Wilmington Movement 1971

Collection

Identifier: SC-MS-108

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection contains sixteen original articles from the Wilmington Morning Star and its joint Sunday edition with the Wilmington News, the Star-News (all now merged into the Wilmington Star-News), and two from Raleigh's The News and Observer, chronicling the events leading to and during the racial unrest centering around the integration of the local high schools in Wilmington, NC. Beginning about mid December 1970 and continuing throughout most of 1971, Wilmington became a national focal point of violence, burnings, looting, and magnet for outside organizers of boycotts, marches, and demonstrations. Ten men and women, known as the Wilmington Ten, were ultimately arrested and wrongly convicted of arson and conspiracy during the events that occurred at the time. The clippings cover the events of the time.

Dates

Creation: 1971 February 03 - October 03

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research use.

Copyright Statement

Copyright retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Historical Note

After the desegregation of the local high schools in Wilmington, NC for the 1968-1969 school year and the closing of Williston High School, racial tensions between white and Black students reached an all-time high in early 1971, when Black students decided to boycott the schools as a means of expressing their concerns and frustrations. On the night of February 6, 1971, violence erupted downtown as members of militant white supremacist groups, such as the KKK and the Rights of White People, clashed with students. The student protestors were blamed and ten, known as the Wilmington Ten, were arrested, convicted, and sentenced to prison. Their case drew national attention and support for their release. Violence around the integration of the schools lasted in Wilmington throughout the remainder of 1971.