Constance Curry facts for kids

Constance Winifred Curry (born July 19, 1933 – died June 20, 2020) was an American activist, educator, and writer. She spent her life fighting against unfair treatment based on race. She was also the first white woman to be part of the main leadership group of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).

Early Life and Education

Constance Curry was born in Paterson, New Jersey. She grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina, and went to Greensboro High School. This school is now called Grimsley High School.

After high school, she went to Agnes Scott College. She graduated in 1955 with high honors. She then received a special scholarship called a Fulbright scholarship. This allowed her to study in France at the University of Bordeaux. Later, she studied political science at Columbia University. Her first job was helping college students learn about the United Nations.

Fighting for Civil Rights

Constance Curry first got involved in the civil rights movement when a student invited her to a meeting. She quickly joined the fight for equal rights. She helped with the Greensboro sit-ins. These were protests where people sat at lunch counters that only served white people. The goal was to make these places serve everyone, no matter their race.

Curry worked closely with Ella Baker, another important civil rights leader. They were both chosen as "adult advisors" when the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was created. SNCC was a group of young people who led many protests for civil rights.

One of her most important actions was helping Mae Bertha Carter and her family. In 1965, the Carters fought to send their children to a previously all-white school in Mississippi. Constance Curry supported them in their successful effort to end school segregation there.

In 1995, Constance Curry wrote a book called Silver Rights. This book told the story of the Carter family's struggle. It won an award called the Lillian Smith Book Award in 1996. From 1964 to 1975, she also worked for the American Friends Service Committee. This group works for peace and social justice.

Later Life and Writing

In 1975, Constance Curry started working for the City of Atlanta. She became the Director of Human Services. She worked for two mayors, Maynard Jackson and Andrew Young, until 1990.

After she retired, she focused on writing. She wanted to share the stories of people who fought for civil rights. Besides Silver Rights, she wrote several other books. These include Aaron Henry: The Fire Ever Burning and Mississippi Harmony: Memoirs of a Freedom Fighter. She also wrote Deep in Our Hearts: Nine White Women in the Freedom Movement. Her book The Wrong Side of Murder Creek: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement won her a second Lillian Smith Book Award in 2009.

In 2003, her book Silver Rights was made into a film called The Intolerable Burden. Constance Curry also earned a law degree in 1984. She passed away in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 20, 2020. Her writings and papers are kept at Emory University.