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Core Expels Chapter for Anti-semitic Remark by Its Officer

May 31, 1966
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The Congress of Racial Equality disclosed here that it had expelled its Mount Vernon chapter as an aftermath of an anti-Semitic remark made by a chapter officer.

Clifford Brown, then educational chairman of the chapter, told an audience of 100 persons, including Jews, that “Hitler made one mistake, he didn’t kill enough of you.” The shouted remark came at the height of a heated meeting on school integration of the Mount Vernon Board of Education last February 3.

James Farmer, then CORE national director, called the remark “intolerable” and ordered an investigation, Several members of CORE’s national board, including Will Maslow, American Jewish Congress executive director, were not satisfied with Mr. Farmer’s reaction and resigned. Later, Mr. Brown apologized and he resigned. In announcing the expulsion, CORE said it had “to spend thousands of man-hours disavowing bigotry.” A spokesman said that there had been a sharp drop in contributions to CORE which currently has a $200,000 deficit.

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