1956 in Review marks major desegregation milestones
A Chicago based year end recap highlights the U S Supreme Court ruling ending segregation on Montgomery buses and widespread desegregation across 671 public school districts in 17 Southern and border states. The month by month list notes notable events involving Negro Americans, civil rights groups, politics, and cultural figures shaping 1956.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Chicago
ANP
U. S. Supreme Court
Montgomery
Ala
Desegregation Holds Across Several States
A St Louis judge orders end to segregation in low rent public housing in the city. A two year old girl survives extreme body temperatures of 60.8 degrees. The Alabama Senate passes a nullification resolution challenging the Supreme Court desegregation order. Montgomery mayor urged a tough stance on bus boycotters. Montgomery police arrest Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Autherine Lucy and Polly Ann Myers Hudson prepare to enroll at the University of Alabama. The University of Alabama fights to bar Negroes from attending. Dixie railroads begin integrating Negro and White passengers. The Emmett Till case is not reopened by a Mississippi judge. Eisenhower receives U.S. delegation to Liberia. An all Negro cast stages Porgy and Bess in Russia.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
St.Louis
Porgy
Bess
University of Alabama
Dixie Railroads
Mississippi
Eisenhower
U. S
Liberia
Alabama Senate
Supreme Court
Montgomery
Martin L. King
Autherine Lucy
Polly Ann Myers Hudson
Civil rights era events spark nationwide tensions
February events include Autherine Lucy forced from Alabama campus amid mob violence and her later readmission bid. The Montgomery bus boycott escalates as Rev. Martin Luther King Jr’s home is bombed and NAACP battles legal suits and bans. April sees mass prayer, fires, ministerial declarations, and political pressure as NAACP, Nat King Cole, and Powell push civil rights action across states.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Autherine Lucy
University of Alabama
Montgomery
Rev. King
Daily Defender
Chicago
Powell
Afl-Cio
Mississippi
Thomas Brewer
Georgia
Sammy Davis Jr
Mr. Wonderful
al Benson
Alabama
Chicago insur ance executive Robert A Cole dies
Robert A Cole a Chicago insurance executive dies in the city obituary notes his long career. The report mentions his leadership roles and community involvement within the Chicago business scene.
Integration conflicts and court orders hit southern schools
The Justice Department pushes for school integration in Hoxie Arkansas while Florida leaders face intimidation in a bus boycott. Disorder erupts at Mansfield Texas High School as protests and racial tensions rise, and National Guardsmen are called in Clinton Tennessee. Paul Robeson seeks Supreme Court action on his passport. Kentucky bars Black students from Sturgis schools, Vanderbilt admits its first Black law student, Louisville integrates without incident, and Congressman Powell backs Judge Hastie for the Supreme Court vacancy.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Justice Department
Hoxie
Ark
Florida
Mansfield
Texas
Texas Rangers
Clinton, Tenn
National Guardsmen
Paul Robeson
Kentucky
Sturgis
Louisville
Vanderbilt School of Law
Powell
Hastie
Supreme Court
Integration and civil rights items across states and institutions
Reports on October probes into Washington DC school integration. New York airline adopts policy to hire Negro pilots. Tennessee high court approves state integration. Lawyers renew bid to reinstate Mrs Autherine Lucy Foster at the University of Alabama. NAACP defense in Texas ban case. Powell shifts support to GOP. Dr Charles S Johnson of Fisk University dies. A Florida Negro is kidnapped from jail after a white woman’s remark.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Supreme Court
Mansfield
Texas
FBI
Clinton High School
Louisiana
Wilberforce University
Charles L. Hill
Florida
Haiti
Paul Maglorie
Jamaica
Georgia
NAACP
South Carolina
New York
U. S. Supreme Court
Montgomery
Southerners
Washington, D. C
Tennessee High Court
Autherine Lucy Foster
University of Alabama
Powell
GOP
Charles S. Johnson
Fisk University
Nat Cole stars on weekly TV show in November
A November broadcast features Nat King Cole headlining a weekly television program while political shifts unfold as supporters swing toward Ike after reelection. Tensions rise in Caribbean diplomacy as Haiti and Cuba drift apart, and Dr. Ralph Bunche is appointed to a supervisory role labeled watch-dag.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Nat (King) Cole
Ike
Haiti
Cuba
Ralph Bunche
Also Mentioned on This Page
In Review
By Baker E. Morten
AME Zion Conference
Alabama College i
Ohio State University
Roy iHiamilton
Birmingham
Valada Snow
Congress
Washington, DC
Telephone
Love
Bishop’s Council
Oklahoma
Mieuse
Art Tatum
Una Mae Carlisle
Pennsylvania High Court
Lucy
Brownell
Conference of Dixie
Bishop Allen
Democratic Party
Venice Spraggs
Stennis
Air Force
James Eastland
Senate Judiciary Committee
Miss Lucy
United Negro College Fund
North Carolina
St. Louisan
Missouri
South Side
Roy Wilkins
Nat King Cole
Virginia
Adam C. Powell
Robert A. Cole
Ku Klux Klan
Tennessee
St. Louis
Dred Scott
San Francisco
Warner Hines, Inc
59Th St
Miami Carver
N.W
3Rd Ave
Edwin Williams
Mgr
Johnson and Sons
15Th Ave
Bud Ward
Flamingo Restaurant
Sir John Hotel
She
Castlerock
Elliott J. Pieze
Barkley
Disney
Vanity
Yardley
Paris
Coty
Barkley’s
3Rd Avenue
Central Life Insurance Co
Home Office
North Boulevard
Tampa, Fla
Bradenton
Daytona Beach
Ft, Lauderdale
FT. Pierce
Jacksonville
Lakeland
Ocala Orlando
Panama City
Pensacola
ST. Petersburg
Tallahassee
West Palm Beach
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!