Diane Nash
By
John C Abercrombie
Today is day 23 of the tribute to 31 amazing Black women we should all know. The focus of today’s post is Diane Nash.
Diane Nash was a dedicated and extremely effective leader in civil rights during the 1950 – 1960’s. She is often overlooked but none the less was one of the most important figures in the struggle for civil rights and had a great number of successful campaigns.
Born Diane Judith Nash to Leon and Dorothy Bolton Nash on May 15, 1938 in Chicago, Illinois. She was raised in her early years by her grandmother because her parents worked during the war II, her father served in World War II and her mother worked as a keypunch operator.
We discuss this and other topics every Sunday at 4:00 pm Eastern time, 1:00 pm Pacific use the following information to join us. Ask questions, express yourself.
Ways to Listen and Interact with Us:
• By phone Login to your BlogTalkRadio Schedule program Guest Call In(646) 668-8217
Computer Radio Station Link -blogtalkradio.com/crowntalkingdrum
To see the post with links to all 31 days, click this link
Diane Nash was a dedicated and extremely effective leader in civil rights during the 1950 – 1960’s. She is often overlooked but none the less was one of the most important figures in the struggle for civil rights and had a great number of successful campaigns.
Born Diane Judith Nash to Leon and Dorothy Bolton Nash on May 15, 1938 in Chicago, Illinois. She was raised in her early years by her grandmother because her parents worked during the war II, her father served in World War II and her mother worked as a keypunch operator.
After the war, Diane’s parents divorced, and her mother eventually remarried. Her stepfather saw to it that she received a great education. She attended Catholic and public schools. She graduated from Hyde Park High School and went to Howard University in Washington, DC before transferring to Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. Both Howard and Fisk are Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and well known and respected institutions of higher learning.
While the North is not immune from segregation it is much more pronounced in the South and Diane saw it up close and personal in Nashville, Tennessee. In her own words “I started feeling very confined and really resented it. Every time I obeyed a segregation rule, it felt like I was somehow agreeing I was too inferior to go through the front door or use the facility that the ordinary public would use.”
Racial disparity is not absent in the North and other parts of the country, it is just more pronounced and “in your face” in the South. It is more persuasive and pronounced.
The system of racial segregation inspired her to dedicate her life to being an activist. She oversaw nonviolent protests. When we speak of nonviolent protests, most don’t see the violence that was heaped on the protesters. They were subjected to violence by Whites, as well as police. They were assaulted with weapons, had food dumped on them, cigarettes put out on their skin and heaps of hateful language and insults. To resist, the protesters had to be educated on their goals and the need to remain peaceful despite physical and hurtful verbal abuse.
Diane Nash was introduced to the nonviolence methods associated with Mahatma Gandhi and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr, while attending Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. There were classes taught by James Lawson who had studied in India learning Gandhi’s methods. The students became involved in desegregation of Nashville’s lunch counters. When they were denied service, they did not walk away, but asked to speak with the manager and were often arrested while doing so.
Students had success on March 17, 1960 when they were served at the Post House Restaurant. They then formed the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. As a co-founder of the group, Nash left school to oversee its campaigns. Earlier leaders often showed less commitment and were absent from meetings and demonstrations. This was not her style and she was present and active.
February 6, 1961 Nash and 3 other SNCC leaders went to jail for supporting the “Friendship Nine”. Nine students jailed for attempting to integrate lunch counters in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The name Friendship came from the name of a Junior College (now called Community College) for Blacks in Rockhill who’s students had attempted to integrate the McCrory’s lunch counter. Unfortunately, Friendship closed in 1981.
The students started a new strategy of “Jail, No Bail” which relieved the financial burden on civil rights groups, who were bailing out students jailed for protests. Posting fines supported the practices of segregation. The “Jail, No Bail” strategy spread and was amazingly effective.
It is interesting to note that in 2015 John C Hayes, III the nephew of the original judge in the Friendship nine case overturned the convictions. “we cannot rewrite history, but we can right history”. Prosecutor Kevin Brackett apologized to the 8 survivors, who were in the court. The men were represented by the same lawyer who had defended them originally, Ernest A Finney, Jr. Finney went on to become the first Black Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court.
Finney won election to become the first Black circuit judge in South Carolina in 1976 and has been on the State Supreme Court since 1985. He retired from the State Supreme Court in 2000 and was named interim president of South Carolina State University an HBCU in 2002.
As important as the lunch counters were, the SNCC also wanted to end segregation in interstate travel. The practice was so onerous that passengers on busses and trains had to get up and move to segregated seating when entering the South. The SNCC formed freedom riders who would ride in an integrated fashion. In Birmingham, Alabama a mob of Whites firebombed the bus and beat the freedom riders. Organizers called off future riders, but Nash insisted they continue. “The students have decided that we can’t let violence overcome, we are coming to Birmingham to continue the freedom ride.” She informed the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth a dedicated advocate for civil rights.
Nash recruited students and continued the rides. The group returned to Birmingham to continue. Most of the work of organizing and arranging the necessary auxiliary activities was under the control of Nash and pulled off successfully.
The same year, Nash protested a grocery store that would not employ Blacks. While today we do not always see such stark cases of discrimination (they are more sophisticated today), as she and others were in the demonstrators were peacefully protesting a group of Whites started throwing eggs and punching the protesters. The police arrested both the attackers and the Black demonstrators. As in the past Nash refused to pay bail and stayed in jail as others went free. Nash was dedicated to her cause and principals and did not waver.
In 1961 she married James Bevel a civil rights activist. This did not slow Diane Nash’s enthusiasm. She was sentenced to 2 years in prison for contributing to the delinquency of minors. This is because at the ripe old age of 24, she was giving advice to students less than 21, the age of majority. This seems like a stretch, but the law was severe when it came to sentencing Blacks for any cause. She undertook the task of civil right with the knowledge that she could make the world a better place not only for her child, but for other children as well.
The dedication and effectiveness of her work attracted the attention of President John F Kennedy, 35th president of the United States and he selected her to serve on a committee to develop a national civil rights platform. This later became the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The following year, Nash and Bevel participated in the peaceful protests to support voting rights for Blacks in Alabama. These protesters including such well known figures as John Lewis were beaten as they tried to cross the Edmond Pettus bridge on a 54-mile march to Montgomery, Alabama.
The shocking images of law enforcement brutalizing the marchers was carried by television and the stark images of brutality spurred the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. For this she and Bevel were awarded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Rosa Parks Award.
Some of the many awards Diane Nash has received follow:
- Distinguished American Award from the John F Kennedy Library and Foundation
- The LBJ Award for Leadership in Civil Rights from the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum
- The Freedom Award from the National Civil Rights Museum
- Honorary Degree from Fisk University
- Honorary Degree from University of Notre Dame
She is also the focus of historian David Halberstam’s book “Diane Nash: The Fire of the Civil Rights Movement”
As you scroll down through the books and videos, you will encounter some value offers. These take you directly to Amazon where you can do all your shopping. We encourage you to use our links as we receive a small royalty without cost to you. These funds help us continue to provide you with quality information.
There is much more to come.
To see the full list of posts, click on Blog List
For Black History Month we posted daily, looking into the Brown v Board of Ed case for a listing of all posts click Black History 2020 – A Study in Black History
For Black History Month 2021, we focused on Medical Achievements, Inventors and Scientists. To see these posts, click here.
For Black History Month 2022 we focused on the theme of “Health and Wellness” To access this great information, click this link.
This post is part of a series dedicated to Black women we should all know. To see this fascinating information click this link.
For the 100th Anniversary of the Tulsa Massacre, we created a mini-series revealing much about this largely unknown event. To see these posts, click here.
To make comments or suggestions for future posts Contact Us
To see video of the author John C Abercrombie videos at the Spartanburg Library click here
**
Try Audible Plus – Free Trial
While we show you books primarily based on the subjects of our posts, all genres are available from comedy to drama and all points in between. Put joy back into your learning with this trial.
a brand new all-you-can-listen membership that offers access to thousands of titles, including a vast array of audiobooks, podcasts and originals that span genres, lengths, and formats.
**
Audible Gift Memberships
Memberships are available in 1, 3, 6 and 12-month membership options. The greatest gift you can give someone is the joy of learning and here it is.
**
Try Audible Premium Plus and Get Up to Two Free Audiobooks
Audible Premium Plus. Audible, an Amazon company, offers the world’s largest selection of digital audiobooks and spoken word content. With Audible, customers can listen anytime and anywhere to professionally narrated audiobooks across a wide range of genres.
Try Audible Premium Plus and Get Up to Two Free Audiobooks
**
Our mission is to provide those historical facts that have been omitted from history. Believing that America is strong because of contributions by all groups and individuals.
In addition to the lack of information, there seems to be a campaign to promote the disenfranchisement of groups by eliminating the contributions, mistreatment and inclusion. Instead promoting negative depictions which in the absence of other information paints a highly unfavorable picture.
We provide information that exists but is not included in mainstream history. Many wonder about the validity of these stories, so we include videos to enhance the experience and books to allow you to take advantage of additional materials that have existed over time.
To those ends, the books can be purchased from our partner Amazon. It is possible to not only read about the book, but to sample them as well, read a section or listen before deciding if it is one that you like. Click on the link. Note: many of these books are available in several forms, such as hard cover or soft cover, Kindle – eBooks that can be read on your smartphone or other device free with a free download, or Audible where the books are read to you. Again, they can be delivered instantly and enjoyed on phones or other devices with a free download.
We support our work by partnering with partners who pay us a small royalty for purchases made through our links. Many of these are to products that you may find interesting, however it is not necessary to purchase that product. How do you use the links then? Many links take you to several products so feel free to look. If it is a product that you do not want, simply click on the cart and click to remove any unwanted items, then shop to your heart’s content. We both benefit from this action, since the partner pays us without cost to you and are able to provide you outstanding information. A win-win situation for both of us. We depend on your using our links and appreciate it. Make use of our links a habit anytime you shop a partner.
**
We encourage you to use our links anytime you shop our partners, including Amazon. It is never necessary to purchase the product in the link as we are paid for driving traffic to the site and the royalty is paid by the partner without cost to you. Simply use our link and shop to your heart’s content. We both benefit from this.
Continue to scroll for amazing books and videos
**
Lighting the Fires of Freedom: African American Women in the Civil Rights Movement
Recommended by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Book Riot and Autostraddle
Nominated for a 50th NAACP IMAGE Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author.
A groundbreaking collection based on oral histories that plumbs the leadership of African American women in the twentieth-century fight for civil rights—many nearly lost to history—from the latest winner of the Studs and Ida Terkel Prize
**
Amplify Black Voices
Celebrate. Engage. Inspire
**
Civil Rights Activism Then & Now: Diane Nash & Bree Newsome in Conversation | History
Diane Nash and Bree Newsome discuss past and present forms of civil rights activism in honor of Black History Month.
**
Your Home Office Hub
Shop for your home or office supplies with the Amazon affiliate link below
Optimize Working and Learning from Home
**
Freedom’s Daughters: The Unsung Heroines of the Civil Rights Movement from 1830 to 1970
THE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY OF THE VITAL ROLE
WOMEN — BOTH BLACK AND WHITE — PLAYED
IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
In this groundbreaking and absorbing book, credit finally goes where credit is due — to the bold women who were crucial to the success of the civil rights movement. From the Montgomery bus boycott to the lunch counter sit-ins to the Freedom Rides, Lynne Olson skillfully tells the long-overlooked story of the extraordinary women who were among the most fearless, resourceful, and tenacious leaders of the civil rights movement.
**
This offer updates every day
**
Diane Nash Documentary
**
Health Essentials
*
Professional Movers
Supplies for Industry Experts
To shop the above subjects, use our Amazon affiliate link below
**
Sisters in the Struggle: African American Women in the Civil Rights-Black Power Movement
Women were at the forefront of the civil rights struggle, but their individual stories were rarely heard. Only recently have historians begun to recognize the central role women played in the battle for racial equality.
In Sisters in the Struggle, we hear about the unsung heroes of the civil rights movements such as Ella Baker, who helped found the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, Fannie Lou Hamer, a sharecropper who took on segregation in the Democratic party (and won), and Septima Clark, who created a network of “Citizenship Schools” to teach poor Black men and women to read and write and help them to register to vote. We learn of Black women’s activism in the Black Panther Party where they fought the police, as well as the entrenched male leadership, and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, where the behind-the-scenes work of women kept the organization afloat when it was under siege. It also includes first-person testimonials from the women who made headlines with their courageous resistance to segregation—Rosa Parks, Charlayne Hunter-Gault, and Dorothy Height.
Sisters in the Struggle: African American Women in the Civil Rights-Black Power Movement Women were at the forefront of the civil rights struggle, but their individual stories were rarely heard. Only recently have historians begun to recognize the central role women played in the battle for racial equality. In Sisters in the Struggle, we hear about the unsung heroes of the civil rights movements such as Ella Baker, who helped found the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, Fannie Lou Hamer, a sharecropper who took on segregation in the Democratic party (and won), and Septima Clark, who created a network of “Citizenship Schools” to teach poor Black men and women to read and write and help them to register to vote. We learn of Black women’s activism in the Black Panther Party where they fought the police, as well as the entrenched male leadership, and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, where the behind-the-scenes work of women kept the organization afloat when it was under siege. It also includes first-person testimonials from the women who made headlines with their courageous resistance to segregation—Rosa Parks, Charlayne Hunter-Gault, and Dorothy Height.
**
Updated Daily
**
**
A Conversation with Civil Rights Leader Diane Nash
The fifth annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Luncheon is sponsored by the Office of the President and the Oversight Committee on Diversity and Inclusion. Diane Nash will be the keynote speaker at this luncheon. Nash became a leader in the Civil Rights Movement in 1959 while a student at Fisk University. By the time she was 22, Nash was a Freedom Rider and had co-founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). She worked closely with Dr. King and played a pivotal role in the Selma Voting Rights Movement.
**
Best Sellers in Vitamins & Dietary Supplements
For amazing values use our Amazon affiliate link below
Explore our most popular Vitamins & supplements!
**
Hands on the Freedom Plow: Personal Accounts by Women in SNCC
In Hands on the Freedom Plow, fifty-two women–northern and southern, young and old, urban and rural, black, white, and Latina–share their courageous personal stories of working for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) on the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement.
**
**
Best Sellers in Household Cleaning
Shop for all of your household cleaning needs using our Amazon affiliate below
Refresh your living space with our best-selling cleaning supplies!
**
Diane Nash Full Interview – King in the Wilderness
Interview with Diane Nash for the HBO / Kunhardt Film Foundation Documentary “King in the Wilderness.”
**
Microwave
**
Many Minds, One Heart: SNCC’s Dream for a New America
How did the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee break open the caste system in the American South between 1960 and 1965? In this innovative study, Wesley Hogan explores what SNCC accomplished and, more important, how it fostered significant social change in such a short time. She offers new insights into the internal dynamics of SNCC as well as the workings of the larger civil rights and Black Power movement of which it was a part.
**
We hope you have enjoyed and learned the post on Diane Nash. If you have suggestions please contact us Contact Us
**
123456
Ancestry Test Kits
Discover the deep rich heritage that is you using these options
ABH – Ancestry Test Kits
*
The following book is a great addition to the above and can be used to answer and further your search for ancestors that can bring pride to you. We come from strong roots, discover and take pride!
Black Roots: A Beginners Guide To Tracing The African American Family Tree
Trace, document, record, and write your family’s history with this easy-to-read, step-by-step authoritative guide.
Finally, here is the fun, easy-to-use guide that African Americans have been waiting for since Alex Haley published Roots more than twenty-five years ago. Written by the leading African American professional genealogist in the United States who teaches and lectures widely, Black Roots highlights some of the special problems, solutions, and sources unique to African Americans. Based on solid genealogical principles and designed for those who have little or no experience researching their family’s past, but valuable to any genealogist, this book explains everything you need to get started, including: where to search close to home, where to write for records, how to make the best use of libraries and the Internet, and how to organize research, analyze historical documents, and write the family history.
This guide also includes:
-real case histories that illustrate the unique challenges posed to African Americans and how they were solved
-more than 100 illustrations and photographs of actual documents and records you’re likely to encounter when tracing your family tree
-samples of all the worksheets and forms you’ll need to keep your research in order
-a list of the traps even experienced researchers often fall into that hamper their research
123456
**
If you found value in the post, please share it.
We appreciate your use of our links as it helps us supply you with great content