Women's Council for Interracial Cooperation Records

Access and use

Location of collection:
Old Dominion University
3023 Patricia W. and J. Douglas Perry Library
Old Dominion University
4427 Hampton Blvd
Norfolk, VA 23529
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Jessica Ritchie
Phone: (757) 683-4483
Fax: (757) 683-5954
Restrictions:

Open to researchers without restrictions.

Terms of access:

Before publishing quotations or excerpts from any materials, permission must be obtained from Special Collections and University Archives, and the holder of the copyright, if not Old Dominion University Libraries.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Box [insert number], Folder [insert number and title], Women's Council for Interracial Cooperation Records, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.

Summary

Extent:
0.60 Linear Feet and 1 Hollinger document case boxes
Creator:
Women's Council for Interracial Cooperation (Norfolk, Va.)
Abstract:
Founded in 1945 as an interracial organization designed to address concerns with education, health, and housing among the Afro-American community in Norfolk. Predecessor to the Norfolk Human Relations Council. Includes correspondence, newspapers clippings, minutes, reports, pamphlets, and membership lists. Bulk of the organization's records are in the archives at Norfolk State University.
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Box [insert number], Folder [insert number and title], Women's Council for Interracial Cooperation Records, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.

Background

Scope and content:

The Women's Council for Interracial Cooperation (WCIC) was an organization of white and black women devoted to fostering racial harmony. The records include the organization's constitution, minutes of meetings, correspondence, speeches, annual reports, member lists, booklets, pamphlets, programs, invitations, newspaper clippings and published articles. Of interest is a transcribed panel report titled, "How Norfolk Opened Her Schools," dated February 2, 1959, and Susan Slaughter's personal account of the "First Fifteen Years of WCIC." In addition, there is material relating to the inception and early history of the Human Relations Council, which superseded the WCIC.

Biographical / historical:

On April 17, 1945, eight black and eleven white women met in the vestry room of Ohef Sholom Temple in Norfolk. Mrs. Vivian Carter Mason had invited these women in order to consider forming an interracial committee. All the women present were active in civic organizations, and came from different religious backgrounds.

At that first meeting it was decided that such an interracial group could indeed be beneficial to Norfolk. Furthermore, they decided that their organization should be autonomous - not affiliated with any other organization, but working in cooperation with them.

Mrs. Mason was appointed temporary chairman and the group held meetings in May, June, and September. The first two meetings were devoted to establishing a constitution and coming up with a name. By December, there were 86 members.

Early in 1946, the WCIC was becoming active in the public school system, and worked with the public libraries and the Boy Scouts to notify the public of their humanitarian goals. These goals were: to improve city facilities for education, recreation, employment, and health; improve interracial attitudes; to seek equality of opportunity for everyone; and to work towards full citizenship privileges for all

The WCIC implemented these goals by calling attention to the need for more blacks in civic occupations; worked with health organizations in providing testing for diseases and public health information; held public meetings and other activities with nationally known speakers to advance the ideas of integration; and met with city officials concerning proper housing for the poor. For the first two years the group met in different churches and kept their files and printed materials in the homes of its officers and chairmen. Finally the WCIC was able to get space for an office and meetings at the YWCA. This lasted for several years.

As stress in Norfolk over the desegregation of public schools reached a climax, the WCIC found itself pitted against many opponents of desegregation. It became more difficult to find meeting places open to such a group. Also, when they did find a place, they often could not advertise their meeting because of criticism and possible censure it would draw towards those who allowed such a meeting to take place at their establishment. Consequently, for a period of time, the WCIC worked more "behind the scenes" than in the public eye. However the effectiveness of the group endured and through their studies and reports of other cities with integrated school systems, the group helped Norfolk overcome the crisis in 1958 when the public high schools were shut down.

Note written by Jan Halecki

Acquisition information:

Mrs. H. M. Silverman

Gift of Mrs. H.M. Silverman, president of the organization from 1955 to 1957. Accession #A82-13

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard