It's Friday and I'm once again joining Friday Smiles which is hosted by Annie (at A Stitch in Time). Let's visit her and the other wonderful ladies who also share their smiles each Friday.
It's time to once again return to the Wichita-Sedgwick County History Museum.
We're still in the hallway where children's toys are located.
I got the feeling the displays on this end was added as an afterthought because it has nothing to do with children's toys. Sorry this is so fuzzy. I only took one photo and this was it.
On this end is a display of the sit in at the Wichita Dockum Rexall Drug in 1958.
Part of the display on the right, here is a photo from the newspaper showing some of the peaceful protesters who wanted to be treated equal. Don't we all!!!It helped change the course of history – but few people knew about it. The 1958 Dockum Drug Store Sit-in was an effort to end segregation in Wichita and the United States. This quiet movement spoke loudly to the passion of the students who led it, making it one of the first organized sit-ins in the country.
The Dockum Drug Store (owned by Rexall) was one of the most popular eating establishments in downtown Wichita, which like many of the other restaurants and stores of the day only served white people. African Americans could order food to go, but were forced to order from the end of the counter and leave after getting their food or stand in the corner to eat.
One day, Carol Parks-Hahn and her cousin Ron Walters decided to test the limits of the segregation rules. They wanted to know what it felt like to be served a drink in a glass, rather than disposable containers. Walters had read about a sit-in in California and found this peaceful measure could lead to desegregation.
On July 19, 1958, the two and their friends began going to the drugstore every day, sitting at the counter and ordering a soda. The students were quiet and respectful, but management continued to refuse them service. Walters said he wanted to make sure the group showed up at “a business level,” and were not viewed as disruptive patrons. At one point, the drugstore closed the counter because white customers refused sit next to the Black students.
The group returned every day for nearly a month, until on Aug. 11, 1958, the owner finally said, “Serve them – I’m losing too much money.” Their peaceful and unrelenting protest was a huge victory for the abolishment of segregation in Kansas. Soon after the students were served in Wichita, Rexall stores across the nation followed suit and desegregated, first in Oklahoma City on Aug. 19, 1958, and then in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Feb. 1, 1960.
This display shows a part of that sit in. It's called "Standing up, sitting in."
There's even a video.
I'm so proud of these young people who were able to desegregate restaurants and lunch counters in Kansas and Wichita specifically. 
We'll visit this room next week. It should interest all you mothers out there.Diana and Don request your presents at their wedding.
Lent is that period for preparing for Holy Weed and Easter.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget all His benefits.
Hymn: I am Thin, O Lord.
I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, even though he diets, yet shall be live.
Hymn: I Need Three Every Hour.
My joke is easy and my burden is light.
Hymn of Response: Crown Him With Many Cows.
Childcare provided with reservations.
Bring one dozen coolies wrapped for Christmas.
When parking on the north side of the church, please remember to park on an angel.
Jean will be leading a weight-management series Wednesday nights. She’s used the program herself and has been growing like crazy!
The concert held in Fellowship Hall was a great success. Special thanks are due to the minister’s daughter, who labored the whole evening at the piano, which as usual fell upon her.
22 members were present at the church meeting held at the home of Mrs. Marsha Crutchfield last evening. Mrs. Crutchfield and Mrs. Rankin sang a duet, The Lord Knows Why.
A song fest was hell at the Methodist church Wednesday.
Today’s Sermon: HOW MUCH CAN A MAN DRINK? with hymns from a full choir.
Hymn 43: “Great God, what do I see here?” Preacher: The Rev. Horace Blodgett. Hymn 47: “Hark! an awful voice is sounding.”
The 2022 Spring Council Retreat will be hell May 10 and 11.
The pastor is on vacation. Massages can be given to church secretary…
Dollar Exchange Rate
22 thoughtful remarks:
Those students were clever and brave.
It´s really hard to believe that such discrimination was still around end of the 50´s!
That "white" people refused to sit with them.
Do you know the series "Quantum Leap" - a similar story.
Is known what´s become of them?
Oh those church bloopers had me chuckling.
Don’t ask about the drink though as there was a fair bit of that going on yesterday. Not by me I might add
Have a lovely weekend
Lynn x
Those youngsters were very brave. I am very glad that their protests succeeded.
And I did enjoy the bloopers. Thank you.
Fun Funnies. I remember hearing about those sit-ins. In 1958 I started grammar school (High school) and our class teacher told us about the sit ins, and that we - the young people - had a duty to stand up for the rights of others. Have a great day, hugs, Valerie
Go visit the cat!!Hugs!
That is a beautiful panel in your first picture.
It was in teresting to read about the silent protest. It just goes to show that all the rioting and shouted abuse we see these days is a less efective way of protesting.
I love the church bloopers. they always ake me smile. Does no-one think to edit these things before sending them out?
Have a lovely weel. Kate x
I like the piece in the first photo.
The stained glass in the first photo is so beautiful. Fits very well as the lead in to the story about "Standing Up, Sitting In". How brave those young people were.
Oh Elizabeth you really have made me chuckle...some of the bloopers I’ve had to read twice but when I’ve realised what I missed first time it made me laugh even more....I think out brains actually correct things we read lol
Hugs,
Annie x
The story of segregation and the drugstore was one I didn't know. I find it sad that probably the only reason the owner said to serve the was because he was losing money, but if that's what it took, good.
I love stained glass and it's a shame that it's not so fashionable anymore but there are still plenty of older houses where we live that still have them and when we had a new door at the front of the house I manged to get someone to make one for us. This really is a very interesting museum with so much history to it. We are so lucky that we have them. I am well impressed with the students, peaceful protests can work. Those funnies are brilliant, definitely smile worthy. Have a lovely weekend, hugs Angela xXx
How amazing that those youngsters were successful. It was peaceful and well organized. Wichita can be very proud of them. I hadn't known about this. I'm glad you shared it. These students are now all pensioners...
The museum is beautiful. I actually like the first piece although as you say, it has nothing to do with children.
Love the funnies. Of course I know most of the hymns and that makes it even funnier. I used to write/edit the church magazine for many years, and I had a proof reader look through everything every month.
Have a lovely weekend,
Lisca
I'm laughing too hard to be serious this moment! Those bloopers made my day!
Thank God for people who stood up or sat down to protest horrific treatment because of skin color. Almost a hundred years after slavery was abolished-stinking thinking and stinking behavior still abounded. I wonder-are things really any better now?
Thank you for this post...
The history of this sit-in is very interesting, as it's often overlooked in writings about the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s. I worry as many of the important human rights gains of our last 50 years are being eroded by the current malicious political movements.
best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
that stained glass is beautiful....yes, even if it doesn't have anything to do with toys !! the crown Him with many cows has me cracking up !! ☺☺
An interesting post Elizabeth, and great funnies!
Have a wonderful weekend.
Alison
That window in the background of your museum photos is interesting. I wonder if it is an exhibit or a real window. The stain glass in the memorial is gorgeous too. In fact, the whole piece has so much great detail. And those church typos were funny. I'm running late today, but hope it was a super FRiday. Hugs-Erika
If "we" allow the republicans to succeed it will be worse than this in the future. My parents never taught us to discriminate. We as kids in the 50's had every color of friends. No one knew what discrimination or being poor was. It is a real shame what our country is now. I am talking the US.
Oh Elizabeth...you said no sympathy but you’re going to get it!! That sounds like a really nasty fall. Have you been checked out by a Dr? I do hope you’ve not done anything serious. Sending you lots of healing hugs xxxx
Annie xxx
I always enjoy your museum visits. You do such a good job of taking me along. I feel like I get a real sense of the place.
The sit in was obviously a good idea! Love those church funnies, hugs, Chrisx
Dear me, Elizabeth, how can I not sympathise. You've had a nasty fall and need a double dose of TLC by the sound of it. Hope you're feeling better today. Your visit to the museum was very interesting, illuminating even. I did study at Wellesley for a year and much of what you mention was covered in the courses I opted for. I was totally impressed with the courage of those that, in the face of great hostility, stood up against the discrimination. I hope you're taking it easy this week. Elizabeth x
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