Ax Handle Saturday

Ax Handle Saturday

Ax Handle Saturday refers to a racially motivated attack that occurred on August 27, 1960, in Jacksonville, Florida. This event is a significant moment in the history of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.

Background

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement was gaining momentum across the United States, with activists challenging segregation and discrimination through nonviolent protests and sit-ins. Jacksonville, like many Southern cities, was deeply segregated, with African Americans facing systemic discrimination in public facilities, schools, and businesses.

The Sit-In Movement

Inspired by the Greensboro sit-ins in North Carolina, African American students in Jacksonville began organizing their own sit-ins at segregated lunch counters. These protests were part of a broader strategy to challenge the "Jim Crow" laws that enforced racial segregation in the South.

The Events of August 27, 1960

On August 27, 1960, a group of young African American activists, including members of the local NAACP Youth Council, gathered in downtown Jacksonville to conduct a peaceful sit-in at a "whites-only" lunch counter. As the protest unfolded, a mob of white men, armed with ax handles and baseball bats, attacked the demonstrators.

The attackers, reportedly organized by the local Ku Klux Klan, targeted both the protesters and any African Americans they encountered in the vicinity. The violence quickly escalated, with the mob indiscriminately beating African Americans in the streets.

Response and Aftermath

The local police were slow to respond to the violence, and when they did, they primarily arrested the African American protesters rather than the attackers. The events of Ax Handle Saturday drew national attention to the racial tensions in Jacksonville and highlighted the challenges faced by civil rights activists in the South.

In the aftermath, the incident galvanized the local African American community and increased support for the civil rights movement. It also led to increased scrutiny of racial violence and police practices in Jacksonville.

Legacy

Ax Handle Saturday is remembered as a pivotal moment in Jacksonville's civil rights history. It underscored the risks faced by activists and the violent resistance to desegregation efforts. The event is commemorated annually in Jacksonville, serving as a reminder of the struggle for racial equality and the ongoing fight against racial injustice.

See Also

• Civil Rights Movement
• Greensboro sit-ins
• Jim Crow laws
• Ku Klux Klan

References

• ["Ax Handle Saturday: A Turning Point in Jacksonville's Civil Rights History," Jacksonville Historical Society.]
• ["The Civil Rights Movement in Florida," Florida Memory.]