This collection documents the Atlanta Student Movement during the Civil Rights Era. It highlights student activism in the Atlanta University Consortium (AUC); Clark College, Morris Brown, Morehouse College, Atlanta University, and Spelman College. The collection includes newspaper and journal articles, flyers, reports, photographs, and correspondence by and about students from the AUC schools. Of note are copies of An Appeal for Human Rights written by student leaders, which set forth the student's grievances, rights, and aspirations as well as their dissatisfaction with the status quo conditions of segregation and discrimination and the slow pace at which inherent human and civil rights were being meted out to African Americans. The Appeal was published as a full-page ad in the March 9, 1960 editions of the Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta Journal, and Atlanta Daily World. It was subsequently published in the New York Times, providing national awareness of student activism in the civil rights struggle in Atlanta. The issuance of the Appeal was followed by sit-ins and pickets at specifically targeted businesses, government and transportation facilities in Atlanta and Fulton County, Georgia, and kneel-ins at churches. The participants in the Atlanta student movement organized commemorative reunions, 1990 and 2000 to re-examine the civil rights movement and discuss current efforts and projections for the future. Programs, minutes, correspondence, and news articles from the reunions are included in the collection. 

At the AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library, we are always striving to improve our digital collections. We welcome additional information about people, places, or events depicted in any of the works in this collection. To submit information, please contact us at DSD@auctr.edu.
Aug 24, 2023

Atlanta Student Movement Collection

This collection documents the Atlanta Student Movement during the Civil Rights Era. It highlights student activism in the Atlanta University Consortium (AUC); Clark College, Morris Brown, Morehouse College, Atlanta University, and Spelman College. The collection includes newspaper and journal articles, flyers, reports, photographs, and correspondence by and about students from the AUC schools. Of note are copies of An Appeal for Human Rights written by student leaders, which set forth the student's grievances, rights, and aspirations as well as their dissatisfaction with the status quo conditions of segregation and discrimination and the slow pace at which inherent human and civil rights were being meted out to African Americans. The Appeal was published as a full-page ad in the March 9, 1960 editions of the Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta Journal, and Atlanta Daily World. It was subsequently published in the New York Times, providing national awareness of student activism in the civil rights struggle in Atlanta. The issuance of the Appeal was followed by sit-ins and pickets at specifically targeted businesses, government and transportation facilities in Atlanta and Fulton County, Georgia, and kneel-ins at churches. The participants in the Atlanta student movement organized commemorative reunions, 1990 and 2000 to re-examine the civil rights movement and discuss current efforts and projections for the future. Programs, minutes, correspondence, and news articles from the reunions are included in the collection.

At the AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library, we are always striving to improve our digital collections. We welcome additional information about people, places, or events depicted in any of the works in this collection. To submit information, please contact us at DSD@auctr.edu.

For:
  • Subjects = Race discrimination
A group celebrates at the dedication of Atlanta Student Movement Boulevard.
A group of young men stand under the Atlanta Student Movement Boulevard sign during the dedication celebration.
Clark Atlanta University students hold a parade banner at the dedication of Atlanta Student Movement Boulevard.
Thomas Cole and Brenda Cole celebrate with students at the dedication of Atlanta Student Movement Boulevard.
A group celebrates at the dedication of Atlanta Student Movement Boulevard.
A group celebrates at the dedication of Atlanta Student Movement Boulevard.
A group celebrates at the dedication of Atlanta Student Movement Boulevard.
This is a two-page newspaper article titled  "An Appeal for Human Rights:1960-2010", from March 20th, 2010 in the Atlanta Inquirer. The Committee (COAHR) jointly wrote the article On the Appeal for Human Rights. The article summarizes the history of the 1960s' Appeal For Human Rights and recontextualizes the manifesto of the Atlanta Student Movement for 2010.  The article also addresses progress made since the 1960s, including advancements in desegregation, voting rights, and representation of African Americans in various fields. However, it points out ongoing education, employment, housing, voting, healthcare, and law enforcement challenges. The persisting achievement gap, unequal access to quality education, economic disparities, de facto segregation, and racial bias in the criminal justice system are highlighted as issues that demand continued attention and action. 2 pages.
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
"A Second Appeal for Human Rights" reflects on the legacy of the Atlanta Student Movement's initial "Appeal for Human Rights", published in 1960 by students from Atlanta University Center institutions. The second appeal, issued at the dawn of the 21st century, acknowledges progress since the civil rights movement but emphasizes persistent challenges in achieving economic and social justice, eradicating systemic racial disparities, and promoting equal access. This document also invites individuals to participate in the 40th Anniversary Commemoration of the historic "An Appeal for Human Rights" and the Atlanta Student Movement (1960-2000). The commemorative event is scheduled at the Atlanta University Center from March 31 to April 2, 2000. 3 pages.
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
The document "An Appeal For Human Rights" is a historic manifesto written by students from the Atlanta University Center, including Clark, Morehouse, Morris Brown, Spelman Colleges, Atlanta University, and the Interdenominational Theological Center. The appeal represents their united effort to demand the recognition of their inherent human rights and equal treatment as citizens of the United States. They express their support for the larger civil rights movement and sit-down protests, emphasizing their dissatisfaction with the slow progress of desegregation and equality. The students highlight critical areas of discrimination in Atlanta, such as education, jobs, housing, voting, healthcare, public accommodations, and law enforcement, and assert that racial segregation goes against the principles of democracy and Christianity. They call for an end to discriminatory practices and pledge to use legal and non-violent means to secure their full citizenship rights. (2 pages)
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
A partial list of students and supporters who demonstrated in the struggle for civil rights in Atlanta. 1 page.
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
Various news clippings, including articles by Julian Bond and Ben Brown on student sit-ins and racial equality. 4 pages.
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
The essay highlights the significance of passive resistance and non-violence as potent strategies in the struggle against racial segregation and discrimination in the South, emphasizing the effectiveness of withstanding violence without retaliation and understanding the motivations behind the oppressors' actions to subdue their attacks, ultimately countering the emotional-driven violence resulting from racial hatred and discrimination. 2 pages.
"The Young Negro Rebels" provides an in-depth exploration of the thoughts, motivations, and actions of young African American students involved in the Southern civil rights movement. The author, Charlotte Devree, reflects on her experiences traveling with these students on Freedom Rides and interacting with them during sit-ins and protests. The students' approach to rebellion and social change challenges conventional notions of political action. Devree emphasizes the students' Christian revolutionary spirit, restraint in the face of adversity, and rejection of hatred. Despite diverse backgrounds and limited education, these students are driven by a purpose to end segregation and attain personal identity and pride. The narrative reveals the complexity of their attitudes toward rebellion, challenges stereotypes, and highlights their unique forms of resistance and determination. 6 pages.
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
This document is a civil action complaint filed in the United States District Court, Northern District of the State of Georgia, Atlanta Division. The plaintiffs, members of the Committee on Appeal for Human Rights, including Benjamin M. Brown, Miss Herschelle S. Sullivan, Charles F. Lyles, and Lonnie C. King Jr.., are taking legal action against the City of Atlanta, Georgia, and other individuals involved in the city's management. The plaintiffs allege that under color of law, the defendants have engaged in racial segregation and discrimination in public facilities owned, operated, maintained, or subsidized by the City of Atlanta. The lawsuit seeks declaratory and injunctive relief to abolish racial segregation and discrimination in various public facilities, including parks, swimming pools, tennis courts, and other buildings. 8 pages.
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
These articles are interconnected through their focus on the civil rights movement and the efforts of young activists in the 1960s to achieve equal rights and social justice. The articles highlight different aspects of the movement, including the "sit-in" protests, the challenges faced by students advocating for integration and equal rights, and the legal implications of their actions. 3 pages.
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
A series of collected newspaper clippings about the Civil Rights Movement. 211 pages.
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
This account describes a sit-in protest in the Sprayberry Cafeteria, where a group of individuals demanded service but were denied due to their race. Despite an attempt by the cafeteria's owner to have them leave, the protesters insisted on staying. Police were eventually called, leading to their arrest for trespassing. The account reflects the determination and resilience of the protesters in their pursuit of equal rights. 3 pages.
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
Atlanta Inquirer main article "Jail, No Bail Group in Jail, Cheerful, Confident", on Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., student leader Lonnie King, and fellow sit-in group members, confident in their cause, faced their arrest for violating trespass laws during a sit-in protest in Atlanta. After spending a night in Fulton County Jail, their spirit remained steadfast despite minor discomforts. The article reflects on the determination of the protesters and the prison conditions they endured, highlighting their commitment to challenging societal restrictions on human freedom and dignity. Other excerpts touch on topics such as civil rights, segregation, discrimination, education, and social issues prevalent during the 1960s. The newspaper highlights the struggles and challenges faced by African Americans in the segregated South and the efforts of civil rights activists and students to bring about change through nonviolent protest and activism. The excerpts also reflect on the role of education and the importance of breaking out of societal constraints and discriminatory practices. 4 pages.
Lonnie King, Marilyn Price, Martin Luther King, Jr.., and others were arrested after being denied service at Rich's Department Store, in downtown Atlanta.
Dr. Martin Luther King arrested with students. Left (partially visible) Morehouse student Lonnie King, (behind) Spelman students Marilyn Price, Blondean Orbert, followed by police.
Several students from the Atlanta University Center participated in a "Kneel-in" movement to challenge racial segregation in churches. Reflecting on their experiences, they emphasized the disparity between the teachings of the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man and the reality of segregation within churches. Despite being denied admission to certain churches, they expressed their determination to promote integration through worship and spiritual education. 1 page.
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
Dated April 12, 1960, this letter is addressed to Mr. James Felder, President of the Student Government Association at Clark College in Atlanta, Georgia. The letter is from Hugh Saussey, Jr., a native Georgian and Priest in the Episcopal Church. Saussey commends Felder for his article titled "An Appeal For Human Rights", published in March 1960, as well as for the peaceful demonstrations at public lunch counters. He expresses sadness about the role of churches in segregation and discrimination, stressing that these practices contradict the teachings of Christ and the true essence of the Church. 2 pages.
This document is a publication from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) titled "Support Southern Students", It discusses student actions and demonstrations against racial segregation and discrimination in the Southern United States. The publication calls for nonviolent resistance, urging students to participate in protests, demonstrations, and other forms of activism. It emphasizes the importance of solidarity and cooperation between students, religious groups, and civic organizations to achieve racial equality. The document also provides information about various student-led actions, including sit-ins and picketing of businesses that practiced segregation. It encourages support for students expelled or arrested for their involvement in the civil rights movement and highlights efforts to raise funds for their assistance. The publication emphasizes the significance of these actions in bringing attention to the civil rights struggle and promoting change in discriminatory practices. 8 pages.
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
This document outlines the involvement of the United States National Student Association (USNSA) in the sit-in movement during the Civil Rights era. Established in 1947, USNSA represents over 375 colleges and universities across the United States through democratically elected student governing bodies, making it the largest National Union of Students globally. 68 pages.
A police officer takes the names of protesters as a threat against protests at Sprayberry Cafeteria. These threats were noted to be rescinded at a later time.
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
Students were arrested by police for protesting a segregated cafeteria.
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
Students enter an Atlanta police car after being arrested for protesting a segregated cafeteria.
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
Atlanta University Center students at a hearing.
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
This is the front two pages of the Atlanta Journal Newspaper dated March 15th, 1960 with the headline "Segregation Sentiment Leads At School Student Midway Mark".  Most of the articles show that the issue of segregation was a hot topic in Georgia in 1960. The sit-in movement was a major challenge to the segregationist status quo, and the state school study commission's findings showed that there was strong support for segregation among the Georgians who testified. The articles also show the different ways that people were responding to the issue of segregation. The state school study commission was trying to find a way to keep the public schools segregated, while the sit-in movement was demanding desegregation. The articles show that the issue of segregation was complex and divisive and that there was no easy solution. 2 pages.
A booklet titled "A Second Look. The Negro Citizen In Atlanta" by the Atlanta Committee for Cooperative Action. The booklet targets the socio-economic issues targeting the Black community in Atlanta. The committee aims to promote awareness and discussion rather than mere fault-finding. It expresses the hope that fellow Atlantans will read and consider the contents of the upcoming pages, even if perspectives on certain issues may differ. Ultimately, the foreword calls for a collective effort to address Atlanta's problems and maximize the use of all its human resources to become a truly great American metropolis. 11 pages.
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
A handwritten letter from the Committee on Communication and the Appeal For Human Rights to College presidents. The letter describes how the committee is grateful for the college presidents' support against racial discrimination. The committee recognizes that the presidents' administration had significantly improved their movement's progress and would be stagnant without them. The committee further thanks the college presidents and expresses their desire to continue supporting their goal. 1 page.
The letter is addressed to college student body presidents, urging them to consider the discriminatory conditions faced by one-tenth of the nation's population. It emphasizes that a nation dedicated to the Judeo-Christian ethic should not tolerate discrimination or segregation. The letter calls upon all leaders on college campuses and citizens in public and private sectors to join in eliminating discrimination from America. It requests to disseminate the letter to interested parties and provides contact information for the Atlanta University, Georgia, Committee on Communications. 1 page.
This letter announces the initiation of a selective buying campaign against the A & P (Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company) grocery store chain to express discontent against segregation and discriminatory hiring practices. The committee seeks support for their cause and aims to spread the campaign nationwide to end discriminatory practices globally. The committee members listed are Albert P. Brinson (Chairman), Norma Wilson (Secretary), Julian Bond, and Lydia Tucker. 1 page.
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
This personal account details the March 15, 1960 sit-in at Sprayberry Cafeteria in Atlanta, Georgia, as part of a well-planned student movement against segregation. The movement involved coordination with various community representatives, including the police chief, to ensure a peaceful and strategic protest. The author recounts entering the cafeteria to desegregate it, with some students lining up for service and others at the deli counter. A conversation with a friend of the cafeteria owners ensued, and despite being asked to leave, the students remained. The cafeteria employees removed food from the hot tables, but the students managed to place food on their trays. When attempting to pay, the cashier refused, claiming they were giving away food for the day. Reporters arrived, seeking statements, which the students declined to provide. After an hour-long standoff, police officers arrived, and negotiations led to a decision not to arrest the students. The narrative highlights the students' commitment to being served in a federal building despite the challenges they faced. The aftermath of the protest included political repercussions, including a governor's heart attack and legal action taken against the students based on an obscure statute. Despite these challenges, the students' persistence contributed to advancing civil rights in Atlanta. 3 pages
The handwritten document is a letter to the Atlanta Inquirer accounting for prejudicial practices and how prejudice strikes minority settings and communities. Parham describes the nature of prejudice as being unpredictable, and that it cannot be singularly directed. The letter begins with a reference to an incident of anti-Semitism and the bombing of a synagogue by Neo-Nazis and describes the prohibition of the entry of a young Jewish man into a social invite because he was Jewish. The author connects it to the plight of negroes and establishes that there is ineffective legislation to protect others from such prejudiced acts against African Americans and other minorities. 4 pages.
A woman and man get placed in a police paddy wagon.
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
Written on accompanying slide: From Atlanta. Negroes Leave Bus After Mixed Ride. Negro clergymen stand around the front door of a public bus in Atlanta just after riding it with disregard for segregated seating regulations. When they began getting off, the driver asked them to leave by rear door. They declined and alighted through the front door. during their ride of about 36 blocks, some occupied seats up front with white passengers seated behind them. That's contrary to transit company regulations.
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
A group of protesters stand outside of a theatre on the sidewalk holding signs that read: "We're Willing to Die, But Not For Segregation", and "Negroes in Berlin? Yes, Negroes in the Dinkler? No".
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
A man holds a sign protesting an integrated movie with other protesters and police around him.
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
A woman holds a sign in protest downtown reading: "Segregation is the shame of Atlanta".
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
White men and children hold protest signs reading: "Don't Push Our Children Out the Back Door and Let  the Communists Thru the Front Door", "We Belong Advancement of White People", and "Segregation Was Planned Long Before Supreme Court Justices Were Born".
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
Two men turn on a fire hydrant with state troopers in the background.
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
Klansmen march outside the Atlanta Journal newspaper building.
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
Segregationists protest outside of a restaurant holding signs reading: "Be Smart, Stay Unmixed", and "Do Not Eat Here, The Owner of This Business is a Leader for Integration".
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
A worker at Sprayberry's Cafeteria stands amidst students and policemen at the cafeteria protest.
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
Written on recto: Negro leaders jailed for bus ride. Sitting behind bars in city jail today are five Negro clergymen arrested on charges that they violated Georgia's segregation laws. At the right is their leader, the Rev. William Holmes Borders. They were in jail pending the posting of $1,00 bond each. The arrests resulted from a group of some 20 Negro ministers occupying public bus seats up front which are customarily reserved for White customers.
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
Written on recto: Atlanta, January 10, 1957. Ministers Hauled to Jail in Paddy Wagon. Five Negro ministers leave the paddy wagon at police station today after being hauled to jail on charges that they violated Georgia segregation laws in occupying public bus seats up front which are normally reserved for white passengers. Second from left is their leader, the Rev. William Holmes Borders. They were jailed temporarily until they posted $1,000 bond each.
Atlanta Student Movement Collection
Written on recto: Riders still segregated. Whites and Negroes are still segregated on this Atlanta Transit Co. trolley today following the Supreme Court's decision outlawing segregation on all public buses. State officials said that Georgia was not a party to the South Carolina Legal Action and hence would not be immediately affected. City Attny.. Jack Savage said Atlanta has no ordinance actually requiring segregation but does have an ordnance requiring those in charge of buses and  trolley to obey the st[?]e segregation laws.
Atlanta Student Movement Collection