Negro Mother Harassed by Klan - LDF Seeks U.S. Intervention

Press Release
July 25, 1969

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Collection
- Press Releases
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- LDF
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- 869196a1-b992-ee11-be37-00224827e97b

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Press Releases, Volume 6. Negro Mother Harassed by Klan - LDF Seeks U.S. Intervention, 1969. 869196a1-b992-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/7258d8a3-78ee-4236-8f68-e133c7556f01/negro-mother-harassed-by-klan-ldf-seeks-us-intervention. Accessed August 19, 2025.

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149 

Presiden: 

Bo. Francis E. Rivers 

PRESS RELEASE bir counsd 
egal efense und Jack Greenberg 

Director, Public Relations 

NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC. jos Deveridsi 
10 Columbus Circle, New York, N.Y. 10019 * JUdson 6-8397 NIGHT NUMBER 212-749-8487 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

July 25, 1969 

NEGRO MOTHER HARRASSED BY KLAN 

LDF Seeks U.S. Intervention 

NEW YORK, NEW YORK--The Justice Department was asked to protect 

a South Carolina mother of five whose children have been beaten 

and whose house has been shot up and burned. 

Jack Greenberg Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense 

and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), sent a telegram to Attorney 

General John R. Mitchell in which he asked federal protection for 

Mrs. Victoria DeLee who has been fighting for school desegregation 

in Dorchester County, South Carolina since 1965. 

Ridgeville is a small town northwest of Charleston in Dor- 

chester County, South Carolina. There are four roads leading into 

Ridgeville, and on all four of these roads is written in big red 

painted letters "Kill Tory, Kill Tory." 

Tory refers to Mrs. Victoria DeLee, a black resident of 

Dorchester County who has been leading a school integration fight, 

almost by herself, since 1964. 

Mrs. DeLee and her husband have five children. Mr. DeLee 

works for a Federal Arsenal in Dorchester County. Both parents 

are determined that their children will receive a decent education, 

but their struggle hasn't been easy and very often its been 

dangerous. 

On November 13, 1966, Mrs. DeLee's house and all her belongings 

were burned by the Klan. In fact, the Klan continues to harrass 

the DeLee's family without let-up. Two weeks ago, Mrs. DeLee 

received a threatening letter from the Klan and two days ago 

a Klan rally was held in a field next to her house and a five 

car motorcade drove slowly past her house so she could see the 

might of the Dorchester Klan. 

In an affidavit, Mrs. DeLee states: "Since enrolling my 

children into previous all-white schools in Dorchester County 
Harleyville-Ridgeville High School District No. 3, I have encoun- 

tered a number of critical problems, abuse, harrassments; including 

firing of guns into my house by white agitators, beating of my 

children and children of other Negroes while school officials stood 

by without giving them any aid." These incidents have occurred 

between 1964 and 1967. 

Mr. Greenberg's telegram said in part, "I urge that you order 

an immediate investigation of these blatant violations of the 

civil rights of this family before it is subjected to serious 

harm." 

=30= 

NOTE: Please bear in mind that the LDF is a completely separate 

and distinct organization even though we were established by the 

NAACP and those initials are retained in our name. Our correct 

designation is NAACP Leqal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.» 

frequently shortened to LDF.

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Negro Mother Harassed by Klan - LDF Seeks U.S. Intervention

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