Tales from the Attic: The desegregation of Washington DC

Sam Smith - By the end of June 1960, as a radio reporter for WWDC in Washington, I was covering the desegregation of lunch counters in Northern Virginia after sit-ins led a Howard Divinity School student, Lawrence Henry. As Daniel Hardin described it:

Henry decided to emulate the Greensboro sit-ins... On June 9th a small interracial group began a sit in at a People's Drug Store [in Arlington] and quickly spread to other restaurants and lunch counters in that city. They were confronted by up to 300 residents organized by the American Nazi Party and several arrests by police, including Henry. However the demonstrators continued their sit-ins for two weeks until most major chain stores agreed to desegregate. Alexandria city officials quickly announced that chain stores and restaurants in the town would also desegregate and Fairfax County gave similar notice a week later.

Henry also led a group protesting at Glen Echo Park. I taped the confrontation between park security chief Francis Collins and Henry:

Are you white or colored?

Am I white or colored?

That's correct. That's what I want to know. Can I ask your race?

My race. I belong to the human race.

All right. This park is segregated.

I don't understand what you mean.

It's strictly for white people

It's strictly for white persons?

Uh-hum. It has been for years. . .

You're telling me that because my skin is black I can not come into your park?

Not because your skin is black. I asked you what your race was.

I would like to know why I can not come into your park.

Because the park is segregated. It is private property.

Just what class of people do you allow to come in here.

White people

So you're saying you exclude the American Negro.

That's right.

Who is a citizen of the United States.

That's right.

I see.

As a biracial group marched outside with picket signs, Henry led a group inside to sit-in at the restaurant and mount the carousel horses. The case ended up in court and less than a year later, the park opened for all.

MARVOUS SAUNDERS CONFRONTS SECURITY CHIEF FRANCIS COLLINS AT GLEN ECHO AMUSEMENT PARK