McCree Harris facts for kids

McCree Harris (July 10, 1934 – July 24, 2000) was an American teacher and leader. She worked at Monroe Comprehensive High School, which was an all-Black school. There, she taught subjects like Latin, French, and Social Studies.

McCree Harris is best known for her role in the Civil Rights Movement. She encouraged her students to join voter registration marches. She also led groups of students to test desegregation rules in stores and movie theaters in downtown Albany, Georgia.

Early Life and Activism

McCree Harris was an African American activist. She was born in 1934 in Albany, Georgia. Her parents, Reverend Isaiah A. Harris and Katie B. Harris, worked for racial equality. They also wanted to help African Americans gain economic power.

Her father, Reverend Harris, founded Mt. Calvary Baptist Church. He used the church to support voter registration for African Americans. In the South, it was very hard for African Americans to register to vote. White people used unfair methods like poll taxes and literacy tests. These tests were often tricky and designed to stop Black people from voting. These unfair rules came from the Jim Crow laws, which created racial segregation.

McCree's mother, Katie Harris, became an elementary school teacher. She studied at Albany State College. Katie devoted her life to educating children. McCree had seven siblings who were also active in the Civil Rights Movement.

Many women in southwest Georgia helped the movement in quiet ways. Katie B. Harris, McCree's mother, opened her home to activists. People who worked for the movement could eat and sleep at her house. Her home became a safe place for young people involved in the movement.

McCree's siblings, Rutha, Alphonso, Elijah, and Emory, were part of the Freedom Singers. Rutha was one of the original Freedom Singers. Emory helped start a group of male Freedom Singers. The Freedom Singers started in a Black church. They sang spiritual songs that shared the goals of the Civil Rights Movement. They performed across the country to raise money for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Their songs also helped keep spirits high, even when they were jailed for protesting.

McCree Harris went to graduate school at Columbia University. She started teaching at Monroe High School. She taught French, Latin, Social Studies, and African American History. She encouraged her students to protest against segregation in stores and theaters.

McCree Harris and the Albany Movement

McCree Harris became a political activist because of her teaching job. She knew she wanted to help change the segregated South. She returned to Albany, Georgia, and joined the Albany Movement. She felt that Albany was a difficult place to desegregate.

Harris worked to help bring changes to segregated Albany. She wanted equal rights and desegregation. Her main goal was to "raise the educational status of black youth." When the Albany Movement began in 1961, she encouraged her students to boycott public transportation. She also urged them to join local sit-ins and marches.

Because Harris worked directly with students, more young people joined the marches. Students and young people could participate because they didn't have jobs to lose if they were arrested. This work was done with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).

McCree Harris taught her students, "Don't pay for segregation." This phrase reminded them to avoid businesses that practiced racial segregation. For example, she told them to stay away from segregated movie theaters. One time, she took her students to a popular film. When the "white section" was full, white people tried to sit in the "black section." McCree told her students not to give up their seats. When authorities threatened to arrest the kids, she left with her class.

McCree Harris was an original board member of the Albany Civil Rights Movement. She joined the board even though her school superintendent warned her. He said she might be arrested and lose her teaching job. Despite this risk, she helped the movement a lot. She joined civil rights marches and checked public facilities to see if they were segregated. Sometimes, these checks were met with resistance. Once, a man threw a hot drink on her, but she did not react.

She worked hard and often in private for the Albany Movement. She couldn't risk her job as a Social Studies, Latin, and French teacher. At Monroe High School, she was also involved with The Freedom Singers. She went on field trips with the school's music teacher and chorus. She organized protests for voter registration. She also brought groups of her high school students to protests after school. College students also joined her in protesting. She worked to unite the community against racial inequality. Her work on voter registration was with the SNCC. This group was special because it allowed people with little power to help fight for voting rights.

Her work was very demanding. She was a lifelong diabetic, and the stress affected her health. She took a year off to recover. Still, she remained loyal to her school and cared deeply for her students. They called her "Teach." In 1999, the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) named her the State of Georgia and National Community Leader of the Year.

After the first civil rights meeting in November, many people were arrested and beaten. Seven hundred African American residents of Albany were jailed soon after. McCree Harris said, "I thought I would get involved in politics because it would help my race." She joined several community groups. She was on the board of the Economic Development Council and the Water, Gas, and Light Commission. She was also a member of the National Urban League and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). She worked with Shirley Sherrod and Martin Luther King Jr. to lead voter registration marches. Harris also went with Martin Luther King Jr. to Saint Augustine, Florida, to try to desegregate a hotel.

Activist meetings were held at Old Mount Zion Baptist Church. McCree Harris attended every meeting, even though she feared being caught and jailed. In the 1990s, the church became a historic place. People wanted to turn it into a museum to honor those who participated in the Albany Movement. McCree Harris was a secretary for the non-profit group that helped make this happen. The church became "Albany's Museum at Old Mount Zion Church," opening in November 1998.

Democratic Party Involvement

After her work with the Albany Movement, McCree Harris became a political operative. She advised several local Albany candidates in the Democratic Party. She was a big part of the desegregated civic efforts in Albany.

Harris advised people like John White and former Mayor Paul Keenan. Keenan called her "a valuable personal friend and a valuable citizen." Harris was his consultant during Albany's flood in 1994. After the flood, some Black citizens accused the city of directing floodwater away from white neighborhoods and towards theirs. This caused more racial tension. Harris advised Keenan on how to handle this difficult situation.