The modern Civil Rights Movement helped shape how we see and practice Black resistance. Yet the myths about the movement do not honor its legacy.
Myth #1: Student Protestors At HBCUs Were Not Punished: In 1960, Southern University President Dr. Felton Clark got emotional as he informed a group of students that they were being expelled for staging a sit-in. However, it wasn’t his call; he had been forced by the governor of Louisiana and the State Board of Education.
Myth #2: There Was No Violence Against Children: In May 1963, hundreds of children marched through downtown Birmingham, Alabama, to protest segregation in what became known as the Children’s Crusade. The police turned fire hoses on the children and unleashed their dogs on them. The violence caused an international uproar.
Myth #3: Activists’ Arrest Records Were Cleared After Integration: Over 60 years have passed since the arrests of Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Claudette Colvin, and other civil rights activists in Montgomery, Alabama. However, although they have been morally vindicated, their arrest records remain in the books.
It’s important to shatter these myths that obscure the legacy of people who sacrificed everything to help create the opportunities we have today. By understanding our history and facing the truths of what happened, we honor the past and forge a path for a more liberated future.