Box 814
Cleveland, Mississippi

                                                  May 30, 1963

Dear Citizen of Cleveland:

     One of the major problems between black people and white people in Mississippi is that we have so little opportunity to communicate. We don’t mean communication on a servant-master basis, but rather sincere exchange in an atmosphere of brotherhood and mutual respect.

     Our great concern is not one of segregation vs. integration

or black people vs. white people. Our major concern is the building of a beloved or redeemed community where the sacredness of each man is taken seriously.

     We take then this opportunity as black citizens of Cleveland to discuss with you, a white Clevelandite some matters of gravity. These are urgent matters since each community in the South where social justice is absent is potentially dangerous. Each such community, and Cleveland is no exception, faces the possibility of being an Oxford, a Birmingham or worse if the people in it do not face up to certain facts and proceed to ameliorate them. It is in a spirit, of seeking to avoid violence in Cleveland, but at the same time insisting on justice and the equality and freedom of each man--black and white that we write to you this letter.

     The average salary for a Negro domestic worker in Cleveland, for a full work week is about $15.00. The salary for working in the cotton fields is about the same. Those of you who are white cannot help but realize that fifteen dollars a week is not enough to make a decent life for oneself. Most of you spend that much or more per week for groceries alone. How do you suppose your maid is to pay her rent and utilities, feed and clothe her family, and meet all of the other financial obligations that she has on $3 a day?

     Most white people actually seem to believe that colored people were put on earth for the convenience and use of white persons. If you believe this, you are entirely mistaken. To those of you who pay your maid fifteen dollars per week, you are sinning against her. You are starving her children. You must love your neighbor; you cannot love someone and pay them $3 or $4 a day for their work.

     To those of you who are renting to Negro people houses with leaking roofs and without bath tubs and hot, running water, what a lack of humility to accept money for rent for a house which you consider unfit for your own family to live in.

     To those of you who insist that "We are good to our colored people,” we say, Do not be paternalistic. Do not feel that you must think for us; we must do that for ourselves. Do not try to be a father to us; God is the father of all men; you are our brother--not more nor less--remember that. Do not think you are good to us when you give us your old dress or a slightly used pair of shoes. Pay us a living wage and we'll buy our own.

     Why do you call Negroes by their first name and expect to be called called Mr., Mrs., or Miss return? This to us is a blatant symbol of disrespect, discourtesy, and ignorance on the part of white people in Cleveland.

     All segregation signs and the exclusion of Negroes from public restaurants, water fountains, front doors, etc. are insulting because they are saying that we are too inferior to be considered a part of the general public.

     Public tax money is used to maintain the "white" library. How foolish of us to pay taxes and not be able to use the facilities for which we are paying! When we want school integration we aren't simply concerned with going to school with whites.  We want to go to school with the machinery end equipment that is preparing white children to take part in the space age. Mississippi Vocational College and Jackson State College are not preparing anyone for the space age, but Delta State and 'Ole Miss' are. We realize that as long as schools are segregated they will not be equal. In 1961 the Mississippi State Department of Education revealed that the amount of local school funds spent on white and Negro children was severely unequal. According to that report in Bolivar County, School District 4, $lOl.55 was spent per white child while $23.83 was spent per Negro child. The legislature passed a law, so we understand, to the effect that the figures since then not be published so openly. We aren’t surprised; they are excellent arguments for integration.

     White segregationists make a big thing of preaching that integration will cause mixed marril1ges, and mongrelization of the white race. Mrs. Bevel is a light-skinned straight-haired, and green-eyed Negro; so she along with the hundreds of thousands of Negroes with white, tan, or brown skin or keen features and mixed blood are living evidence that southern white men are not serious about segregation. We can say to you that it is too late to start worrying about integration. You have already mongrelized the white race and the black one too. The only thing that you haven't done is claim your children.

     Now, you can hide behind your usual cries of communists (We are not communists; we are Christians.), outside agitators (Rev. Bevel was born and raised in LeFlore County and Mrs. Bevel’s family is from Hinds County) and such similar nonsense if you want to. You can allow Ross Barnett, (who eats in integrated restaurants and sleeps in integrated hotels when he goes North while he tells Mississippi not to integrate) and his cohorts to lead you into more retrogression and social injustice if you want to. You can pretend that Negroes in Cleveland are satisfied. You who are afraid to speak for justice and truth and righteousness can sit still and be quiet if you want to.

You can say that "integration may come, but I shall fight it as long as I can (how childish) if you want to, but you are doing a dangerous thing for any community where people have been oppressed for hundreds of years, and where people are tired of oppression has a dangerous potential.

     We will do all in our power to avoid violence. At the same time we believe in the sacredness of men and we will insist upon helping usher into Cleveland an atmosphere in which each individual is encouraged to grow to his fullest capacity and then is allowed to make to society the greatest contribution of which he is capable. We shall try to accomplish this through the use of Nonviolence.

     You will probably find enclosed in this letter a pamphlet entitled, "How to Practice Nonviolence.” If we have enclosed it, our purpose in sending it to you is so that you can better understand the Nonviolent Movement that is taking place in the United states.

Very sincerely yours,

Signed by Dianna and James L Bevel,

Reverend & Mrs. James Bevel