"Monday
we hear the Tuskegee Choir sing some special arrangements of spirituals at
Constitution Hall. It was the best choir
-- in the male section, at least, that I've ever heard. The appearance was a departure in DAR
tradition. Mrs. Talmadge, president of
the DAR gave them permission to sing because it was for 'charity' - the united
negro college fund; but the 'white artists-only' rule still holds for regular
commercial performances. This prompted a
picketing of the program by Negroes and others bearing signs like: 'Mrs.
Talmadge - We don't want charity with contempt' -- and chanting 'Keep your self
respect. Join the line.' (Meaning to
boycott the program)...”
---Letter
from my father, Washington, D.C., to his
family, Bloomington, Kans., Thursday, June 6, 1946.
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