Letter from Harry S. Truman to Eleanor Roosevelt

HIT-166 Iruman, H. THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON February 11, 1950 fi Dear Mrs. Roosevelt: I read the letter of Mr. Henry Toombs which you sent me on February eighth with a great deal of interest. I'11 im- mediately get busy on it and see if something can't be done about it. Our difficulty in the southern situation is due to the fact that the people we have working for these Agencies, of course, are people who are steeped in violent prejudices affecting the negroes of the South. It is just as difficult as it can be to find people who have an idea of fair treat- ment for the descendants of the former slaves. I am doing everything I can educationally and otherwise to overcome that feeling. I believe we are making some progress par- ticularly in North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas and Texas. The most difficult situation is in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. We are particularly handicapped in Georgia on account of the attitude of the Governor but we are going to keep hammering at that thing and eventually we will get results. I appreciate most highly your interest. Sincerely yours thereforman Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt The Park Sheraton Hotel 202 Fifty Sixth Street West New York 19, New York