![]() ![]() Ford left three year ago, leaving more than 1000 jobless." Segregation and discrimination were prevalent. The SDS report described Chester as "an industrial city, specializing in ship-building and oil refining but industry is moving out. The African American community lived in an urban ghetto, with low property taxes and disparate housing. According to a report by the Swarthmore College chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), "Except for two cities which are on the Federal Government’s list of permanently depressed areas, the worst unemployment, the lowest median income, and the most thoroughly exploited tax base of any city its size in Pennsylvania." Government figures indicate that during that time period, white unemployment was 15% and black unemployment was twice that number. After several weeks of protest, the campaign grew to encompass desegregation efforts of 10 of Chester's public elementary and middle schools.Ĭhester, PA had a population of 63,000 in 1963, of which 27,000 were African Americans. The protesters also staged sit-ins in the City Hall, municipal building, and the Board of Education's offices. They picketed the school and blocked its doors, successfully shutting it down for several days. In November 1963, African American parents in the small city of Chester, PA organized and demanded better conditions at their local elementary school, Franklin School. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |