Found a myspace page dedicated to Manual Talley www.myspace.com/manueltalley

1918-- Born in Denver, Colorado;....1922-brother Munroe dies of diphtheria;.... 1944 or 1945-- Jailed for refusal to register for draft. Went on a highly publicized hunger strike to protest segregation in the prison dining hall. Within several months the dining hall was integrated. .......... 1947-- With F.O.R. and Julius [or Cornelius] Steelink, Talley organized the first National Draft Card burning. .......... 1948-- Talley is appointed the first Field Representative for the Los Angeles Chapter of the Congress on Racial Equality (C.O.R.E), leading sit ins, demonstrations and boycotts against businesses who refuse to serve or employ African-Americans. 1949-- Oklahoma Librarian Ruth Brown, which became a widely publicized case of civil rights, reports to Houser that " a visit by CORE Field Worker Manuel Talley gave the group a much needed boost........... 1950-- Talley leaves CORE.....Eventuall he organnizes National Consumers Mobilization for Fair Employment ..........1956-- Talley receives a letter from Martin Luther King, Jr., agreeing with Talley that a boycott of the Los Angeles Transit System would not be advisable, but thanking him for his support. [This letter is published in "The Papers of Martin Luther King, Volume 3, 1997]. .......... 1960-- Talley goes to the United States Supreme Court. The case is called "Talley v. California, 362 US 60." Manuel Talley was distributing leaflets in front of a store urging consumers to boycott of products produced by companies that did not have fair employment practices, that is did not employ African Americans. The police were called and informed him that there was a law that the name and address of the producer of such handbills must be printed on them. Talley took the case to court, stating that this law was in violation of the first Amendment of the United States Constitution, Freedom of Speech. In March of 1960, the Supreme Court upheld Talley's argument. This case is highly important and often referred to in questions of freedom of speech, including freedom of speech on the internet.... 1963 May 8, Talley begins a fast to gain 100,000 signatures on a petition demanding voting rights to blacks in the south. Ends the fast on July 2nd, when goal of 100,000 signatures has been achieved. Later that same year, the US Commission on Civil Rights puts out it's 1963 report calling for protection of southern black voters, which leads to the 1965 Voting Rights Act......... 1986--Died, Los Angeles.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/ajtalley/gGB4F2/commentary

I am a civil rights baby, in the truest sense of the term.
My African American father, Manuel D. Talley, committed his life to the struggle. In his 20's, he refused to be inducted into a segregated armed forces. As a result, he was incarcerated in a segregated prison. He then embarked on a highly publicized hunger strike until the warden agreed to desegregate the dining hall.

In 1948, he met my mother, a petite blonde co-ed at UC Berkely. The laws against intermarriage were still in place in California. They were repealed in 1949, and my parents wed in 1950. Soon they had three children, and Dad was still on the forefront of the battle.

Dad led many civil rights activities in the 1950's and '60's. From sit-ins to boycotts to "testing" landlords and employers, to leafletting, Dad continued his dedication to the cause. He took cases to court, and always won. He even took a free speech case to the US Supreme Court (Talley v. California) which is still being used as precedent in current cases.

American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California Records
Processed by Manuscripts Division staff; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé

UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections

Manuscripts Division
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
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© 2003

Finding Aid for the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California Records, ca. 1935-
[ Box 97 ]
[ Folder 18 ]
Handbill Case - Manuel D. Talley