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Diversity Presentation Doc 10/31/05 5:26 PM Page 1 With All Deliberate Speed: School Desegregation in Buncombe County Rosa Parks (1913 - 2005) - Library of Congress Archives ith All Deliberate Speed” is ed an entirely different "friendship and under- Created by the Center for Diversity Education created as a traveling exhibit standing" between the citizens of our mountain 10th Anniversary 1995-2005 for tenth grade students in home. Blacks and whites, along with citizens of North Carolina to demon- many ethnicities, forge a common bond through “strateW the many ways Americans may participate sharing meals, cheering at games, marching in as citizens through voting, holding public office, bands, serving as co-workers or board members, using legal appeal, participating in public demon- and much, much more. Still, challenges for equali- Sponsors strations of support or protest, and more. The very ty and harmony remain. That is where students future of our pluralistic democracy relies on have the opportunity to rise and accept their today’s students’ skill, vision and passion to begin rights and responsibilities as American citizens. to shoulder the rights and responsibilities of citi- May students discover in these eye-witness zenship. accounts a vision and a passion to work towards The 1954 and 1955 ruling on the Supreme the dream of so many, for "liberty and justice for Court Case Brown vs. Board of Education all". began the process of the desegregation of schools This exhibit was created based on the and public facilities all across the South and research of five UNCA students Shunikka Lyons, offered multiple examples of public engagement. Jamal Mullen, Tierney Oberhamer, Paige Shy, While the wisdom of its ruling is accepted by the Klanesha Thomas along with the generous inter- majority of the citizens in 2005, it was not so in views of many others. Special thanks go to 1954. Soon after the decision was delivered, a Dwight Mullen who envisioned much of the group of Southern senators and representatives tenor of the project through his focus on the launched a strong protest known as the "Southern Manifesto." In part it read: courageous work of ASCORE – Asheville "This unwarranted exercise of power by the Student Committee on Racial Equality. Thanks Court, contrary to the Constitution, is creating also to the life long leadership of James Ferguson chaos and confusion in the States principally and Marvin Chambers, and all the ASCORE affected. It is destroying the amicable relations members, who shared their memories and dedi- between the white and Negro races that have been cated their life paths to continuing the lessons created through 90 years of patient effort by the they learned in their youth. Thanks also to the good people of both races. It has planted hatred North Carolina Civic Education Consortium, and suspicion where there has been heretofore through Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, who First Citizens Bank, friendship and understanding." (Congressional provided the seed money. Special thanks to the Van Winkle, Buck and Starnes Law Firm Record, 84th Congress Second Session. [Vol. 102, Stephens-Lee Alumni Association, the 10th Warren Wilson College part 4], March 12 1956) Anniversary Planning Committee Chaired by The following 50 years, thanks to the hard Gene Ellison and Jennie Eblen along with all the Henderson Advertising work of individuals and organizations, have creat- sponsors of the project. Asheville Citizen Times “With All Deliberate Speed” Center for Diversity Education © 2005 Diversity Presentation Doc 10/31/05 5:27 PM Page 2 Asheville Student Committee on Racial Equality – ASCORE ut of the organizing structure of the Interfaith Youth Council, African OAmerican students began to understand the power they had to organize for change in the community. James “Bo Bo” Ferguson, Charles Bates, James Burton, Marvin Chambers, and Burnell Freeman, 1960 graduates of Stephens- Lee High School, were the initial founders of ASCORE – Asheville Student Committee on Racial Equality (named to reflect the national organization - CORE). Over the next several years many more students would join the effort. While most of the ASCORE members attended Stephens-Lee, there were also students from Allen and Asheville Catholic. Initially, the group worked to address the inequalities between the facilities at Stephens - Sit-ins took place across the South including this photograph of students in Charlotte. Courtesy Lee and Lee Edwards High Schools. By research- of the Charlotte Observer. ing and numerating the condition of the facilities Marvin Chambers recalled “shortly after the Americans were previously only served at a take- and the educational materials (books, supplies, sit-ins started in February of 1960 we wanted to out window. etc.), the students presented their case in front of get involved in a protest movement here, but we James Ferguson recalls the preparation for the Asheville City School Board for the building didn't have a college campus so it was left to us as the sit-ins at the lunch counters. “Bill Begley was of a new high school. Their work led to the build- high school students to do something. Through an organizer with the Quakers. He told us ‘We ing of South French Broad High School to Mr. William Roland, we were put in contact with have a group of white people who are interested in replace Stephens-Lee. The new school opened in people from American Friends Service what you’re doing, and we are going to work with 1965. Committee [the Quakers] and they came in to you’ One of the key things was that the powers give us some training.” Other adults, both black that be did not want anything [to happen] that and white, mentored and supported the youth would deter tourism. [They would tell us] ‘you including Leah Butler, Rosetta Hill, Rev. Niolus guys go down and sit at the lunch counter and Avery, the Franz’ and Ms. Gill. They also received there we’ll be, when you sit you leave a seat the backing of the Asheville Citizen’s between you and somebody white will come and Organization organized by Ruben Dailey and sit there.” The Kress, Woolworths and Newberry’s Harold Epps. lunch counters were integrated in this fashion. The students all attended workshops to learn One incident involved Kenilworth Drug non-violent organizing strategies and began a plan Store at the corner of Biltmore and Victoria. to desegregate Asheville. They strategically target- When ASCORE students explained that they ed specific businesses and, over a period of several intended to return the next day to be served at the William Roland, ASCORE advisor, was owner years, were instrumental in the desegregation of soda counter, the owner replied that he was not in of Roland Jewelry on Market Street. Georgia lunch counters, movie theatres, Pack Library and the position to make that decision. The next day Roland Collection more. when the students returned, the owner had Al Whitesides recalls: “We would meet at removed all the seats from the soda counter and William Roland’s jewelry store after school. He converted to a take-out service only. and Mr. Lloyd Mc Cord were our chief support- ers. They were both very involved with the NAACP. In the front was the jewelry store and in the back was an office where we met. There were maybe 10-15 of us at any time. We were very organized. There was no fooling around. We were all good students and in the top of our classes. All of us went on to college.” Al went to college at NC Central and eventually became involved in Marvin Chambers Burnell Freeman student government. While he was President in his Senior year, he was jailed for his involvement with protest movements in Durham. As with Diane Blakely many of the ASCORE students, he credits his experience in ASCORE as guiding his commit- ment to equality and justice for his entire life. Some of the main sit-ins took place in downtown Asheville at the Kress and Woolworth This short article described the loan article lunch counters as well as at Newberry’s in the covered in the local Asheville Citizen - Westgate Shopping Center where African Pack Memorial Library, North Carolina Collection James Ferguson Charles Bates “With All Deliberate Speed” Center for Diversity Education © 2005 Diversity Presentation Doc 10/31/05 5:27 PM Page 3 Asheville Student Committee on Racial Equality – ASCORE n addition to targeting the lunch counters, the students also wanted access to Pack Memorial ILibrary. Prior to this time they could only patronize the library reserved for blacks at the YMI on Eagle Street. Viola Jones Spells, an Allen School graduate, recalled that she and Oralene Graves Simmons visited with the Director of Pack Library to discuss desegregating the facili- ties: "So we made an appointment for the next meeting and we went back and he said that the board had agreed that black people should be using the library…he gave us a tour of the library …It was very inspiring and it made a great impact on my life because…I later became a librarian." Anita White Carter recalled the first book she checked out at Pack Memorial Library was Great Expectations. As each new group of ASCORE high school students would prepare to graduate, they would work to recruit, mentor and train more ris- Pack Memorial Library - Staff ing juniors and seniors. James Ferguson recalls, worked on a ship instead of the infantry and only pate in the "line" and work for the city. We need- "Those of us who started this really wanted to go served 22 months of active duty." ed the money for college. Therefore, Mr. Roland away to school and we wanted to make sure that Virginia Dawkins Weaver also recalls the took us off the line and gave us the responsibility there was a group there to carry it on.