February 10, 1961:
The Rock Hill Herald, which was and still is the local newspaper, took a very biased stance when covering the Civil Rights events especially when covering the Friendship 9. A woman named Margaret H. Gregg wrote a letter to the Rock Hill Evening Herald that was surprisingly published. She wrote in opposition against the students’ jailing and sentence saying it was, “a violation of a cardinal principle of Christianity – equality before God.”
February 11, 1961:
The day before the motorcade visited the Prison Farm, Rev. Cecil Ivory wrote a letter to the Herald editor saying he and the NAACP did not have “the distinguishing honor” of planning their refusal of bail. By saying that the NAACP did not plan this using the words that he used, he was still able to praise the actions of the Friendship 9.
February 12, 1961:
A popular African American newspaper that covered the Civil Rights movement accurately, as journalists should, published a letter Clarence Graham (one of the 9) wrote to his parents the night before the Friendship 9’s arrest.
Dear Mom and Dad:
By the time you read this, I suppose you both will be upset and probably angry, but I hope not. I couldn’t tell you but this morning I wanted to, but just didn’t know how.
I want you to know that this is something that I really and truly want to do. I just have to. I want you both to be proud of me, not angry. Try to understand that what I am doing is right. It’s not like going to jail for a crime like stealing, killing, etc., but we’re going for the betterment of all
colored people.You must realize it’s time I made some decisions for myself now. After all, I’m almost grown and I do want you both to try and understand this is something that I’ve thought about very seriously.
Really, I just couldn’t be at ease with the rest of my friends and classmates up there and my knowing I should be there too. So try to see things my way and give us, the younger generation, a chance to prove ourselves, please. And most of all, don’t worry.
Pray for us.
Your son,
Clarence
