The NCC Administration files, 1981-1989, are not complete but include minutes and agendas of meetings of the executive committee and governing board, the elected staff, the Cabinet and the staff conference. In addition there are copies (from different years) of the bylaws, constitution and standing rules of the Governing Board of the NCC. There is one folder of material on the Committee of Fifteen which was created in 1988 to study and report upon the future organization of the NCC.

NCC Resolutions, 1951-1989, include resolutions adopted by the Governing Board, policy statements and a few proposals and draft resolutions. They reflect the official NCC position on a wide variety of social and political issues including immigration, human rights, violence and racial strife, Latin America, the Middle East, agricultural workers and prison policies. The resolutions often originated in the various divisions of the NCC and were then presented to the Governing Board for approval. The files of the Racial Justice Working Group include drafts of proposals that were eventually submitted to the Governing Board.

The NCC and its various divisions sponsored many programs ranging from full scale conferences or consultation (as some of the programs were called) to lunchtime seminars and briefings. They also lent their support to national programs such as the 20th Anniversary Mobilization commemorating the 1963 March on Washington and the American Family Celebration in 1988. The files of NCC Sponsored Programs, 1981-1989, include programs, memos, minutes, agendas, correspondence and planning documents. Programs which were not extensively documented are filed chronologically by year. Separate files were created for programs for which there was a substantial amount of material. These include the two programs noted above as well as a Consultation on the Crisis in Robeson County in 1989. There is also a separate file for the National Conference on the Black Family/Community and Crack Cocaine, also held in 1989, for which Pitts served on the planning committee.

Amicus Briefs, 1984-1989, include briefs in which the NCC actually participated as well as proposals to the NCC for their support.

Miscellaneous Files, c.1982-1989, include scattered material on various committees and units of the NCC which are not a part of the Division of Church and Society, a few budget papers and some mailing and staff lists. There are separate files for the Africa Office and for the Division of Overseas Ministries/Church World Service as they are represented by more than individual items.

The DCS Administration files, 1979-1989, includes an incomplete record of agendas and minutes for meetings of the DCS executive committee, staff and unit committee. Several files of organization and program planning material document the history of the Division as well as its development and changing programs throughout the 1980's. Administrative files also include one folder of budget material and some miscellaneous papers.

The Ecumenical Minority Bail Bond Fund (EMBBF) was established in 1976 to provide bail for racially ethnic people who were poor, social dissenters or political activists. The Fund covers cases where there is an indication that because of prejudice toward the defendant, the bail process guaranteed by the Constitution is being abused by requiring excessive bail. Money for the fund is donated by NCC communions.

The records of the EMBBF, 1981-1989, include meeting agendas and minutes, correspondence, memos, planning documents, applications for aid, court papers and budget information. Among the notable cases in which the Fund supplied bail were those of Rita Silk Nauni, a Native American woman accused of killing a police officer and Rene Hurtado, a Salvadoran refugee seeker.

The most extensive documentation exists for the case of Eddie Hatcher and Timothy Jacobs, for whom the EMBBF posted bail. In 1988 Hatcher and Jacobs, both Tuscarora Indians, took over the office of The Robensonian, the daily newspaper of Lumberton, North Carolina. Their actions were calculated to draw attention to the discrimination against Blacks and Indians in Robeson County. The county had a long history of racial discrimination and official corruption and the case brought national coverage to the problems in the area. (Additional information in Robeson County can be found in the papers of the Racial Justice Working Group, in the Subject file on Robeson County and in NCC Sponsored Programs: Consultation on the Crisis in Robeson County 2/89). The papers relating to the Hatcher/Jacobs case, which include correspondence, memos, court documents and clippings, have been filed separately.

Other Working Groups include two folders of material on the Health and Welfare Working Group, 1986-1989, of which Pitts was a member and a file of individual items relating to various other working groups including the Evangelism Working Group and the Justice for Women Working Group.

The Racial Justice Working Group (RJWG) was founded in 1974 with the purpose of bringing “representatives of Church and Society together to share concerns and define issues and actions that promote racial justice.” The files of the RJWG, 1980-1989, document the policies, priorities and work of the group. The records include minutes, agendas, planning documents, reports, correspondence, memos, budget files and miscellaneous papers. The RJWG was made up of regional networks and their work and membership reflected this geographical diversity. Among the members of the group during the 1980's were Joseph Agne, Julia Estrella, Cindy Luft, Alfonso Roman, Loretta Williams and Michael Yasutake.

The RJWG addressed many issues during the 1980's including the sovereignty of Native American nations, justice for farmworkers, racial violence, the erosion of civil rights, and the situation of new immigrants and refugees. Specific topics include the land claims of Native Alaskans, discrimination in Robeson County, North Carolina, discrimination at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the farmworker's Grape Boycott. A 1985 East Coast Farm Labor Fact Finding Tour is documented by an itinerary, clippings and two extensive, but anonymous reports by participants. These items have been filed separately. The papers of the Prisoners of Conscience Project, directed by Mike Yasutake, which worked on the problems of political prisoners and more generally to change public policy on prisons, have also been filed separately.

The NICCR file, 1985-1989, includes memos, minutes and printed matter. Pitts was originally a consultant to NICCR which was founded in 1986. He also served as a director from 1987 to 1989.

A file on the Philippines, 1986-1989, while not extensive does include publications of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

Racial Violence/Hate Groups, c.1980-1989, contains clippings and printed matter from around the country. Much of the material is related to the KKK. For 1980, an extensive group of clippings from Birmingham, Alabama newspapers document the trial of Curtis Robinson (a black man accused of assaulting a Klan member), the discovery of Klan training grounds, and the suit on behalf of Viola Liuzzo (a civil rights worker slain in 1965). In addition to information on the KKK, there are articles about and printed matter from various “Hate Groups,” ultra-right political groups and blatantly white-supremacist organizations. In the latter category is a copy of a book called “The Turner Diaries” which some white supremacist groups claim as their blueprint for the future. It describes the takeover of the country by Aryans.

The files on Southern Africa, 1986-1989, include printed matter mostly related to South Africa, but also including Mozambique, Namibia and Tanzania. Organizations represented are the American Committee on Africa and the Africa Fund. Press clippings, 1988-1989, compiled by the Shell Boycott Committee make up half of the material.

The General Printed Matter, c.1982-1989, is made up of mailings, newsletters, reports, press releases and other general material from a variety of organizations. Among those represented are community groups, churches, social service agencies, advocacy groups and educational and political organizations. The material is arranged in alphabetical order by the name of the organization. This information is separate from the Correspondence because of its impersonal nature. It is not personally addressed to Pitts and much of it is undated. The material, however, is of interest as reflection of the many social and political issues which were before the public in the 1980's and for which NCC support was sought.

Clippings, 1984-1989, are divided into clippings related to the NCC and general clippings. Both groups are arranged chronologically by year.

NCC Publications, 1981-1989, include several issues each of Focus, Monday, and NCC News, and a file of miscellaneous NCC publications.

Publications, 1980-1989, include the publications of the NCC as well as other publications relevant to Pitts' work as Director for Racial Justice and to other religious issues.

Related publications are from the Center for Democratic Renewal, the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice, the World Council of Churches Programme to Combat Racism and from various other churches and organizations. The publications represented by more than one or a few issues are Weekly Update (1987-1989) from the Center for Democratic Renewal and Civil Rights Journal (1985-1989) from the United Church of Christ. These are filed separately. Miscellaneous issues of other publications are filed alphabetically by title.