An Appeal for Human Rights
An Appeal for Human Rights is a civil rights manifesto
Writing
Inspired by the
An Appeal for Human Rights listed seven examples of areas of inequality within Atlanta: education; jobs; housing; voting; hospitals; movies, concerts, restaurants; and law enforcement.[1] Each example had a short comment explaining the inequality in that area.[13] The document was signed at the bottom by a student representative from each of the six schools comprising the Atlanta University Center: Willie Mays from Atlanta University, James Felder from Clark University, Marion D. Bennett from the Interdenominational Theological Center, Don Clarke from Morehouse College, Mary Ann Smith from Morris Brown College, and Roslyn Pope from Spelman College.[1][13]
Publication
An Appeal for Human Rights was printed as a full-page paid advertisement in The Atlanta Constitution on March 9, 1960.[13][2] The ad was also published in The Atlanta Journal and Atlanta Daily World on the same day.[1] The ad was purchased at a cost of $1,800. Atlanta University's president Rufus Clement told AJC Magazine in 1965 that he paid for it with a personal check which was later reimbursed though student fees, while Julian Bond said that the anti-segregationist Southern author and social critic Lillian Smith paid for the advertisement.[1][11] In a March 10, 1960 article The Atlanta Constitution said that the check paying for the advertisement was signed by Clement using funds contributed by students.[14]
After its publication, the advertisement was denounced by Georgia's
A response from Atlanta mayor William B. Hartsfield was printed in the same March 10 issue of The Atlanta Constitution as Vandiver's response,[14] who differed with the Governor's opinion and said that An Appeal for Human Rights represented "the legitimate aspirations of the city's own young people."[11] Hartsfield also spoke positively of the students for their commitment to nonviolence.[1]
The students sent a copy of the manifesto to Jacob Javits, a Republican senator that represented New York in the United States Senate. Javits approved of the message, and during a speech on the Senate floor on March 16, 1960, he requested that the manifesto be entered into the Congressional Record.[1] In addition to being entered into the Congressional Record, the manifesto was republished for free in The New York Times and Los Angeles Times.[10]
Legacy
An
The 60th anniversary of the publication of An Appeal for Human Rights was celebrated in a ceremony hosted by Atlanta City Council member Michael Julian Bond in March 2020.[18] The Associated Press interviewed Roslyn Pope for a story published on March 9, 2020, the 60th anniversary of the manifesto's publication, who expressed concern that the achievements the students worked hard for were being eroded, and said “we have to be careful. It's not as if we can rest and think that all is well.[10]
References
- ^ from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
- ^ a b c "AP Was There: Atlanta Student Movement of 1960". Associated Press. March 8, 2020. Archived from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ "An Appeal to Human Rights". City of Atlanta, GA. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ Appeal for Human Rights Archived February 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine - Civil Rights Movement Archive
- ^ Appeal for Human Rights Archived 2010-04-01 at the Wayback Machine - Committee on Appeal for Human Rights
- ^ Interview (Audio) This Day in History, 1960 (2009-03-09) - PBA Online
- ^ An Appeal for Human Rights Archived June 12, 2011, at the Wayback Machine - Democratic Underground
- ^ Atlanta Sit-ins Archived March 6, 2007, at the Wayback Machine - Civil Rights Movement Archive
- ^ Students begin to lead Archived 2016-01-13 at the Wayback Machine Direct Action and Desegregation (1960-1965) - Atlanta in the Civil Rights Movement
- ^ a b c d e Warren, Michael (March 9, 2020). "60 Years Later, 'An Appeal for Human Rights,' Written By A Spelman Student, Still Resonates". WABE. Archived from the original on November 13, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
- from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
- ^ Newspapers.com.
- ^ Newspapers.com.
- Newspapers.com.
- )
- ^ "Atlanta University Center". Atlanta Freedom Trail. Archived from the original on March 29, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- ^ Edward, Roz (March 12, 2020). "Atlanta City Councilman Bond honors 60th Anniversary of Atlanta Student Movement Monday". Atlanta Daily World. Archived from the original on November 25, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
External links
- Works related to An Appeal for Human Rights at Wikisource
- An Appeal for Human Rights (also in PDF format) via the Civil Rights Movement Archive
- An Appeal for Human Rights (March 9th, 1960) and An Appeal for Human Rights vII (March 2000) via AtlantaStudentMovement.org