Conrad L. Raiford
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Conrad L. Raiford | |
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Greensboro, North Carolina | |
Conrad Laurel Raiford (December 27, 1907 – May 20, 2002) was an American
Career
In 1946, Raiford was one of only six black men recruited by the then all white Greensboro Police Department. Although Raiford was proud to be a pioneering member of law enforcement, Raiford resented the way he and his fellow black officers were treated in a city that was then one of the more populated
"I had to wear rejects," Raiford told his daughter,
"They even built a second bathroom down in the cold and rat-infested basement of
Life for America's first black police officers was not easy. For Raiford, the tension and
Although Raiford's days of patrolling the streets of Greensboro had come to an end in 1951, his commitment to improving the lives of those
Other activities
Raiford went on to become a human rights activist, a Greensboro City Council member, Commissioner of the Greensboro Parks and Recreation Department and the North Carolina Goodwill Ambassador for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany.[citation needed]
In 1977, Greensboro city officials honored Raiford by naming the Warnersville Recreation Center swimming pool after him.[5]
Lifeguard
In 1937, Raiford became one of Greensboro's first African-American
When the United States entered World War II in 1941, Raiford was authorized to aid military personnel and engage in voluntary rescue missions for the American Red Cross.[6][failed verification][citation needed]
Activist
Raiford was a key player during the turbulent
When a targeted Jackson began facing a higher bail and stiffer sentence, Raiford often got the
Curfew arrest
In the wake of riots in American cities following the April 4, 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, the State of North Carolina enforced a strict curfew that made it illegal for all civilians to leave their homes after 8:00 p.m.
On the evening of April 9, 1968, Raiford dropped off a couple of just-freed A&T students and was returning home when he violated the curfew. Raiford, now age 61, said he glanced at his watch, quietly exited his car, sensing something was not right. Raiford said he attempted to continue stealthily on foot, hoping the darkness of a neighborhood park would protect him.
Once he cleared the brush, Raiford said he was ambushed by four angry police officers who did not care that Raiford was a recognized lawman. Raiford was arrested; he spent the night behind bars.[2]
Education
Raiford attended
Family
Raiford and elementary school teacher Myrtle Mary Frances Wright were married for 54 years. They had four children: Conrad Eugene, Janice Artelia, Sharon Daisy and Lisa Rozenia.[2]
References
- ^ : News-Record.com : Greensboro, North Carolina
- ^ a b c d e f "NOTED ATHLETE, 1926 GRADUATE OF A&T DIES," Greensboro News & Record, May 22, 2002, by Jim Schlosser
- ^ "The G.C. and Frances Hawley Museum". www.ncmaahc.org. Retrieved 2022-07-15.
- ^ "BLACK LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS COME A LONG WAY," Greensboro News & Record, February 3, 1993, by Kelly Simmons
- ^ "AN UNROMANTIC TIME IN SPORT RECALLING THE PAIN OF PLAYING IN THE NEGRO LEAGUES," Greensboro News & Record, September 22, 1994, by Tom Steadman
- ^ American Red Cross – Red Cross History
- ^ "Civil Rights Movement History & Timeline, 1960".
- ^ "Jesse Jackson - MSN Encarta". Archived from the original on 2009-10-28.