1956 - Interview with Delegate James Thomson (WDBJ)
- US Civil Rights Era
1956 - Interview with Delegate James Thomson (WDBJ)
Delegate James Thomson of Alexandria chaired the 10-member Committee on Law Reform and Racial Activities, also known as the Thomson Committee. The General Assembly enacted a law in 1956 to establish a committee to investigate the activities of organizations involved school integration. Although Thomson did not explicitly name the NAACP as its prime target, he said during a hearing that this legislation would help 'bust that organization...wide open.' Investigatory hearings were held in Farmville, Prince Edward County, and Norfolk. Subsequently, the committee issued subpoenas to NAACP members in Arlington, Fairfax, and Alexandria. Thomson indicated that persons called before the committee would be protected with confidentiality, but the interviewer questioned what an individual would have to have done to be summoned before the committee.
US Civil Rights Era | June 28, 2006
