David Banks Records of Clergy and Laity Concerned of Kentuckiana

The David Banks collection documents the peace movement of the early 1970s on both the local and national levels. Sponsored by the parent organization of Clergy and Laymen Concerned, David Banks co-directed Clergy and Laity Concerned of Kentuckiana in Louisville from 1971 to 1973. These files detail the extent of his activities in that position and include his involvement with other peace organizations.

While focusing primarily on the Vietnam War, this collection also reflects the general political atmosphere of the early 1970s, the time of Nixon's re-election and Watergate. Concerned with these issues, David Banks wrote statements and correspondence on these matters. Thus political material concerning the peace movement, the Vietnamese War and domestic issues constitute this collection.

Much of the material in Box 1 describes David Banks' work with Clergy and Laymen Concerned of Kentuckiana in conjunction with the regional office of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). Working closely with AFSC, Banks and co-director Laverne Thorpe organized workshops, planned strategies and wrote appeals for support of the peace movement. Paperwork generated from their work comprised a large portion of this box. Staff reports outline their activities, along with articles, reports and pamphlets that provide background information.

Box 2 documents a major strategy of the national peace movement -- the Honeywell Project. Formulated by the national body of Clergy and Laymen Concerned, it consisted of two main objectives. The first was to focus protest on the industries that produced war components. The second objective was to raise the issue of corporate responsibility for war. The largest manufacturer of anti-personnel components, Honeywell was the target of their attack. Petitions, progress reports, letters of protest, and resolutions showed the intensity of the campaign on the national and local level.

Lists of active members and fund raising letters provide background for the Honeywell Project and other strategies. Lecture texts and copies of proposed legislation complete Box 2.

Box 3 continues the Peace Movement with more literature on amnesty and the implications of an automated war. It also includes varied liturgies for peace services and press releases on Clergy and Laymen Concerned strategies. Most interesting in this file is David Banks' project, "How Kentucky Pays for the War." This study breaks down the amount of funds required to meet human needs. With war funds diverted into peaceful projects, the study proposed that the needs could be met.