Post by Sapphire on May 10, 2010 23:11:10 GMT -5
Heard about this on the news today and thought I'd share:
www.hbcudigest.com/2010/05/alabama-state-to-confer-honorary-degrees-to-formerly-expelled-student-protesters/
Alabama State University ended a 50-year-long injustice earlier this year, when ASU President Dr. William Harris reinstated nine students expelled from the university for their participation in sit-ins at the Montgomery County Courthouse in 1960.
This weekend, three of the nine students will be conferred honorary degrees and receive special recognition during the commencement exercises, school officials say. From the university release:
“This cannot undo the 50 years of pain suffered by these students, but I do believe we can show them, through our actions, that we are grateful. We can say thank you, and we can move forward,” said Harris.
On Feb. 25, 1960, several students attending Alabama State College (now Alabama State University) decided to take a stand and stage a sit-in to challenge segregated dining facilities at the Montgomery County Courthouse. Their actions caused an uproar that disturbed not only the white community, but also the state government. Police were called in to force the students to leave the building.
On March 2, 1960, Alabama’s all-white State Board of Education unanimously accepted then-Gov. John Patterson’s expulsion resolution. Under pressure, then-ASU president Harper Councill Trenholm expelled the nine students identified as sit-in leaders.
The students expelled were Elroy Emory, Ragland, Ala.; St. John Dixon, National City, Calif.; Edward Jones, Pittsburg, Pa.; Bernard Lee, Norfolk, Va.; James McFadden, Prichard, Ala.; Joseph Peterson, Newcastle, Ala.; Leon Rice, Chicago, Ill.; Howard Shipman, New York City, N.Y.; and Marzette Watts, Montgomery, Ala.
Other stories:
www.blackamericaweb.com/?q=articles/news/moving_america_news/18563
blog.al.com/spotnews/2010/02/alabama_state_university_presi.html
www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20100507/NEWS01/5070327/9+jailed+for++60+sit-in+to+get+ASU+degrees+Saturday
www.hbcudigest.com/2010/05/alabama-state-to-confer-honorary-degrees-to-formerly-expelled-student-protesters/
Alabama State University ended a 50-year-long injustice earlier this year, when ASU President Dr. William Harris reinstated nine students expelled from the university for their participation in sit-ins at the Montgomery County Courthouse in 1960.
This weekend, three of the nine students will be conferred honorary degrees and receive special recognition during the commencement exercises, school officials say. From the university release:
“This cannot undo the 50 years of pain suffered by these students, but I do believe we can show them, through our actions, that we are grateful. We can say thank you, and we can move forward,” said Harris.
On Feb. 25, 1960, several students attending Alabama State College (now Alabama State University) decided to take a stand and stage a sit-in to challenge segregated dining facilities at the Montgomery County Courthouse. Their actions caused an uproar that disturbed not only the white community, but also the state government. Police were called in to force the students to leave the building.
On March 2, 1960, Alabama’s all-white State Board of Education unanimously accepted then-Gov. John Patterson’s expulsion resolution. Under pressure, then-ASU president Harper Councill Trenholm expelled the nine students identified as sit-in leaders.
The students expelled were Elroy Emory, Ragland, Ala.; St. John Dixon, National City, Calif.; Edward Jones, Pittsburg, Pa.; Bernard Lee, Norfolk, Va.; James McFadden, Prichard, Ala.; Joseph Peterson, Newcastle, Ala.; Leon Rice, Chicago, Ill.; Howard Shipman, New York City, N.Y.; and Marzette Watts, Montgomery, Ala.
Other stories:
www.blackamericaweb.com/?q=articles/news/moving_america_news/18563
blog.al.com/spotnews/2010/02/alabama_state_university_presi.html
www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20100507/NEWS01/5070327/9+jailed+for++60+sit-in+to+get+ASU+degrees+Saturday
