The Desegregation Of Huntsville | American Experience | PBS
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- čas přidán 12. 07. 2024
- When NASA arrived in Huntsville, Alabama in 1960, it brought new financial opportunities to the city. But for African Americans, the space boom only heightened the disparities of segregation.
Enter John and Joan Cashin in January of 1962. With a small group of like-minded black professionals, they formed the Community Service Committee, which led to a mass movement of sit-ins, poster walks, and boycotts. The CSC saw the Rocket City's dependence on federal money was a vulnerability they could exploit to integrate the city.
John Cashin called it psychological warfare-and by July of 1962 the CSC's creative tactics paid off. With little of the violence that had met civil rights demonstrations across the state, Huntsville was the first city in Alabama to begin desegregation.
Advisor:
Diane McWhorter
Special Thanks:
Roy Clem (APTV)
Sonnie Hereford IV
Rocket City Civil Rights
Keith Ward
Learn more about NASA and the space program in the 1960s in CHASING THE MOON. More about the film, including where to watch the full documentary: www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexper...
This was a nice little doc. I wish someone would do the history of Redstone in Huntsville and document what happen to all the African Americans that were forced off their land by the US gov in prep for the arsenal in the 40s. Talk about the large amount of chemical and ammunition dumps there that have leached into surrounding water ways and poisoned the people of Triana (where many of these black families moved to). Having lived in Huntspatch and having done archaeological contract work here I would love to see more of the full story of the African American struggle in this city. They overcame a lot more than just counter sitting and the right to watch cinema.
I’m from Huntsville born and raised. They probably will never allow such information out. Because it would expose so much more.
My family stems from triana and yea id like to know how that was. How my grandads and grandmas and uncles overcame such loss
The question: How far back in our local North Alabama history of racial discrimination and the dreaded words of "white supremacy" would you care to journey? Then, bring it forward to today's political history in our nation today, all is relevant in the travails of our cultural history.
@@GarryMorgan1 and now everyone wants to be segregated again. Ironic isn’t it?
not everyone
Have lived in Huntsville for 41 years. Never knew this strategy until today. Pretty cool. Started my Thanksgiving Day off right. Peace be with y’all! ❤️
Meee tooo!!
Me to
I recently moved to Huntsville after after attending Oakwood College, now Oakwood University, back in 1972. I vaguely remember my father, who also attended Oakwood College, mentioning how Doctor Martin Luther King spoke at Oakwood college. So glad to learn just how Oakwood College was instrumental in the civil rights movement.
This is GOLD. Great information. Hsv resident here. A lot has changed. It is still segregated “in a sense” it’s just in a new world in a new type of way.
Stupidest comment I’ve ever seen
And I feel that Alabama doesn't get any light in history because everyone thinks we're like cowboys or something 🙄
@@kenmack What do you mean by stupid and why does this comment apply to that definition?
@@donnalewis5208 Huntsville is not "segregated in a sense". I've visited there. It's actually quite diverse in it's people and in what they offer. The original comment is from someone who always wants to belittle any progress at all so they can feel like a superhero by "calling it out". It's disgusting.
@@kenmack the parkway still divides the city racially. Of course, there are always exceptions everywhere; however, the so-called “super hero” isn’t as stupid as he might seem.
Dr. Cashen was my first Dentist in the mid 60's.
Great doc! Can't believe I haven't seen this before....born and raised in Huntsville. I'm sure there was more to the desegregation movement than just sit-ins and I wish that was covered more. If they were alluding to this whole movement being non-violent that would be a little hard to believe considering this is a city in Alabama (meaning I don't think people were arrested peacefully in all cases). Also I wish there was more coverage to the lower hand african americans had other than 'it was harder to find a job' ....
Dam really? I just moved here 2 months ago 🤣
@@suplex57 what you move here for? Don't bring any crime here. We have enough of it already.
@@Isummerfresh that was the most ignorant comment I ever read in my life. I am not going to address you.
@@suplex57 Leave!!!
@@Isummerfresh lmao you single mad and grumpy woman
My beloved Huntsville! The courage it took for everyone from the 13 yr old boy and college students up to Dr.Martin Luther King and Dr. Cashen. The pregnant Lady strategy was genius.
The only true black hero was Marcus Garvey
Wow. I'm so glad I found this video. As a native and land of my ancestors sold for Redstone development this is gold.
I have lived in Huntsville most of my life and never heard this story! All I know is that Huntsville has always been a place unlike any other in Alabama. Although it’s not perfect, I am proud of it.
Huntsville native born and raised on the north and west side mostly around sparkman. My father was born in 1959 so he lived through this he was young though
Amy Link - you have nothing to be ashamed of. this is just propaganda to make wite people hate themselves and feel guilty. everyone was better off under segregation and there's nothing wrong with wanting to be with your own kind. no one should be forced together.
I am not ashamed of being white. I just was making a comment on the fact that my father never talked about this even though he lived through it. Huntsville has always been an a weird place, many first took place there, but i had no idea about this particular story.
@@ryanrosenblum2552 - you’re not wite. You’re Jewish. Stop larping as a wite person.
@@shapiroshekelberg604 It's White with a H you moron if your going to insult me at least get that right and I'm probably whiter than you. I'm about an 8th Norwegian and German on my mother's side as well a small amount of scots-irish. I'm mostly English and eastern European.
I work in Huntsville and it’s one of the cleanest cities I have seen.
lol, no it’s not
No We're Clean... Huntsville, Alabama does not have any slum areas. I've been here all my life. Huntsville has come up. We've come a long way.
@@queensmiley9316 haha that's funny.
Huntsville is my hometown and the schools that i went to like East Clinton, Huntsville Middle and Huntsville High didn't teach the kids about black history. I had to learn about my history through family and friends. My boyfriend was from California at the time and he had to schooled me about my own southern history. I used to hate reading about the history on how African Americans were treated and i love how our people made a differences for the new generation. But lets not forget about Christina Nance a black girl was found in a police van on Madison county courthouse property in September or October 2021 Wake up. Make that public. Let's protest on that.
Your High school isn't different from many High schools in the South. Had it not been for my mother and dad, I'd be ignorant of my own race and our struggles to achieve equality in a land we're not 100% accepted.
Sounds like you two would be happier in Baltimore, California or Chicago.
I have lived here since I was 21 and I'm 41 now This is awesome seeing this history. So awesome to c the change and diversity here.
This is awesome. Huntsville is my home. Of course I've heard of the Cashins and the Herefords but never this particular piece of the story. Thanks so much for this!
Huntsville is better than many places, thanks to so many peoples efforts. Let's all keep fighting for equality.
don't worry, with all the new diversity pouring in, it'll look like baltimore in no time
Very interesting! Love learning things about my hometown!
Right on. Thanks for this feel good story. It's humbling to know that so many people fought, for so many years, to attain freedom for future generations.
Representing Huntsville Al. I'm an ICU nurse and it's extremely segregated within the hospital system.
Edit: Dr. Sonny Hereford was my one of teachers at Calhoun CC. He was one of a kind. RIP.
Edit: I will not tolerate bullying. You will be reported and blocked.
I also no longer work in that hospital system, I'm where I'm valued, appreciated and paaaayed while doing what I ❤.
I think the only people saying it’s not are either delusional or in denial.
And thank you for your commitment to saving lives ❤️
@@deevahlyshus Thank you. I love what I do.
@@deevahlyshus You are correct.
My grandmother was a nurse at Huntsville Hospital and has shared with me the segregation of babies not being allowed in the nursery and mothers not being allowed to be on the same floor. S Hereford was my grandfathers cousin. Grandfather was also arrested for sitting in a lunch counters located at Pulaski and N. Memorial Parkway. It's all real
I'm born and raised in Huntsville Alabama and didn't know this history. I got to go back and study the history I missed
Great documentary on Huntsville, I wish it was longer.
Great storytelling, thank you
My mother worked at the Huntsville Chamber of Commerce in 1964 thru 66. It was across the street from a city swimming pool. She was at work in 1964 then they closed the pool rather than desegregate it in compliance with the Civil Rights Act 1964
smart move, it would've been vandalized or looted anyway.
My father was an aeronautical engineer and we moved a Huntsville in 1960. He worked for Rockwell international as part of the space program. But I was only 10 around this time so I don’t know anything about What happened when I was younger. It is as I got older I mean I knew but we were very the stuff is hidden from us.
This is so cool to know about my birth town!!!!Im still wishing Huntsville much love and progress towards equality while being the biggest city in the state.
Sadly Huntsville public schools are still horrible for black kids, segregation or not.
I agree. they should have their own schools.
I currently live in HuntsVegas,and I love it. It's a city unlike Alabama itself. Huntsville should become a state because unlike Alabama,it is a melting pot for all people. And unfortunately Alabama still has a long way to go.
Untrue
It’s funny that you think you free in HuntsVegas I bet you do like it because all that’s in HuntsVegas was stolen from the true Indians which are called black now. Ppl are f the south it’s time for a he big pay back and this coming from Birmingham Alabama 💯
dont worry Hunstville will be just like Birmingham, New York or Chicago in no time
@@hoodgoddessnews5221 - i guess being handed every major city in the 1960s wasn't good enough, because we all saw what happened to them....detroit, birmingham, chicago, new york, la, st louis, milwaukee, minnieapolis, indianapolis, baltimore all such wonderful places!
Or, the four Alabama counties on the north side of the Tennessee River, including Madison Co., could secede from Alabama and join Tennessee. TN outranks AL in everything, even to the point of having free community college, all while having no state income tax.
Black ppl should have supported our own businesses instead of begging the enemy for the right to sit at their restaurants.
Correctamondo
@@amberisrael5589 Marcus Garvey was saying this in the '30s start out own businesses!!!!
agree 100% marcus garvey was a great man, he owned the black star line of ships and wanted to take blacks back to africa
@@shapiroshekelberg604 A movie was in the making about him.
@@dwightlove3704 - if it’s being made by Hollywood and not an indie film, I’m sure he’ll be demonized. The transvestite homosexual J Edgar Hoover hated Garvey and ended up busting him. I also like Louis Farrakhan. He’s a good role model for African American men.
Much love for my hometown
Huntsville is a great city. Ive been here most of my life; however, let’s not forget how the city got sued a few years back for how they was zoning the schools. They closed down most of the black schools in the inner city and tried to dump them in one spot instead of letting the kids go to the predominantly white schools that was close to them.
Whaaaat?! This happened recently?!?
@Amber Rodriguez about 2014-15. i was in school when this happened.
Huntsville resident. Can confirm. I may be a white dude, but even I know that just below the surface (and sometimes right up on top) America is still pretty racist, institutionally speaking.
Sharon, So what’s wrong with that? If there’s so much “institutional racism” like wouldn’t you want to be in your own school, that’s being ran by your people and be around with your own people?
I love this! Born and raised in Huntsville. I’m here because my grandfather came here from Louisiana because of a job at NASA. Never knew this. Great documentary
IT'S 2021, I've visited HUNTSVILLE ALABAMA. Believe me, there's still a need for integration and police reform.
don't worry, it'll look like chicago in no time...
Another great think about Huntsville is Oakwood University. Oakwood also played a part in the Civil Rights.
I am from Birmingham, Alabama and I noticed how dissimilar the two cities are after moving to Huntsville in the early 2000’s. Huntsville never felt “Deep South” in the same way and the difference in the food was apparent. For instance, Huntsville’s white barbecue sauce was unheard of in Birmingham. I think the history of The Civil War played out in a different way as well; many Appalachian areas sided with the Union and Huntsville, though far from West Virginia, was captured by the North in 1861 at the beginning of The Civil War. I remember seeing a full length portrait of William Tecumseh Sherman himself, the man famous for burning Atlanta for the Union, in a Huntsville antique shop about ten years ago.
Huntsville's choice for the US House of Representatives is Mo Brooks. They are, well and truly, "Deep South".
@@rogerw3818 I didn’t vote for him
@@debbystardust If only the majority of Huntsville had that same inclination. Alas...
I was born in Huntsville and live here till this day
Segregation in Huntsville was only 59 years ago. My parents are from Lafayette Alabama near West Point Ga and the town schools and restaurants didn’t desegregate until 1969.
ah the good ole days
Huntsville is still booming with defense/aerospace and is a beautiful place to live.
no it isn't. it's terrible and no one needs to move there!
History makes me sick inside !
Not from Huntsville AL. But Love Huntsville 💘
I love it here
Born and raised in Huntsville, my grandparents moved there in '61 when my grandfather got a job for Boeing. He was white and my grandmother Mexican. Businesses desegregated, but not churches and neighborhoods. My mom was kicked out of the neighborhood church when they saw her mom was Mexican. Huntsville is a lot better than most major southern cities though, I visit family every 2-3 months.
I was born in Hsv in 1963. Went to school for 12 years and never saw a black student at my schools.
I was born in 1966. Some of the people I respected the most didn't have my skin tone. They were just people.
This is awesome. My two oldest went to Sparkman High School, and I've always hated that it's named for a segregationist. Same with Bob Jones High. A lot of our roads, like Drake Ave and Bob Wallace Ave are also named for some of the worst of American society. Calhoun Community College is named for John C. Calhoun, an odious man who owned dozens of slaves and was vociferously opposed to emancipation in any form. There are some genuine southern heroes in this segment who we could be changing these schools and roads names to.
Wow thanks for that information
@@amberisrael5589 NP. If we as Americans can't acknowledge that our entire national history is rife with racism and cultural genocide, nothing will ever get better.
@@ThunderTaco206 - sounds like you should move to your home country of Israel then where they bomb Palestinian hospitals and cut water and food supplies to Gazans.
@@shapiroshekelberg604 Okay troll.
@@ThunderTaco206 - if you’re so concerned with racism and cultural genocide, why don’t you go to Israeli channels and complain about how they’re treating Palestinians and Gazans in this day and age! But no, you want to larp around as a “wite dude” on here and push your anti-wite garbage. No one’s buying it.
Omg I hated Huntsville when I lived there
I agree. No one should move to Huntsville. Or anywhere in Alabama for that matter. Ever.
I can see that. Why? I'm white and male.
I have no problem with your belief.
Been Here. Alabama A&M University C/O 96 Football Team fa death.
We're all here to share life and not to possess the conceit to own it.
How everyone dressed well….
Yeah things were much better back then…wonder why? 🤔
Desegregation talks still going on rn in Huntsville
You ain’t never lied
It never fucking ends ....criminal assholes
Where?....... ,🙄 Stop trying to be a victim
The reason? Simply because a federal judge won't get off his posterior and do his job and, instead, insists on rubbing salt into the wounds of the past.
I've worked and played in Huntsville most of my life, and have only seen small remnants of what was. At this point, the "desegregation" issue in Huntsville is simply a few folks waxing for attention, standing on the ceremony of something that's really no longer there.
@@DHW256 if you say so. I move here from Texas, originally from Louisiana. I don’t know what it was but it’s felt in the air.
Blacks in Huntsville have equal rights and hold very responsible jobs in government and industry. Considering Alabama was segregated for years we have integrated very well. Most people do not look at racial differences for years. It is past time to stop trying to divide people look back at the past and learn from mistakes that were made so it will not happen again. Those days are over.
Blacks in Huntsville have adopted a lot of step and fetch it mentalities. A true condition of the oppression that has been a strong hold in this area. The Klan originated less than 45 minutes from Huntsville and the ideologies are ever present within the political and law enforcing realm of this city.
@@shadmoney6617 the Klan orginated in pulaksi TN i thought?
@@josejones3312 It did. That is very close.
@@shadmoney6617 ahhhh okay never knew AL was so close to TN. Thank you
@@josejones3312 Yes. We are bordered by TN in this part of Alabama.
👍
Ya right
Meanwhile I'm sitting in a dorm at UAH.
How do you like it
Always follow the money
I lived there then and I don’t remember any if this! And in school we all got along until the ngroes started rioting in 1969-70
Pretty interesting how it was a problem that those arrested weren't publicized enough. Today, its reeses to publish accounts of those arrested.
Sorry, not sorry.
I live here and never knew any of this. Very educational.
It’s rubbish.
@@shapiroshekelberg604 ?
This is just anti-wite propaganda, slandering wites and Southerners. Yes I’m spelling it wrong on purpose to avoid censorship.
This in tx wow just past thru saw slot of prisons but ok
This is Huntsville, Alabama, not Huntsville, Texas.
@@Mad_Hazardous okay thanks for letting me know
Wow, was at Redstone Arsenal for AIT.
Got stalked by Black girls I didn't know because I went to the mall witha White Girl from Unit. This was 1994..Crazy..
they were probably looking to rob you
Somebody please explain to me what NASA or the Apollo program had to do with Ed Dwight's complaints about racism?
@Josh Jones -- Thanks, a good story. My bad, I thought the black astronaut candidate Ed Dwight was involved in the story, since PBS stressed his problems with racist hostility and a link from their main page sent me here. Again, I'd gotten the wrong idea and you set me straight, I owe you one.
@Josh Jones -- Too late! What's your second choice?
@Josh Jones -- I consider myself one of the good guys, does this qualify? I consider it an honor that I was allowed to helped publicize the astronaut trainee status of USAF Capt Robert Lawrence in 1997 so he could be added to NASA's astronaut memorial in Florida. I attended that ceremony shortly after I quit my NASA job over safety issues.
Robert Lawrence
www.nbcnews.com/id/7018497/#.W7SlJmhKg2w
my 1996 letter to amf
www.jamesoberg.com/96nov11-to-desantis.pdf
1997 story about him and me
www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-10-27-9710270194-story.html
@Josh Jones -- !!?
Hundreds of highly qualified astronaut candidates are rejected every selection cycle. Until the Clinter and Husseina Obama regimes you didn't just get to be an Astronaut just because you were not a Caucasian male. Ole Eddie was not even moderately qualified.
Yeah and you should see it now! Smh
And how is Huntsville segregated now. Can you point me to the modern day colored restrooms? Let me guess your on section 8, food stamps and don't know how to use a condom so you blame your shitty life choices on white people when it's really you who fucked your life over
@@gggggg3912 lighten up, Francis.
@@gggggg3912 your first sentence is valid. It went downhill with the negativity. Try keeping a level head.
@@gggggg3912 you seem bothered. Too bothered. Almost as if you don't care about anyone but yourself. So maybe just stfu
I was actually referring to how Huntsville spends the tax paying dollars downtown is beautiful but there are far to many abandoned homes buildings hoods it used to be a nice place but nowadays you can’t ride down the parkway without seeing prostitution thugs and violence everywhere a lot of that is due to hud housing projects and section 8 homes readily available especially for people coming from Atlanta into the city cause we are the nxt close city I wasn’t speaking about black and white I was talking about how beautiful of a city it used to be compared to how it is now it’s ran down except downtown when you allow certain things you get a certain result that’s why south Huntsville is more upper class now and north Huntsville is ran down
Disgusting
Gangs make places great again.
15 years ago I could have watched something like this and felt 'something' for the struggles of the mid 1900s era. Now I'm just so sick of hearing the 'woe-is-me' story I could GAF.
thank you!
What is an African American?
This place fucked up lol
Huntsville is still segregated af
No it's not lol. if you think Huntsville is anything like this today then you need to wake up
No it’s not current Huntsville resident
No, it is not. The neighborhoods are more integrated than many large cities. I’m not alluding that Huntsville is perfect, but being “segregated af” just isn’t true. While I understand that everyone has a different perspective and experience, your messaging should be truthful and based on facts.
It's segregated in the fact that races tend to gather amongst themselves in areas of living more often than with other races. Is that bad? No. Humans are picky... and having a preference of living amongst/around the same race is legal and morally fine.
@@HighlanderJosh - exactly that's perfectly normal. what's not normal is forcing people together against their will...
Should’ve kept it that way RIP Gage Vincent
Trouble making video.
😳😒 here we go. Facts don't care about your feelings.
Hey! That’s my qoute! Stop stealing Tyrone!!! 😂 😂 😂
Segregation worked.Things were much safer.
FACTS. and everyone was better off on both sides.
People segregate themselves. Sheep's don't associate with wolves.
ma’am
And wolves don’t associate with lions, either.
Oh yah the community that can't support themselves, smoked crack on a daily, don't know how to use b.c. and condoms and makes of even their own skin color for getting a education are the wolves right?
@@gggggg3912 your white resentment really shines through. Turn off Fox and Newsmax. You'll feel a lot better about life. Don't let those NYC millionaires profit off your deepest fears and insecurities!
This is something alot of people do not realize with Humans. World-wide, segregation/separation of races is always and will always be a thing. It isn't bad as long as it isn't forced among the people. Having the freedom to associate with your own race over another isn't terrible. The people who think it is are either liberal whites, whom decided to oust thier own race to feel better about their personal shittiness, or liberal minorities whom find racism and hate in everyone/thing and cannot have pride for themselves.
I'm for resegregation