Ivan Allen Collection
In box 20 folder 1 of the Ivan Allen Collection, there is a general and extreme sentiment of disgust for the mayor. I use the word disgust because every single one of these documents not only disapproved of the mayor’s actions, but they attacked his character, his values, and went as far as to call him a traitor. In these documents, it became quite clear how the white residents of Atlanta feel about the black race and how highly they hold themselves. After Mayor Allen spoke to Congress about forcing a few businesses to serve black clients, many white residents felt betrayed.
"Freedom for All"
This letter is written by B. L. Mullis who is a previous Atlanta resident who has apparently heard about Mayor Allen's testimony. He is unhappy with the mayor's actions because he doesn't believe that the "Negros of Atlanta" should be represented by him. This is evident because of the question marks he put after "their" and "mayor," showing confusion as to why Allen is acting as their mayor and not the white people's mayor. He even signs the letter saying "Yours for 'FREEDOM for ALL,' proving a very sarcastic tone. He uses punctuation and upper case letter to show his dismay and sarcasm throughout the letter. This man is clearly racist towards the black race and feels entitled because he is white.
"Enforce Laws"
This is a newspaper article about a woman who claims to have been raped and assaulted by "3 Negroes." There is writing on the paper that says "Enforce Laws." Because of the mayor's actions, some white residents of Atlanta feel that the mayor has "taken the side" of the black residents and they are angry. It seems that the mayor's actions, although being a large step towards ending a segregated south, have enraged and polarized the races in the city. It shows that there is still so much work that needs to be done at that time to end segregation.
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"Mr. Headline Hunter"
Here, "a northerner" is upset at the mayor's actions again, calling him "Mr. Headline Hunter," indicating that he believes the mayor only said these things to make it in the paper and in the news. He also calls Allen a traitor which is a very serious accusation. He believes that a white man who speaks out for and helps the black race is a traitor to the white race, which is an extremely toxic and dangerous mindset. The races are polarized as ever and the mayor received extreme backlash from the white residents of his city after his congressional testimony.
"Lukewarm"
Here is a letter written to the mayor from an angry Atlanta resident. He disapproves of Mayor Allen's congressional testimony and feels that he is not being represented. He calls the mayor lukewarm because he is a white man working for the black man. He goes as far to say that he is "in the minority of the forgotten White Race." It is abominable to say that Mayor Allen is weak when he has done something so courageous which is risking his career and safety for the voiceless black citizens of his city. However, this man is obviously not accustomed to a mayor, and a white, southern mayor at that, standing up for the actual minority.
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Learn more
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