Sara Davidson

In 1960, the centuries-old discrimination against African Americans by white society continued unabated in most regions of the country in spite of antisegregation laws that were passed in the 1950s. In the Deep South, black people could not use the same rest room, drink from the same water fountain, or eat at the same lunch counter as whites. In California, blacks were denied decent jobs, quality housing, and other necessities. Black groups such as the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), which was founded in 1942 to combat discrimination, organized sit-ins and protests and slowly broke down the barriers of segregation. They were joined, in many cases, by middle-class white college students who put their beliefs into action in order to help the African American cause.

Sara Davidson was one such student who detailed her political...