description:
Page Four THE SKYSCRAPER April 7, 1965 The Departure: marchers, Brenda Dinneen Montgomery. Skyscraper Photo by Diane Sargol Kathy Riley prepares to join her fellow and Cecilia Wolski on the chartered bus for - Skyscraper Photo by Sister Mary Irene. B.V.M. file V7UarCl Members of the Alabama National Guard, many wearing Confederate flags on their uniforms, line the route of march. Hope, Humor Fuse Disparity; New Understanding Results Welcome to Montgomery, Cradle of the Confederacy, smiled the billboards on high way 80 entering the city. A few miles later, patriotic citi zens were urged Join the John Birch Society. Dispelling any notions of southern hospitality that have tinted outside agi tator's opinions, federal troops stood at all intersections, and lined empty fields. Entering the city of St. Jude on the outskirts of Montgomery, the Mundelein group realized that it was aptly named, for it represented to the civil rights marchers a city of feelings foreign to those outside its fences. Drive, warmth and easy-going humor marked this un- homogeneous assortment of people despite the mounting tension around them. These people had suffered physically and emotion ally; yet, almost incongruously they maintained a sense of hope sometimes with a hint of naivete. Waiting for the rally to begin, one sun-chapped Negro marcher nodded, It's going to be real okay down here someday. Another, believing that the vote had been won by the demonstra tions, added when asked if Wallace would be likely to serve another term, No, nobody's going to vote for him. Later an 18-year-old Selma resi dent who had walked the 50 miles, lightly boasted of his adventures. I ain't tired. We had a ball laughin' 'n singin' 'n clappin'. Throughout the evening, how ever, this casualness was offset by the ominous warning of a SNCC worker, Watch out there are by Brenda Dinneen and Kathy Riley some pretty mean people around. Yet, fear was strangely absent from the body of marchers. South ern hospitality was always in the picture. Seeing to the comfort of the visiting marchers was the con cern of many residents. One plump, soft-spoken woman as she shuttled a car load of hungry demonstrators to dinner at her home, grinned and said, They (food commit tee organizers) told me just to fix sandwiches, but I said, 'Nope, I'm going to fix a din ner' Concerning march participation, she spoke matter-of-factly: So many Negroes are faced with los ing their jobs if they march but many just go right ahead and risk it anyway. As she drove her last group of dinner guests through the darkened and seemingly peaceful city, three men appeared at the corner of an intersection just out side of St. Jude's. On their car, signs such as, When you kids are away, we'll still stay, symbolized the determined hostility deeply in grained in the civil rights opposi tion. More evidence of this conflict was supplied by the driver of Mun delein's chartered bus. He said he couldn't repeat what the whites would have liked to do to the out siders. The bus had been hidden Thursday, he said, so that its num ber could not be discovered. When a bus is sent down here, he added, they (company officials) just hope it gets back safe. Cases of overturned buses or buses be ing stopped by disguised police cars were not uncommon, he said. But back within the city of St. Jude, the opportunity for celebration was not to be missed and humor sprinkled the assemblage. Tex, a Negro teenager garbed in cowboy boots, jeans, denim jacket and a wide-brimmed riding hat, said that he had the best voice in the South. En route to the capitol, marchers had a chance to hear it, for he gee- hawed them to a halt as ranks closed in. And always present as a re minder of the reason for the march stood guards silent and staring, with their rifles slung on their shoulders or propped up at atten tion. The determination of both sides was obvious to the visitors. Al though expressed negatively by ob jectors in their cold glances it was felt as strongly by the spirited singing and cheering of the march ers, and the spontaneous Yes, Sirs and Keep talking, of Mar tin Luther King's audience. Determination was also reflected in the feelings of state pride evi dent on both sides. While southern editorials cried for a return to normalcy, and a re-instatement of Alabama prestige, Negroes were obviously willing to suffer hard ships in the state they call home, rather than abandon it for the North. Although in King's words, No lie can live forever, hope for freedom now almost seemed for the time being to be a stowaway on the depart ing Greyhound buses and sold iers' jeeps. The 300: Sister Mary Leo- line, B.V.M., Kansas City, wears the orange vest of the original 300 who marched the entire 50 miles. Skyscraper Photo by Sister Mary Irene. B.V.M. Black and white The Love: together this day. Skyscraper Photo by Sister Mary Irene. B.V.M. Skyscraper Photo by Sister Mary Irene, B.V.M. II116 KOIIKS: Linking arms as they leave the campsite of St. Jude's are Sandra Charles, Helen Moorhead, Bonnie Strabley, Faye Turner and Cathy Finneran.
title:
1965-04-07 (4)
publisher:
Women and Leadership Archives http://www.luc.edu/wla
creator:
Mundelein College
description:
Student newspaper for Mundelein College
subject:
Newspapers
subject:
Religious communities--Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
subject:
Students
subject:
Universities and colleges
subject:
Women's education
relation:
Mundelein College Records
type:
Text
language:
English
rights:
This image is issued by the Women and Leadership Archives. Use of the image requires written permission from the Director of the Women and Leadership Archives. It may not be sold or redistributed, copied or distributed as a photograph, electronic file, or any other media. The image should not be significantly altered through conventional or electronic means. Images altered beyond standard cropping and resizing require further negotiation with the Director. The user is responsible for all issues of copyright. Please Credit: Women and Leadership Archives, Loyola University Chicago. wlarchives@luc.edu
coverage:
Chicago, Illinois
coverage:
Mundelein College