Formation of MHC Committee on Civil Rights, 1960

MHC Archives

Formation of MHC Committee on Civil Rights, 1960

In April 1960, Louise DeCosta ‘62, Marion Fitch ‘62, Susan Heineman ‘60, Susan Higinbotham ‘62, and Anne Martin ‘62 wrote this letter to the administration of Mount Holyoke to declare the formation of the Mount Holyoke Committee on Civil Rights. The group’s main focus was collecting money to donate for the legal defenses of Black students who had been arrested during peaceful protests. In 1964, the Committee on Civil Rights encouraged students to participate in the nationwide Thanksgiving fast. The money that was saved on the meal was used to support African Americans who had lost their jobs or land due to their participation in civil rights activity. Within the first two weeks of its creation, the Committee on Civil Rights raised $750 (equivalent to about $6,500 in 2019) from students, faculty, and residents of Holyoke.

Louise DeCosta, Marion Fitch, Susan Heineman, Susan Higinbotham, Anne Martin

Paper

English

Letter

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