AKA heads for Capitol Hill on civil rights: 1964

AKA heads for Capitol Hill on civil rights: 1964

Julia B. Purnell, (far right) poses with other members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority May 16, 1964 before they head to Capitol Hill to lobby for passage for an unamended civil rights bill.

Purnell had been elected Supreme Basileus (president) of AKA the previous year.

The New York Amsterdam News dated May 23, 1964 printed an account of the lobbying day by Cathy White:

“Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority women from all over the United States filled the gallery of the United States Senate last Saturday when the national organization sponsored an ‘AKA Day in Congress’ to urge passage of the Civil Rights Bill.

“Officially labeled the largest delegation of women to visit the Senate en masse, they listed to Senator Eastland of Mississippi filibuster the Bill in inaudible monotones, drawing in dialect yet even-paced accompanied with slovenly manners and gestures.

“Senator Russell of Georgia continued when Eastland finished and matched him almost word for word as he negated the importance of the Bill. He read a long article from a New York newspaper to the court recorders in whisper-soft tones, and rambled endlessly in a careless and casual manner.

“The two Senators kept up the pace all through the day in an attitude not in keeping with the usual dignified decorum befitting the other distinguished gentlemen of the Senate. We wondered what requirements were needed to become a Senator of the United States.

“Senator Keating welcomed the New York members in his chamber and urged them to continue writing in support of the Bill as it stands, without compromise. He advised us to ‘write to those Senators who will most likely not vote in favor of the Bill and to those who have remained neutral thus far.’

“Delegates from other states were less fortunate. Senator Eastland was ‘too busy’ and Senator Russell was debating at length and would not come off the floor.

“Senators from most other states welcomed the ladies to the Senate and indicated they were impressed with the large numbers who attended the ‘Day,’ their intelligent questions, and their sentiments for the hard work being done by the Senators who are urging that the Bill be passed without compromise.

“Senator Ellender who had insulted the sorority of 40,000 was out for the day. He had written to the Supreme Basileus, Mrs. Julia Brogdon Purnell of Louisiana, in answer to her letter urging the passage of the Bill on behalf of the sorority.

“The Senator’s letter was filled with statistics of a derogatory nature and told Mrs. Purnell to ‘take her 40,000 sorors and go back to Africa.’

“Later in the afternoon a sizeable group journeyed to Arlington to National Cemetery to pay homage to President Kennedy who is buried there.”

Photo by Scurlock Studios. The image is. courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History: Archives Center.

Narrative source: Washington Area Spark Flicker page