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A.A.A. to Be Asked to Withdraw Approval from Hotels Practicing Bias

December 22, 1955
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The New York Automobile Club took action today at its annual meeting to get the national American Automobile Association to withhold its seal of approval from any hotel, motel or restaurant which discriminates against Jews and other minorities.

The action which also includes implementation, came after spokesmen for the Jewish Labor Committee, in their capacity as members of the New York AAA, brought the matter before the annual membership meeting of the club. The resolution introduced by William Wolpert, executive director of the United Hebrew Trades and Emanuel Muravchik, national field secretary of the JLC, was unanimously adopted. William Gottlieb, the club’s president, promised to appoint a committee of members of the club who are concerned with civil rights problems, to help in the implementation.

The decision of the AAA came after both Wolpert and Muravchik displayed evidence of hotels which held the seal of approval that discriminate against Jews. The AAA up to the time of the meeting, had refused to discuss the matter with representatives of any legitimate civil rights or labor organization. Today’s reversal came after Mr. Muravchik told the members and the board of directors that legal steps would be taken to prevent circulation of the AAA accommodation directories in those states where anti-bias laws were in effect.

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