NCJ Number
122017
Journal
Southern Exposure Volume: 8 Issue: 2 Dated: (Summer 1980) Pages: 31-42
Date Published
1980
Length
12 pages
Annotation
Although the Justice Department's Community Relations Service (CRS) was originally established under Title X of the 1964 Civil Rights Act to aid civil rights struggles, its efforts in Greensboro, N.C., following the shootings in 1979, as well as in other cities, indicate it is more interested in eliminating confrontational civil rights efforts per se.
Abstract
Following the Greensboro shootings on November 3, 1979, when Klansmen and Nazis opened fire on demonstrators from the Communist Workers Party, an assortment of human rights organizations chose November 18 for a religious service and a peaceful, unarmed demonstration to protest the killings. Prior to this date, the CRS invited itself into the city. Instead of working with the groups and the local authorities to ensure that the march could occur without violent incident, the CRS proceeded to undermine the group leaders' commitment to the march through misinformation, "red-baiting," and innuendo. Through CRS initiatives, various group members and leaders became convinced that violence was inevitable if they proceeded with the march. In other cities as well, CRS activities have focused on gathering intelligence on civil rights leaders and seeking to influence them to abandon all confrontational tactics likely to fuel conflict. Through its questionable tactics, the CRS is attempting to undermine all civil rights initiatives that are in any way confrontational.