The Defiant One

Rev. Bevel and his team worked with popular disc jockeys “Tall Paul” Dudley White and Shelley “The Playboy” Stewart, whose jive talk on the radio served as a secret code telling young foot soldiers when it was time to move out. Despite objections from parents, teachers, and principals, thousands of children left school, some climbing out of classroom windows and over fences, to rally at Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. There Bevel and his team organized students into groups, gave them instructions and an inspirational pep talk, and sent them marching toward government buildings and retail stores downtown. On May 7, 1963, Birmingham police arrested Parker High School student Mattie Howard near the Carver Theatre, and pictures of the defiant teen in her torn sweater were printed in publications around the country. She was one of hundreds of student foot soldiers who joined the marches to downtown that day. The media called the marches “The Children’s Crusade,” and the sight of police attacking and arresting children on the streets of downtown Birmingham created dramatic tension and news footage that gave Project C new energy and worldwide attention.

Birmingham, Alabama · United States