10 july 1968 & sclc, poor peoples campaign activists regroup in the city

"Our plan is to make all of Washington Resurrection City."
                                                                 Ronald McMillan, SCLC

#OTD 10 July 1968 The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) shared the new goals and needs of the Poor Peoples Campaign at the Capitol East Leadership Council (CELC) meeting held at Keller Memorial Lutheran Church (907 Maryland Ave, NE). The CELC was an umbrella organization for near Northeast neighborhoods.

Harry Klinefelter, SCLC Church Liaison Officer, and Tom Torosian, Group Ministry Program Director, shared that the current needs included "(a) a halfway house for women (b) a reception center for people coming out of jail and (c) housing for 30 persons presently billeted in Va."

Ronald McMillan, part of the SCLC team stationed at Keller Memorial, shared that "the SCLC had established offices and centers in the four different parts of the city and were trying to get the people of Washington involved in the goals of the SCLC. Our plan is to make all of Washington Resurrection City."

The photograph above shows the last of the PPC activists leaving the Hawthorne School (501 I St, SW) late last night. The final 60 or so residents were part of the group that had been moved to a farm in Virginia, to a seminary in the city and to individual homes. Ray Robinson was one of the last to leave the school and he was ready to continue the struggle. I'm just going to start building a foundation. A place to live. And then...."

Your comments are welcome below. Did you, family members and neighbors stay at Hawthorne School? Where did you go next? Do you know which local seminary? Do you know which farm in Virginia? Were you a member of CELC? Were you a member of Keller Memorial? Do you recognize anyone in the photograph? You may comment privately here.

Photo source: Courtesy DC Public Library Special Collections, Evening Star Photo Collection, 9 July 1968. Walter Oates, photographer. 

Sam Smith Papers, DC Public Library Special Collections, DC Community Archives. Collection 159, Subject Files - Capitol East Leadership Council. "Statement of Purpose," 13 February 1968; Minutes of July 10, 1968 meeting.
"Capitol Police Balk Attempt to Demonstrate," Evening Star 9 July 1968.