In the early 1960’s, student-led sit-ins were a prominent scene in the United States Civil Rights Movement. The success of these types of protests in Greensboro, North Carolina began a wave of similar demonstrations from campuses throughout the South.
One of the many areas inspired by the Greensboro sit-ins was Atlanta, Georgia.
With six African American colleges and universities in the city (Atlanta University, the Interdenominational Theologic Center and Clark, Morehouse, Morris Brown, and Spelman colleges), there was a lot of student power to draw on.
However, there were also many factors that contributed to the difficulty of starting an anti-segregation movement in Atlanta.
As one of the older and larger cities in the South, there was a more complex social hierarchy than some cities. Additionally, the economy was in good shape, so many (blacks and whites) were content with the status quo.
Among the blacks were groups whose money stemmed from catering to the rich white population, or from working within the segregated black community. Thus, this sector of the black community had little interest in desegregating or causing trouble. The black community was also very spread out and did not revolve around a downtown shopping district.
Two weeks after the Greensboro sit-in, the Georgia State Legislature passed a law on Feb. 16, 1960 making it illegal to refuse to leave a place of business when ordered by management. Although it was a misdemeanor, it had enough weight to put many in jail.
At the same time, Morehouse College student Lonnie King organized an inter-collegiate steering group by drawing three student leaders from each of the six historically black colleges/universities and winning support from the institutions’ leaders.
The coalition, which included participation from the Congress of Racial Equality and students from the National Student Association, named itself the Committee on Appeal for Human Rights.
The first major action for COAHR was a 200-student sit-in on March 15 at 10 different downtown locations including state and county government buildings, bus stations and railway stations.
Gov. Ernest Vandiver ordered arrests, resulting in 77 students in jail. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People arranged legal assistance for the students.
On 19 October, 51 people were arrested, including Martin Luther King Jr. Although many of the students were freed, King was sent to Reidsville prison on what many considered trumped up charges.
Protests continued over the next three months, bringing down sales figures by 13 percent. Finally, white business owners met with Mayor William B. Hartsfield and the traditional leaders of the black community to discuss a plan for desegregation. The students themselves were left out of initial discussion, but were finally brought to the table.
After weeks of back-and-forth negotiations, Mayor Hartsfield admitted that no progress had been made. The students vowed to continue with sit-ins and other forms of civil disobedience if no agreement had been reached by Thanksgiving.
The holiday came and went and protests resumed. By then the movement had gained momentum throughout the black community. The arrest of King Jr. and his four-month sentence in Reidsville aroused the ire of many. As many as 2,000 black people attended a meeting in early December 1960. And many more participated in SNNC's "Christmas Withholding Campaign," where shoppers were urged to avoid segregated merchants during holiday shopping. According to Tomika Brown-Nagin in the book, "Courage to Dissent" taglines such as "This Christmas invest in your own dignity" and "This Christmas give freedom" became the slogans of the day.
An organized resistance group called Georgians Unwilling to Surrender led by Gov. Lester Maddox staged counter-demonstrations. A bombing on Dec. 12, 1960 of a black elementary school damaged the school and many nearby homes, but nobody was injured.
The formal practice of segregation in public facilities in Atlanta didn’t end until fall 1961.
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