James Armstrong: Difference between revisions
(New page: '''James Armstrong''' (born c. 1923 - died November 2009) was a barber and civil rights activist who carried the United States flag at the head of the [[1...) |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 3: | Line 3: | ||
Armstrong, a [[World War II]] veteran, left the army in the late 1940s and moved to [[College Hills]] with a GI Bill loan. As a barber with his own shop, Armstrong did not have to fear reprisals from bosses and was free to participate in marches and demonstrations, during which he often reprised his army duty as standard-bearer. He often cut the hair of visiting black leaders, including [[Martin Luther King, Jr]]. His [[Armstrong Barber Shop]] on [[8th Avenue North]] remained open for more than 50 years. | Armstrong, a [[World War II]] veteran, left the army in the late 1940s and moved to [[College Hills]] with a GI Bill loan. As a barber with his own shop, Armstrong did not have to fear reprisals from bosses and was free to participate in marches and demonstrations, during which he often reprised his army duty as standard-bearer. He often cut the hair of visiting black leaders, including [[Martin Luther King, Jr]]. His [[Armstrong Barber Shop]] on [[8th Avenue North]] remained open for more than 50 years. | ||
In [[1957]] Armstrong initiated a class-action suit, "[[Armstrong v. Board of Education of Birmingham, Alabama]]" after a failed effort to enroll his children at [[Graymont Elementary School]]. Two of them, [[Floyd Armstrong|Floyd]] and [[Dwight Armstrong]], finally enrolled at the school on [[September 4]], [[1963]] and, after several delays, attended classes on [[September 10 | In [[1957]] Armstrong initiated a class-action suit, "[[Armstrong v. Board of Education of Birmingham, Alabama]]" after a failed effort to enroll his children at [[Graymont Elementary School]]. Two of them, [[Floyd Armstrong|Floyd]] and [[Dwight Armstrong]], finally enrolled at the school on [[September 4]], [[1963]] and, after several delays, attended classes on [[September 10]], the first black students admitted to a formerly white school when the system was formally desegregated. The case was appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and decided in Armstrong's favor on [[June 18]], [[1964]]. | ||
During the [[Birmingham Campaign]] of Spring 1963 Armstrong participated in daily protests and was jailed for his attempts to integrate a downtown lunch counter. | During the [[Birmingham Campaign]] of Spring 1963 Armstrong participated in daily protests and was jailed for his attempts to integrate a downtown lunch counter. | ||
Revision as of 15:33, 18 November 2009
James Armstrong (born c. 1923 - died November 2009) was a barber and civil rights activist who carried the United States flag at the head of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights march.
Armstrong, a World War II veteran, left the army in the late 1940s and moved to College Hills with a GI Bill loan. As a barber with his own shop, Armstrong did not have to fear reprisals from bosses and was free to participate in marches and demonstrations, during which he often reprised his army duty as standard-bearer. He often cut the hair of visiting black leaders, including Martin Luther King, Jr. His Armstrong Barber Shop on 8th Avenue North remained open for more than 50 years.
In 1957 Armstrong initiated a class-action suit, "Armstrong v. Board of Education of Birmingham, Alabama" after a failed effort to enroll his children at Graymont Elementary School. Two of them, Floyd and Dwight Armstrong, finally enrolled at the school on September 4, 1963 and, after several delays, attended classes on September 10, the first black students admitted to a formerly white school when the system was formally desegregated. The case was appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and decided in Armstrong's favor on June 18, 1964.
During the Birmingham Campaign of Spring 1963 Armstrong participated in daily protests and was jailed for his attempts to integrate a downtown lunch counter.
In later life Armstrong served on the board of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and marched annually in re-enactments of the Selma march.
References
- Davis, Townsend (1999) Weary Feet, Rested Souls: A Guided History of the Civil Rights Movement. W. W. Norton & Co. ISBN 0393318192
- Stock, Erin (November 18, 2009) "Birmingham civil rights leader, long-time barber James Armstrong dies." Birmingham News