Keep Your Eye On The Prize: The 100 Years Struggle

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1963 was a very prominent year for the Civil Right s struggle.

Jessie Bailey was just one out of numerous young African Americans in the Unites States who took to the street protesting in a non-violent manner the segregation practices in the south.

The violence encountered by the non-violent protesters in Birmingham, Alabama prompted President John F .Kennedy to propose a Civil Rights bill. A, Phillip Randolph who had organized the black Pullman porters along with Bayard Rustin organized a march on Washington.

African Americans all over the United States emerged on our Nation’s Capitol and heard
Martin Luther King, Jr., give his famous I Have A Dream Speech.

African Americans returned from Washington re charged in their quest for freedom. On
September 15, 1963, a cloud darkens that enthusiasm as a result of a bombing at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. There had been many bombing
Throughout the movement b but this one was the most despicable crimes of the Civil Rights movement. Four young girls attending Sunday school Denise McNair, Cynthia Wesley, Carol Robertson and Adie Mae Collins ages eleven through fourteen were killed when a bomb exploded at the Church. Twenty others were injured. The Church was a center for civil rights meetings and just a few days earlier, the courts had ordered the desegregation of Birmingham schools.

The violence did not stop there. On November 22, 1963 the civil rights movement received a severe blow, when President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated in
Dallas, Texas.

Jessie Bailey thought she was fighting against segregation in Greensboro N.C. Little did she know that her actions would lead to the United States Supreme Court ordering the re-opening of the schools in Farmville, Virginia in 1965, so that her unknown relatives could receive an education.

Associate Justice Felix Frankfurter retired after suffering a stroke in 1962. Lead by Hugo
Black, the United States Supreme Court ordered Prince Edwards’ county schools to reopen in 1965. In writing the opinion for a unanimous Court, Black stated that the time
for mere deliberate speed had run out and that the phrase can no longer justify denying
these children their Constitutional rights.

Following upon P resident Kennedy’s recommendation, President Lyndon Baines Johnson over-came southern resistance and achieved the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Passed under the Interstate Commerce clause, the Act prohibited discrimination in public facilities, government and employment. It abolished the Jim Crow laws of the south and made it illegal to compel segregation of the races in schools, housing, and hiring.

In 1964, the world would learn about another despicable act carried out by cowards
hiding behind white hooded bed sheets. On June2 1,1964,three political activists were murdered outside Philadelphia, Mississippi for their participation in the voter registration of blacks.

The killing of James Chaney, a 2l years old black man from Meridian, Mississippi,
Andrew Goodman, a 20 years old anthropology student from New York, and Michael
Schwerner, a 24 years old Jewish social worker also from New York occurred one day
After the three men arrived in Mississippi after attending a week long training in regards
to black voter registration strategies.

The three men were on route to Longdale to inspect the ruins of black civil rights active
Church destroyed by arson when they were pulled over for an alleged speeding violation.
They were released after being held for several hours, and Chaney the driver was fined.
After a $25,000.00 reward w as offered, the FBI found their bodies two months later just
6 miles southwest of Philadelphia, Mississippi. Goodman and Schwerner had each been shot in the heart, while Chaney had been shot three times following a severe beating.

On June21, 2005 on the 41st anniversary of their murders an appropriately named Edgar Ray Killen was convicted of three counts of manslaughter.

This atrocity coupled with the unprovoked attack on March 7, 1965 in Selma, Alabama
by state troopers on peaceful marchers on route to the state capitol as they crossed the
Edmund Pettis Bridge and the beating death of James Reed a catholic priest by white
Supremacist persuaded the President and Congress to overcome southern legislators
Resistance to effective voting rights legislation.

President Johnson signed into law on August 6, 1965, the voting rights act that applied a nationwide prohibition against the denial or abridgement against the right to vote based on literacy test. Although the act did not prohibit poll taxes, the U.S. Supreme Court held poll taxes to be unconstitutional under the 14th amendment.

100 years after the Civil war, 100 years after the signing of the emancipation
Proclamations, southern Blacks through a horrendous civil rights struggle finally regained the civil and political rights they had obtained through Congress during the reconstruction era.

The clip was narrated by radio journalist, Robert Lorei.

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Michael Jordan To Become The New Majority Owner Of The Charlotte Bobcats

With minutes to go before his exclusive negotiating window was to close, Michael Jordan, the legendary NBA hall of famer struck a deal late Friday night to buy the controlling interest of the Charlotte Bobcats. The deal places the six-time NBA champion in charge of the money-losing team in his home state of North Carolina.

Current owner Bob Johnson announced in a statement that he’s agreed to sell the Bobcats to Jordan, who has been a part-owner running the team’s basketball operations since 2006. Jordan has been running the team’s basketball operations.

The purchase price and details of Jordan’s ownership group – called MJ Basketball Holdings LLC – weren’t immediately available. A spokeswoman for Johnson and a spokesman for Jordan said neither man was available for comment early Saturday.

The sell must still be approved by the league’s owners.

Jordan was in competition with former Houston Rockets executive George Postolos, who also had an ownership group together to buy the team. However, according to Postolos Jordan had the exclusive right to buy the club until just before midnight Friday night.

Just like in his playing days, Jordan hit another last-second shot – reaching a deal minutes before the deadline.

“I remain committed to becoming an NBA owner, and I’m glad that Michael will continue to bring his talent to the sport and the league,” Postolos said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. “He’s very, very committed.”

It will end Johnson’s stint as the first black majority owner of a major professional sports team. Jordan becomes another black owner in another milestone for the Hall of Famer, but one that comes with many challenges.

Jordan, a five-time NBA MVP and 14-time All-Star, has made millions lending his name to sneakers, apparel and other items. Now he’ll begin a completely different role, trying to make the Bobcats a winner, and the franchise and Charlotte’s downtown arena profitable.

After paying $300 million for the expansion team that began play in 2004-05, Johnson has accumulated about $150 million in debt and the team is expected to lose tens of millions this season as they struggle to draw fans and find sponsorships.

Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television, shook up management several times before recruiting Jordan to be a minority investor while giving him the final say on all basketball decisions.

Jordan, who turned 47 this month, has had a unique role with the Bobcats. General manager Rod Higgins runs the day-to-day basketball operations and Jordan has rarely attended practices or games, or worked on the marketing side of the operation.

Jordan has had some missteps – drafting the disappointing Adam Morrison No. 3 overall in 2006 – but he was also able to lure Hall of Famer Larry Brown to become coach at the beginning of last season.

Jordan and Brown have made seven trades involving 21 players since the start of last season. The November acquisition of Stephen Jackson from Golden State has helped Charlotte get into playoff contention in the Eastern Conference.

But attendance has still lagged, and Jordan has been criticized in Charlotte for rarely being seen – despite his iconic status in the state.

Jordan grew up in Wilmington, N.C., led North Carolina to the 1982 national championship with a last-second shot, then remained one of the state’s favorite sons when he starred with the Bulls.

Jordan’s first stint as an NBA executive came with the Washington Wizards, where he was roundly criticized for drafting Kwame Brown with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 draft.

He changed roles when he returned briefly as a player, then was fired by owner Abe Pollin in 2003 when he tried to return to his role running the basketball operations.

No one will be able to fire Jordan after he takes control of the Bobcats, and it’s likely the team will not change much in the front office.

Jordan’s close friend, Fred Whitfield, is team president, and Higgins was Jordan’s hire.

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WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED

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As spring approached the A& T protesters had expanded the protest to Kresses which also had a segregated lunch counter. Arrest were now being made for trespassing.

The academic school year was now coming to an end and college students would be going home for the summer. The protest however would continue with the arrival of the mighty, mighty Dudley High School Panthers.

Seeing no end to the protest on the part of the African A merican students, the Woolsworth’s store manager decided to integrate the store on July 26, 1960.

Curtis and Mariah were happy that the protest had ended without harm to anyone.

There may not have been any physical harm suffered but just like the protesters behind the school desegregation litigation there were consequences experienced by at least one of the four freshmen.

David Richmond was born in Greensboro, NC and had graduated from Dudley High School where he set the state’s high jump record in 1959.

While attending NC A &T State University, he majored in Business Administration and Accounting.

David became a counselor coordinator for the CETA program in Greensboro.

After a threat was made on his life, as a result of participating in the 1960 protest, David left Greensboro and moved to Franklin, N. C.

Returning back to Greensboro to care for his elderly parents who had become ill, David was labeled a trouble maker for standing up for his civil rights. David had a difficult time finding employment. Eventually he was able to find employment as a janitor at a health-care facility.

Sadly David Richmond died in 1990 at the age of 49.

Mariah and Curtis off-springs, now with children of their own, supported the sit-ins but was unable to participate. Their daughter Sadie had graduated from Bennett College and was now employed as the Dietician at Palmer Memorial lnstitute,
along with her husband Charles Bundrige. The youngest daughter Marie was now married to Frank Morris.
They had two kids, and Frank was employed at P. Lorrilard Tobacco Company working the third shift. During the day, Frank attended NC A &T working on an accounting degree.

Their son Curtis Jr. had married Alice Webb and they had four children of their own. Their youngest child would have the pleasure of working with David Richmond in the Ceta Program.

Bill and Shirley had eight kids. Jesse,their second oldest daughter was now a student at Dudley H igh School. Bill and Shirley’s beautiful and eloquent daughter had been inspired by the sit-in movement. So were other young African Aamericans including Jesse Jackson who became president of A&T’s student body. Later in life, he would be the first A frican American to run for the President of the United States. As student body president, Jesse Jackson would lead a protest to desegregate the Mayfair and S&W Cafeterias. Jesse Bailey would be one of the participants. After receiving her parents blessings to join the protest she and other protesters including Jesse Jackson were arrested in downtown Greensboro in 1963.

This was very distressful to Curtis and Mariah. By now young African Americans all over the United States were protesting and standing up for their rights.

Bull Connors, the police commissioner from Birmingham, Alabama was providing daily evening news coverage as he attacked the non-violent protesters with dogs and water hoses.

Curtis and Mariah, immediately posted bail for their granddaughter.

Please join us tomorrow on Febone1960.net as we continue our exploration of the non-violent protest.

I’m Yvonne Johnson, the first black elected Mayor of Greensboro, NC.
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ALL DELIBERATE SPEED

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The Brown decision which found segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional, was handed down on May 17 , 1954.
The Supreme Court ordered desegregation to proceed with all deliberate speed” It was February 1960 and not only had the
schools not desegregated, but the ppor conditions in the African American school-s continued.

Further the authorities in Prince Edwards County Virginia had closed all the public schools black and white and used public
funds to set up private academies for white students only.

The video audio of Attorney Robert Carter: ” The problem with the all deliberate speed was that it compromised the court’s integrity. That was a corrupt decision. When you have a Constitutional right it vest immediately. And what they did with that one, was because of race. They said this over time. A racist decision meant I suppose to ease the south’s acceptance of it. As it turned out it didn’t do that.”

No it did not do that, but it led to the defiance by one woman who was fed up with the Jim Crow laws. The arrest of
Rosa Parks for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man triggered a year long bus boycott in Montgomery Alabama.

The Boycott ended when the Supreme Court ordered desegregation of the buses in Montgomery, Alabama. Four years later, that movement led to some defiant teens Wichita, Kansas to take the initiative without the NAACP’ s support to integrate the Dockum drugstore lunch counter.

Nineteen months later, four defiant freshmen students from North Carolina A&T State University have the attention of
the entire country with their sit-in movement at the Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro’ N.C.

Their movement caught on like wildfire, sparking similar protests and support throughout the country.

The white citizens of Greensboro, NC continued their massive resistance to integration. They would come in on a daily basis, occupying all the seats at the lunch county. They would relinquish their seat only to another white individual. They also tried to intimidate the NC. A&T protesters.

The entire N.C. A&T State University campus was now behind the movement using non-violence as a tactic. The young black students would come in with their text books take their seat at the counter. With textbooks open, they would study.

The store would continued to serve their white patrons. However this became impossible as the lunch counter seats began to f i l l with the black protesting students. At this point, the lunch counter would cease its’ operation for the rest of the day.

Soon the Bennett college students, known affectionately as the Bennett Bells joined the protest.

Although the students were faced with mass resistance and intimidation by the white citizens, the students continued
their non-violent protest on a daily basis.

The African American protesters eventually found an ally in the all white female school Women College in Greensboro. The Women College students were able to attain seats from other whites. They in turn, would give their seats to a waiting A&T student.

Now it was an integrated Protest.

Join us tomorrow as we continue to explore the non-violent
protest.

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The Aftermath Of Brown: Virginia

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Associated Justice Hugo Black had been exposed for being a member of KKK. Strongly supporting the Brown decision, it turned out that Hugo Black was the biggest supporter of African Americans civil rights. Because of his support for desegregation, Justice Black had to wear a bullet proof vest whenever he would go home to visit Alabama. It got to the point that he stopped going.

As a result of death threats, one in the form of an effigy being burned on his front lawn, Hugo Jr. left Alabama.
Hugo Black had become the most reviled native son of Alabama. In 1959, the Alabama State Legislature resolved that Hugo Black’s remains must never be buried in the “sacred” soil of Alabama.

Shortly after the Supreme Court decision in 1954, Barbara Johns family, traveled to Washington, D.C. to visit a relative. Upon returning to Farmville, they found that their house had been burned to the ground.
The family moved to Washington D.C. permanently in 1955.

In 1959, rather than integrate, Prince Edwards’ county closed all of the public schools, black and white.
Public funds were used to establish private academies for whites only, locking out black children indefinitely.

Deciding that Farmville would not be a safe place for her to be for the upcoming school year, in 1951, Barbara Johns was sent to live with her uncle Vernon Johns in Montgomery, Alabama.

Born in Prince Edwards county Virginia in 1892, Johns was an African American minister who preached a social gospel message.

In 1948, he accepted the post of minister at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. Already a well established preacher, Vernon Johns was considered both an intellectual force and a gifted orator. He was in great demand on the college lecture circuit and also as a traveling minister.

It turned out that Johns and the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church was a poor match.

Johns, sermons often explored themes of African American equality, independence, and racial uplift.
Reverend Johns frequently criticized the Dexter Avenue congregation, which was largely made up of Montgomery’s black middle class.

Reverend Johns’ believed that his middle class congregation cared more about status than the plight of less fortunate Montgomery blacks.

After an African American motorist was severely beaten by police during a traffic stop as other African Americans looked on, Johns responded with a Sermon, entitled “It’s Safe to Murder Negroes in Montgomery”.

In his sermon, he blasted African Americans for not intervening.

In 1952, Johns began to sell produce from the Church’s basement and on the Alabama State College campus.
Many of his congregants, who worked on the historical black college campus, were embarrassed by Johns’ farmer’s market activity.

The Reverend so discomforted his congregation, at Dexter Avenue, eventually causing him to lose his pulpit.
Johns spent the rest of his life farming and touring as a preacher and lecturer.

The fiery minister advocated for Montgomery blacks in what was considered then as unique and dangerous ways.
Twice he made attempts for the prosecution of white men for the rape of young black girls.

He also protested the Jim Crow rules in regards to public transportation and accommodations thus lending moral force to the civil rights movement.
Although he nothing about his niece’s action in Prince Edwards’ county, he is thought to be a motivating factor in Barbara Johns’ stance against segregation in the public school system.

Reverend Johns was replaced at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church by a young minister named Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. was elevated as the leader of the civil rights movement when he was chosen to lead a year long bus boycott triggered by the arrest of Rosa Parks who refused to give up her seat to a white man on December 1, 1955.
I’m Suzanne Malveaux. Please Join us tomorrow as we continue this historical black journey.

For Spanish and hearing impaired versions, please go to the Febone1960.net Black History Month Calendar

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