The Stand in the Schoolhouse Door
On June 11, 1963 (49 years ago today), Governor George Wallace of Alabama, stood at the front door to Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama to try to block the entry of two African-American students, Vivian Malone Jones and James Hood.
On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court of the United States handed down its decision in the case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, in which the court ruled that the education of African-American children in separate public schools from white children was unconstitutional. Brown v. Board of Education meant that the schools like the University of Alabama had to be desegregated. Hundreds of African-Americans applied for admission, but all were denied. The University worked with police to find any disqualifying qualities, or when this failed, intimidated the applicants. But in 1963, three African-Americans with perfect qualifications, Vivian Malone Jones, Dave McGlathery and James Hood, applied and refused to be intimidated. In early June a federal judge ordered that they be admitted the the University.
On June 11, Malone and Hood arrived to register. Wallace, attempting to uphold his campaign promise of "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever", blocked the entrance to Foster Auditorium with the media watching. Flanked by federal marshals, Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach told Wallace to step aside. Wallace cut Katzenbach off and refused, giving a speech on States' rights.
Katzenbach called President John F. Kennedy, who federalized the Alabama National Guard. General Henry Graham then commanded Wallace to step aside, saying, "Sir, it is my sad duty to ask you to step aside under the orders of the President of the United States." Wallace then spoke further, but eventually moved, and Malone and Hood registered as students.
That evening Kennedy gave his famous civil rights address on national television and radio, launching his initiative for civil rights legislation—to provide equal access to public schools and other facilities, and greater protection of voting rights. His proposals became part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Following is a YouTube Video containing a portion of that speech:
On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court of the United States handed down its decision in the case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, in which the court ruled that the education of African-American children in separate public schools from white children was unconstitutional. Brown v. Board of Education meant that the schools like the University of Alabama had to be desegregated. Hundreds of African-Americans applied for admission, but all were denied. The University worked with police to find any disqualifying qualities, or when this failed, intimidated the applicants. But in 1963, three African-Americans with perfect qualifications, Vivian Malone Jones, Dave McGlathery and James Hood, applied and refused to be intimidated. In early June a federal judge ordered that they be admitted the the University.
On June 11, Malone and Hood arrived to register. Wallace, attempting to uphold his campaign promise of "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever", blocked the entrance to Foster Auditorium with the media watching. Flanked by federal marshals, Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach told Wallace to step aside. Wallace cut Katzenbach off and refused, giving a speech on States' rights.
Katzenbach called President John F. Kennedy, who federalized the Alabama National Guard. General Henry Graham then commanded Wallace to step aside, saying, "Sir, it is my sad duty to ask you to step aside under the orders of the President of the United States." Wallace then spoke further, but eventually moved, and Malone and Hood registered as students.
That evening Kennedy gave his famous civil rights address on national television and radio, launching his initiative for civil rights legislation—to provide equal access to public schools and other facilities, and greater protection of voting rights. His proposals became part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Following is a YouTube Video containing a portion of that speech: