DIY History | Transcribe | Social Justice | May Tangen Christmas Letters, 1961-1974 | 1969-11-30 May Tangen to St. Marksers, The Moores, The Engels, Donna, The Johnsons, The Lanes, The Thayers and The Tisingers

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May Tangen Christmas Letters, 1961-1974

1969-11-30 May Tangen to St. Marksers, The Moores, The Engels, Donna, The Johnsons, The Lanes, The Thayers and The Tisingers

Box 54, Rust College
Holly Springs, Mississippi 38635
November 30, 1969

To St. Marksers, the Moores, the Engels, Donna, the Stanleys, the Johnsons, the Lanes, the Thayers, the Tisingers: 

I'd like to see you and greet you all together, you blessed people. Oh, I know you aren't all at St. Marks now, but you are all together in my heart. I just set up the one pink advent candle I have left over from last year's supply, wondering if I shall break boycott to get more so I can display four at a time. My room is so cluttered that I had to find place in my table by starting a filing system on the floor. So I make room for the Christ also, I hope, in my thinking. It takes some doing to break through commerc-ialism to make Christmas. Today I cry carefully led my Junior High Church School class into Jesus' will in regard to giving by presenting Matthew 25: 34-40 to them and they came through as no other class I have had did. They decided the Biafrans fit the people who were Jesus' brothers. So I read UMCOR's Inasmuch to them. Now I realize that the Lanes and Johnsons and Thayers and Tisingers have done the same thing when they were in my class, but they are used to giving and it was not foreign to them. Yet these children are not poor. One of the boys (when I sounded them out last Sunday) wrote "I want a walkie-talkie. Jesus want a walkie-talkie for his birthday?"

I was really warmed by the note in VISION which stated that St. Marks is con-tinuing to send its 4th Sunday offering to the Women's Dormitory Fund here this year also. Have you heard that the women are moving into the building this next week? The dedication will be December 14th, at the same time that the new library, named the Leontyne Price Library, and the new men's dorm are dedicated. I'm sure the Sentinel carried the story of the fearful and wonderful way that the dorms have gone up. It was a sight worth seeing.

The library isn't ready for occupancy yet. They keep moving the date along. But even if we are not occupying on the 14th, the landscaping is about complete and the exterior is looking better every day. 

The faculty and staff are canvassing for fund for the Phys. Ed. Bldg. among the Holly Springs whites and NEgroes with all kinds and degrees of success: some come back with $1000 pledges, some with nothing, Mr. Jackson and me, a team, got $10. (But we are to go back so there may be more for Mr. J. and me). Mr. Jackson is my boss, a handsome young black. We make quite a pair and maybe the whites can't quite take this in.... until I talk and display my Northern accent. But Mr. Jackson does the talking for us. 

Coming back to giving, the WSCS voted itself gifts for Christmas, drawing names "again this Christmas, and let's pay more this year as one dollar isn't enough." I hope my disgust didn't show. I would skip the meeting, but I am chairman of the program committee this month and can't. So I sent to Cokes-bury for a $1.00 key ring with the Methodist emblem on it -- notice the 1. 

I keep skipping around. I meant to add in the canvassing paragraph that the canvassing for funds is going on at the same time that the city people are boy-cotting. This had to be explained by letter to the editor -- Rust College is still buying in Holly Springs, whatever else individuals are doing. Now NAACP with college faculty leadership isgetting in to counteract the town's people. It ^(NAACP) has been very quiet these two years I've been here and it's is time for non-nilitant group to counteract the militants. Maybe they'll get together when the canvassing is over. 

Loved your letter!
Best wishes to all for Christmas and the New Year! May

Saving...

Box 54, Rust College Holly Springs, Mississippi 38635 November 30, 1969 To St. Marksers, the Moores, the Engels, Donna, the Stanleys, the Johnsons, the Lanes, the Thayers, the Tisingers: I'd like to see you and greet you all together, you blessed people. Oh, I know you aren't all at St. Marks now, but you are all together in my heart. I just set up the one pink advent candle I have left over from last year's supply, wondering if I shall break boycott to get more so I can display four at a time. My room is so cluttered that I had to find place in my table by starting a filing system on the floor. So I make room for the Christ also, I hope, in my thinking. It takes some doing to break through commerc-ialism to make Christmas. Today I cry carefully led my Junior High Church School class into Jesus' will in regard to giving by presenting Matthew 25: 34-40 to them and they came through as no other class I have had did. They decided the Biafrans fit the people who were Jesus' brothers. So I read UMCOR's Inasmuch to them. Now I realize that the Lanes and Johnsons and Thayers and Tisingers have done the same thing when they were in my class, but they are used to giving and it was not foreign to them. Yet these children are not poor. One of the boys (when I sounded them out last Sunday) wrote "I want a walkie-talkie. Jesus want a walkie-talkie for his birthday?" I was really warmed by the note in VISION which stated that St. Marks is con-tinuing to send its 4th Sunday offering to the Women's Dormitory Fund here this year also. Have you heard that the women are moving into the building this next week? The dedication will be December 14th, at the same time that the new library, named the Leontyne Price Library, and the new men's dorm are dedicated. I'm sure the Sentinel carried the story of the fearful and wonderful way that the dorms have gone up. It was a sight worth seeing. The library isn't ready for occupancy yet. They keep moving the date along. But even if we are not occupying on the 14th, the landscaping is about complete and the exterior is looking better every day. The faculty and staff are canvassing for fund for the Phys. Ed. Bldg. among the Holly Springs whites and NEgroes with all kinds and degrees of success: some come back with $1000 pledges, some with nothing, Mr. Jackson and me, a team, got $10. (But we are to go back so there may be more for Mr. J. and me). Mr. Jackson is my boss, a handsome young black. We make quite a pair and maybe the whites can't quite take this in.... until I talk and display my Northern accent. But Mr. Jackson does the talking for us. Coming back to giving, the WSCS voted itself gifts for Christmas, drawing names "again this Christmas, and let's pay more this year as one dollar isn't enough." I hope my disgust didn't show. I would skip the meeting, but I am chairman of the program committee this month and can't. So I sent to Cokes-bury for a $1.00 key ring with the Methodist emblem on it -- notice the 1. I keep skipping around. I meant to add in the canvassing paragraph that the canvassing for funds is going on at the same time that the city people are boy-cotting. This had to be explained by letter to the editor -- Rust College is still buying in Holly Springs, whatever else individuals are doing. Now NAACP with college faculty leadership isgetting in to counteract the town's people. It ^(NAACP) has been very quiet these two years I've been here and it's is time for non-nilitant group to counteract the militants. Maybe they'll get together when the canvassing is over. Loved your letter! Best wishes to all for Christmas and the New Year! May