The Seattle school boycott of 1966 was a protest against racial segregation in Seattle Public Schools. After years of frustration with city officials, a coalition of organizations led by the Central Area Civil Rights Committee (CACRC), the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) organized a boycott, requesting that all Seattle parents keep their children out of school for two days. Approximately 3,000 students boycotted their regular classes to attend eight Freedom Schools, taking courses on African American history and civil rights taught by volunteer teachers. The surprising support for the boycott forced the Seattle School Board to eventually implement most of the programs requested by boycott leaders.Â
In this image taken at T. T. Minor Elementary School on the day of the school boycott, teacher Miss Ruth Geissmar addresses her class of six first graders. Normal enrollment of her class is 22 students.
Caption information source: The Seattle Times, March 31, 1966, page 1 Caption information source: http://depts.washington.edu/civilr/school_boycott.htm Caption information also derived from captions written by Post-Intelligencer staff and attached to the back of the photograph.
