The Medallion, Volume 47, Number 1-2, January/February 2010 Page: 3
19 p. : col. ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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in Greensboro, N.C., where four
African American students were
credited with pioneering this form of
nonviolent protest.
The TSU students were also
inspired by a respected businessman
named Quentin Mease, director
of the YMCA on Wheeler Street
adjacent to the university. According
to Sandifer-Walker, Mease played
a vital role in the students' efforts
by working with Houston's
businessmen and leaders in the
existing establishment to facilitate
the demonstrations.
Hogrobrooks recalled another
incident that inspired the students,
despite its unintended purpose.
"I give a lot of credit to Lyndon
Johnson, who was a senator at
the time. He made a comment to
the media about Texas' negroes
being too complacent to cause
any problems," she said. "I went
on to have great respect for him
as a president, but after he made
that comment, we gathered at that
flagpole with a purpose."
After the TSU event, several
other Houston sit-ins were
organized, which drew increased
attention to the movement. With the
help of Mease, several high-profile
establishments, including hotels
and restaurants, were eventually
desegregated. The continued sit-ins
and demonstrations drew negativepublicity (and lost revenue) for
Houston businesses, setting the
stage for Mease and other African
American businessmen to work
with influential Houston leaders
to dismantle Jim Crow laws. Their
negotiations ultimately led to the
desegregation of nearly 70 public
lunch counters and an agreement
that the Astrodome would open as
an integrated facility.
"The March 4 event really
changed this city - it helped us see
hope, work together and make an
impact on society," Sandifer-Walker
said. "It's especially significant that
youth were committed to a cause to
make the world a better place."
Sandifer-Walker believes these
types of accomplishments should
be celebrated and recognized, in thisOpposite page: Texas Southern University students
staged a sit-in at Weingarten's lunch counter on
March 4, 1960 (photo courtesy Houston Public
Library). Left: TSUprofessor Serbino Sandifer-Walker
at the site where the students first gathered.
Below: TSUstudents sing "The Battle Hymn of
the Republic" at Riesner Street jail (photo courtesy
Houston Public Library, Texas Southern University's
Heartman Collection).
case with the THC marker coinciding
with the 50th anniversary. She hopes
current and future generations will
be inspired enough to get involved
with community activism, resulting
in a positive outcome with increased
opportunities for all citizens.
Hogrobrooks dismisses the
commemoration as an activity for
"those who came after my time to
honor," but acknowledges that the
significant events should serve as
lessons for future generations.
"It was important that I was part
of the activities that generated the
impetus for changes that needed to
be made, but I think these things
should be observed rather than
celebrated," she said. "You don't
reward bad behavior, and blacks in
Texas were on the receiving end of
some really bad behavior."
Sandifer-Walker notes that
Houston's desegregation efforts set
a foundation for her own success;
namely, as a Columbia University
graduate with an accomplished
career in broadcast journalism and
as a TSU professor.
"This marker will now be there
to inspire people every day," she
said. "Each year I use the story to
encourage young people, and I hope
they come away thinking, 'If they
did that, maybe I can make a
difference, too.'"
This article was written by Andy Rhodes,
managing editor of The Medallion.A A
M I II
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Texas Historical Commission. The Medallion, Volume 47, Number 1-2, January/February 2010, periodical, January 2010; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth308999/m1/3/?q=Lamar+University: accessed June 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Historical Commission.