Full Description
During the summer of 1963 civil rights movements were taking place all over the South. In northeastern North Carolina the struggle for freedom focused on the small town of Williamston, where a legacy of voting rights advocacy and a history of violence caught the attention of Martin Luther King, Jr., and his Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The Massachusetts chapter of the SCLC sent fifteen white ministers to Williamston in November in an attempt to increase media coverage. Just as the movement was gaining traction, John F. Kennedy was assassinated and the nation lost interest in Williamston.
So far the Williamston Freedom Movement has remained little known, though its impact was significant locally. This book details the events and those who participated, and includes 19 interviews with members of both the black and white community. By studying local movements, historians can better understand how ordinary people contributed to the Civil Rights Movement.
Contents
Table of Contents
Preface
Timeline
Part 1: People and Events
One. Joe Cross
Two. Sarah Small
Three. Golden Frinks
Four. Sheriff Raymond Rawls
Five. Jackie Bond
Six. The Rev. Paul Chapman
Seven. The Rev. Bill Campbell
Eight. W.H. Scarborough
Nine. Richard "Gene" Rogers
Ten. Coach Herman Boone
Part 2: Oral Histories
Clarence Biggs
Styron Bond, Jr.
Coach Herman Boone
The Rev. Henry Byrd
The Rev. Paul Chapman
George Corey
Lois Harris Greene
Ralph Hargett
Alton Hopewell
Francis King
William Earl Newsome
Alma and Bob Purvis
Marie Robertson
Richard Eugene Rogers
Ida Small Speller
Ruth Mobley Spruill and Ollie Mobley Marshal
Joseph Thigpen
Brenda Whelchel
Willis Williams
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
