Jefferson Thomas
Jefferson A. Thomas | |
|---|---|
Civil Rights Movement | |
| Spouse | Mary Thomas |
| Awards | Congressional Gold Medal Spingarn Medal |
Jefferson Allison Thomas (September 19, 1942 – September 5, 2010) was one of the
Early life and education
Jefferson Thomas, the youngest of seven children, was born in Little Rock to Mr. and Mrs. Ellis Thomas. His parents named him after Thomas Jefferson, President of the United States. Thomas first attended Horace Mann High School, a segregated all-black school, where he was a track athlete. In 1957, he volunteered to be among the first group of black students to integrate all-white Little Rock Central High School for the 1957–58 school year as a sophomore.
On September 4, 1957, the Little Rock Nine made an unsuccessful attempt to enter Central High School, which had been segregated. The Arkansas National Guard, under orders from the governor, and an angry mob of about 400 surrounded the school and prevented them from going in. On September 23, 1957, a mob of about 1000 people surrounded the school again as the students attempted to enter. The following day, President Dwight D. Eisenhower took control of the Arkansas National Guard from the governor and sent federal troops to accompany the students to school for protection. Both federal troops and federalized National Guard soldiers were deployed at the school for the entirety of the school year.
Career
Despite the harassment, Thomas graduated from Central High School in May 1960, and entered
Later life
Thomas narrated the
Thomas resided in Columbus, Ohio with his wife, Mary. He served as a volunteer mentor in the Village to Child Program co-sponsored by Ohio Dominican University, where he received his Honorary Degree, "Doctor of Humane Letters", on May 13, 2001, for his lifelong efforts in human rights and equality advancement.
Thomas was a frequent speaker at numerous high schools, colleges and universities throughout the country. He was the recipient of numerous awards from local and federal governmental agencies which include the
After more than 27 years as a civil servant, Thomas retired on September 30, 2004, from the Defense Finance and Accounting Service in Columbus, Ohio. In his later years, he served on the board of directors for the City of Refuge Learning Academy at the First Church of God.
Thomas died from
Media portrayals
In 1993, actor Tico Wells portrayed Thomas in the Disney Channel movie The Ernest Green Story.
See also
- Nine from Little Rock Jefferson Thomas of the Little Rock Nine
References
- ^ "'Little Rock Nine' member Jefferson Thomas dead at 67". CNN. September 6, 2010. Retrieved 2016-12-30.
- Dudziak, Mary L., Cold War Civil Rights: Race and the Image of American Democracy, Princeton University Press, 2000, pp. 218–19.
- ^ "Fifty Years of Integration at Central High", Arkansas Globecoming, archived from the original on 2010-10-07, retrieved 2010-09-07.
- ^ "'Little Rock Nine' member Jefferson Thomas dead at 67". CNN. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
- ^ Brown, Robbie (September 6, 2010). "Jefferson Thomas, Who Helped Integrate Little Rock School, Dies at 67". The New York Times. Retrieved September 7, 2010.
- Columbus Dispatch. September 12, 2010. Archived from the originalon January 21, 2013. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
External links
- Congressional Gold Medal, USA, archived from the original on 2014-12-17, retrieved 2011-09-05.
- Jefferson Thomas at Find a Grave