Secret Oklahoma “Blacklist” of “Troublemakers” Challenged in Lawsuit
It was reported on this day that the state of Oklahoma maintained a secret list of political “troublemakers,” which contained 6,000 names.
About 2,000 were Oklahoma residents, while the others were national figures, such as the African-American activist Angela Davis. Some people on the list were reportedly denied employment as teachers and for other jobs.
The governor denied there was a “blacklist,” but admitted to “intelligence files,” which were shared with law enforcement agencies. A lawsuit was filed challenging the existence of the list.
The most famous blacklist in American history was the Hollywood Blacklist that began in 1947 involving actors, writers, directors and others who were, or were suspected of being, communists. President Truman’s Loyalty Program included the Attorney General’s List of Subversive Organizations, which resulted in the blacklisting of people associated with organizations that were listed.
Read about the Oklahoma “blacklist”: http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19701102&id=Y8cwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4HUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6626,2306499
Learn about the Hollywood blacklist: Thomas Doherty, Show Trial: Hollywood, HUAC, and the Birth of the Blacklist (2018)
And about the Attorney General’s List: Robert Justin Goldstein, American Blacklist: The Attorney General’s List of Subversive Organizations (2008)