Speak Out! For the Release of Plainfield's Black Hostages

Title: Speak Out! For the Release of Plainfield's Black Hostages

Author: Plainfield Joint Defense Committee

Publication: Plainfield, New Jersey: Plainfield Joint Defense Committee, 1969.

Description: A flyer appealing for support of Bobby Lee Williams, Gail Madden, amd George Merritt, Jr. Text and illustrations in black, on white paper. 11 x 25.5-inch sheet folded into six unnumbered 8.5 x 11-inch panels. Minor wear to the top edge of panel [1], else Near Fine. In the summer of 1967, white police officer John Gleason shot Bobby Lee Williams, a young Black man, in Plainfield, New Jersey. Gleason was subsequently killed in the unrest that followed. Merritt and Madden were convicted for his murder, while Williams was facing trial. The flyer provides background on the arrests, trials, and convictions, raising questions about the judicial process and asking the reader for contributions and assistance with speaking out about the cases. Worldcat shows nine institutional holdings.