I visited the somber and stunning Civil Rights space at Nashville PL, a tribute to the lunch counter sit-ins of 1960. 60 years ago this month, lunch counter sit-ins began in Greensboro, NC, here in Nashville, TN, and in other cities which still practiced legally sanctioned, overt segregation. The participants were mostly Black university students. Photos, arrest warrants and newspaper clippings line the walls, and a series of videos plays in a corner of the room. The central lunch counter installation has the nonviolent principles of conduct etched into the glass panels including “Do not strike back or curse if abused.“ After visiting the room, my colleague/friend and I walked over to the nearby restored Woolworths restaurant for lunch. We gratefully accepted a fact sheet about the site and its history in the sit-ins as we were seated at a table, a white-presenting woman and Asian-presenting woman. As we looked around at…
Tag: civil rights
Interview with Joan Trumpauer Mulholland
Legendary civil rights activist Joan Trumpauer Mulholland is the subject of two new juvenile nonfiction selections. There is a picture book version, She Stood for Freedom: The Untold Story of a Civil Rights Hero, Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, written by her son Loki Mulholland and Angela Fairwell and illustrated by Charlotta Janssen, and a middle grade version of the same title, also written by Loki Mulholland with artwork by Charlotta Janssen. In this interview, Joan Trumpauer Mulholland reflects on her experiences and the impact of encouraging young people in their struggle for equal rights.