Suite 301 102 North Elm Street Greensboro, North Carolina 27401 919 275-6589
or 273-6527
July 29, 1932
Ed Burrows
5902 Arcadia Lane
Greensboro, NC 27410
Dear Ed,
On Tuesday, August 3rd, at 11 A.M., Reverend Leon White of the Virginia-North
Carolina Commission for Racial Justice is hosting a press conference in his office
in Raleigh to demand that a special prosecutor be appointed in the current grand
jury proceding taking place in Winston-Salem. He will be joined by Rev. J. Ray
Butler of Winston-Salem, Vice President of the N.C. General Baptist State Convention.
In addition, several other religious and community leaders from around the state
are attempting to make adjustments in their schedules so as to be a part of the
press conference. Two of these are Jennifer Henderson of Fayetteville, head of the
N.C. Hunger Coalition, and Rev. Mac Ledgerton from Pembroke, who represents N.C.
Clergy and Laity Concerned. (They were both members of the second fact-finding
delegation.)
At present there is no representation from the Greensboro community. We would
really like for you to be present. We are asking you as someone who can appreciate
the importance and urgency of the situation. We know you will be in the hospital
sometime next week, but we weren't sure when, so we thought we'd take the chance
of asking.
As you know, the accumulation of facts around the November 3rd murders has
reached the point where government involvement of some type cannot seriously be
doubted. Yet the request for a special prosecutor is being denied. Unless and until
there is a public outcry, we can't expect anything to be done. This is an urgent
situation because the grand jury process could be over within a month, and then the
question of a special prosecutor may be moot.
We have an opportunity to slow and possibly break the cover-up, but it requires
people coming out and calling the situation for what it is.
One of us will call you in a day or so to see if you can join Rev. White,
Rev. Butler and the others for the press conference.
Incidentally, the Racial Concerns Working Group of the National Council of
Churches has requested that Rep. John Conyers get the Congressional Black Caucus to
come out asking for a special prosecutor, and they will do some other things too to
support the special prosecutor request. The head of that working group, Rev. Tyrone
Pitts, came to Greensboro in March with the first fact-finding delegation. His
participation in that delegation has developed into continued interest in the case.
Thank you for considering this request. We're both hoping your hosptial stay
is brief and successful.
Sincerely,
