SCV memo:

TO: Compatriots, Sons of Confederate Veterans
SUBJECT: Heritage Violation, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore Maryland

The Maryland Division, United Daughters of the Confederacy and the Col. Harry W. Gilmor Camp #1388, Sons of Confederate Veterans sponsor an annual General Lee and General Jackson Birthday Ceremony each year in January on the Saturday nearest to the birthdays of Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. Over the years, the ceremony has included participants from numerous hereditary, historical , military and patriotic organizations including the: Baltimore Civil War Roundtable, the Virginia Military Institute Alumni , the Virginians of Maryland, the Sons of Union Veterans, the Friends of President Street Station, the Army of Northern Virginia, Confederate Military Forces and a number of independent Confederate and Federal reenactment units.

Every year since 1988, the Johns Hopkins University has rented the Clipper Room in Shriver Hall, or on several occasions another facility, to the Son of Confederate Veterans to hold our post ceremony social gathering. However this year is different. The John Hopkins University has refused to rent the Clipper Room, or any other facility, to our organization. The sole reason given, per a Johns Hopkins representative, was that we are a “Confederate” organization. Make no mistake about it, we were not denied because the facility was unavailable, or for any other legitimate reason, we were denied because of who we are. In addition, the Hopkins representative stated that this ruling came directly from the President of the Johns Hopkins University, Mr. William Brody.

The Colonel Harry W. Gilmor Camp has had an excellent on-going relationship with the Johns Hopkins, Office of Scheduling for over 20 years. There has been absolutely no problem over this long period of time. We have always been good citizens toward Hopkins. We have paid our rent on time, we have always left the facility neat and clean, and there has never been any disturbance of any kind. A letter was written on September 22, 2008 outlining our long history with the University and appealing this unwarranted decision. By letter of October 14, 2008 from President Brody’s Office, we were again denied.

Because of this unfortunate situation, I must advise the SCV and UDC membership and the public at large that, should you decide to join us for the January 17, 2009 ceremony, you must understand that there will be no post event refreshments; and more importantly, no rest room facilities available before or after the ceremony. In addition, the ceremony may be substantially shorter than in previous years.

We are very sorry to report this to you, but feel that we must be candid with all that have supported us over the years. I can assure you that regardless of the number of participants and people attending, and regardless of this unjust action by Hopkins against our Confederate Heritage, the General Lee and General Jackson Birthday Ceremony will be held on Saturday, January 17, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. at the Lee and Jackson double equestrian monument in Wyman Park.

If you would like to contact President Brody to express your thoughts on this decision, his address is:
Mr. William R. Brody
President
The Johns Hopkins University
Office of the President
242 Garland Hall
3400 N. Charles Street
Baltimore MD 21218
Phone – Office of the President: 410-516-4351

You may also contact him at his e mail address : wrbrody@jhu.edu

Sincerely
G. Elliott Cummings
Adjutant
Col. Harry W. Gilmor Camp #1388
Sons of Confederate Veterans
Baltimore, MD

Les Kinsolving, who speaks at the event regularly, discussed the issue last night on his radio show on WCBM. The event has gone on with involvement of non-Confederate groups as well, including the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, the local Civil War Roundtable, and the Baltimore Civil War Museum. Our publisher, Jeff Quinton, is a past member of the SCV in SC and has attended the Baltimore commemoration of Lee and Jackson’s birthday before, including the refreshments in Shriver Hall.

Robbie Whelan of the Daily Record notes this story in context of the change in administration at JHU:

We’re not sure, exactly, if the incoming president will have any stronger sympathies for Confederate memorialists, but this little kerfuffle points to a larger question: Why, in Baltimore, is there still a statue commemorating generals Lee and Jackson? Given that what they stood for was, among other things, a divided America with a South that depended on slave labor, how must Baltimore’s 400,000 African-Americans feel about having such a statue in front of a public park — especially so close to one of the state’s most enlightened learning institutions?

From the Baltimore Sun:

Every January, descendants of Confederate soldiers gather in Wyman Park to march under the banner of the Confederacy, sing “Dixie” and lay wreaths at the monument to Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, legendary generals of the Confederate States of America.

And afterward, for 20 years now, everyone has gone across the street to the Johns Hopkins University for coffee and refreshments, with some of the 200 descendants and observers still wearing the uniforms of Confederate re-enactors and carrying the flag. But next year will be different.

[...]

“We’re not legally required to rent rooms to anybody who asks, and in this case we have chosen not to rent a room,” said Hopkins spokesman Dennis O’Shea. “We choose not to have the Confederate battle flag carried across our campus, particularly at that time of year, so very close to the Martin Luther King holiday.”

Members of the Confederate groups say they are victims of political correctness run amok. They say they seek only to honor their ancestors and that they have caused no problems in the previous two decades they have used Hopkins facilities. At first, they said, Hopkins gave them space for free. But then prices went up. The groups paid $375 to rent space in Shriver Hall last January.

“We’re being singled out for being the descendants of Confederate soldiers,” said G. Elliott Cummings, 69, adjutant of the Col. Harry W. Gilmor Camp of the Sons of Confederate veterans. “It’s our purpose to remember them and honor their service. … We’re proud of our ancestors. We have no political agenda whatsoever.”

The ceremony will go on. The groups get city permits to gather in the public park next to the Baltimore Museum of Art, where the monument of Jackson and Lee astride horses was dedicated in 1948.

[...]

In previous years, the ceremony has featured music from the Civil War period, a Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag, a salute to the Confederate flag, and a march from the southern end of the Hopkins campus down Wyman Park Drive to the monument. The march will be shortened this January so the groups do not step on Hopkins property.

“I can assure you there will be a celebration of General Lee’s and General Jackson’s birthday,” said Cummings, who counts 20 ancestors, including his great-great-grandfather, as Confederate soldiers. Lee was born Jan. 19, 1807, and Jackson on Jan. 21, 1824.

[...]

“I can’t encourage people to come if they’re going to be uncomfortable,” Cummings said. But he remained defiant. “They’re not going to deter us from having it. Maybe that was their intention, but that’s not going to happen.”

Hopkins officials said they have no control or desire to control what happens on public property.

[...]

Sons of Confederate Veterans released a letter from Brody’s executive assistant, sent after the group asked the university to reconsider its stance. “We have considered our decision and do not wish to change it,” said the letter from Brody assistant Jerome D. Schnydman, dated Oct. 14.

[...]

“You have a situation where we’ve let other people define us, and in the past haven’t spoken out as strongly as we should about other groups who have usurped the use of our flag,” said Michael K. Williams, commander of the Gilmor Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

He acknowledged that Hopkins is a private institution, but he said that because it receives federal money it must adhere to federal nondiscriminatory policies when it comes to renting space on campus. Williams said his group is a federally registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Marvin L. “Doc” Cheatham Sr., president of the Baltimore chapter of the NAACP, said his association supports freedom of speech but that he did not have enough information to wade into the debate over whether Hopkins was denying the First Amendment rights of the Confederate groups.

[...]

Don Cash, an NAACP national board member from Columbia, applauded Hopkins’ decision and said, “What that flag means to me is slavery.”

Related:
Pictures from the 2007 event
Sons of Confederate Veterans
MD Division, SCV
Gillmor Camp of the SCV