J. Charles Jones facts for kids

Joseph Charles Jones (born August 23, 1937 – died December 27, 2019) was an American leader in the Civil Rights Movement. He was also a lawyer and helped start the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). He led the SNCC's direct action committee, which planned protests.

Jones was born in Chester, South Carolina. In 1961, he joined the Freedom Riders, who rode buses to challenge unfair segregation laws. He was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama. Throughout the 1960s, Jones led and took part in many sit-in movements. In 1966, he started a group called the Action Coordinating Committee to End Segregation in the Suburbs, or ACCESS.

He graduated from Howard University Law School in 1966. Later, in 1976, Jones became a lawyer in North Carolina. He also led a neighborhood group in Charlotte.

Early Life and Learning

Jones was born in Chester, South Carolina, on August 23, 1937. His mother was an English teacher. His father was a Presbyterian missionary who traveled to teach people about Christianity. Jones was born at home unexpectedly.

Growing up, he often saw racial unfairness. He once saw his parents try to help a young boy who was in danger from the Ku Klux Klan after smiling at a white woman. This showed him early on the serious problems of racism.

When Jones was ten, his family moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1947. They moved so his father could get a degree from Johnson C. Smith University. Jones himself later studied theology at Johnson C. Smith University in 1960.

Fighting for Civil Rights

On February 1, 1960, Jones learned about a sit-in protest. Four Black activists had sat at a lunch counter in Greensboro to peacefully protest racial segregation. This inspired him.

On February 8, 1960, Jones told his classmates at Johnson C. Smith University that he planned a similar sit-in. The next day, February 9, he led a protest at Woolworth's in Charlotte. About 200 of his classmates joined him.

On March 7, 1960, the local Woolworth's closed its counters to stop the protests. So, about 100 students went to a hardware store. They sat at the soda fountain until they were served. Students from Livingston College also joined the movement. They went to drug stores in Salisbury to sit-in. Some stores refused to serve them. Teenagers then started picket lines outside drug stores that would not serve Black people. Jones and the students returned to Woolworth's on March 24, 1960. Jones said they wanted to "keep up the demonstrations as a symbol" of the unfairness Black people faced.

Starting SNCC

Jones helped start the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in 1960. He worked with Ella Baker and many others at Shaw University. He led and joined many sit-ins and other protests for the SNCC. Jones said about his involvement, "We were obligated to do it. The movement had caught fire."

After a sit-in in Rock Hill, South Carolina, nine Black activists were arrested. They were called the Friendship Nine. They were arrested for singing hymns during their morning prayers. In response, the SNCC sent Jones, Charles Sherrod, Diane Nash, and Ruby Doris Smith. Their goal was to get arrested to use the SNCC's new "jail, no bail" strategy. This strategy meant they would stay in jail instead of paying bail. It helped save money for the movement.

On July 19, 1962, Jones got a permit for a protest at Tift Park in Albany, Georgia. He wanted to integrate the park, which was only for white people. However, the police still kept Black people separate in a hidden part of the park. Park officials claimed they were tricked into allowing Black people to protest. Jones and two other Black SNCC activists used the all-white restroom. The police quickly closed all but two bathrooms, which they watched closely.

On July 27, 1962, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders protested. They stood in front of the Albany City Hall police station. They demanded to talk with the city government about integration. The police chief refused to let them in. King asked Ralph Abernathy to lead a prayer. The chief said they would be arrested if they did not leave. They all refused. King had said they were willing to fill every jail in Georgia for civil rights. They were all arrested.

A few hours later, Jones led seventeen more activists to the police station. This group included Freedom Singer Rutha Harris. Jones knelt and read a prayer. The police chief watched them. After the prayer, Jones asked the activists to stay kneeling in "peaceful meditation." The chief ordered them to move. When they refused three times, he said they could walk into jail or be carried. Ten activists walked in. The others kept kneeling and were carried into jail on stretchers.

Freedom Riders

In 1961, Jones was part of the Freedom Riders movement. He and other activists rode buses into the segregated southern United States. They wanted to challenge the fact that southern states were not following Supreme Court rulings. These rulings said that segregated public buses were against the law.

March on Washington

In 1963, Jones helped plan the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. He remembered hearing Dr. King's famous I Have a Dream speech. He was amazed by how many people came. He said that after King started his speech, he knew that big changes were going to happen.

ACCESS Group

In June 1966, Jones started a group called the Action Coordinating Committee to End Segregation in the Suburbs (ACCESS). He wanted to stop racial segregation around the Washington beltway. He and other activists marched all 64 miles (103 km) of Georgia Avenue. He wanted to bring attention to white landlords who would not rent to Black people. Jones said these apartments were creating a "white ghetto surrounding the black ghetto." The protest march took four days.

In 1967, Jones met with Robert McNamara, who was the U.S. Secretary of Defense. Jones thought this was a good way to solve the problem. The military could ban its members from living in apartments that refused to rent to Black people. This would make the apartments change their unfair rules. In June 1967, Secretary McNamara followed Jones's idea. He banned all service members from living in segregated apartments within 3.5-mile (5.6 km) of the Andrews Air Force Base Air traffic control tower.

Later Life and Impact

Jones moved to the mostly Black Biddleville community in Charlotte, North Carolina. There, he worked as a lawyer. In his later years, he considered himself semi-retired. However, he continued to be an active supporter for his community. He combined and led the Biddleville Neighborhood Association and the Smallwood Community Organization. These groups used to be separated by race, and Jones helped bring them together.

On December 9, 2019, the city council of Charlotte officially named that day Joseph Charles Jones Day. His wife accepted the honor for him. Jones passed away on December 27, 2019, at age 82. He died from problems related to Alzheimer's disease and sepsis. Charlotte City Councilman Justin Harlow called Jones "a true stalwart in advocacy" after his death.

See also

• Jim Crow laws
• Civil Rights Movement