Carl Braden was a trade unionist, journalist, and activist who was known for his work in the civil rights movement.
11 Facts About Carl Braden
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Carl Braden worked for the Louisville Herald-Post, The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Louisville Times, and The Courier-Journal.
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Carl Braden wrote for other news services including The Harlan Daily Enterprise, the Knoxville Journal, the New York Daily News, the Chicago Tribune, the St Louis Globe-Democrat, Newsweek, and the Federated Press.
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Carl Braden denied the accusations that his purchase of the house and its subsequent bombing were all part of a "communist plot", and denied that he had ever been a member of the Communist Party.
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Carl Braden was convicted on December 13,1954, and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
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Carl Braden's wife, Anne, carefully chronicled the ordeal and used it as the basis for her book The Wall Between, published in 1958, which was a runner-up for the National Book Award and featured a back-cover blurb from Eleanor Roosevelt.
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When compelled to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee, Carl Braden refused to answer questions posed to him, saying the questions were not relevant to the mandate of the committee and violated his First Amendment rights.
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The court ruled against Carl Braden, saying his conviction was constitutional.
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Carl Braden was sentenced to a year in prison, and a drive for clemency in his case was led by Martin Luther King Jr.
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Carl Braden was released after serving nine months of the sentence.
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Carl Braden died suddenly of a heart attack on February 18,1975, and is buried in Eminence Cemetery in Henry County, Eminence, Kentucky.