Home / Crime and Justice / Plaquemine's Civil Rights Fight Remembered
Plaquemine's Civil Rights Fight Remembered
10 Mar
Summary
- CORE's arrival in Plaquemine was by invitation in 1963.
- Demonstrations led to hundreds of arrests and a student boycott.
- Civil Rights Act of 1964 ultimately helped quell unrest.
In 1963, Plaquemine, Louisiana, experienced significant Civil Rights demonstrations when the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) responded to an invitation to address voter registration inequities for nonwhite citizens. These events, documented in a new book, involved protests and confrontations with law enforcement, leading to the arrest of hundreds, primarily Black teenagers.
The demonstrations coincided with a milestone in broadcast history, as "CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite" covered the events on its inaugural 30-minute daily broadcast. Young newscaster Dan Rather reported on the demonstrations, which also featured President John F. Kennedy discussing his re-election plans.
Despite initial unrest, including a student boycott and riot after a school lunchroom worker was fired, the situation in Plaquemine began to subside. The passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson provided a legislative framework to address the systemic discrimination that had defined the era.
The book highlights that while Iberville Parish was considered liberal compared to neighboring parishes with zero Black voters, the fight for equality was challenging. Individuals involved in protests risked their jobs and businesses, underscoring the pervasive nature of segregation and discrimination during that period.
