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September 8, 1969
Dear Frank,
It has been so long sice we've seen each other that I hesitate to write. But since I have begun, Illl ago on.
I was - and have been - thinking that appeals like your latest ought to receive much more currency in the black community. Quote obviously, the black community as a whole is too involed in considering tomorrow's chances from survival to concern itelf with the possibility that Eastland's bill might pass.
It ought to be made aware of the dangers inherent in such a measure, however, and I want to make so bold as to suggest one way that might be done.
There are over 150 audience newspapers in the United States; Anne and Carl probably have a list of each of them. They are read - not too widely, perhaps, but millions of black people get some, if not all of their "news" from them.
What I propose is that the Natinal Committee get a good writer - someone like Anne - to write a black-aimed news release abot the perils in the bill, and mail it out to her list of newspapers. Papers like the Black Panther and Muhammad Speaks would use it for sure, as would a great many more.
Its usability would be increased if the writer could get some solid quotes from such notables as Rev. Abernathy, the Rev. Jesse Jackson of Chicago, a so on.
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September 8, 1969
Mr. Frank Wilkinson
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I am sure someone has probably thought of this before, and you may be doing it for all I know, but I hope if you're not, you will. I think that the black community nationally was "radicalized" on the Vietnam war, partly because black newspapers rather grudgingly printed stories about Dr. King's anti-war activities, the SNCC statement in 1966 and the most violent re-action to it, and the pious statements by "responsible" black leaders that the war was not the proper business of the black community.
Let me know what you think.
Sincerely,
Julian Bond
Mr. Frank Wilkinson
Executive Director
National Committee to Abolish HUAC/HISC
P. O. Box 74757
Los Angeles, California 90004