Institution

Hank Thomas, sporting his CORE armband, at one of the Huntsville sit-ins he organized.

Interview with Hank Thomas (Rocket City Civil Rights project) (53:16)

Video

Henry “Hank“ Thomas, at the age of 19, was nearly burned to death while participating in the 1961 Freedom Rides. A group of whites and Klan members fire-bombed the bus Thomas was riding on as a Freedom Rider in Anniston, Alabama. Once recovered from his injuries, Thomas came to Huntsville as a representative of CORE (the Congress of Racial Equality) and immediately began organizing students at Oakwood College and Alabama A&M University. Because of his actions the sit-in movement in Huntsville began, initiating Huntsville's Civil Rights Movement. While he was participating in a sit-in, Thomas’s car was doused with mustard seed oil, causing severe burns to his skin which sent him into Dr. Sonnie Hereford III's care at the hospital. Soon after, Governor John Patterson banned CORE and Thomas from the state of Alabama.

Hank Thomas organizes student protestors

Director

This tour features sites that played an important role during Huntsville's Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Site entries are managed by the Rocket City Civil Rights project and funded by the Alabama Humanities Foundation & AEgis Technologies - learn more at www.rocketcitycivilrights.org.

In June 2018, the City of Huntsville opened a new gateway into downtown Huntsville from Governor’s Drive to Williams Avenue.  This 4 lane road is Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard.  It is named for civil rights activist and co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Joseph Echols Lowery.  Dr. Lowery was born on October 6, 1921 on Church Street in Huntsville, Alabama to Leroy and Dora Lowery. He graduated from William Hooper Councill High School. He holds a doctorate of divinity from the Chicago Eucmenical Institute. Among his many honors, Dr. Lowery was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2009. 

Dr. Sonnie W. Hereford III told a story about Dr. Lowery when Lowery visited Huntsville 30 years ago to honor Dr. Hereford. Dr. Lowery said he flew from Atlanta to Los Angeles to have lunch with the mayor of Los Angeles and dinner with the governor of California.  He said that his head really swelled when he thought about this boy from Madison County, Alabama being so privileged.  On his flight home, he realized that he did not have enough cash to retrieve his car from the parking lot. As he was talking to the lot attendant about his problem, she said, “Oh, I know who you are!” His head swelled a bit more. “You work here on the third shift.”


Family home of Joseph E Lowery, co-founder of SCLC 

In the 1960’s, Huntsville’s theaters included The Lyric, The Grand, The Tony (Martin), The Princess, The Central.  The drive-ins were Whitesburg, 231, Parkway,  Woody’s, and the 72. The Princess Theater specifically served African American moviegoers.

During Huntsville's organized civil rights movement, African American protestors would stand in line to buy movie tickets at “white” theaters, be refused service when they got to the ticket window, then immediately go to the back of the line and try and try again.  Eventually, African Americans were permitted to attend the previously all-white Lyric Theater, but were asked to sit in the balcony.  Many young white people were upset because a courting place had been taken from them.  They were told, “It is against the law for white people to sit in the balcony.”  This was the same answer their parents had given them when they were children and had asked why they couldn’t drink out of the colored water fountains, “It is against the law and you will get arrested.” 

Huntsville's Segregated Movie Theaters

The Unitarian Church at 701 Clinton Street in Huntsville was a white church led by Charles Blackburn which supported the civil rights movement.  In the summer of 1963, the church established “practice integration” so that 5 year old Sonnie Hereford IV and 3 other young Black children could get used to playing with white children before school started.  Not realizing what all the fuss was about, in all there were about 15 children who just saw each other as children and enjoyed the play dates.   

Note on the picture below that the sign out front was honoring the 4 young girls who were murdered in Birmingham in September 1963.  

Unitarian Church Establishes Integrated Preschool 

Dr. Howie, a white medical doctor with a practice at 2345 Whitesburg Dr., was one of a handful of members of the white community who were active in helping the civil rights process in Huntsville.  Dr. Howie accepted pediatric patients referred by Dr. Hereford (one of the city's only African-American doctors) and he also used his house as collateral to post bonds for Huntsville protesters arrested in Birmingham and Selma.  

Another white doctor who practiced at Huntsville Hospital explained to Dr. Howie, that if he didn’t stop signing all those bonds - he would not refer patients to him anymore. Dr. Howie ‘s practice was affected and his family experienced threats during this time.  He lost several white patients who did not want to be in the same integrated waiting room as Black patients. He and Dr. Hereford remained good friends and colleagues throughout.  

Dr. Virgil Howie serves African-American Patients

September 9, 1963: Dr. Sonnie Hereford, III, who unknowingly was being followed by the KKK, walked his 6 year old son Sonnie Hereford IV to his first day of public school at Huntsville's 5th Avenue Elementary School, making history for the state.  Governor Wallace and many others had worked hard to prevent this event from happening, but persistence prevailed and 4 Black students integrated in Huntsville that day.  They included John Brewton, Veronica Pearson and David Piggee in addition to young Sonnie Hereford.

Governor Wallace ordered all public schools in Huntsville to remain closed for the first several days of the school year in an attempt to prevent integration.  White parents were infuriated and frustrated and demanded action.  As schools integrated in Huntsville, it led to the now famous picture of Governor Wallace reading The Birmingham News with the headline “Huntsville Defies Wallace”.

Fifth Avenue School - First Public School to Integrate in the State

Dr. Sonnie W. Hereford III (1931- 2016) graduated from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee and began practicing medicine in Huntsville in 1956.  One of his offices was at 220 Sivley Road.  Continual rejections due to his race from medical societies, certification boards and even attendance at medical conferences tested his patience, but Dr. Hereford saw the long vision.   He was the only African-American doctor who practiced at Huntsville Hospital, serving the Black population. As a founding member of the Community Service Committee, Dr. Hereford slowly and persistently worked behind the scenes and on the front lines to integrate Huntsville in the schools, public places, and the hospital. 

Dr. Hereford’s memoir Beside the Troubled Waters gives a very in depth account of his work as an activist, a father, and a physician during the civil rights era.  

A Civil Rights Journey, a documentary using Dr. Hereford's footage of the civil rights movement in Huntsville, is available at the Huntsville Public Library. 

Dr. Hereford’s son Sonnie Hereford IV was the first Black child to attend a public school in Alabama. 

Dr. Sonnie W. Hereford III's Practice 

<div>Founded in 1867 in the basement of Lakeside Methodist Episcopal Church on Jefferson Street, the school was moved to a frame building on this site in 1892. The first diplomas were granted in 1912. A brick structure replaced the original building in 1927. This neighborhood was known as "The Grove" and was a strong African-American business district.</div><div> Councill High School served African-American students grades 7-12 during the years of segregation in the public school system. Graduates of Councill High have fond memories of their time spent there and of the devoted educators who made their careers at Councill. Huntsville City Schools began integration in 1963. In 1965, the school was integrated along with the other city high schools. In 1966, the school was closed and its students consolidated into other city high schools.&nbsp; Today, the W.H. Councill High site is under development to become a community park.&nbsp;</div>

Councill High School was the first public school for African-Americans in the city of Huntsville when it opened in 1892. Councill High was the only high school available to African-American students until the integration of public high schools in 1965. The school was named for William Hooper Councill, founder of Alabama A&M University and noted African-American educator. Today, the City of Huntsville in cooperation with the William Hooper Councill Alumni Association is developing the school site as a community park. 

William Hooper Councill High School Site

One of the most effective methods of protest during the Civil Rights Movement was the sit-in. By 1962 sit-ins were occurring from Greensboro, N.C. to Nashville, TN. In January of 1962, this strategy hit Huntsville. Initially organized by CORE members Hank Thomas and Richard Haley, college and high school students, including the most arrested member of the movement Dwight Crawford, descended on several Rocket City establishments to enact their peaceful protests. The main targets were the Woolworth’s and Sears Coffee Shop at the (now-demolished) Heart of Huntsville Mall, the Terry Hutchins Walgreens, W.T. Grants, G.C. Murphy, and  two local drive-in theaters. Many students were arrested but Huntsville leadership and the local police force ensured there would not be the shocking violence witnessed in Birmingham and Montgomery the previous year. In June 1962 “colored” signs were taken down and Huntsville became the first integrated city in the state of Alabama.

Civil Rights Sit-ins at Woolworths and Sears Coffee Shop

April of 1962 was a flurry of activity for the CSC as its members maintained sit-ins, boycotts, and poster walks and intensified pressure on the city with new tactics. Faced with The Huntsville Times’s news Blackout of civil rights events, the CSC engineered a situation sure to grab headlines. On April 10, Martha Hereford, who was six months pregnant, and Joan Cashin with her four-month-old daughter Sheryll, sat in at H&amp;H Walgreens with every intention of being arrested for refusing to leave. They were accompanied by CSC president Revered Ezekiel Bell, Reverend S.F. Lacey, and student activist Frances Sims.&nbsp;As expected, the sit-inners were arrested, baby Sheryll in tow. There, the men were released under a $300 bond but the three women refused to ask for an appeal bond, much to the dismay of Police Chief Grover Pylant who hoped to avoid an uproar over the situation. He resolved to release the three women “on their own recognizance” that day.&nbsp;The next week, as Jet magazine published a photo of Joan Cashin being arrested with her infant in arms, the three women arrived for their arraignment and again refused to post bond. This left the court with no choice but to send Martha Hereford, Joan Cashin, and Frances Sims back to jail, this time without baby Sheryll. At the Madison County Jail, the women faced inhospitable conditions as the jailers tried to convince them to post bond and leave, but with the support of the CSC and the Black community they held fast to their principles.&nbsp;Supporters brought the women three meals a day, and organized a telephone committee of people calling the jail and the mayor to inquire, “Is it true you have mothers in jail, you have a pregnant woman in jail?” An exasperated Mayor R.B. Searcy called Dr. John Cashin, urging him to post bond for his wife. After thirty-three hours in the Madison County jail, the three women finally relented and posted bond for themselves after The Huntsville Times published news of the event and national news outlets picked up the dramatic story of protests in the Rocket City.By July of 1962, the City of Huntsville began “trial integrations” at lunch counters, with no violence. African American Residents began to go to theatres, to drink from the water fountain of their choice, and to take their children to play in public parks. Schools, however, were still segregated.

On April 10, 1962, a waitress at H&H Walgreens refused service to Martha Hereford, six months pregnant, Joan Cashin, Joan’s four-month-old daughter Sheryll, Reverend Ezekiel Bell, Reverend S.F. Lacey, and  student activist Frances Sims.  The owner of the Walgreens in the Heart of Huntsville Mall, William L. Hutchins, asked them to leave.  When they did not, local authorities were called and they were arrested for sitting-in at the lunch counter.  On April 19, at their arraignment, the three women refused to post bond and were placed in the Madison County Jail.  Mayor R.B. “Spec” Searcy signed an order for the release of Mrs. Hereford and Mrs. Cashin, but they refused to leave until Frances Sims was released.  The three women spent 33 hours in jail. The headline in The Huntsville Times read, “Trio of Negroes Chose the Jail Instead of Bail.”
The ladies were bonded out of jail on the same day that George C. Wallace, a gubernatorial candidate, was campaigning outside the Madison County Courthouse. The CSC (Community Service Committee) was protesting with posters, singing, and chanting anti-segregation slogans, and releasing balloons with freedom-themed attachments.

Jail Instead of Bail - The Tipping Point for Public Space Integration

During the Huntsville Civil Rights Movement, the house at 101 Whitney Avenue in the Edmonton Heights neighborhood belonged to Reverend Ezekiel Bell. Rev. Bell was the pastor at Fellowship Presbyterian Church. He was also the chair of the Community Service Committee (CSC). The CSC was a group of local civil rights leaders including Bell, DR. Sonnie Hereford II, and Dr. John Cashin. The group was pivotal in bringing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr to speak in Huntsville on March 19, 1962. King spoke at two locations before spending the night at Rev. Bell’s residence on Whitney Ave. Dr. King was also accompanied by Reverend Ralph Abernathy.

Reverend Bell chairs the CSC and hosts Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University was established in 1873. The University was initially called the State Normal School and University for the Education of the Colored Teachers and Students. The school underwent several name changes and focus areas through the years. In 1896 the school became the State Agricultural and Mechanical College for Negroes. In 1969, the school finally received its name as the&nbsp;Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University.&nbsp;AAMU began first as an undergraduate institution. In 1939, the State Board of Education allowed AAMU to offer graduate education. Today, the University contains five undergraduate schools as well as several graduate level degree programs.&nbsp;In 1996 the newly appointed University President Dr. John T. Gibson authorized significant renovation to the campus. He led the construction of the West Campus Complex, Louis Crews Stadium, and the School of Engineering and Technology.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University was first established in 1873 as a university for the education of African American students. After several name changes, the school was not fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools until 1963. The campus underwent significant renovation in 1996 under the organization of University President Dr. John T. Gibson. Today the school offers five undergraduate schools as well as graduate study. 

Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University

In January 1962, former Freedom Rider Hank Thomas was sent to Huntsville to organize African-American protests and to bring press attention to their efforts on behalf of CORE (the Congress of Racial Equality).  Huntsville was considered “unlike any other city in Alabama or Deep South” because there were two historically Black colleges (Alabama A&M & Oakwood College) and a diverse population, including many from the north who came to Huntsville for jobs at Redstone Arsenal.  

Thomas recruited students at Alabama A&M University, including Frances Sims, the first woman protester arrested, to sit-in at lunch counters at establishments in Huntsville. On Saturday January 6, 1962 an estimated 75 students entered white lunch counters and ordered food.  Over time, dozens of students from A&M were arrested.  Ultimately Hank Thomas was refused entry at the University and Governor John Patterson banished CORE from the state of Alabama.  The student protests were an important part of the strategy to bring attention to segregation in Huntsville. 

Alabama A&M Students Start the Civil Rights Movement in Huntsville

After the banishment of CORE (the Congress of Racial Equality) from the state of Alabama, the civil rights movement in Huntsville crawled to almost a standstill. The Community Service Committee, organizing the movement, decided what the community needed a spark. Seeking a speaker to fire up the base, the committee chose the best orator in the land: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King, who had been monitoring the Huntsville movement from Atlanta, arrived in Huntsville on March 19, 1962. While in Huntsville, King delivered two speeches: at Oakwood College and the First Missionary Baptist Church. These speeches drew tremendous crowds, including many white federal workers who had been transplanted in in the “Rocket City.” King’s presence in Huntsville invigorated the movement and its leaders. Within the year, Huntsville would become the first integrated city in Alabama.

Dr. Martin Luther King Sparks the Huntsville Movement

Oakwood University has a history of organized protests beginning in 1931 with student protests over all-white faulty and administration.  In 1962 Hank Thomas, a member of CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) chose Oakwood to recruit students for sit-ins at lunch counters in Huntsville in an attempt to bring attention to the ongoing segregation in the City. Oakwood College’s President Garland Millet labelled Thomas an ‘agitator’ and threatened him with arrest if he showed up on campus.  President Millet wanted to preserve a reputation of well-behaved and obedient students, and the photos of students protesting at lunch counters did not serve that image.  Nonetheless, Oakwood students participated in the important sit-ins and other protests that led to the pressure to break with Montgomery and end segregation.

Students at Oakwood Recruited for Sit-ins

Butler High School was one of the first of Huntsville's public high schools to integrate, beginning in the spring of 1964 with two students. As integration continued, Butler saw mixed successes and setbacks in its progress. Butler Alumni who were at the school in 1971 recall clashes between students and administration at basketball and football games and at pep rallies. Of particular contention was the Butler High School fight song, "Dixie," the the use of the Confederate battle flag as the school flag representing the Butler Rebels. Students demonstrated both for and against the use of these school insignia, especially after June of 1971 when Judge H.H. Grooms ruled to prohibit students from displaying Confederate flags or sing "Dixie" at school events. 

S.R. Butler High School

St. Joseph’s Mission School was founded as an all-Black Catholic school run by nuns.  On September 3, 1963 (the day all schools were supposed to open all across the state), St. Joseph’s Mission School in Huntsville opened its doors to 12 white children whose parents wanted them to attend the previously-all-Black mission school. This represents reverse integration, and actually made St. Joseph's the first school (although private) integrated in the state.  While St. Joseph’s quietly went about its classes, the public schools were being kept closed by Governor Wallace’s demands, and it wasn’t until 6 days later that Huntsville public schools were opened and experienced their first integration.  No troops, angry crowds or protestors ever descended on St. Joseph’s.  Today that school still operates as Holy Family Catholic School.  

Rocket City Civil Rights Tour

Hank Thomas organizes student protestors

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