"Black Christmas" reached Jackson in December 1962 as students and community leaders boycotted downtown merchants. They demanded courtesy titles, equality in employment, and an end to all Jim Crow practices. On May 28, 1963, Tougaloo students and faculty sat-in at the Woolworth’s lunch counter. They were assaulted by a white mob of Jackson Central High students and had to be escorted out by police. The scene was shown on the local news, and transformed the boycott into a mass movement.
Pictured: A black and white photograph of the 1963 Woolworth’s sit-in. A Black protestor lies on the floor, covered in debris. A White mob surrounds him. Most are standing with their feet on the floor, some are standing on countertops. A Black woman sits on a stool on the right side of the photo and looks at a White man behind the counter.
Credit: Photo by Fred Blackwell
