Found 3 collections related to Granger, Lester B. (Lester Blackwell), 1896-1976

Lawrence D. Reddick served as curator of the Schomburg Collection of Negro Literature, 1939-1948. An African-American historian, Reddick was interested in the role of the black soldier in U.S. wars and published on this topic. Concerned that the role of black soldiers during World War II would not be portrayed accurately by the government, the mainstream or black press, Reddick initiated a campaign to document the experiences of blacks in the military using their first hand accounts. He placed an ad in newspapers served by the Associated Negro Press, requesting that letters written by black soldiers to their families be sent to the Schomburg Collection. In addition, he conducted interviews with black servicemen and women from 1944 to 1946, and collected memorabilia and other World War II related items. The Lawrence D. Reddick World War II Project Collection, 1943-1953 (bulk 1943-1945) consists of correspondence with black servicemen and women, summaries of interviews Reddick conducted, as well as research files maintained by him. The series Letters and Interviews, 1943-1945 consists of more than a hundred letters that black servicemen and officers, and a few black servicewomen, wrote principally to their families and friends relating the individuals' experiences. The servicemen were stationed in all of the theaters of operation, and some were stateside at various training camps throughout the United States. Of note is a letter Dwight Eisenhower wrote in 1947 in response to a letter from Reddick, stating his opposition to discrimination of American soldiers based upon color or race. Also included in the collection are summaries of interviews Reddick conducted between 1944 and 1946 in Harlem with former servicemen and officers. The interviewees were forthright in their discussions about their experiences with both black and white soldiers and officers, and the people in the countries where they served. There are also summaries of interviews with several black servicewomen and one white serviceman, as well as civilians. Individuals interviewed include William E. Artis (artist), Warren Cuney (writer), Benjamin O. Davis (Air Force General), Ewart Guinier (who later headed the first African-American Studies Department at Harvard University), William H. Hastie (civil rights attorney), Roi Ottley (author and journalist) Leigh Whipper (actor). less

The Ross Thalheimer papers consist of materials related to Thalheimer's activities as a civil rights supporter from the 1940s to the 1970s. Files relate primarily to the funding and presentation of the Thalheimer Award to the National Urban League, including the prize winning essays written by students, and the Thalheimer Awards he funded for the NAACP, including information about the recipients and associated programs, 1942-1976. The collection also contains letters from Kenneth B. Clark and Lester B. Granger; typescripts of interviews given by Thalheimer; copies of an advertisement placed in The New York Times in 1964 by the Psychologists' Committee on Interracial Relations concerning violence and race relations; and telegrams to Thalheimer from Martin Luther King, Jr., inviting him to join King on what would become known as the Selma to Montgomery March on March 9 and 21, 1965. Also included are an address that Thalheimer delivered in 1940 called "The Need for Equal Educational Opportunity in a Democracy"; an article that he wrote entitled "What Can the Church Do About Juvenile Delinquency", 1954; biographical information about Thalheimer prepared by his widow; and expressions of sympathy upon his death. less

The Organzations collection depicts primarly African American civic, social, fraternal, professional, civil rights, and other organizations, dating from the late 1890s to the mid-1980s. The collection, which is strongest in its representation of social groups, civil rights groups, and fraternities and sororities, for the period covering the 1940s to the 1970s, includes single portraits and group portraits of officers and membership; views of meetings, conventions, and other assemblies; assorted luncheons, teas, dinners, and award presentations; fund raising and community service events; and parties, dances, and other social gatherings. Many of the organizations depicted are New York based; some local chapters of national organizations are represented. Some organizations, while not strictly African American in membership, either serve African Americans or emphasize the activities of members who are. Images of fraternal, labor, and political groups are limited. less