St. Augustine Beach Wade-Ins

Some of the most widely publicized events of the civil rights movement took place at St. Augustine Beach in the summer of 1964, when wade-ins were conducted at a beach that had historically been reserved for "Whites Only." Many courageous local residents took part, along with staff members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, including Rev. C.T. Vivian, Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, Dorothy Cotton, Al Lingo, Rev. LaVert Taylor, Benjamin Van Clarke, Golden Frinks, Rev. S. B. Wells, Dana Swan, Willie Bolden, and J. T. Johnson. Black and white supporters came from different parts of the country during a campaign organized by Dr. Robert B. Hayling that brought Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to St. Augustine. The rallies, marches, sit-ins, and wade-ins that took place here led directly to the passage and signing of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed racial segregation in hotels, motels, restaurants, and other public accommodations, as well as job discrimination against blacks and women. Images broadcast internationally of peaceful demonstrators being brutally attacked, yet holding their ground, helped change American attitudes and inspired the world for generations to come. Dr. Martin Luther King went on from here to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

St. Augustine Beach, Florida · United States