{"value"=>"<p>Action Letters, mailed to some 6,000 grassroots, professional and political leaders and organizations across the country, were used for prompt and effective response around various issues and cases, including the rights of political minorities, passage of a federal anti-lynching bill, the fight for a permanent FEPC, Morris Schappes's perjury case from the Rapp-Coudert investigations in New York State, the campaign against the Dies Committee, and the fight against Sam Buckhannon's extradition to a Georgia chain gang. Conferences and Testimonial Dinners brought together leading figures in the field of civil and constitutional liberties with select audiences. Arranged by year from 1940 to 1945, conference files include NFCL's founding convention, a 1942 \"Conference for Victory over Fascism in Our Schools\", and a Conference on Racial Unity (1943). The anthropologist Franz Boas was honored as a \"Friend of Liberty\" at a testimonial dinner in his honor attended by scientists, clergymen, educators and artists. Paul Robeson, honored at a 1944 Dinner for Racial and National Unity attended by 1,000 guests, called Marshall \"a very quiet person ... but a real anti-fascist fighter\". This latter file includes a complete transcript of the dinner speeches, correspondence, lists of contributors and invited guests, newspaper clippings and publicity materials.</p>"}