January 20, 2008
Reports reflect racial issues in 1960s
By O.C. Stonestreet
On Aug. 13, 1963, during the civil rights struggle, there was a meeting between seven black citizens of Mooresville and three Mooresville town officials, all of whom were white.
The meeting was reported in the town’s newspaper, the weekly Mooresville Tribune, and in the Statesville Record & Landmark, and the results of the meeting were recorded in the Mooresville Town Board Minutes Book.
A careful reading with attention to the differences in vocabulary in the two newspaper accounts may prove interesting. One account used the word “demand” or “demands” four times, while the other used the words “requests,” “goals,” “called for” and “asked.”
Those interested in history must be careful in drawing inferences, even when using primary source historical documents.
Neither of the newspaper accounts had a byline.
Mayor Meets with Citizens League
Mooresville Tribune, Aug. 15, 1963
The creation of a human relations forum is an obvious move in Mooresville’s cautious advance against racial discrimination.
This was the consensus voiced Tuesday following a discussion between town leaders and Negro spokesmen of the South Iredell Citizens League.
Seven members of the League’s executive committee met with Mayor John C. Miller, City Manager Cy Brooks and Town Attorney Bill Pope. The session, requested by the Negroes, was held in the commissioners’ room in the municipal building.
The Rev. J.E. McKenzie, pastor of Reid’s Memorial Presbyterian Church, represented the League as chairman of its executive committee. Other members of the committee who attended the meeting were the Rev. J.H. White, pastor of Jones Chapel Baptist Church, Lawrence Thomas, Bettye Griffin, Norris Graham, Martha Gamble and James Campbell.
The committee presented a prepared list of eight requests. Mr. McKenzie said these goals were approved by a meeting of the entire League Sunday. Speaking for the petitioners, the minister asked that “leaders of Mooresville work with us in attaining these goals with the least possible friction.”
The establishment of a bi-racial committee headed the list, and this was the item upon which the entire discussion hinged. Mayor Miller assured the committee he would give the appointment of a bi-racial committee serious consideration and that he would take up the request with the Town Board. The mayor assured the delegation he would consult with Negro leaders before making the committee appointments.
The Negro group also asked for more job opportunities in industry and business. The eight-point program called for the desegregation of local eating places, recreational facilities, schools and the Lowrance Hospital School of Nursing.
The delegation asked that the Chamber of Commerce use its influence “to break down the barriers in employment and other areas which confront our people.”
There was agreement on two key points: sincere and open discussion of mutual problems is necessary for any substantial progress in race relations; and, two, sweeping away customs and prejudices long embedded in society is not an over-night job.
While the mayor assured the Negro delegation he would make every effort to establish means for future discussions, he carefully pointed out that most of the requests made by the group were outside the town government’s authority.
Pope told the committee members that, in seeking blanket integration of businesses, they were asking the local government to deal with people over which it has no control.
“We’re going to have to mesh our gears according to the way the situation exists,” Pope said, “not according to the way we would like for it to exist.”
Mr. Jones told the town officials the Negroes do not want force, “We just want to build a framework in which we can discuss these sensitive issues.”
Thomas said recent statements by the mayor and the Chamber of Commerce president were “a fine beginning, but then everything stopped.” He said the community needs more expressions of mutual understanding.
Mr. McKenzie said none of his race in Moores-ville wants coercion.
“We don’t want visitation by outside groups,” the committee chairman said, “Mooresville is a community of reasonable people, and we have a much better atmosphere among ourselves. I just want to ward off trouble, and we (both races) can do it together.”
Mooresville Negroes Present Demand List
Statesville Record & Landmark, Aug. 14, 1963
MOORESVILLE — Representatives of a group of Negroes calling themselves the South Iredell Citizens League met yesterday morning with Mayor John Miller, City Manager Cy Brooks and City Attorney William Pope.
The Negroes, who had requested the meeting with the mayor, presented a list of goals they wanted to see put into effect in Mooresville.
The first demand was for the city to set up a bi-racial committee. The Negroes asked that they be allowed to pick the Negro members of the committee.
Mayor Miller agreed to ask the town board to consider the problem and explained that the board would have to authorize him to appoint the committee before he could do so. He also stated that he would appoint all members to the committee if one is formed.
He said that he would be glad to consider the members by the group and would keep in touch with them about the appointments.
Rev. J.E. McKenzie, spokesman for the group of five men and two women, said that the day when individual relationships could do anything is about over. “What we need is an organized committee,” he said.
Other action asked by the group is the employment of Negroes “in every industry and business in Mooresville.” The demands specifically mentioned Burlington Industries, along with other textile industries. There are five textile mills in Mooresville.
Other goals in the proposal handed to the mayor were the employment of Negroes as sales clerks in the stores, desegregation of every licensed place in Mooresville, integration of city recreational facilities, immediate desegregation of the schools, and desegregation of the nursing school at Lowrance Hospital.
In asking for desegregation of the recreational facilities, the Negroes’ paper stated, “This would do away with the disgraceful way that the recreation program is set up and executed for our people!” Mayor Miller objected strongly to the use of the word “disgraceful.”
In the discussion that followed the Negroes said that the demands were being made today by the young people. “The old people may be satisfied,” he said, “but the young ones want jobs and opportunity.”
The group also asked that the local Chamber of Commerce use its influence to break down barriers that the Negroes felt confronted them.
The date of the next scheduled city council meeting is September 3.
Notes of the Mooresville Town Board-Book 13, page 392, Sept. 3, 1963
Regular Meeting 8. Discussion of August 13, 1963, meeting with delegation of Negroes representing South Iredell Citizens’ League.
The Mayor gave a report of the meeting of August 13th with the Negroes representing the South Iredell Citizens’ League at which time they requested that a committee be appointed to discuss racial issues.
ACTION: A motion by Mr. Bailey, seconded by Mr. Knox, that a Good Neighbor Council composed of seven (7) white and three (3) Negroes be appointed by the Mayor, was unanimously adopted.
