In this silent WSB newsfilm clip possibly from November 25, 1960, African Americans and whites picket several segregated stores in downtown Atlanta including Rich's, W.T. Grant, J. Newberry Co., and the National Shirt Shops. The clip begins with an interracial group of students walking along a sidewalk and down steps on the campus of Morris Brown college, part of the historically African American Atlanta University Center. The students continue walking on a sidewalk up a hill carrying signs with the slogans "Don't shop at Rich's" and "Rich's sells segregation." In downtown Atlanta people cross busy streets and two white women appear to watch something. Picketers walk in front of a store, carrying signs with the slogans, "Khrushchev can eat here???" "Wear old clothes with new dignity. Don't buy here!" "Christ died for all," and "Don't buy at W.T. Grant." Other African Americans walking in front of the J. Newberry Co. also carry picket signs. Other picket sign slogans include "Don't buy at Kress, Don't buy at W.T. Grant," Don't buy segregation" and "Stay away--segregation sold here." The camera focuses on a street sign for Peachtree Street N.E. and Pryor Street before again showing a downtown intersection and students walking on the Morris Brown campus. The Rich's building is also shown as is a long line of more picketers, most of whom carry signs with the slogan "Wear old clothes with new dignity. Don't buy here!" White picketers are also seen with the signs "Rich's sells segregation." Later, an African American man walks in front of a shoe store with the sign "Don't buy segregation"; other African Americans observe the picketers. Marchers, probably on their way downtown from campus, walk around a corner, and other demonstrators protest in front of the Newberry Co. as well as the National Shirt Shops and an unidentified shoe shore. White observers, including two male students, watch the demonstrators; white women appear to ignore them. Although a variety of civil rights organizations worked to better the situation of African Americans in Atlanta throughout the twentieth century, African American students from the Atlanta University center became heavily involved in leading protests following the nationally publicized February 1960 student-led sit-ins in Greensville, North Carolina. Atlanta University Center students involved with the Committee on Appeal for Human Rights (COAHR) worked with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee to organize segregation protests in Atlanta. The two groups organized a "Fall Campaign" beginning on October 19, 1960; on October 22, African American leaders agreed to a month-long truce in which city officials, business owners, and African Americans worked toward a compromise. When no agreement was reached by November 25, African American students joined by white students from Emory University and Agnes Scott College resumed demonstrations and flooded downtown stores including Rich's, Woolworth's, and McCrory's.

Title supplied by cataloger.

The Civil Rights Digital Library received support from a National Leadership Grant for Libraries awarded to the University of Georgia by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for digital conversion and description of the WSB-TV Newsfilm Collection.

1 clip (about 3 min.): black-and-white, silent ; 16 mm.

Original found in the WSB-TV newsfilm collection.

WSB-TV newsfilm clip of African American students picketing several segregated stores in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, 1960 November 25, WSB-TV newsfilm collection, reel 0967, 31:32/34:19, Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, The University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Ga, as presented in the Digital Library of Georgia.

Forms part of: Civil Rights Digital Library.