Albany Movement facts for kids

The Albany Movement was a group formed in Albany, Georgia, in November 1961. Its main goals were to end racial segregation (keeping people of different races separate) and to protect voting rights for African Americans.

This movement was started by local Black leaders and ministers. They were joined by members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Later, Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) also helped.

The movement wanted to show how strict and unfair segregation was in Southwest Georgia. Some SNCC leaders, however, preferred a different approach. They wanted long-term changes led by local people, rather than King's focus on big, short-term events.

Even though the Albany Movement didn't immediately end segregation in public places, many involved saw it as a success. They learned important lessons about how to plan and carry out protests. These lessons helped the Civil Rights Movement achieve big wins later in other parts of the South.

Starting the Movement

For many years, life was very hard for Black residents in Albany, Georgia. They made up 40% of the town's population and faced harsh segregation.

Testing Segregation Rules

On November 1, 1961, some Black students in Albany decided to test new federal rules. These rules, from the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC), said that bus stations could not separate people by race.

The students tried to use the "white waiting room" at the bus station. They were told to leave and threatened with arrest. They left peacefully but immediately reported the bus station to the ICC for breaking the rules.

In response, Albany's mayor, Asa Kelley, and police chief Laurie Pritchett made a plan. They decided to arrest anyone trying to end segregation for "disturbing the peace."

First Arrests and Protests

On November 22, 1961, young activists from the NAACP and SNCC tried again at the Trailways bus station. They were arrested. To get more attention for their cause, two SNCC volunteers chose to stay in jail instead of paying bail (money to get out of jail temporarily).

After these arrests, over 100 students from Albany State College marched to the courthouse. Soon after, the first big meeting of the Albany Movement took place at Mt. Zion Baptist Church.

Most people at this meeting wanted to try talking things out rather than direct protests. They formed the Albany Movement to organize their efforts. William G. Anderson became president.

Police Chief's Strategy

Albany's police chief, Laurie Pritchett, carefully studied the movement's plans. He came up with a strategy to stop them. He arrested many people but made sure to avoid violence. This prevented the protests from getting a lot of national news coverage, which could have helped the movement.

Pritchett also sent arrested protesters to jails in other counties. This kept his own jail from getting too full. His methods were seen by some as effective in stopping the protests.

Dr. King Joins the Fight

Before the Albany Movement, some SNCC activists had criticized Martin Luther King Jr. They felt he hadn't fully supported earlier protests like the Freedom Riders. Some even jokingly called him "De Lawd" because he seemed to stay away from the dangers of challenging Jim Crow laws (laws that enforced segregation).

King's Arrests

When King first visited Albany on December 15, 1961, he didn't plan to stay long. But the next day, he was arrested with many other peaceful protesters. He refused to pay bail until the city agreed to their demands. However, he later said the city broke its promises.

King returned in July 1962. He was given a choice: stay in jail or pay a small fine. He chose jail. After three days, Chief Pritchett secretly arranged for King's fine to be paid. King was then released from jail. King later said it was strange to be "kicked out of jail" when they wanted to stay.

Challenges and Lessons

After almost a year of protests, the movement started to lose some energy. During one protest, some young people threw small items at the police. King asked for all protests to stop for a "Day of Penance" to encourage non-violence.

King was arrested again later in July and stayed in jail for two weeks. After his release, he left Albany.

What the Movement Achieved

Even though the Albany Movement faced setbacks, local efforts continued. In March 1963, the city of Albany officially removed all its segregation laws.

Later, in September 1963, the Albany Movement won a big court case. A court ruled that Albany's police chief and other city officials were still enforcing the old segregation laws even after they were removed. The court ordered them to stop.

Charles Sherrod, an SNCC organizer, felt the movement kept going strong. He said, "things moved on. We didn’t skip one beat." Sherrod himself was later elected as a city commissioner in Albany in 1976.

King later reflected on the Albany Movement's difficulties:

The mistake I made there was to protest against segregation generally rather than against a single and distinct facet of it. Our protest was so vague that we got nothing, and the people were left very depressed and in despair. It would have been much better to have concentrated upon integrating the buses or the lunch counters. One victory of this kind would have been symbolic, would have galvanized support and boosted morale.... When we planned our strategy for Birmingham months later, we spent many hours assessing Albany and trying to learn from its errors. Our appraisals not only helped to make our subsequent tactics more effective, but revealed that Albany was far from an unqualified failure.

King learned that it was better to focus on one specific goal, like desegregating buses or lunch counters, to achieve a clear victory. These lessons helped him plan future protests, like those in Birmingham, which were more successful.

The Albany Movement also showed how the media could be tricky. Police Chief Laurie Pritchett told the media he had defeated non-violent actions with non-violence. The press sometimes shared details with Pritchett about the movement's plans. This made activists distrust journalists and the media. Even though publicity was important, this distrust led to journalists being banned from some meetings.