Subject Matter Expert (SME) - Civil Rights Blog #11:
Department of Justice’s Classification 144 - Civil Rights Records (Part 2)
Ray Bottorff Jr
This is the second part of a blog about civil rights case files in the Department of Justice records. Part One focused on the organization and history of the Civil Rights Division, and can be found here. The focus of this blog is Classification 144 itself, and what can usually be found in those records.
History of Civil Rights Record-Keeping
The original filing scheme used by the Department of Justice was the Straight Numerical Files. When a new case was created, it was assigned a new number in sequential order. This “straight numerical” process was replaced with the classification filling scheme around 1912.
Around 1910, the agency determined that all lynching correspondence to the Justice Department, the Attorney General, and the White House would be collected into one file grouping. Before 1910, such letters were collected by the Attorney General. The filing number assigned to keep such correspondence, and later case files, was 158260. These records would come to be known as “The Lynching Files.” Further information on The Lynching Files can be found in a previous History Hub post.
For over a century, the Department of Justice case files have been divided into classifications. Classification 144 is the classification involving civil rights. Each classification is usually identified with Federal laws, an act of Congress, or a legal or administrative subject.
A portion of a file cover for a Department of Justice case. Case # 144-19M-183 [Frank Ray; Melvin Clements; Loran Lovan Taylor - Victim; Roland L. Gay - Victim]. National Archives Identification Number: 218719651
Above is a close-up image of a file cover, referencing the Department of Justice file number. The first number you see here, marked by the number 1, is the classification number. The second number you see is the judicial district subclass number. This subclass represents the judicial region in which the incident took place. The final number, identified here as number 3, is the generic sequential numbering assigned to each file.
The image example above shows this was the 183rd file number for the civil rights classification 144 and judicial district subclass of 19M, which represents Atlanta, Georgia.
What Can Be Found in Classification 144 Records
The National Archives at College Park maintains the case files for civil rights investigations by the Civil Rights Division. All of these records are organized in Record Group 60: General Records of the Department of Justice, 1790–2002.
There are two primary series of Classification 144 records in this record group:
- Correspondence records are in the entry A1-COR 144: Class 144 (Civil Rights) Litigation Case Files.
- Enclosure records are in the entry A1-ENC 144: Class 144 (Civil Rights) Litigation Case File Enclosures.
You can see more in the National Archives Catalog. Some case files are digitized.
In the Catalog, you can identify which records are correspondence records, as their container identifier numbers include the letters COR (for example, “COR 373” represents correspondence box number 373). Enclosure records are identified with ENC.
Correspondence records are primarily internal correspondence within the Justice Department. Additionally, the records may contain correspondence with the Attorney General, local federal prosecutors, or with other agencies, in particular, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Enclosure files contain items related to the primary correspondence files, but originally separated from the main body of records by the Department of Justice. Enclosures can include original envelopes that have information on them but no longer contain the original records, government publications like Congressional reports or hearings, or even photographic records. Sometimes, the records may contain information related to court proceedings.
Often the records contain correspondence addressed to the Justice Department, the FBI, the Attorney General, or the President. These letters were then forwarded to the case file. This external correspondence could come from the parties involved in the case or from their family members, even years after the case was closed.
Many Classification 144 correspondence and enclosure records are available to the public, but a portion of those records could be subject to access restrictions. You can read more about access restrictions on our website.
From case # 144-3-24 [Elbert C. Bledsoe, Ira D. Vail; George Williams - Victim]. From the series Class 144 (Civil Rights) Litigation Case Files and Enclosures, 1936–1997 under Record Group 60, General Records of the Department of Justice. National Archives Identification Number: 246238839. On page 3.
Above is an example of an Office Memorandum from FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover from case file number 144-3-24 to the Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division T. Vincent Quinn. If you follow the yellow arrow on the image, you can see the initials of JEH in blue ink right next to “From.” These initials are from Hoover himself as he only used blue ink.
Until 1957, local FBI field offices were primarily responsible for investigating civil rights violations, and FBI reports were included in the Classification 144 case files. The FBI reports can contain a summary of events, witness statements, coroner’s inquest, descriptions of the parties involved, and other pertinent information concerning the incident.
From case # 144-3-21 [John Hammoc, Marvin Hudson; Edward Veasey - Victim]. FBI field office file number MO (Mobile) 44-7. Page 2. From the series Class 144 (Civil Rights) Litigation Case Files and Enclosures, 1936–1997 under Record Group 60, General Records of the Department of Justice. National Archives Identification Number: 245050646.
Some case files contain original or copies of newspaper clippings, especially from African American newspapers. Unlike the mainstream newspapers, which often told the events from those in power, the African American press provided differing viewpoints of these incidents as seen through the lens of the Black community.
Below is an example of a clipping from the January 30, 1954, front page of the Miami Whip. The photograph from the front page is of Eugene White, who was shot in the leg in an alleged act of police brutality.
From case # 144-18-348 [E. F. Corlew; Gerald Brown, Jr., et al - Victims]. On page 74. From the series Class 144 (Civil Rights) Litigation Case Files and Enclosures, 1936–1997 under Record Group 60, General Records of the Department of Justice. A newspaper clipping from The Miami Whip, Saturday, January 30, 1954, from the front page. The photograph is of Eugene White. National Archives Identification Number: 218719173.
Case files may also include a Notice to Close File, which are record-keeping documents. These notices confirmed that the case was no longer active and was being filed away. Sometimes, though, they might include interoffice Charge-out Slips which track when and to whom the case file was charged-out to. These documents provide clues as to when the DOJ reviewed the closed cases again, considering new information. The files could include Case Briefs that gave a concise summary of the incident.
A Confirmation Memorandum confirms no further action was contemplated. The example given below is an office memorandum confirming case 144-75-119 was now closed.
From case # 144-75-119 [Lewis Winchester; J.T. Jackson - Victim]. On page 2. An office memorandum confirming no further investigation was to be contemplated in this case. From the series Class 144 (Civil Rights) Litigation Case Files and Enclosures, 1936–1997 under Record Group 60, General Records of the Department of Justice. National Archives Identification Number: 230294410.
Confirmation receipts of internal Department of Justice correspondence and correspondence with other federal agencies are found frequently in the records. These receipts are usually just copies of a simple letter confirming receipt of the correspondence that were sent to the sender.
In the case of external correspondence with a return address, there is usually a copy of a letter reply thanking the message sender for sending the correspondence. Often, it was a simple reply stating the matter was being investigated.
Lastly, there are often handwritten letters, telegrams, postcards, and so on, from people concerned about the case but not parties to the case themselves. The amount and scope of such correspondence increases significantly the greater the notoriety of the incident was.
The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice stands over time and today as the seminal bulwark in enforcing civil rights laws. The records under Classification 144 are a remarkable, often tragic, and ultimately important window on the American struggle to enforce civil rights across the country.