by Miriam Barnberger
Special Projects Writer

Courtesy Library of Congress Above: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Below: Rosa Parks

The Civil Rights Movement in the United States technically began with the push for the abolition of slavery by several Northern groups prior to the Civil War, but it was not until the 1950s that the movement gained enough momentum to begin to make major progress for black rights.

History books generally pinpoint the beginning of the movement as Dec. 1, 1957 ­ the famous Rosa Parks incident. After Parks, a black woman, was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white man in accordance with the Jim Crow laws of the time, activists led by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. held a year-long boycott of public transportation in Montgomery, Ala. Using a method of nonviolent protest, King ushered America into a new generation of the Civil Rights Movement.

While civil rights activists organized resistance efforts throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, the movement gained front-page national attention with the March on Washington on Aug. 8, 1963. More than 250,000 supporters gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial to listen to an array of speakers, most notably Dr. King, who delivered his famous ³I Have a Dream² speech. The objective of the rally was to support the new Civil Rights Bill initiated by President John F. Kennedy, as well as to draw attention to the idea of civil rights itself, which had been ignored by much of the country for more than a century.

Students across the nation played an integral role in the Civil Rights Movement, and GW often found itself at the forefront of this political revolution. In October 1962 The Hatchet ran a series of student opinions on the recent riots at Mississippi State University. The riots, caused by student protests against the admission of a black student, James Meredith, resulted in two deaths and 75 injuries. While sentiments were mixed at GW, the majority of students expressed concern over the blatant racial discrimination. One student, Mike Light, was quoted in The Hatchet as saying, ³University students should have known better, yet the incident will pave the way for future progress.²

A Hatchet editorial that strongly expressed the opinions of many civil rights activists read, ³Token integration is just the first step. We hope that Š the conscience of America will awaken and democracy and equality will no longer just be talked about, but will become a living part of the actions of all our citizens until race shall no longer be a factor of differentiation in human relationships.²

Another civil rights issue that aroused much attention at GW was the alleged discrimination by several Greek organizations against minority students. In September 1964, three white students picketed outside Strong Hall, protesting racial discrimination in sororities. The incident was sparked by the rejection of three black women from a sorority, seemingly without justification. While the women themselves did not picket, political science student Peggy Cooper (now president of the D.C. Board of Education) brought the issue before the Panhellenic Council.

A series of investigations into discriminatory practices among fraternities and sororities continued for more than four years. Kappa Delta, Alpha Delta Pi and Zeta Tau Alpha were disbanded for unfair practices toward minority students, and within the next three years, GW chapters of several other national Greek organizations were disbanded for similar reasons.

During the 1960s, D.C. was a hotbed for political protest, primarily for the civil rights and anti-Vietnam war movements. Not only did many GW students participate in these protests; the University housed students from all over the country who traveled to D.C. for demonstrations.

The effects of the Civil Rights Movement were not immediately visible at GW. Although desegregation officially occurred in 1954, it was not until the end of the century that racial and ethnic diversity became a factor with the GW student body. Nonetheless, the University carried on the legacy of the movement in the formation of the Equal Opportunities Program, which pushed for educational and professional opportunities for minorities. During the 1960s and Œ70s, many black students organized to address racial issues on campus, including the institution of black history courses and job benefits for black staff members. The American Civil Rights Movement was not a phenomenon exclusive to any one time period ­ to this day people are working to create tolerance and equality.