Letter from the Pittsburgh Courier Requesting Federal Action in the Emmett Till Case (1955)

Date: September 29, 1955

Created By: W. Beverly Carter

Original or Replica: Original

Era: The Presidency, Civil Rights

Collection: Eisenhower Presidential Library

Citations: DDE’s Records as President, Alphabetical File, Box 3113, Emmett Till; NAID #12197279

This letter was written by W. Beverly Carter, publisher of the Pittsburgh Courier, to E. Frederic Morrow, Administrative Officer for Special Projects at the White House and the first African American to serve in an executive position on the White House staff. Written shortly after the acquittal of the men charged with the murder of Emmett Till, the letter urges the Eisenhower administration to publicly address the case and demonstrate the federal government’s concern over racial violence in the United States.

Carter describes the widespread national reaction to the Till case, citing extensive public interest, large community meetings, and growing concern among African Americans that no senior federal official had publicly condemned the verdict. While acknowledging the legal limitations of federal jurisdiction, he argues that a public statement from a high-ranking member of the Eisenhower administration—such as Attorney General Herbert Brownell Jr., Sherman Adams, or Vice President Richard Nixon—would reassure Americans that the federal government recognized the seriousness of the case. Carter also calls attention to new information surrounding the murder that he believed warranted further federal investigation.