Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

The papers in the Personal/Biographical File series are predominantly comprised of Charles Thomas' personal scrapbooks and documentation of his various legal battles. Thomas' role in the formation of WCBEDL, his involvement in local church sit-ins, and in political and social causes were well documented in local newspapers. These newsclippings comprise the bulk of the scrapbooks, which date mainly from the late 1960s and early 1970s. Thomas' legal battles are also well documented, with newsclippings, trial transcripts, court rulings, and materials gathered by Thomas to support his defense. Scattered throughout the "Legal Proceedings" files are Thomas' personal notes of the cases. From these, a researcher may be able to map out Thomas' legal strategies Of special interest is the "Red Squad Files" folder, containing copies of covert investigations of Thomas by state and local police. This series also contains a small personal correspondence folder, and biographical information such as birth and death certificates and obituaries. Researchers may also want to look in the Photographs series for photographs taken during the Black Action Movement (BAM) protest in March 1970.