Stillman College Students and Bloody Tuesday
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Abstract: Bloody Tuesday took place on June 9, 1964, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Civil rights marchers gathered in and around First African Baptist Church to protest the lingering de facto segregation within the city. Although the protesters were told by courthouse officials that the “white” and “colored” signs would be removed from places like entrances and restrooms, they were not. This disregard for the rights of American citizens empowered the Tuscaloosa Citizens for Action Committee to organize a mass meeting to decide what to do.
Reverend T.Y. Rogers, who was sent to the First African Baptist Church by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., led men, women and children who gathered peacefully but were met with extreme police violence. Ultimately, police arrested and caused the hospitalization of over 100 people. People were beaten, teargassed and otherwise disoriented just for pursuing their rights to be treated as equals. Neither the presence of police nor their threats of violence and abuse swayed the protesters. Rather, activists pressed on. The crowd comprised of mostly young adults, most of whom were college students. Highlighting resilience of the protesters and the sacrifices they made is an integral part of telling the story of Bloody Tuesday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Our documentary focuses on the importance of the student leaders of Stillman College and their involvement with Bloody Tuesday. Each member of the group was tasked to retain footage of instrumental places and people who had connections to this historic day in Civil Rights history. Notable places included in the documentary will be: The First African Baptist Church on Stillman Boulevard in Tuscaloosa, Stillman College in the West End and Howard and Linton’s Beauty and Barbershop. Each of these locations hold relevance to the movement and the people who were there. Obtaining imagery of instrumental locations to the march and violence gives life to the history that would otherwise be untold. We, as a group, decided to offer analysis to these important first-hand accounts. In order for others to understand the events surrounding Bloody Tuesday, the stories themselves must be told.
The presence of first-hand accounts is so vital to tell the story of Bloody Tuesday because the media coverage of the event is virtually nonexistent. Although many inhabitants of the city of Tuscaloosa are aware of that day in 1964, it was never covered by national news media. Because of the lack of coverage, it is extremely difficult to report on data and research that isn’t based mainly on crucial first-hand accounts. Although the Tuscaloosa News gave citizens a look into the brutal event, documentation is not widely and easily accessible to the everyday person, especially those who do not know about Bloody Tuesday. For this reason, we are compiling as many resources as possible to tell the story of Bloody Tuesday and the students, just like us, who stood for a cause much bigger than themselves.
Word Count: 482
Bibliography:
Primary Sources Visual and Film Clips of News Footage
“Los Angeles protests in Support of Selma Marchers.” March 8, 2015. Accessed April 20, 2017. http://framework.latimes.com/2015/03/08/los-angeles-protests-in-support-of-selma-marchers/#/0.
“University of Alabama Desegregated.” Accessed April 20, 2017. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/university-of-alabama-desegregated.
“Donald Trump: The New George Wallace? Head of Segregationist’s 1968 Bid on GOP Front-Runners Racism.” January 15, 2016. Accessed April 20, 2017. https://www.democracynow.org/2016/1/15/donald_trump_the_new_george_wallace.
“Remembering Bloody Tuesday in Tuscaloosa.” June 5, 2013. Accessed April 20, 2017. http://apr.org/post/remembering-bloody-tuesday-tuscaloosa#stream/0.
“Tuscaloosa to Observe 50 Years Since Bloody Tuesday.” 2014. Accessed April 20, 2017. http://www.wbrc.com/story/25713080/tuscaloosa-to-observe-50-years-since-bloody-tuesday.
“At Large: Tuscaloosa’s Bloody Tuesday.” February 22, 2009. Accessed April 20, 2017. http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/DA/20090222/News/606122723/TL/.
Photo of T.Y. Rogers, Jr. was gathered from the Tuscaloosa Area Virtual Museum. photo of group obtained from TuscaloosaNews.com, T.Y. Rogers is pictured with comedian Dick Gregory following closely behind the day before the infamous Bloody Tuesday event.
"From the Archives: George Wallace stands in the schoolhouse door." NBCNews.com. Accessed April 20, 2017. http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/47362544.
Primary Sources Oral Histories:
Loftin, Victoria. Rev. Thomas Linton. Lintons' Barbershop, April 21, 2017.
Daniely, Aloni. Mrs. Willie M. Wells. First African Baptist, April 21, 2017.
Brandon Mitchell. Jada Everett. Stillman College. April 21, 2017.
Brandon Mitchell. Nicholas Lorthe. Stillman University. April 21, 2017.
Secondary Sources:
Simon Wendt, “God, Gandhi, and Guns: The African American Freedom Struggle in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 1964-1965,” Journal of African American History 89, no. 1 (Winter, 2004): 36-55.
B. J. Hollars, Opening the Doors: The Desegregation of the University of Alabama and the Fight for Civil Rights in Tuscaloosa. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama, 2013.
"From the Archives: George Wallace stands in the schoolhouse door." NBCNews.com. Accessed April 20, 2017. http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/47362544.
"Congregation remembers rich Civil Rights history." Tuscaloosa News. November 16, 2009. Accessed April 20, 2017. http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/opinion/20091117/congregation-remembers-rich-civil-rights-history.
"AT LARGE: Tuscaloosa’s Bloody Tuesday’." Tuscaloosa News. February 22, 2009. Accessed April 20, 2017. http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/DA/20090222/News/606122723/TL/.
Writer, Jamon Smith Staff. "Rev. Thomas Linton remembers Bloody Tuesday." Tuscaloosa News. November 14, 2014. Accessed April 20, 2017. http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/news/20141114/rev-thomas-linton-remembers-bloody-tuesday.
Reverend T.Y. Rogers, who was sent to the First African Baptist Church by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., led men, women and children who gathered peacefully but were met with extreme police violence. Ultimately, police arrested and caused the hospitalization of over 100 people. People were beaten, teargassed and otherwise disoriented just for pursuing their rights to be treated as equals. Neither the presence of police nor their threats of violence and abuse swayed the protesters. Rather, activists pressed on. The crowd comprised of mostly young adults, most of whom were college students. Highlighting resilience of the protesters and the sacrifices they made is an integral part of telling the story of Bloody Tuesday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Our documentary focuses on the importance of the student leaders of Stillman College and their involvement with Bloody Tuesday. Each member of the group was tasked to retain footage of instrumental places and people who had connections to this historic day in Civil Rights history. Notable places included in the documentary will be: The First African Baptist Church on Stillman Boulevard in Tuscaloosa, Stillman College in the West End and Howard and Linton’s Beauty and Barbershop. Each of these locations hold relevance to the movement and the people who were there. Obtaining imagery of instrumental locations to the march and violence gives life to the history that would otherwise be untold. We, as a group, decided to offer analysis to these important first-hand accounts. In order for others to understand the events surrounding Bloody Tuesday, the stories themselves must be told.
The presence of first-hand accounts is so vital to tell the story of Bloody Tuesday because the media coverage of the event is virtually nonexistent. Although many inhabitants of the city of Tuscaloosa are aware of that day in 1964, it was never covered by national news media. Because of the lack of coverage, it is extremely difficult to report on data and research that isn’t based mainly on crucial first-hand accounts. Although the Tuscaloosa News gave citizens a look into the brutal event, documentation is not widely and easily accessible to the everyday person, especially those who do not know about Bloody Tuesday. For this reason, we are compiling as many resources as possible to tell the story of Bloody Tuesday and the students, just like us, who stood for a cause much bigger than themselves.
Word Count: 482
Bibliography:
Primary Sources Visual and Film Clips of News Footage
“Los Angeles protests in Support of Selma Marchers.” March 8, 2015. Accessed April 20, 2017. http://framework.latimes.com/2015/03/08/los-angeles-protests-in-support-of-selma-marchers/#/0.
“University of Alabama Desegregated.” Accessed April 20, 2017. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/university-of-alabama-desegregated.
“Donald Trump: The New George Wallace? Head of Segregationist’s 1968 Bid on GOP Front-Runners Racism.” January 15, 2016. Accessed April 20, 2017. https://www.democracynow.org/2016/1/15/donald_trump_the_new_george_wallace.
“Remembering Bloody Tuesday in Tuscaloosa.” June 5, 2013. Accessed April 20, 2017. http://apr.org/post/remembering-bloody-tuesday-tuscaloosa#stream/0.
“Tuscaloosa to Observe 50 Years Since Bloody Tuesday.” 2014. Accessed April 20, 2017. http://www.wbrc.com/story/25713080/tuscaloosa-to-observe-50-years-since-bloody-tuesday.
“At Large: Tuscaloosa’s Bloody Tuesday.” February 22, 2009. Accessed April 20, 2017. http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/DA/20090222/News/606122723/TL/.
Photo of T.Y. Rogers, Jr. was gathered from the Tuscaloosa Area Virtual Museum. photo of group obtained from TuscaloosaNews.com, T.Y. Rogers is pictured with comedian Dick Gregory following closely behind the day before the infamous Bloody Tuesday event.
"From the Archives: George Wallace stands in the schoolhouse door." NBCNews.com. Accessed April 20, 2017. http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/47362544.
Primary Sources Oral Histories:
Loftin, Victoria. Rev. Thomas Linton. Lintons' Barbershop, April 21, 2017.
Daniely, Aloni. Mrs. Willie M. Wells. First African Baptist, April 21, 2017.
Brandon Mitchell. Jada Everett. Stillman College. April 21, 2017.
Brandon Mitchell. Nicholas Lorthe. Stillman University. April 21, 2017.
Secondary Sources:
Simon Wendt, “God, Gandhi, and Guns: The African American Freedom Struggle in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 1964-1965,” Journal of African American History 89, no. 1 (Winter, 2004): 36-55.
B. J. Hollars, Opening the Doors: The Desegregation of the University of Alabama and the Fight for Civil Rights in Tuscaloosa. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama, 2013.
"From the Archives: George Wallace stands in the schoolhouse door." NBCNews.com. Accessed April 20, 2017. http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/47362544.
"Congregation remembers rich Civil Rights history." Tuscaloosa News. November 16, 2009. Accessed April 20, 2017. http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/opinion/20091117/congregation-remembers-rich-civil-rights-history.
"AT LARGE: Tuscaloosa’s Bloody Tuesday’." Tuscaloosa News. February 22, 2009. Accessed April 20, 2017. http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/DA/20090222/News/606122723/TL/.
Writer, Jamon Smith Staff. "Rev. Thomas Linton remembers Bloody Tuesday." Tuscaloosa News. November 14, 2014. Accessed April 20, 2017. http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/news/20141114/rev-thomas-linton-remembers-bloody-tuesday.
