Lot 214

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Description:

M.L. King Appeal to J.F. Kennedy, Second Emancipation Proclamation


Soft-wrap, 8.5" x 11", 58pp [plus appendix], titled "An Appeal To The Honorable John F. Kennedy President of the United States: FOR NATIONAL REDEDICATION TO THE PRINCIPLES OF THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION AND FOR AN EXECUTIVE ORDER PROHIBITING SEGREGATION IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA." Ex-Maude Ballou, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s first secretary.


In the early years of the Civil Rights Movement, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. made multiple appeals to President Kennedy to issue a second Emancipation Proclamation to outlaw segregation. King believed that the 100th anniversary of the original document would provide the perfect backdrop for such legislation. He first pitched the idea to Kennedy during a tour of the Lincoln Sitting Room, and later wrote him that such a proclamation would "free all Negroes from second class citizenship” in accordance with the “defense of democratic principles and practices here” in the United States. This is a copy which was personally owned by MLK. It came from Maude Ballou, his secretary. We can’t say for sure that this copy went to the White House but we can safely assume that it went through MLK’s hands.


May 17, 1962, the six year anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, King sent his 75-page proposal, a copy of which is now on offer. In it he wrote, "The wellsprings of equality lie deep within our past. We believe the Centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation is a particularly appropriate time for all our citizens to rededicate themselves to those early precepts and principles of equality before the law. Mr. President, we believe that like Thomas Jefferson before you, you 'hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights...' The Declaration of Independence gave hope to all the world because it spoke for all men, not just the privileged few."


After outlining numerous avenues in which to desegregate all aspects of life in the United States, King concluded his plea, writing, "...we are firmly convinced that there exist sufficient constitutional and statutory sources of power to enable you to use creatively the authority and moral prestige of your office to dramatically advance human rights in America. As the 100th anniversary of the Proclamation of Emancipation draws near, we, along with millions of our fellow citizens and the peoples throughout the world, are watching and waiting to see whether America has at long last fulfilled the hopes and dreams arising from the abolition of slavery. We appeal to you in order that we may now have to wait no longer. We appeal to you because we love so dearly this great land of ours. We appeal to you because we yearn for the time when we can stand in the full sunlight of human decency and join hands with our white brethren, north and south, east and west, and sing in joyous hallelujah, 'Sound the loud timbrel o'er Egypt's dark sea, Jehovah hath triumphed - His people are free!"


Unfortunately Kennedy did not enact the proposal, and remained relatively silent throughout the course of the centennial celebrations. He did, however, issue an executive order the following month, which outlawed racial discrimination towards those in federal housing. He would go on to introduce an omnibus civil rights bill and ultimately the legislation for the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Tragically, Kennedy was assassinated before it could be passed by the Senate in 1963. 


Light toning and foxing at the edges, with some minor chipping. Small area of tearing and paper loss at the top right edge. Corners are slightly bumped. 


This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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August 19, 2020 10:30 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

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