Commodore Hotel Bars Bill of Rights Dinner in NYC
The 1961 banquet for Emergency Civil Liberties Committee (founded October 8, 1951), scheduled for later in the month, was abruptly dropped on this day by the Commodore Hotel in response to right-wing pressure.
Although the banquet had been held there in 1960, hotel management said that “certain things” made them “question the benefit” of allowing it to proceed in 1961.
A court ordered the hotel to allow the dinner, with the judge calling the hotel’s action “indecent” and “un-American.” About 1,000 people attended the December 15 banquet, while members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars picketed outside.
The National Emergency Civil Liberties Committee merged with the Center for Constitutional Rights in 1998.
Learn more about the National Emergency Civil Liberties Committee: http://www.corliss-lamont.org/neclc.htm
Learn about a famous incident involving Bob Dylan at the 1963 ECLC dinner: http://www.corliss-lamont.org/dylan.htm
Visit the Center for Constitutional Rights web site
Read about the life and work of Corliss Lamont here