March 6, 1956
May says that all segregation laws should be repealed and replaced by the law of love. He also says that whites do not need segregation in order to “get along with Negroes.”
Scroll Down
Letters to the Editor: Gradual Removal of Race Barriers Urged
February 26, 1956
Burgess, a Sheffield resident, urges other white southerners to break down their own racial barriers. Says that he does not believe it to be a quick or easy process, but a necessary one.
To Pray for ‘Justice to Prevail’: 10,000 Negroes Expected Tonight at Montgomery Meet; New Arrests Made
February 23, 1956
Describes the bus boycotts taking place in Montgomery, arrests being made, and petitions of prayers on behalf of those participating in the bus boycotts.
In Face of Possible Indictments: Montgomery Negroes Continue Boycott
February 21, 1956
Describes Rev. Abernathy and a group of around 4,000 refusing to stop the bus boycott in the face of possible Grand Jury indictment.
Letters to the Editor: Says Negro Problem Does Not Exist
February 10, 1956
James S. Williams, the writer of the article, is disagreeing with the comment that Mrs. John Gilbert made about there being a negro problem. He says the problem is not the African Americans seeking equal rights, but those that oppose their desire to seek those rights.
Letter to Editor: Town Creek Woman Differs with U.S. Supreme Court
February 7, 1956
Describes Mrs. Gilbert’s position that ‘Negroes’ should be content to go as they have in the past in relation to race relations in public spaces.
Race Violence Erupts Anew in Montgomery: New Cross Burnings at University / Bomb Tossed in Yard of Negro Leader
February 2, 1956
Two articles that identify cross burnings at the University of Alabama and a bomb landing in the yard of E.D. Nixon, former president of the NAACP.
Negro Slugged, Car Set Afire
December 16, 1955
Describes that Willie B. Smith, a Black man from Florence, was attacked and that his car was set on fire. Also, includes that he was sent to Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital and that the police were investigating the incident.
Negro Nightspot Operator Claims $25 Fee Asked For By Police Commissioner
November 10, 1955
Describes that Ozzie Newsome, a Black man who owned a restaurant in Muscle Shoals, was told by Police Commissioner Thomas F. Terry that he would have to pay a $25 fee each week to operate, a fee that Newsome could not afford. The article continues to describe the trial that was still being deliberated by the jury at the time the article was written.
School Tax Topic At Trenholm Meeting
November 1, 1955
Describes that Trenholm High School planned to have a program to discuss the Goodwyn Amendment, which was intended to increase taxes in order to support public education and the recreational facilities provided for Black children in the area.
‘Wolf-Whistle’ Trial Opens Monday
September 18, 1955
Describes the murder of Emmitt Till and notes that a trial with an all-white jury was beginning. Also, notes that police officers had not found evidence necessary for conviction.
She’s 105 Years Old
August 20, 1955
Depicts Nancy B. Allen, a Black woman from Tuscumbia who had been enslaved.
Kit Can Remember: Killen Negro, ‘Round 104’, Was Once a Slave
July 25, 1955
Describes Kit Butler’s life, a Black man from Lauderdale County who had been enslaved by Martin Butler and had lived through the Civil War. Also, notes that he came to Lauderdale County in 1868 and had moved to Center Star in 1872.
Florence Negro Swimming Pool to Open Tuesday
July 9, 1955
Describes that the segregated swimming pool for Black residents in the Florence community was opening in Handy Heights.
Dixie Studies Integration Problem: Segregation Picture, State By State
June 12, 1955
Describes how different states were approaching the Supreme Court’s decision to integrate public schools.
Segregation Has No Place In U.S. Public Schools
May 18, 1954
Provides Chief Justice Earl Warren’s statements regarding the Supreme Court segregation decision verbatim.
Alabama Stunned By Segregation Rule: Most Dixie Officials Take Blow Calmly
May 18, 1954
Describes multiple southern governors’ reactions to the Supreme Court segregation decision and includes that many would attempt to maintain segregation, others planned to wait to see if it would be legally enforced, and only one state, Kentucky, agreed to comply.
Alabama Stunned By Segregation Rule: Reaction At Shoals Is Mixed
May 18, 1954
Describes the reactions of local school superintendents and commissioners after the Supreme Court ruled segregation unconstitutional. Also, includes statements from Dr. E.B. Norton, president of Florence State Teachers College, who believed the college faced serious problems from the decision but that they could find a solution over time.
Supreme Court Bans School Segregation: ‘No Place in Education,’ Warren Says
May 17, 1954
Describes that the Supreme Court found segregation within public schools to be unconstitutional and provides statements made by Chief Justice Earl Warren.