|
The Role of the Churches
in Clinton's Desegregation
The
story of the Clinton
Twelve and the
desegregation of Clinton, Tennessee
is also a story
of the community
that supported
them, especially the churches.
The following
is a summary of some
of those people.
Reverend O.W.
Willis
On December 5,
1950, five parents,
including Rev.
O.W. Willis, pastor of Mt. Sinai Missionary
Baptist Church, filed a suit against the
Anderson County Board of Education to gain
admission to Clinton High School on behalf
of their children. Two of those five children
were daughters
of Willis. On the Sunday evening before
the first day of desegregation,August
27, 1956, Reverend
Willis preached a prayer for peace, come
morning. “Help
us to love our enemies,” said the
Reverend O. W. Willis, “and send
our children down
the hill with peace in their hearts.”1
Willis offered his
church as sanctuary when anti-segregation
groups were attacking
black neighborhoods.2
Knoxville
Ministerial
Association’s
President W.T.
Krutcher & Rev.
R.E. James
The Knoxville
Ministerial Association
(KMA), publicly supported the integration
of Clinton High School. This organization
of ministers in the local area, integrated
themselves, was interested in equality.
The president, W.T. Krutcher, pastor
of Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Knoxville,
was black. Krutcher and another black
minister, Rev. R.E. James, pastor of
Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Knoxville,
came to Clinton to encourage the black
families. The KMA called for the use
of force to maintain order and prayed
the students be given courage. They
wrote: “Grant
that the 12 Negro
students in Clinton be given the privilege
of entering in school and remaining
to graduate and go out into the world
to help in the work of God’s
kingdom. Grant them and us the courage
to stand for the truth and righteousness
even if it costs our lives.”3
Reverend Paul Turner
Rev.
Paul Turner, a white minister of First
Baptist Church in Clinton, made his contribution
when he escorted 10 of the 12 black students
to school on December
4, 1956. When Turner returned from his
walk, he was assaulted by a mob and badly
beaten. The following Sunday he preached
to his congregation, “there
are no color lines
at the cross.” News
of the assault spread
throughout the town. Reverend Alan Jones,
current pastor of Asbury United Methodist
Church says “Segregation
may have won a victory
against integration had Rev. Paul Turner
not taken the initiative to walk with
the African-American students to Clinton
High School that particular day.”4
In the local election that followed all
segregationists were defeated at the
polls.
Reverend Billy Graham
Two
months after Clinton
High School was bombed
on October 5, 1958,
national evangelist Reverend Billy Graham
made his contribution. Reverend Graham
came to town in December and preached
at the undamaged gymnasium
of the school. His appearance helped raise
money to rebuild the school. National columnist
Drew Pearson presented a check for $25,000
for rebuilding efforts. “In
spite of death threats
from the White Citizens
Council, Rev. Graham preached to an integrated
audience and defended
the Christian citizens of Clinton as law
abiding people,” Reverend
Jones said.5
Reverend Alan Jones
Reverend
Alan Jones, current
pastor of Asbury
United Methodist
Church and a research
associate at UT’s
Community Partnership
Center in Knoxville,
recently headed
the Clinton Desegregation
Project. He feels
it was the hand
of God that helped
the city of Clinton
overcome one of
its moral dilemmas
without the loss
of life that occurred
in other parts of
the south.6 “God
was bringing equality
to his children,” he
said. “And
He was showing the
world that he was
going to use the community
of faith to bring
about this remarkable
change.” Reverend
Jones points to
the spiritual significance
of 12 students walking
down the hill being
the same as the number
of apostles.7
1 George McMillan, “The
Ordeal of Bobby Cain,” Collier’s,
23 November 1956,
68–69.
2 Johanne Jean-Jacques, “If
Not for the Hand of
God”, The Courier
News, April 23,
2006, p. 2.
3 Ibid.
4 Ibid.
5 Ibid.
6 Ibid, p.
1.
7 Ibid, p. 2.
|
The
Story of Desegregation
in Clinton, Tennessee 
101
School Street