Braden, Carl, 1914-1975

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Carl Braden was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. Braden left school at sixteen to begin a career in journalism. In October 1954, Carl and Anne Braden were indicted in Louisville under a state sedition law by the Jefferson County Grand Jury after the house they purchased for a Black family (Andrew Wade) was bombed. The charges against Mrs. Braden and five other people were dropped, but Carl was held under bail of $40,000, tried and found guilty of sedition for having incited the bombing. He was fined $5,000 and sentenced to fifteen years in prison. His wife campaigned for his release, and, in 1956, after he had served eight months, the Kentucky Court of Appeals reversed his conviction.

In September 1957, both Bradens became full-time field organizers for the New Orleans-based Southern Conference Educational Fund (SCEF), while continuing to live in Louisville. They also edited the Southern Patriot, the SCEF newspaper. In this capacity the Bradens worked closely with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and the Southern Student Organizing Committee (SSOC).

In July 1958, the Bradens were subpoenaed to testify before the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) in Atlanta, Georgia; Carl Braden appeared and refused to answer questions about participation in the integration movement. In 1961 he was indicted for contempt of Congress, and was sentenced to a year in prison; he served 9 months.

In 1966 the Bradens succeeded Dombrowski as co-directors of the Southern Conference Educational Fund. In 1971 Carl retired as executive director. Carl Braden died of a heart attack on February 18, 1975.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn United Packinghouse, Food, and Allied Workers. Records, 1937-1982. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
referencedIn Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Executive Director Ella J. Baker files, 1958-1960. Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Center
referencedIn Rabin, Jack, 1945-. Jack Rabin collection on Alabama civil rights and southern activists, 1941-2004 (bulk 1956-1974). Pennsylvania State University Libraries
creatorOf Braden, Carl, 1914-1975. Carl and Anne Braden papers, 1928-2006. Wisconsin Historical Society Archives
referencedIn Cedric Belfrage Papers, Bulk, 1945-1985, 1922-1990, (Bulk 1945-1985) Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
referencedIn King, Slater. Slater King papers, 1955-1968. Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Center
referencedIn National Coordinating Committee to End the War in Vietnam. National Coordinating Committee to End the War in Vietnam records, 1964-1967. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
referencedIn National Committee against Repressive Legislation (U.S.). Records, 1952-1980. Wisconsin historical society
referencedIn James A. Dombrowski papers, 1918-1983 Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
creatorOf Roberts, John M. Papers, 1960-1967. University of Michigan
referencedIn Guide to the Daily Worker and Daily World Photographs Collection, 1920-2001 Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
referencedIn American Legion. Jefferson Post No. 15 (Louisville, Ky.). Records of the American Legion Jefferson Post No. 15 (Louisville, Ky.) 1919-1988. The Filson Historical Society
referencedIn Du Pont, Ethel Bidermann, 1896-1980. Ethel Bidermann Du Pont : papers, 1914-1980. The Filson Historical Society
referencedIn Victor Rabinowitz Papers, Bulk, 1955-1980, 1918-2003, (Bulk 1955-1980) Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
referencedIn Madison Measure for Measure. Records, 1965-1979. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
referencedIn National Committee Against Repressive Legislation. Records, 1948-2003. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
creatorOf Roberts, John M. John M. Roberts papers, 1960-1967. University of Michigan
referencedIn Schomer, Howard, 1915-2001. Papers, 1928-2001. Andover-Harvard Theological Library
creatorOf Carl and Anne Braden Papers, 1928-2006 Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
referencedIn Episcopal Society for Cultural and Racial Unity (U.S.). Episcopal Society for Cultural and Racial Unity executive director files, 1959-1970. Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Center
referencedIn Committee for Miners. Records, 1963-1965. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
referencedIn Belfrage, Cedric, 1904-. Papers, 1922-1990 (bulk 1945-1985). Churchill County Museum
referencedIn Wells, Lynn. Papers, 1967-1975. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
referencedIn Committee to Combat Racial Injustice. Records, 1957-1965. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
referencedIn Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Executive Director Wyatt T. Walker files, 1952, 1960-1964. Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Center
referencedIn Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Executive Director John L. Tilley files, 1957-1959. Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Center
referencedIn Anne McCarty Braden papers University of Louisville, Ekstrom Library
referencedIn Subject Files, 1964–2011 John F. Kennedy Library
creatorOf Braden, Carl, 1914-1975. Carl and Anne Braden Papers, 1954-1964. University of Kentucky Libraries
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Sound Recordings of Oral Arguments - Black Series, October 1955–December 1972 National Archives at College Park
Relation Name
associatedWith American Legion. Jefferson Post No. 15 (Louisville, Ky.) corporateBody
associatedWith Appalachian Economic and Political Action Conference. corporateBody
associatedWith Appalachian Economic and Political Action Conference. corporateBody
associatedWith Appalachian Provisional Organizing Committee. corporateBody
associatedWith Appalachian Provisional Organizing Committee. corporateBody
associatedWith Belfrage, Cedric, 1904- person
spouseOf Braden, Anne, 1924-2006. person
associatedWith Committee for Miners. corporateBody
associatedWith Committee to Combat Racial Injustice. corporateBody
associatedWith Communist Party of the United States of America. corporateBody
associatedWith Dombrowski, James, 1897- . person
associatedWith Dombrowski, James A. (James Anderson), 1897-1983. person
associatedWith Du Pont, Ethel Bidermann, 1896-1980. person
associatedWith Episcopal Society for Cultural and Racial Unity (U.S.) corporateBody
associatedWith Erwin, Charles W. person
associatedWith King, Slater. person
associatedWith Madison Measure for Measure. corporateBody
associatedWith McCarthy, Joseph (Joseph Raymond), 1909-1957. person
associatedWith National Committee against Repressive Legislation (U.S.) corporateBody
associatedWith National Committee to Abolish the House Un-American Activities Committee Southern Regional Office. corporateBody
associatedWith National Committee to Abolish the House Un-American Activities Committee. Southern Regional Office. corporateBody
associatedWith National Coordinating Committee to End the War in Vietnam. corporateBody
associatedWith Rabin, Jack, 1945- person
associatedWith Rabinowitz, Victor. person
associatedWith Roberts, John M. person
associatedWith Schomer, Howard, 1915-2001 person
associatedWith Southern Christian Leadership Conference. corporateBody
employeeOf Southern Conference Educational Fund. corporateBody
associatedWith Southern Conference for Human Welfare. corporateBody
associatedWith United Packinghouse, Food, and Allied Workers. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Congress. House. Committee on Un-American Activities. corporateBody
associatedWith Wade, Andrew IV. person
associatedWith Wells, Lynn. person
associatedWith Wilkinson, Frank. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Louisville KY US
New Albany IN US
Subject
African Americans
American newspapers
Civil rights
Community organization
Discrimination in housing
Labor unions
Prisoners
Sedition
Women journalists
Occupation
Journalists
Activity

Person

Birth 1914-06-24

Death 1975-02-18

Information

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Ark ID: w69d7qc1

SNAC ID: 87851819