National Emergency Civil Liberties Committee facts for kids

The National Emergency Civil Liberties Committee (NECLC) was an organization in the United States. It started in October 1951. About 150 teachers and religious leaders formed it. Their main goal was to protect important freedoms listed in the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution. These freedoms include the right to speak freely, practice any religion, travel, and gather peacefully. For its first 20 years, a special group of leaders made all the decisions for the NECLC.

Why the NECLC Was Started

The NECLC was created by people who cared deeply about civil rights. They disagreed with another group, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The ACLU chose not to directly help people accused of breaking the McCarran Act (1950). This act was about groups thought to be trying to overthrow the U.S. government.

Corliss Lamont, one of the founders, later said that other groups weren't strong enough in defending civil liberties. The ACLU only offered legal advice in these cases. But the NECLC directly helped defend those who were accused.

In the 1960s, Henry di Suvero, who led the NECLC, explained their difference. He said the ACLU only took cases where civil liberties were clearly violated. The NECLC, however, took cases that were "not so clear." He had left the ACLU because he wanted to be more involved in helping people and supporting important causes.

Some people suspected the NECLC was connected to communist groups because of who they defended. But di Suvero said the NECLC learned to help all kinds of people, including students, prisoners, and the poor. Corliss Lamont, the chairman in 1971, stated that the NECLC was not linked to any political party. He said it defended the freedoms of all Americans, no matter their beliefs.

Clark Foreman, who had worked for government programs before, was the director of the NECLC from 1951 to 1968.

Standing Up During the McCarthy Era

The 1950s was a time known as the McCarthy Era. During this period, many people in the U.S. were very worried about communism. In 1953, another group called the American Committee for Cultural Freedom claimed the NECLC was a "Communist front." They said the NECLC didn't truly care about freedom. The NECLC replied that they were against communism and other strict governments. They said they believed in civil liberties to make America strong and democratic.

Clark Foreman also spoke before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1956. He defended Paul Robeson, a famous singer and activist. Robeson was accused of being a communist, and the government wouldn't give him a passport. Foreman helped him try to get it.

The NECLC's first very important court case was Kent v. Dulles in 1958. In this case, the Supreme Court decided that the government could not stop people from traveling without a very good reason. This was a big win for the right to travel.

Protecting Rights After McCarthy

After the McCarthy Era, the NECLC won several important civil rights cases. In 1965, they won a case that said a part of the McCarran Act was against the U.S. Constitution. This part had required members of the Communist Party to register with the government.

Also in 1965, the NECLC helped Corliss Lamont win a case. He had challenged a law that made people ask the Post Office for permission to receive communist publications from other countries.

In 1968, the NECLC worked to protect the rights of young people in schools. They supported an 11-year-old student who wanted to circulate a petition to remove his school principal. They also spoke out against rules that stopped girls from wearing pants to school.

A New Start for the NECLC

In 1968, the NECLC changed how it was organized. It became a group where its members had more control over its policies. The group hoped to attract members from the ACLU who wanted a more active approach. Especially, they wanted to help with cases about the military draft and protests against war.

Around the same time, the NECLC started a project to challenge the system of all-white juries in some Southern states.

In March 1976, the NECLC represented James Peck. He was a young Freedom Rider who had been badly beaten by the Ku Klux Klan in 1961. Peck sued the FBI, saying they knew about the planned attack but did nothing to stop it. After many years, Peck won $25,000 in 1983.

In the 1980s, the NECLC successfully helped a child welfare worker in Pennsylvania. This worker had revealed illegal actions by his bosses. This case was called Prochaska v. Pediaczko (1981).

In 1983, the U.S. government denied a visa to Hortensia Allende. She was the widow of Salvador Allende, a former Chilean president who died violently. The NECLC won court decisions in 1988. These decisions stated that the government's action was against the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952.

In June 1990, the NECLC sued the Department of the Treasury. The Treasury was still banning art from Cuba. This was despite a law from 1988 that allowed "informational materials" to be freely traded. The Treasury changed its rules in response to the lawsuit in April 1991.

In 1998, the NECLC joined with another group called the Center for Constitutional Rights.

Awards

On December 13, 1963, the NECLC gave Bob Dylan its Tom Paine Award. This award recognized his efforts for civil rights. The ceremony took place in New York City.