Civil Rights: Ruining a Reputation

If any major city of the Deep South had a reputation for inspirational cooperation between whites and Negroes, it was Atlanta. The city long ago integrated its public schools, parks, golf courses, swimming pools and some restaurants and hotels. Only recently, May or Ivan Allen Jr. testified in Washington in behalf of a federal public-accommodations law. Negro and white leaders for years kept communications open and helped each other resolve many potentially dangerous situations. Atlanta's white leaders especially were fond of boasting about the city's pioneer work in race relations, its enlightened atmosphere, its sweet and easy black and white...

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