The Charles Thomas, Jr. papers relate mainly to the activities of WCBEDL, the organization founded by Thomas in 1970. Materials in the collection include scrapbooks, trial transcripts, newsclippings, photographs, and correspondence, (including four letters from Coretta Scott King located in the WCBEDL correspondence file).
Charles Thomas, Jr., was born on November 29, 1937, in Wilson, Arkansas. He died on August 2, 1994 in Ann Arbor, Michigan at the age of 56.
When Thomas was young, his family moved to Ypsilanti. He never finished high school, opting instead for a career in the military, which started at age 14 when an overzealous recruiter let him join the Army. Thomas was sent to the Korean conflict, but was discharged when his true age was revealed.
In 1955, Thomas was old enough to join the Marines, with whom he remained until 1967 when he retired with the rank of sergeant. Returning to Ann Arbor, Thomas soon became heavily involved in the Civil Rights movement. His activities, including some brushes with the law, led to the monitoring of his actions by the local and state authorities. From this time until the mid-1970s, the Michigan State Police collected information about Thomas, which became part of the so-called "Red Squad Files." Although primarily concerned with the rights of African-Americans, Thomas was active in any struggle in which he perceived oppression. He was the chairman of the Committee to Recall [Washtenaw County] Sheriff [Douglas] Harvey in 1969, and a supporter of the Welfare Rights Organization.
Thomas was known for his confrontational style. In 1970, he "took over" several church services in primarily white congregations to read the "Black Manifesto", which demanded financial reparations to blacks from the white community in payment for racial oppression. When a church failed to respond to his demands, Thomas would stage a sit-in, joined by members of the Welfare Rights Organization and the newly formed Washtenaw County Black Economic Development League (WCBEDL). Despite initial resistance, the sit-ins were instrumental in the creation of the Inter-Faith Coalition of Congregations, which provided the main source of funding for WCBEDL.
WCBEDL was a non-profit organization located at 340 Depot Street in Ann Arbor. The WCBEDL-sponsored Community Development Center, built in part by BEDL construction students, was equipped with TV cameras, sound equipment, a dark room, and computers. Young people were trained in computer use and repair as well as photography, journalism, and FCC license requirements. WCBEDL sponsored scholarships for students to attend Community High School and Washtenaw Community College. In the mid-1970s, Thomas began an after-school and summer enrichment program, providing recreational opportunities for young people and exposing them to cultural centers and the arts. For his dedication to minority youth, Thomas received commendations from the Huron Valley Association of Black Social Workers in 1973, and from the Ann Arbor City Council in 1977.
In addition to his work at WCBEDL, Thomas was interested in providing affordable housing to Washtenaw County residents. He was one of the first in the community to explore passive solar housing, and was active in several minority construction industry associations.
After Thomas died in 1994, a scholarship for African-American youth was established in his name at Washtenaw Community College.
