Howard Zinn's Southern Diary

Sit-ins, Civil Rights, and Black Women's Student Activism

Robert Cohen

• Publisher: University of Georgia Press
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9780820353234
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Civil Rights in Politics
• Index: Politics & International Relations

In the 1960s, students of Spelman College, a black liberal arts college for women, were drawn into historic civil rights protests occurring across Atlanta, leading to the arrest of some for participating in sit-ins in the local community. A young Howard Zinn (future author of the worldwide best seller A People's History of the United States) was a professor of history at Spelman during this era and served as an adviser to the Atlanta sit-in movement and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Zinn mentored many of Spelman's students fighting for civil rights at the time, including Alice Walker and Marian Wright Edelman.

As a key facilitator of the Spelman student movement, Zinn supported students who challenged and criticized the campus's paternalistic social restrictions, even when this led to conflicts with the Spelman administration. Zinn's involvement with the Atlanta student movement and his closeness to Spelman's leading student and faculty activists gave him an insider's view of that movement and of the political and intellectual world of Spelman, Atlanta University, and the SNCC.

Robert Cohen presents a thorough historical overview as well as an entrée to Zinn's diary. One of the most extensive records of the political climate on a historically black college in 1960s America, Zinn's diary offers an in-depth view. It is a fascinating historical document of the free speech, academic freedom, and student rights battles that rocked Spelman and led to Zinn's dismissal from the college in 1963 for supporting the student movement.

Howard Zinn’s Southern Diary

JOURNAL 1963

Zinn opens without offering an explanation of why he decided to keep a diary. But from its start, Zinn’s diary entries focus on issues of race, class, democracy, and freedom that were of concern to him throughout his Atlanta years (1956–63) as he worked with his students and colleagues to battle Jim Crow in the Deep South and to promote educational reform at Spelman College. The diary’s opening is also typical of Zinn’s Deep South years in that the first voices he evokes are those of African Americans: an alumnus from neighboring Morehouse College (the historically black college that was Martin Luther King Jr.’s alma mater), a sociologist from that same college, and a reference to a classic work of African American social criticism of the black bourgeoisie and of historically black colleges and universities.—RC

Black bourgeoisie^*
“First time I’ve gotten within 6 inches of a white person.”^†

M[ore]h[ou]se sociology prof[essor] from Birmingham—30 years a teacher—worked his way thru college as a waiter & bus boy in white hotels—Rosenwald fund scholarships.^*

Back in [the 19]30s supported a Union. One by one other faculty backed down. So he decided—“Won’t ever stick my neck out again. From now on it’s no. 1.[“]

One teacher (Mrs. Rese Winfel[?]: she attacked the president—she attacked the college—[)]

[Quoting the same Morehouse sociology professor] “I won’t boycott Sears—Rosenwald (owner) [of Sears] did too much for me.[“]

[S]he took a carload of boys down to Koinonia^†—she invited the pres[ident] to her ap[ar]t[ment] & had liquor there—she had students in her ap[ar]tment talking till 2AM—

(“But two brilliant grads said she was a fantastically stimulating teacher, had opened up new worlds for them”). [“]Yes she may be all right—but if someone attacks me, I’m not going to sign their check, no sir.[“] (And white faculty—who a minute before had said [“]I’m no radical—but we need to protect radicals”—says [“]she has the right to do these things—but the pres[ident] has the right to fire her![“])

“These boys come out of the cotton country in Miss[issippi], Alabama; you can’t start teaching someone sociology—you got to civilize them first.”^‡ (Thought of Mary Francis: “He thinks we’re savages”)^§

[H = handwritten diary entry; entire Dec. 19 diary entry = H]

Friday Dec. 20^*

Cerney^† called[,] said he and Norman Rates^‡ [Rates was black and Cerney white] had been invited to—and had purchased tickets for—Yale Club luncheon—[to] take place today at Athletic Club downtown—he was sick—would I [agree to] take his place—I told him since it was invitational he’d better check to see if I could (I had a summer at Yale)—he was anxious that Norman not have to go alone since his reception would be uncertain.

Hour later I called him—he’d just finished talking to Erikson, pres[ident of the] Yale Club who said when he asked if I could replace him at lunch “We’re not discussing a topic he’d be interested in. We don’t have Negroes in the Club (or they don’t allow Negroes in the Club).” Whereupon Cerney (breaking a cardinal rule of the integrationist handbook!) said “But Norman Rates, whom you invited, is a Negro.” Erickson then fell all over himself in embarrassment, said he didn’t know this, that Negroes were not allowed at the Athletic Club & he would visit Rates this AM to explain personally. I told Cerney & he agreed it would have been better if Norman had just gone down—then they would have had a harder time disposing of the issue—he said he would call Norman to let him know what happened.

I phoned Atlanta Athletic Club, to make sure it was their policy rather than Yale Club. Asked young man who answered if they rented club for luncheons, He said yes. Asked if they rented to groups which included some Negroes. He said you’ll have to talk to the secretary, Miss Pullen. Miss Pullen said Yes, it’s a rule [that blacks are barred]. I said does this apply to groups renting the place for lunch? She said Yes. I asked if she could tell me why. She said “I don’t have time to talk to you about it.” Then—[“]you know we don’t take Jews either.[“] “Why?[“] I asked—”We don’t want Jews in the club membership.” [“]What about Jews who are in groups that rent the place for lunch[?][“] “Well we can’t check everybody coming in.” “Do you agree with the policy?” “I don’t care what they do. We just do not cater to colored & that’s a rule of the club.”

[Entire Dec. 20 diary entry = H]

Spelman
Just before Xmas holiday 1962

Students—five, including Marilyn Pryce (Merrill scholar) and Marie Thomas (honor student), both of whom were in Summer and Smoke,^§ after last performance Sat. nite (request for after-show party had been denied, so official cast part[y] set for next afternoon at 4) signed in a dorm little before midnight, went out to party at A-M-S^* fellow’s house, were brought back to dorm by Marie’s mother after frantic phone-calling, House-mother-Dean-Burroughs-Mother. Dean of women spoke to each student next day, then brought matter to Judiciary Board, (7 or 8 students, one of whom serves as chairman, plus two faculty, plus Dean of Women), which voted, with Dean presenting case (no defense attorney, no right to call witnesses, no written statement of charges beforehand, no right of cross-examination—the accused called before the group to answer questions and make statement, then dismissed) 7–2 (two students—Betty Stevens and Adybelle Sampson dissenting). Then Board of Review reviewed Dean of Instruction, Dean of Women, four faculty—[(]all faculty appointed by president and pres-vice-pres plus 3 students) and approved decision (to suspend for semester).

Students called SSGA [Spelman Student Government Association] meeting, which was packed. Meeting directed Student Council to appeal to president, to try to get decision revoked, called attention to pressure on Judiciary Board members, lack of procedural rights in trial.

Council went to see President,^† who saw them after they’d waited long time near his office. In meantime Dean had asked all suspended students to leave that day. President agreed at this confrontati[o]n with Council to let students stay on campus until final settlement. Agreed to have Jud. B[oar]d and B[oar]d [of] Review meet jointly next day (Tues.). This joint meeting agreed to let B[oar]d of Review review, which then did so (Wed AM) and decided first decision must stand. Then students wept, asked for mercy. B[oar]d of Rev[iew] then said, with president there, approving (or did he say) that it would allow students to return a week before final exam so as not to lose whole semester, but each one must write an appeal to the president.

Students wrote appeal, saw president. He said they should leave campus and he would consider appeal. Students decided they would not leave campus until he gave decision. So he approved appeal and they left Wed. (or Thurs.). Judiciary Board students in meantime had signed affidavits of improper procedures at trial and pressure on them by Dean before trial.

SSGA met again, decided not to press this particular issue any more, but to try to make basic changes in rules.

Faculty meeting Wed. am, informal, unofficial—20 faculty showed (no members Jud. B[oar]d, B[oar]d of Review)[,] agreed to present motion at official meeting Wed. eve for joint, elected, fac[ulty]-student committee of 6 to go over whole question of student life and government. When broached at faculty meeting, Manley said he couldn’t accept this, that administration must be involved in any such thing. Lois Moreland^* asked if adm[inistration] represented would he then consider. He said he would think about it.

Sunday Dec. 23

Two college fellows with regards from Kathy [Cathy] Cade^† (one from Carleton—one from Indiana U) hitchhiking thru South (John Mc Auliff & Ed Harmon) just out [of] Jackson on way to Albany^‡—asked if any surprises—whites more moderate than expected in Miss[issippi].

[Entire Dec. 23 diary entry = H]

Mon[day] Dec. 24

Jim Forman,^§ as serious xmas eve as ever, asked me to be consultant to depth research into Black Belt counties by SNCC field people plus perhaps college students.^¶

[Entire Dec. 24 diary entry = H]

Xmas week 1962

Brief coffee and egg-nog at the Mickelburys.^** Drove the Chivers^†† home and he suddenly talked real radical, as if responding to the conversation we’d had at the Pearsalls^‡‡ a few days before.

Chivers invited us to their home Dec. 26.

Xmas Day, made rounds: Seatons,^§§ Maggie Long^¶¶ (where Bonds^*** were—Maggie called me a few days later to say how Julia Bond, Jane’s^* mother, was bitter—intelligent when she did talk, how she advised Cissy Long, wondering whether to finish at Sophie Newcombs[,]^† Tulane: “Now Cissy, you should know by now—the world is made up of and run by stupid people, and if you don’t want to be dominated by stupidity, you must go ahead, and get the degree these stupid people want you to get, so you can use it to fight your way out of their control”), Dunbars.^‡

[Wed.] Dec. 26 at Chivers:

[O]ne of those unexpected bang up parties with ferocious discussion. Center of it was duel between remarkable A.U. [Atlanta University] sociology graduate student—Harold^§——Harlem raised, not quite a Black Moslem but a black nationalist—much more clever and flexible and right than the Muslims, with wit and a ruthless argumentative style, merciless in slashing at Dr. McBay, prof. of chemistry at Morehouse,^¶ not really a conservative, but a [member of the] complacent middle class (“That $80,000 house you’d like to buy,” Harold taunted him with) critical of US but also able to glorify the way of life. No Southern-Negro humility or “respect” for the Ph.D. in Harold—even insulting at times, but drawing back skillfully just before explosion. Not really a black supremacist like Muslims (“I’ll stand at the wall, Zinn, and I’ll be good to you”) but says this emphasis is needed as a corrective at this stage to end complacency. Believes in being tought [tough] & extreme in argument to draw out ideas. The liveliest bang-up discussion in a long time as a dozen people sat and stood around the living room table and mostly listened, occasionally threw something in to what was a 2–3–4 person business. Mrs. Chivers[‘s] children by first marriage are just great (so much more advanced—at least her son—than their gracious but conservative parents). Her son, a biology school teacher for 7 years in Virginia, now at Episcopal Seminary near Washington (Duke[)], most unusual seminarian. Entered discussion from other room just in time to hear someone make some comment on segregation, and he threw out loudly into the room “CRAP!” Intellectually alive. His sister teaches school [in] Baltimore, quiet, most attractive (Harold taunted her smiling on her red, straight, “good” hair).^**

[Fri.] Dec. 28

Invited Campbells, Seatons, Maggie Long, Helen Roberts to dinner. Five Chivers came later, and another not so wild but interesting evening, with Duke holding forth on education (bitterly), telling of keeping discipline in Lynchberg [Lynchburg] class with his fists, of his former student now in jail for rape, people advancing arguments on what is wrong with whole education thing—Mrs. Chivers, former dean of women, an “educationist” says[,] “We’re doing research on that problem right now and we’re making progress”—but when I suggested economic system—poverty—at root, and maybe revolution only thing that would do she agreed!

New Years Eve—

at Maloofs[.]^* Bourbon, chatter, pleasant, Ted with his colored lights, music, playthings. Gloria sweet and efficient.

[Wed.] Jan. 2, 1963

Jennifer Ragwar,^† Esta Bezhura^‡ (Uganda, father an Anglican bishop)[,] and our one remaining official white student now that Carol Ba...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Foreword: What Nurtured My Outrage, Really?
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Mentor to the Movement: Howard Zinn, SNCC, and the Spelman College Freedom Struggle
• Diary Editor’s Note
• Howard Zinn’s Southern Diary
• Epilogue
• Appendix I. “On Liberty at Spelman,” March 11, 1963
• Appendix II. Debate on Abolishing the House Committee on Un-American Activities: Howard Zinn’s Opening Statement in Support of Abolition, Emory University, February 11, 1963
• Notes
• Index