Children's Crusade (1963)

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Children's Crusade
Part of the Birmingham campaign
in the Civil Rights Movement
DateMay 2–3, 1963
Location
Birmingham, Alabama
Parties
Lead figures
SCLC member
Commissioner of Public Safety

The Children's Crusade, or Children's March, was a march that involved over 1,000 school students in Birmingham, Alabama, on May 2–10, 1963. Initiated and organized by Rev. James Bevel, he had the goal to march and walk downtown to talk to the mayor about segregation in their city. Many children left their schools and were arrested, set free, and then arrested again the next day. The marches, however, were stopped by the head of police, Bull Connor, who brought fire hoses to ward off the children and set police dogs after the children. This event compelled President John F. Kennedy to publicly support federal civil rights legislation and eventually led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. opposed the Birmingham Children's Crusade despite its nonviolent intentions. They feared that the participation of children in the peaceful protest against segregation would subject them to unnecessary violence and endanger their safety.

Background

Although the Civil Rights Movement had been active under Dr. Martin Luther King's leadership, little progress was being made following the dramatic gains of 1960 and 1961. After some major legal victories, the movement was beginning to stagnate. President Kennedy supported civil rights, but held back from introducing his own bill and King was running out of options. He looked to Birmingham, where African Americans lived segregated and in fear as second class citizens. In January 1963, Dr. King arrived to organize nonviolent protests such as marches and sit-ins. The goal; get a reaction from the racist officials that would not only spotlight the injustice of the south but also gain national attention and support[1]. From May 2nd all the way to May 10th, thousands of students marched the streets of Birmingham. With the intent to fight against the racial injustice dealt against African Americans. Notably, the marches got the reaction they wanted from officials, causing people to sway away from the people in power. There was a significant amount of media coverage that was broadcast to people all across the country to see just how intolerable these officials were. The marches provided an essential standpoint, and brought to prominence the problem of racial inequality, causing public opinion to sway more in support of equal rights legislation, which eventually led to the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

However, authorities adapted to his nonviolent approach. SCLC's James Bevel took drastic measures before Dr. King abandoned the Birmingham campaign because he got arrested for violating a state circuit injunction against protests. Dr. King and a majority of other African Americans got arrested for parading without a permit. Therefore, children became more involved in the marches even though Dr. King insisted that children stay out of the marches because of potential violence. However, during the march, the real South showed its ugly side, giving Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement the jolt and leverage it needed to accomplish its ultimate goal. Therefore, the Children's Crusade was a pivotal stepping stone in the right direction. The event led to President John F. Kennedy expressing his support for federal civil rights legislation and the eventual passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

James Bevel

James Bevel was a very prominent figure within the civil rights movement, and credited by Martin Luther King jr. with initiating the children's crusade. Born in Itta Bena, Mississippi on October 19th, 1936 he was working as a US Naval Reserve. He later became ordained as a baptist minister in 1959. He played a pivotal role in organizing the Children's Crusade during the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963. He was a prominent leader and strategist within the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Bevel believed that involving children in nonviolent protests would garner sympathy and attention for the cause. He coordinated training sessions and encouraged children to participate in marches and demonstrations, leading to one of the most impactful moments of the Civil Rights Movement when Birmingham's police force violently confronted the young protesters with dogs and fire hoses. This event drew national and international outrage, ultimately contributing to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Bull Conner

Bull Connor, whose actual full name was Theophilus Eugene Connor, was a prominent figure in Birmingham, Alabama. During the Civil Rights Movement, he was the Commissioner of Public Safety which allowed him lots of control over the cities police, and fire departments. Bull Connor was known for his opposition to desegregation and civil rights activism, and he used his position of power to brutally enforce racial segregation and suppress protests against it. He vehemently opposed the Civil Rights Movement and authorized the use of brutal tactics against protesters, including high-pressure fire hoses and police dogs. Connor's actions garnered widespread condemnation and brought international attention to the injustices faced by African Americans in the South. His aggressive response to the peaceful protests, particularly against children, galvanized support for the Civil Rights Movement and contributed to the eventual dismantling of segregationist policies.

Event

The halls of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church echoed with the footsteps of thousands of children, united in their resolve to challenge the racist and oppressive segregation laws prevailing in Alabama. With determination these young activists gathered to make their voices heard, bravely standing against the injustices of their time. The protest was facilitated by the help of members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR), and local activists such as Reverend James Bevel and Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth.

On May 2, 1963, The children were carrying their toothbrushes, school books, and various other things to keep with them during the protests. While the children marched, they sang freedom songs and held signs. The children were praised by the onlookers. There were at least a thousand children marching, Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech at Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. In his speech, he told the parents of the arrested children, “Don’t worry about your children; they are going to be alright. Don’t hold the back if they want to go to jail, for they are not only doing a job for themselves but for all of America and for all of mankind”[1].

Children gathered at the Baptist Church in place of their parents, who, under Alabama law and social oppression. The parents were at risk of facing harsh penalties, such as loss of their jobs and jail time, if they protested the racist and unjust segregation laws of Alabama. Therefore, the children took the matter into their own and marched down the streets of Birmingham, Alabama. However, Dr. King didn't like the idea of children leading this civil rights movement because he was worried about the potential violence on the children. The influence, however, that Dr. King had however didn't stop the protests and marches. That involved over a thousand children marching down the streets of Birmingham, Alabama. During the march, police detained over 600 children and transported them to the Birmingham Jail. The event became mainstream and influenced potentially more African Americans to protest throughout other Cities. This lead to the President. Kennedy went live on June 11 and announced his support of federal legislation to ban racial discrimination.

Therefore, over a thousand children gathered at Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in place of their parents, marching the streets fighting against the racist Alabama law and social oppression. It came down to the children to make a change because of the unfair laws enforced on parents who participated in the protest. Therefore, it was the children's responsibility to fight against racial injustices and continue to fight for equality.

On May 3, students once again marched. As they were grouping up together, the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church was barricaded by policemen. Students who tried to get out of the barricade were attacked forcefully, whether it was by police dogs or fire hoses. Many students lost their clothes due to the power of the water[1]. The authorities also made numerous arrests in an attempt to quell the protests and maintain the status quo of segregation within Birmingham. Over 900 children were arrested without a fight, and they filled up whatever vehicle they could, even school buses, and were taken to jail. Although these acts of force against non-violent child protesters caught national attention, they only furthered the resolve of many, allowed the protesters to remain disciplined, drew attention to the injustice of segregation, and garnered widespread public support for their cause.

Federal response

Before the Children's March, federal response was limited in an effort to balance federal authority and state rights. The Children's March played a pivotal role in ending legal segregation, as the media coverage of the event further brought the plight of Southern African Americans to the national stage. After additional measures were taken, President Kennedy could not avoid the issue, and on June 11, 1963, presented his intentions to establish new federal civil rights legislation and ended segregation in Birmingham:

This is not a sectional issue ... Nor is this a partisan issue ... This is not even a legal or legislative issue alone ... We are confronted primarily with a moral issue. ...

If an American, because his skin is dark, cannot eat lunch in a restaurant open to the public; if he cannot send his children to the best public school available; if he cannot vote for the public officials who represent him; if, in short, he cannot enjoy the full and free life which all of us want – then who among us would be content to have the color of his skin changed and stand in his place? Who among us would then be content with the counsels of patience and delay? ...

We preach freedom around the world, and we mean it, and we cherish our freedom here at home. But are we to say to the world, and much more importantly to each other, that this is the land of the free – except for the negroes? That we have no second class citizens – except negroes? That we have no class or caste system, no ghettoes, no master race – except with respect to negroes?

President Kennedy supported civil rights but was held back from introducing his bill, and King ran out of options. He looked to Birmingham, where African Americans lived segregated and in fear as second-class citizens. The federal response to the Children's Crusade in Birmingham, Alabama, was largely influenced by the widespread media coverage of the brutal treatment of the young protesters by local authorities, particularly Bull Connor's use of fire hoses and police dogs. The images and footage of these events shocked the nation and generated significant public outcry. In response, President John F. Kennedy intervened, expressing his concern over the situation and initiating negotiations between civil rights leaders and local officials. Additionally, the federal government dispatched officials to monitor the situation and ensure the protection of the protesters' constitutional rights. Ultimately, the events in Birmingham contributed to the urgency for comprehensive civil rights legislation, culminating in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Aftermath

After the march, the Civil Rights Movement regained momentum, and on August 28, Dr. King led the March on Washington where he delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. But on September 15, the Ku Klux Klan bombed the 16th Street Baptist Church, killing four African American girls. After the children's crusade, President Kennedy began to express his support for civil rights legislation, the eventually turned into the 1964 Civil rights act that was passed by Kennedys then Vice president President Lyndon B. Johnson. This was an extremely big victory for the Civil Rights Movement, made possible because of the children of Birmingham. The children who died in the church bombing were Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, and Carole Robertson, all 14, and Denise McNair, 11. The Ku Klux Klan members who committed the bombing were all eventually convicted for their part in the bombing that occurred on September 15, 1963. The children's crusade allowed for a shift in public support for major civil rights legislation.

Kelly Ingram Park was originally known as West Park but was changed in 1932 to honor a World War 1 soldier. This park is in Birmingham, Alabama, and was one of the main sites of the violent attacks on the Children's Crusade of 1963. On each end, you face either the 16th Street Baptist Church or the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. As you walk through the park on the trails, specifically the Freedom Trail, you will come across various monuments. There is a monument of a policeman holding a young boy by the shirt collar while having his police dog in his other hand. At one point in the trail, you will walk through two walls with police dogs coming out at you from each side. This park not only memorializes the children's crusade, but also the other civil rights struggles in Birmingham. There is a statue of Martin Luther King Jr. and a monument for the four girls who were killed in the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church[2].

Kelly Ingram park statue to commemorate the Children's Crusade representing the dogs that were used against the children.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Cook, E.; Racine, L. (2005-01-01). "The Children's Crusade and the Role of Youth in the African American Freedom Struggle". OAH Magazine of History. 19 (1): 31–36. doi:10.1093/maghis/19.1.31. ISSN 0882-228X.
  2. ^ Heymont, Paul (2022-02-12). "Kelly Ingram Park: Witness to History". TravelGumbo. Retrieved 2024-05-04.

Further reading

Reading

Folk music

External links

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