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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.

The Washtenaw County Black Economic Development League (WCBEDL) Files series is the heart of this collection. Charles Thomas devoted the last 25 years of his life to WCBEDL, which provided financial support for the educational goals of the area's black youth, as well as serving as a training center in the areas of communication, electronics, and construction. Local churches provided most of the funding for WCBEDL, but their support was hard won. The folders in the "Church Relations" sub-series contain a copy of the "Black Manifesto", describe area congregations' reactions to Thomas' reading of it, the subsequent sit-ins, and the formation of the Inter-Faith Coalition of Congregations (IFCC). Researchers should also check the "Funding Sources" folders for other sources of funding. An overview of classes offered at WCBEDL is in the "Classes" files, including folders on the after-school and summer youth programs. Recipients of scholarships and their progress reports are in the "Community High School" and "Washtenaw Community College" sub-series. Multimedia classes offered to Community High students are in the "Community Resources Program" folders within the "Community High School" file. WCBEDL was also interested in the construction of energy-efficient family living spaces, as documented in the "Community Development Center" and "Construction Projects" files. The "Board of Directors" files, which contain correspondence and meeting minutes, are an excellent way to document the activities of WCBEDL, although there are no records from the 1980s and 1990s.