Martin Luther King, Jr., led a national movement for civil rights and preached of a “beloved community” where justice and quality are epitomized. Danville’s restraint of local demonstrations compelled him to focus the movement on the city. He publicly visited Danville at least three times in 1963, on March 26th at Danville City Auditorium and on July 11th and November 15th at High Street Baptist Church, encouraged local nonviolent protests, and later proposed a global boycott of Dan River Mills. Preparation for the March on Washington, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and the willingness of Danville authorities to grant modest concessions eventually diverted attention from the city. His national work led to dismantlement of the Southern “Jim Crow” system of racial segregation and passage of legislation for the advancement of civil rights for all.
