Description:

Civil Rights Activist Elmer W. Henderson ALS: He Challenged Practice of Railroad Dining Car Segregation & Won

A 1p autograph letter signed by Civil Rights activist Elmer W. Henderson (ca. 1913-2001), as "Elmer W Henderson" at lower right. Written in Washington, D.C. on January 15, 1958 on a single leaf of business stationery with "Congress of the United States / Committee on Government Operations / House of Representatives" letterhead. Expected transmittal folds and a few extra wrinkles; scattered staple holes and griminess found in the upper left corner. Else near fine. 6" x 9."

Elmer W. Henderson congratulates an unknown correspondent named Floyd Hall for a recent professional achievement, writing in part, "It was well deserved and I am very proud of you and your great achievements…"

Sixteen years earlier, Henderson had become a hero of the early Civil Rights Movement when he lodged a complaint against the Southern Railway for its practice of segregating dining cars. In mid-May 1942, Henderson was denied dining car service during a first-class trip from Washington, D.C. to Birmingham, Alabama aboard the Southern Railway. (Ironically, Henderson was a federal government employee at the time, serving as the Midwest regional director of President Roosevelt's Committee on Fair Employment Practices during wartime.) Henderson filed a complaint after his trip, alleging that railroad dining car segregation violated the Interstate Commerce Act. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed. In their 8-0 ruling on Henderson v. United States, 339 U.S. 816 (1950), the Supreme Court abolished the practice of racial segregation in American railway dining cars.

In addition to serving as an adjunct professor of political science at Howard University, Henderson also directed the American Council on Human Rights between 1948-1955. Between 1955 and 1982, he served first as legal counsel, and then as general counsel, to the Government Operations Committee, the investigative body of the House of Representatives.

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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