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| Calvin C. Hernton From blackpast.org |
The following letter was written by Calvin C. Hernton to Lee Lorch. At the time, Hernton was teaching at Benedict College, and Lorch was a math professor at Philander Smith College. Hernton and Lorch had met in the mid-1950s at Fisk University, where Hernton was a graduate student in sociology and Lorch a professor of mathematics. Lorch had been dismissed from Fisk in 1955. He had been called before the House Un-American Activities Committee after trying to enroll his (white) daughter in a Black elementary school, and his testimony was used as grounds for dismissing him from the university. Many students – including Hernton – protested against Lorch's dismissal.
Lorch's professorship at Philander Smith was his first job after being dismissed from Fisk. Hernton received his M.A. from Fisk in 1956 and then worked as a social worker in New York City before moving to Benedict in 1957. At Benedict, he taught history.
Hernton's letter is dated April 6, 1958, after he'd been at Benedict for about a year. This was towards the end of the governor's attacks on Allen and Benedict. A few months earlier, in February, a six-man college committee had reported that they had found no incidents of faculty promoting communism on campus. This temporarily brought the college a reprieve, although Hernton's letter indicates that many faculty were still fearful of being dismissed. Later developments proved that those fears were valid. A month after Hernton's letter, on May 2, the three professors accused of being communists (J. S. Kennard, Marion Davis, and Lewis Smith) were informed that would be summarily dismissed from the university if they did not resign within four days. The professors did not tender their resignations, so on May 7, the Board of Trustees announced that their contacts would not be renewed. All the professors had left the college by the start of the next term.
It is not totally clear what happened with Hernton. Although he would been a natural target of political attacks, his name never appeared in public discussion about the governor's attacks on the college. However, he did leave the college at the end of the year. He spent the remainder of the 1950s teaching at HBCUs in the south, working at Alabama A. & M. (1958-59), Edward Waters College (1959-60), and Southern University and A. & M. (1960-61).
Dear Dr. Lorch:
This is Calvin Hernton. I know it must be astounding (if not offensive) to be hearing from me suddenly like this after three years of oblivion. Especially, since the occasion for this letter is forced by the need of a favor. I do wish to say however, that although I have not written since being the object of your humanity at Fisk, I have thought frequently of you and the things you stand for, and have followed newspaper accounts of whatever struggles you have undertaken.
Since leaving Fisk I have been involved in a number of things in and around New York. This last year I came to Benedict College as an instructor of History. Upon arriving here, I immediately joined in the struggle that was going on -- the struggle of Allen University against the racist and facistic-like [sic] segregationists of this state as led the governor. As I know you are well up on the struggle here (which new enwraps Benedict College also), I shall not belabor the case through its every detail. I would like to mention though (again, as you probably know) that one of the most damnable forces against progress is the fact that the black people who are in positions to lead and wheel [wield?] influence, 95% of them are collaborationists with the white bigots against the interests of their own people. The tzarist-like rule of ignorant college administrators, backed by the "downtown crew", accounts for more than half of the desolation in the efforts of those here who have and are pushing the fight. I mean the fight not only centered around the propossed [sic] ousting of certain instructors at both college, not only the challenge Allen and Benedict to withstand the efforts of the state white supremist [sic] dictatorial actions, but the struggle of Negroes to enter a university to which a large percentage of their taxes go. Fundamentally, one lone woman in the local community and a half dozen professors in the academic arena, stand to carry this three-cornered struggle, while in the background the people in positions to lead are doing everything they can to halt progress and discredit those who are doing and would do otherwise. But who am I talking to -- I'm sure this is old stuff for you.
One more specific incident is worth mentioning. A month ago I obtained rights from Leften Mitchell to produce his play, A Land Beyond The River, the play about the South Car. school integration suit. This was to be a joint affair between the faculties of Allen and Benedict. Finally, after much hedging and 'politicting', a cast was secured and rehearsals got underway. Once the people got into the play, they liked it very much, and there was enthusiasm. The date of performance was scheduled April 29. We are not having the play now.
Three days ago the presidents of the two college meet [sic]. (pressure had already been put on some faculty members to withdraw, but to no avail) Subsequently, an Allen faculty meeting was called in which the president (dictator) stated, without any reasons at all, that there would be no play this year. The thing that infuriates me is that no body had guts enough to challenge or merely ask WHY? They are all scared stiff of losing their indecent jobs!
And this brings me to the main point of this letter: they have a way of waiting until the last day in May before firing instructors who do not have tenure and who have not conducted themselves like a "good little Nigra teacher". I do not have tenure and I know I have not been a good little boy. I would therefore appreciate it if you should know of any openings (at any place) in the Social Studies area, and would recommend me and let me know very soon. I shall write directly to the president of Philander Smith shortly; but it's always good if one is recommended by someone already employed where you are seeking a job; it helps sometimes, they say.
So if it is not too much please let me hear from you. Meanwhile, I send my fondest wishes and please remember me to Alice and Mrs. Lorch.
Sincerely yours,
Calvin C. Hernton
The text of this letter from taken from the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections at York University (Call no. 2007-054/025(16).)
