E. Frederic Morrow Urges Eisenhower to Meet with Martin Luther King Jr. and Other Black Civil Rights Leaders (1957)

Date: June 4, 1957

Created By: E. Frederic Morrow

Original or Replica: Original

Era: Civil Rights, The Presidency

Collection: Eisenhower Presidential Library

Citations: DDE’s Records as President, Official File, Box 614, OF-142-A Negro Matters-Colored Question (5); NAID #12191287

In this June 4, 1957 White House memorandum, presidential aide E. Frederic Morrow urges Chief of Staff Sherman Adams to arrange a meeting between President Dwight D. Eisenhower and prominent Black civil rights leaders. Morrow explains that A. Philip Randolph and Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. had repeatedly requested an audience with Eisenhower to discuss domestic racial issues. Although Morrow acknowledges the administration’s civil rights record, he warns that many Black Americans believed the president had abandoned them in their struggle to achieve full citizenship.

Morrow describes growing frustration and unrest among Black Americans and argues that Eisenhower personally meeting with civil rights leaders could improve morale and demonstrate that their concerns were being taken seriously. He notes that during his travels he frequently encountered questions about the president’s refusal to meet with Black leaders, making it difficult to convince audiences of the administration’s commitment to civil rights. Morrow recommends that Eisenhower meet with King, Randolph, and Roy Wilkins, allowing them to present their concerns directly. He believes such a meeting could reduce tensions and help address criticism that Black leadership was being ignored or belittled by the White House. The memorandum provides an important behind-the-scenes perspective on pressure within the Eisenhower administration for greater presidential engagement with the emerging Civil Rights Movement.