SCLC Scores Victory in St. Augustine Against Klan, Violence
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SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE Special St. Augustine Issue m INSIDE THIS ISSUE ~~t ~~r r~~ Editorial __ ______________________ Page f~~ 4 ::":.: :~::i SDarahK~attown .Bt oyle _____pPage 5 ::::;: r. mg rI es __________ age 7 ::··1 5 :::1: I ~e~O~::wL;b:h;~; ::: ::: 8 ::;::: Letter From Jail _________ .Page 3 : ~:~:~ ~~f Volume" June, 1964 Number 7 ::::~ Why St. Augustine? _____ .Page 12 :::~; ======================================= :;:::; SCLC Scores Victory In St. Augustine Against Klan, Violence Rebuilt Georgia Churches Dedicated Demonstrators Assaulted The three Negro churches which were burned two years ago in the rural area of southwest Georgia, were rededicated on Sunday, June 28, by SCLC President By Police, Ku Klux Klan Martin Luther King, Je. and others who had spearheaded a fund-raising drive to get them rebuilt. After more than a month of raging Addressing more than 600 persons at Mt. Olive Baptist Church, Dr. King violence in St Augustine, Florida, declared: "Two years ago I stood among the smoldering ruins of these churches. America's oldest city, in which more Those days told us of man's potential for than 300 SCLC-Ied demonstrators were eviL Now we see the goodness of man re arrested and scores of others injured flected. These new churches symbolize the by Klansmen wielding tire chains, and quest for human dignity. You can't kill an Report 275,000 Negroes other weapons, Dr. Martin Luther idea. It will live on. The rebuilding of these Registered In Georgia King, Jr. was able to proclaim victory churches symbolizes this fact." in this rock-bound bastion of segregation and Cost $100,000 An estimated 275,000 Negroes are discrimination. The three churches--Mount Olive and now registered voters in Georgia, ac The nonviolent forces of the Southern Mount Mary in Terrell County and Shady cording to the latest figures. Negro Christian Leadership Conference, determined Grove in Lee County-were rebuilt at a candidates are also being encouraged in its desegregation thrust in this ancient total cost of more than $100,000. to qualify for public office. The statewide, stronghold of slave trading, suffered the Former baseball star Jackie Robinson, non-partisan, non-political group, sponsored most violent assaults to date at the hands of who . served as honorary chairman for the by the Southern Christian Leadership Con Ku Klux Klansmen, openly endorsed by law SCLC church fund, told the group: "We in ference and the Georgia Voters League, enforcement officials. Yet, they continued the North can only hope that we can ac conducted Citizenship Clinics in eight dif their protest marches by night and day to quire .the kind of courage you have in the ferent cities, supported by the Voter Edu the old slave market where surly gangs of South. With this spirit, we will be truly able cation Project. Klansmen awaited them with chains, clubs (Continued on Page 2) (Continued on Page 2) (Continued on Page 2) -------- Beginning Of St. Augustine Drama (See Pages 6 & 7) ---------. SCLC's C. T. Vivian (r.) and Mrs. Dorothy Cotton lead one of the first Police with dogs soon interrupted march, snatched bull horn from C. T. prayerful marches to slave market with about 800 demonstrators. Vivian as Ku Klux Klansmen (r.) moved in to intimidate marchers. CHURCHES DEDICATED (Continued from Page 1) to overcome." Others who participated in the dedica tion were: Rev. David G . Prichard of the Georgia Council of Churches; Rev. E. James Grant of the Albany Movement: Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy, SCLC Treasurer, and Rev. Wyatt Walker, former SCLC Executive Director. Windows Donated The cost of rebuilding each church was about $34,000. The stained glass windows were made and donated by the brothers at the Trappist monastery in Conyers, Geor gia. Others who aided in the rebuilding SCLC OPENS WEST COAST BUREAU-Cutting the ribbon to formally open the new combined program included: The Atlanta Constitu offices of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Western Christian Leadership tion, which sponsored a campaign that Conference, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., SCLC President (third 'from right), officiates at recent yielded more than $10,000; New York ceremonies. The bureau will be under the direction of Rev. Thomas Kilgore (fourth from right), who formerly headed the New York office of SCLC. Opening of the new office now brings to a total Gov. Nelson Rockefeller, who contributed of three branch offices for SCLC besides the home office in Atlanta. another $10,000; William Black, president of the Chock-Full-Nuts Co., who gave $5,- 000; and Frank Shiffman, owner of New ST. AUGUSTINE VICTORY Citizenship Workers In York's Apollo Tbeater, who contributed (Continued from Page 1) $1,000. of various sorts, even guns. Race For Congress In Attacked By Police Miss. Freedom Move 275,000 REGISTERED A prelude of what was to come occurred (Continued from Page 1) on May 28 when Harry Boyte, Special As Two SCLC citizenship education sistan.t to Dr. King, was set upon by a city SCLC staff members participating in the police officer with a dog on a leash. Shout workers in Mississippi, Mrs. Fannie clinics were: Rev. Fred C. Bennette, field ing, "there's that nigger lover," he knocked Lou Hamer of Ruleville and Mrs. secretary, Rev. Andrew Young, voter-edu Mr. Boyte to the ground, and immediately Victoria Jackson Gray of Hattiesburg, cation and citizenship training director, some 20 other whites gathered around and have joined Rev. John Cameron of Rev. Daniel Harrell and Mrs. Juanita Har started kicking the fallen man. Soon four Hattiesburg and retired furniture deal rell, Hosea Williams and Rev. Samuel Wells, other police dogs appeared and began leap- er James M. Houston in challenging the field workers, Others included: Mrs. Bar- - in g--a'nd- teal'i'ng--at- hi m -npon-the-command. segregated---politica-l-system-which- ha-s-kept .ara Whitaker of VEP G . C . Williams of _ "sic 'em!" them disfranchised in the state. Madison, Rev. Clarence Tuggle of Rome, Slater King, of Albany, Elijah Jackson of A newsman, Paul Good of the American Freedom Ticket Broadcasting Company, threw his body Greensboro, the Albany singers and field across Mr. Boyte's to absorb some of the All candidates are running on the Free workers of SNNC. Several NAACP branch brutality, which momentarily brought an dom Democratic party ticket and opposing presidents and field workers also partici end to tbe attacks. the candidates running in the regular dem pated in workshops. ocratic party, which in Mississippi, refuses Gunfire Blasts Car to admit Negroes and which also has dis Later, as Mr. Boyte drove away in search associated itself from the national demo Youth Wins Bonk's $500 of a motel for overnight lo'dging a car fol cratic party. lowed. When he finally parked, blasts of Spur Voter Registration Award; Criticizes It For Job Bios gunfire tore through his rear window, leav ing nine boles the size of a half-dollar. He In addition to the congressional cam A San Diego high school senior, David was missed only by inches. paigns, which will spur voter registration Wofsy, won a $500 Achievement Award The next morning when he went out to a efforts among Negroes in the state, and from the Bank of America and promptly cottage that had been rented by Dr. King, which will result in challenges to the seating contributed half of the cash prize to help and where he had stayed on two previous of delegates at tbe Democratic National in the furtherance of civil rights activities. evenings, an examination showed that 21 Convention and tbe seating of white repre He made the donation to SCLC President shotgun and rifle blasts had been fired sentatives in the Congress, COFO will op Martin Luther King at a civil rights rally through the place during the night. erate a number of community centers and in San Diego on May 29. freedom schools for teenagers and young When the office of Sheriff L. O. Davis Criticizes Bank was notified of the damage to the house adults. and furniture, the reply was: The youth, a student at Clairemont High "What are you concerned about? The School, won second prize in Science and desegregation got under way, attempted Mathematics in the finals of the Southern place was empty, wasn't it?" wade-ins at the beaches brought bands of Later, as SCLC's full-scale assault against California Bank of America Achievement fist-swinging, club-wielding whites who Awards Program. He noted, however, in a sought to drive the integrated demonstrators letter to Board Chairman Jesse W. Tapp out of the waters. of the Bank of America that the bank In another direct confrontation, SCLC's practiced discrimination in employment and President Martin Luther King, Jr. and urged that the firm "act immediately to Treasurer Ralpb Abernathy sought to be assure fair employment practices in all its served at the Monson Motel Restaurant branches." and were arrested on trespassing charges. Both were later released under bond. Violence finally subsided only after a two week truce was agreed upon and a secret bi-racial committee formed to arbitrate the Register To Vote! Where bullets went through windshield. city's discrimination ills. 2 ~/.w./a~"':-:"/d////U~';'"I'I'''W'':X~;.»,p.:W'/':7h~::·:::''..'l,''a0X::-Yh::·:';'»;::-':::::~";::Y:·:::X-':-::: ·:';::::::-:::"«'»:-:·:::0:-:·:·Y/.:-::'-VQ4·:.;.-//.wbY.. :·:·::Y.':-:':'X'~ One Man-One Vote I LETTER FROM ST. AUGUSTINE JAIL I *~: (EDITOR'S NOTE: The following letter was written 1-? legroes Must Have Vote And A Voice ~ by a young white volunteer who joined the nonviolent ~ By James Bevel and Andrew Young i army in St. Augustine and committed herself to go to ill History has long since proved that one group of people ~ jail if necessary.