A. Philip Randolph, Head of March on Washington, Signed Letter & Newspaper

Two signed items by Asa Philip Randolph, dating from the 1960s and 1970s. Both boldly signed "A. Philip Randolph." Includes a typed letter signed, 1p, measuring 7.25" x 10.5", New York, dated April 17, 1974. Typed on personal letterhead and addressed to Stephen Rugg, Randolph answers a question of the involvement of Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, and Johnson in the Civil Rights movement. He responds, writing "each one of them did as much as he could in the context of his time for the cause of justice for all men." The second item is a signed newspaper page of "The New York Times", 2pp, measuring 10.25" x 15", New York, dated October 2, 1962. Signed at the top margin. The bold headline reads "3,000 Troops Put Down Mississippi Rioting and Seize 200 As Negro Attends Classes; Ex-Gen. Walker Is Held for Insurrection". With additional articles, "Walker Is Facing 4 Federal Counts" and "Mississippi Aides Blamed By U.S. Officials For Riot." The newspaper page has a flattened horizontal fold, with light toning throughout. The letter is very fine.

The Ole Miss Riot of 1962, also known as the Battle of Oxford, was an incident of mob violence by due to racial segregation, which began the night of September 30, 1962. Racist opposition to the enrollment of James Meredith, an African-American veteran, at the University of Mississippi became violent when former Major General Edwin Walker arrived on campus and encouraged the already rowdy crowd to escalate things. A full riot erupted an hour after Meredith's arrival and lasted 15 hours. In the aftermath, two were killed, over 200 people were injured, and 300 were arrested. The charges against Walker were ultimately dropped, but he faced another harrowing incident when he became a target for assassin Lee Harvey Oswald on April 10, 1963.

A. Philip Randolph (1889-1979) was a labor unionist and civil rights activist from Florida. He organized the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in 1925, which became the first majority African American labor union. In the early days of the Civil Rights Movement, Randolph became a vocal leader against unfair labor practices for people of color, and his work helped end segregation in the armed services. In 1963, he was the head of the March on Washington, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have A Dream" speech.

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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