United Freedom Movement facts for kids

The United Freedom Movement (UFM) was a group of about 60 different organizations. These groups were made up of African Americans in Cleveland, Ohio. They included community, church, and cultural groups. The UFM started in June 1963. Its main goal was to fight against racism and unfair treatment. They wanted to end racism in public schools, jobs, and housing.

The UFM's start was a big moment for the civil rights movement in Cleveland. Before, groups often tried to solve problems quietly. But the UFM decided to use public protests to make changes happen. They had success in helping people get fair jobs and in making schools less segregated. The group stopped working together in 1966.

How the UFM Started

The United Freedom Movement began on June 3, 1963. The Cleveland branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) helped create it. Their idea was to bring all African American community groups in the city together. Before the UFM, these groups were often divided. They had different ideas and came from different backgrounds.

Some African Americans, especially those who were middle class and educated, looked to church leaders or groups like the NAACP. These groups usually worked behind the scenes for slow changes. But many other African Americans, who were often poorer, preferred more active groups. Groups like the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) used public protests. They wanted quick and big changes.

Even though the NAACP, a more moderate group, started the UFM, the more active groups joined too. They worried that the UFM might take over the growing civil rights movement in Cleveland. The UFM ended up having between 50 and 60 member organizations. Four people were chosen to lead the group together. They were Carriebell J. Cook, Clarence Holmes, Reverend Isaiah Pogue, Jr., and Reverend Paul Younger. Harold B. Williams was named the "coordinator." A committee of 12 people helped guide the organization.

Important Actions and Protests

The UFM worked to end racism and unfair treatment for African Americans. They focused on education, jobs, health, housing, and voting.

Fighting for Fair Jobs

The UFM's first big challenge was a problem at the Cleveland Convention Center in 1963. Many local labor unions did not let African Americans join. Or, if they did, they made it hard for them to get training and jobs. On June 24, the UFM announced they would start large protests. They planned to picket the construction site of the Convention Center. They said four unions working there were keeping black people from joining.

This problem could have stopped important building projects in Cleveland. It also put federal money for these projects at risk. An agreement was finally reached. Government officials, local union leaders, and African American community leaders signed it. This agreement helped end the dispute. Many people, including the NAACP, said this agreement was very important for the whole country.

The Big March in Cleveland

The UFM was the main organizer of the Cleveland Freedom March. This march happened on July 14, 1963. It was first called the United Freedom Movement March. About 15,000 people marched, and 2,000 people watched. After the march, 25,000 people gathered at Cleveland Stadium. They listened to speeches from important civil rights leaders. These included Roy Wilkins from the national NAACP and James Farmer from CORE.

School Segregation Protests

After the job dispute, the UFM focused on ending racial segregation in Cleveland's public schools. In the 1950s, many African Americans moved to Cleveland. This led to schools in black neighborhoods becoming very crowded. Cleveland Mayor Ralph S. Locher, who was white, did not seem to care about these problems.

The school district eventually decided to bus black students to white schools. This was supposed to help with the overcrowding. But African American parents were upset when they found out. The city was still keeping students separated by race in these schools. Black children were also not allowed to join after-school activities. In January 1964, the UFM planned a march to the Murray Hill School. This school was in the city's Little Italy area.

City leaders heard that white residents planned to stop the march. They worried about serious clashes. The UFM was convinced to cancel their protest. But some white residents still gathered. On January 30, 1964, they caused trouble. They threw rocks and bottles and attacked African Americans they saw on the streets. The Cleveland Division of Police did not arrest anyone.

The events at Murray Hill did not stop the UFM. They continued to protest schools in late January 1964. These were schools where black children were being bused. Protesters also held a sit-in at the Cleveland Board of Education offices. This happened from January 31 to February 2, and again from February 3 to February 4. The protests ended when the school board agreed to mix classes. This applied to schools where black students were being bused.

In late February 1964, the UFM started protesting new school buildings. The school board wanted to build new schools to help with overcrowding in black neighborhoods. But African American parents saw this as a way to keep schools separated by race. The school board refused to delay the building plans. Protests started at several school construction sites.

The most serious protest was at the Stephen E. Howe Elementary School site. On April 6, UFM protesters tried to stop construction. They blocked entrances and lay on the ground. Police in special gear had to remove them. The protests continued on April 7. That day, some protesters tried to stop a bulldozer. They lay down in front of it. Reverend Bruce W. Klunder lay down behind it. The bulldozer driver did not see Klunder and backed up, accidentally killing him. After Klunder's death, there were four hours of unrest. Police had to use special gas to calm the situation. Klunder's death caused the construction protests to stop.

On April 21, the UFM organized a boycott of public schools. This boycott had been planned since early February. About 60,000 African American students did not go to school that day.

The boycott mostly ended the protests. While these school protests were Cleveland's first big, long racial protests, they did not lead to major changes right away.

Why the UFM Ended

Even though the UFM had many members, it made decisions very quickly. This often made politicians and government groups upset. They felt they did not have enough time to discuss the UFM's demands. Mayor Locher and the Cleveland Board of Education president, Ralph McAllister, often refused to meet with UFM leaders.

There were always some disagreements between the moderate and more active members within the UFM. By the fall of 1965, these disagreements grew much worse. The more active members wanted the group to support African American Carl Stokes. Stokes was running against the current white Mayor Ralph S. Locher in the Democratic primary election.

A group led by CORE on the UFM's executive committee voted to suggest that the UFM should be allowed to support political candidates. Because of this, the UFM's president, vice president, and treasurer resigned. Arthur Evans became the acting president. This suggestion caused a big split among the UFM's members. The organization never officially supported any candidate for office.

This split caused the NAACP to leave the UFM in February 1966. This effectively led to the group breaking up.

Leaders of the UFM

• Harold B. Williams - Coordinator, June 1963 to November 1963
• Clarence Holmes - President, November 1963 to November 1964
• Rev. Sumpter M. Riley, Jr. - President, November 1964 to September 1965 (resigned)
• Arthur Evans - Acting President, September 1965 to February 1966