Civil Rights (jan 1, 1960 – jan 1, 1963)

Description:

From 1960-1963, Civil Rights activity occurred in Kansas City, Kansas. Desegregation in employment and public accommodations, especially on Minnesota Avenue, occurred because of public protest. The initial protest during this period was a sit-in at DeAngelos restaurant on Minnesota Avenue. “Kansas City, Kansas is listed as one of the cities that had a sit-in before the one in Greensboro, North Carolina. February 5, 1960 has become to be known as the opening of the sit-in movement. Civil rights activists, however, had conducted sit-ins between 1957 and 1960 in at least sixteen cities: St Louis, Missouri; Wichita, Kansas; Kansas City, Kansas; and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (The Origins of The Civil Rights Movement).
A lawsuit was filed by families living in the Northeast and Northwest School District. This case, Downs vs. KCK Board of Education, caused tremendous polarization in the community. Nine children stayed out of school for one school year to protest the alleged racial discrimination. The students attended school in the residence of Lela and Hughes Shanks. A warrant was issued charging this couple with failure to enroll their children in private or parochial schools. The following school year, all of the high school students were enrolled in Bishop Ward High School.