St. Paul recorder., 1962-12-14
Urges 'Rider" Welcome:
N. c. NufiVe Now
Minnesota Resident
Writes Sen, HumphFeV

A native born white North Caro-
han, now resident of Minnesota
urged Senator Hubert H. Hum
phrey, to use the occasion offered
by the threat Of the New Orleans
White Citizens Council to send 20
Negroes from that city to Mime
apohs on Christmas to show the
true spirit of Minnesota.
Henry w. Pickett, Jr., 1868 West
Maynard Drive, st. Paul a grad
uate Of Duke University Law
School wrote Senator Humphrey
the following letter Dec. 7.
Dear Senator Humphrey:
Il am writing to you in regard
to the recent statement by a New
Orleans Citizens Council member
in Louisiana that twenty Negroes
are to be sent to your home for
Christmas dinner. think that this
is challenge which should not 60
unanswered. This bigot has i'm
piled that Minnesotans do not prac-
uce what they preach. Let's show
him differently; let's pick up the
gauntlet and hit him right in the
face with it.
Il should first say that am
not a native Minnesotan, and, in
fact, have only been living in the
state for six months, but feel
that most Minnesotans abhor this
callous trafficking in human mis-
cry and the basic disregard for
human rights which undernes this
despicable conduct.
feel that there are many Min
nesotans who are ready and will
rise up and show the South, the
nation, and the world that they
were not being hypocritical when
they sent you and Senator Eugene
Mccarthy to the United States
Senate - that they share your
concern for the dignity of the
colored man.
feel that Minnesotans who
loathe bigotry were behind you at
election time and are behind you
now. 1 cannot but think that many
would offer time and money to
meet this challenge, and my wife
and 1 would be proud to be among
this group. cannot but also think
that many would offer the prestige
of their names to help meet this
insult. Il would offer the prestige
of my name, but it has none.)
Il, therefore, submit the follow
ing suggestions: First, let us be
ready to give these poor, unfortun-
ate Negroes a bountiful Christmas
dinner. This would doubtless have
to be done in a banquet room or
some similar facility for many
reasons, one of which is that you
might not even be in Minneapolis
for Christmas. Second, let us Or
ganize a real Citizens Council
mot limited to white members, OBJ
viously) that will q) vigorously
deplore this monstrous manipula-
ton of human lives, (2) urge Min
nesotans to show the world that
they practice human decency as
well as preach it, and (3) consider
solutions to the pathetic problems
caused by these reverse freedom
rides.
II realize that my second sug-
gestion involves more complex
considerations, but 1 reiterate my
feelings on the first. I was born
and educated in North Carolina.
l can tell you that II we show the
South that there are Minnesotans
who are proud to sit down and eat
with Negroes, then we will have
dealt the cause of segregation a
blow that it will not soon forget.
The cause of bigotry thrives on
the theory that only Communists
and riff-raff are concerned with
the plight of the Negro. urge you
to let decent-thinlSing Minnesotans
stand behind you and prove other
wise"
Sincerely yours, Henry w. Pick
EFT, Jr., 1853 w. Maynard Dr., st.
Paul 16, Mimi, December 7, 1862.