OTD in 1961, The civil rights “jail-in” movement began when eight Black students and a civil rights organizer who became known as the “Friendship Nine” in Rock Hill, South Carolina, were arrested for requesting service at a “whites-only” lunch counter.
They served jail time rather than pay fines, challenging the legitimacy of the laws.
Martin Luther King Jr. wrote to the nine and others who joined them in jail, including Charles Sherrod and Diane Nash: “You have inspired all of us by such demonstrative courage and faith. It is good to know that there still remains a creative minority who would rather lose in a cause that will ultimately win than to win in a cause that will ultimately lose.”
On this day in 1961, the civil rights “jail-in” movement began
#Jail-In #FriendshipNine #Whites-OnlyLunchRoom #CharlesSherrod #DianeNash