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Correspondence with June Bingham
THE INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDY
Princeton, New Jersey
Nov 15
Dear June:
Ursula and I were delighted with
your objective account of the pains of
defeat, which actually was a classic account
and very impressive. I hope Jack will enjoy
the law for a season until a more propitious
time. It was certainly unfortunate that he should
have been involved in that landslide.
I haven't read Moats book though Felix D. Frank:
furter wrote me about Dennis brogan's review
of the book in the London Times Literary
supplement. About his reference to my successor
the facts are always more complicated
than a simple history of them.
The mayor of Detroit appointed
me chair of an interracial commission, after
we had some post-war race riots. As a result
four Negro families came more and more
regularly to my church. They were all professional
people, and most of our people were proud
to have them come to our church. But they had
positions of responsibility in their churches
and both they and their churches rejected
the idea of joining us for obvious reasons.
I had taken up the matter of their membership
with my official board and they were very
willing, though I confess I don't know what
would have been the attitude if there had been
a large influx. But the matter was in abeyance
because of the reluctance of the Negroes.
They always taught in their own Sunday schools
before coming to our church. There the matter
stood, when I resigned to go to Union. It was
explained to my successor, a cocky young man
who announced a series of sermons on the issue
which were published widely and thoroughly
bedeviled the problem. He was not dismissed
on that issue but because of many factors,
but that issue was raised in the final meeting.
Excuse this long letter. We are keeping
busy with final revisions on the damned
book after criticisms by Kennan and Morgenthau,
two splendid critics.
Love to both of you
Yours
Reinie
Reinhold Niebuhr Papers: Library of Congress, Manuscript Reading Room
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