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330:, who had friendly political ties with Crump, to do something to counter Crump's "fascist" denial of free speech, she refused. Her reply on December 18, 1943, to Randolph read in full: "I referred your letter to a friend of mine when I received it and I am sorry it has not been answered before. I was advised not to do anything, as it might do more harm than good." Church persisted and in 1944 urged Roy Wilkins of the NAACP to make stronger efforts to pressure the Roosevelt Administration to take action but to no avail.
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the group. Church's national political reputation also grew. Church was a delegate to the
Republican National Convention eight times, starting in 1912. In 1917, Church organized a Memphis branch of the NAACP, the first branch in Tennessee. Church became a member of the national board of directors of the organization in 1919, representing fourteen southern states.
311:, to succeed him as chair of the Shelby County Republican Party (which included Memphis). Martin shared Church's dream of a multi-racial and competitive GOP in Tennessee but he too was forced to leave Memphis because of Crump's strong arm tactics including police searches of every customer who entered his drug store and a threat to put him in the workhouse.
318:, decided to drop it because the Civil Rights Section of the Department of Justice investigation showed strong interest in a prosecution. Despite overwhelming evidence against Crump, however, top officials in the department, well aware of President Roosevelt's friendly ties with Crump, did not pursue it.
235:
in
Memphis to organize African-American political power inside the Republican Party. He helped organize voter registration drives and voting schools, and paying for poll taxes. The League sponsored a ticket in the 1916 election in Memphis, losing at the ballot box but establishing the importance of
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In 1940, Crump, who no longer regarded black
Republicans as an asset and was increasingly resorting to racist demagoguery, began a campaign of retaliation against Church. He greatly reduced Church's economic and political power in Memphis by arranging for the city administration to seize Church's
243:". He assisted in directing presidential campaigns for Republican party candidates in 1920, 1924, 1928, and 1936. As his activities were central in the Republican vote in Tennessee, he became an important figure in patronage appointments in West Tennessee during the presidential administrations of
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mansion and real-estate holdings for alleged non-payment of back taxes. Church left
Memphis. He wound up in Washington, D.C., where he was employed on civil rights projects for the Republican Party. Before he left, however, he made provision for one of his proteges,
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in
Chicago was strongly opposed, but he eventually was seated. Church's faction occasionally supported Democrats in Memphis politics, as the Republican Party was increasingly unable to succeed in city-wide elections. One noted example was family friend
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to visit
Memphis to speak out against Crump's suppression of free speech. Crump's subordinates responded by denying Randolph speaking venues by intimidating local black leaders into withdrawing invitations and shunning him. When Randolph urged
192:, the well-known civil rights activist and suffragist, was his half-sister, born from his father's first marriage to Louisa Ayres. Church was educated at parochial schools in Memphis and by private tutors. He later attended
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Church's career in
Memphis began as a cashier at his father's Solvent Savings Bank and Trust Company. When his father died in 1912, he succeeded him as president. He later resigned to manage extensive real-estate holdings.
201:
370:
in
African-American Members of the Tennessee General Assembly, 1873-1995, eds Bobby Lovett & Linda Wynn, Annual Local Conference on Afro-American Culture and History, 1995.
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In 1944, Church accepted an invitation from
Randolph to become a member of the board of directors of the National Council for a Permanent Fair Employment Practices Committee.
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branch in
Tennessee and was a member of the NAACP national board of directors. From the 1910s to 1940s, he was one of the most powerful political figures in his hometown of
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being Church's chief assistants. Church also saw opposition within the Republican Party in Tennessee. For example, Church's attendance at the
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Roberts, Stanley. Roberta Church Follows in Footsteps of Father, The Pittsburgh Courier (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) 25 Jul 1958, page
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219:, in DC on July 26, 1911. They had one child, daughter Sara Roberta Church. Church died of a heart attack on April 17, 1952.
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The New Deal's War on the Bill of Rights: The Untold Story of FDR's Concentration Camps, Censorship, and Mass Surveillance
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Biles, Roger. "Robert R. Church, Jr. of Memphis: Black Republican Leader in the Age of Democratic Ascendancy, 1928-1940."
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The New Deal's War on the Bill of Rights: The Untold Story of FDR's Concentration Camps, Censorship, and Mass Surveillance
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In 1942, Church lodged a complaint with the national committee of the Republican Party but, according to his friend,
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Church was born on October 26, 1885, to Robert Reed Church and Anna Susan Wright. He had one sister, Annette Elaine.
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152:(October 26, 1885 – April 17, 1952) was a prominent businessman and Republican Party organizer in
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By 1920, Church's power was increasingly being challenged by Memphis Democratic boss
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Company after his father's death. An African American, he organized the first
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River of Hope: Black Politics and the Memphis Freedom Movement, 1865-1954
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The Tennessean (Nashville, Tennessee) 7 May 1916, page 7, accessed via
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472:(First ed.). Oakland: Independent Institute. pp. 237–241.
299:, Emmett Scott, John R. Hawkins, James A. Cobb, and L. K. Williams.
172:. Forced to leave Memphis because of harassment by Democratic boss
448:, The Times (Munster, Indiana) 18 Dec 1941, page 9, accessed via
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Robert R. Church Jr. and the African American Political Struggle
517:(First ed.). Oakland: Independent Institute. pp. 4–7.
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At the peak of his career, Church was known as the "Colossus of
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In 1943, Church and Martin successfully persuaded labor leader
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208:. After schooling, he worked for two years on
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156:. His father was the successful businessman
559:(University Press of Florida, 2019.), see
16:American civil rights activist (1885–1952)
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590:Businesspeople from Memphis, Tennessee
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545:(University Press of Kentucky, 2014),
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565:online PhD dissertation version, 2011
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202:Berlin and Parkard School of Business
600:20th-century American businesspeople
367:Robert Reed Church, Jr. (1885-1952)
284:1928 Republican National Convention
255:. Church was credited with putting
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364:Roberta Church and Ronald Walter,
215:Church married Sara P. Johnson of
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309:Negro American (Baseball) League
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263:as postmaster general in 1923.
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162:Solvent Savings Bank and Trust
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605:Washington, D.C., Republicans
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446:Noted Mansion Loses Prestige
231:In 1916, Church founded the
194:Morgan Park Military Academy
78:Morgan Park Military Academy
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468:Beito, David T. (2023).
535:42.4 (1983): 362–382.
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150:Robert Reed Church Jr.
33:Robert Reed Church Jr.
595:Tennessee Republicans
198:Morgan Park, Illinois
541:Gritter, Elizabeth.
272:Josiah T. Settle, Jr
259:into the cabinet of
190:Mary Church Terrell
176:, Church moved to
141:Mary Church Terrell
120:Sara Roberta Church
501:Beito, p. 156-158.
492:Beito, p. 153-154.
323:A. Philip Randolph
307:, the head of the
158:Robert Reed Church
154:Memphis, Tennessee
66:Memphis, Tennessee
47:Memphis, Tennessee
555:Young, Darius J.
328:Eleanor Roosevelt
245:Warren G. Harding
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129:Robert Church Sr.
23:Robert Church Jr.
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316:Perry W. Howard
289:Watkins Overton
261:Calvin Coolidge
249:Calvin Coolidge
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109: 1911)
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99:Sara P. Johnson
84:Political party
74:Alma mater
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450:Newspapers.com
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423:Newspapers.com
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398:Newspapers.com
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297:Roscoe Simmons
276:George Klepper
253:Herbert Hoover
233:Lincoln League
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184:Personal life
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305:J. B. Martin
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293:Perry Howard
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257:Harry S. New
241:Beale Street
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149:
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60:(1952-04-17)
585:1952 deaths
580:1885 births
280:Baily Walsh
268:E. H. Crump
210:Wall Street
180:, in 1940.
174:E. H. Crump
132:Anna Wright
574:Categories
337:References
88:Republican
39:1885-10-26
549:also see
137:Relatives
125:Parent(s)
513:(2023).
206:New York
117:Children
170:Memphis
111:
103:
547:online
537:online
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278:, and
251:, and
223:Career
94:Spouse
68:, U.S.
49:, U.S.
166:NAACP
105:(
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519:ISBN
474:ISBN
392:and
55:Died
29:Born
204:in
196:in
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107:m.
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390:1
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37:(
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