A Look Into Baltimore Civil Rights
Maxwell Fore
During my time at the Maryland Center for History and Culture, I had worked with the interviews of many different people who had been a part of the civil rights movement in Baltimore. Each of these interviews gave a detailed look into the experiences and accomplishments of those who had helped fight for civil rights. Each interview provided different perspectives on the issues of 1960s Baltimore, as well as providing insight into how significant people at the time were viewed.
Much of the discussion on public figures in the interviews had focused on the two people the McKeldin-Jackson project had been named after: Theodore McKeldin and Lillie May Jackson. Both of these people were thought of highly by interviewees who discussed their accomplishments and personalities. To many, Theodore McKeldin was a man deserving of respect. Of all the interviews I had listened to, there had been little to no disdain for Theodore McKeldin during his time as mayor. From the interviews it is clear that McKeldin was a man who loved his city and the people in it. A major aspect of his time as mayor was his advocacy for civil rights, being one of few politicians who had truly wished to support the black community and their causes.
Lilie May Jackson had similarly been a highly respected figure in Baltimore civil rights. Jackson was a dedicated civil rights activist who had been truly loved by her community. She had served as the organizer for the Baltimore branch of the NAACP and had been a pioneer in non-violent resistance to racial segregation. She had been a fundamental figure in campaigning against businesses with discriminatory hiring practiices, as well as in the desegrigation of Baltimore city schools. Despite not having wished to become a public leader, Jackson had become a beacon of Baltimore’s civil rights movement. From the interviews it is clear how significant she was towards progress in Baltimore, and how revered she was by those around her.
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