The American Jewish Congress and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, in a joint report on the status of civil rights in the United States during 1949, today drew attention to the sharp contrast between the "encouraging advance on the state and local levels and the failure of the United States Congress to enact a single civil rights law during the year."
At the same time, the report warned of the "ominously increasing recourse to violence by groups intent on maintaining existing discriminatory and racist patterns" and, in a sharp criticism of local law enforcement officials, asserted that "in each instance of unchecked violence, the police forces were guilty of laxity or inadequate preparation." The 71-page report, "Civil Rights in the United States in 1949; A Balance Sheet of Group Relations," was released by Dr. David W. Petegorsky, executive director of the American Jewish Congress, and Roy Wilkins, acting secretary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, as the second in their annual series of joint reports.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
