Irene Morgan Kirkaldy, a black woman in 1944, refused to give up her seat ona Greyhound bus headed to Baltimore. She was arrested and jailed for herbold move, but her contributions resonated. Kirkaldy died last week.Irene Morgan (1917 - August 10, 2007), later known as Irene Morgan Kirkaldy,was an important predecessor to Rosa Parks in the successful fight tooverturn segregationist laws in the United States.Like the more famous Parks, but 11 years earlier, in 1944, the 27-year-oldBaltimore-born Morgan was arrested and jailed for refusing to give up herseat on an interstate Greyhound bus to a white person. In July 1944, Morganwas a 27-year-old mother of two, living in Gloucester County, Virginia. Shehad been ill and one Sunday morning she boarded a Greyhound bus forBaltimore, where she was to see a doctor. She sat down four rows from theback of the bus, in the section for "colored" people. When a white coupleneeded seats, the driver told Morgan and her seatmate to move farther back.Irene Morgan refused.The bus driver stopped in Middlesex County, Virginia, and summoned thesheriff, who tried to arrest Morgan. She tore up the arrest warrant, kickedthe sheriff and fought with the deputy who tried to drag her off the bus. Hesucceeded, however, and Morgan was jailed for resisting arrest and violatingVirginia's segregation law.When she went to court, Morgan pleaded guilty to the first charge (resistingarrest) and paid a $100 fine. She pleaded not guilty to the second charge,but was found guilty and fined $10.Morgan appealed her case on the conviction for violating the segregationlaws and her lawyers appealed all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In1946, the justices ruled 6-1 that Virginia's law enforcing segregation oninterstate buses was illegal.Her case, Irene Morgan v. Commonwealth of Virginia 328 U.S. 373 (1946) wasargued by Thurgood Marshall, the chief counsel of the NAACP and laterhimself an Associate Supreme Court Justice. The action resulted in alandmark ruling in 1946, which struck down state laws requiring segregationin situations involved interstate transportation. Marshall used aninnovative strategy to argue the case. Instead of relying upon the EqualProtection clause of the 14th Amendment, Marshall argued successfully thatsegregation on interstate travel violated the Interstate Commerce clause ofthe U.S. Constitution."If something happens to you which is wrong, the best thing to do is have itcorrected in the best way you can", said Morgan. "The best thing for me todo was to go to the Supreme Court."Despite the successful ruling, Southern states refused to obey Morgan v.Virginia. Morgan's case helped inspire in 1947 the first Freedom Ride,during which 16 Civil Rights activists rode on interstate buses and trainsto challenge the South's continued and calculated defiance of the SupremeCourt's edict. The 16 activists were black and white members of the Congressof Racial Equality (CORE) and the Fellowship of Reconciliation. The travelswere called the "Journey of Reconciliation". They lasted for two weeks andresulted in twelve arrests."[W]hen something's wrong, it's wrong. It needs to be corrected", saidMorgan years later. Morgan's story has been mostly overlooked by historybooks, but she has been collecting honors in the past few years since 1995,when she appeared in a public television documentary about her case and theJourney of Reconciliation.In 2000, Morgan was honored by Gloucester County (Virginia) during its 350thanniversary celebration. And in 2001, President Bill Clinton awarded her thePresidential Citizens Medal.She died on August 10, 2007 in Gloucester, Virginia at her daughter's home.She was 90 years old.(source - wikipedia)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irene_Morgan
***Wow!!!! As much as I think I know about Black History-the less I know in reality. I find it hard to believe that with the multiple Black History and African American studies not to mention Women's Studies courses I have taken in college I never once ever heard of this woman. Makes me wonder how many more like her are out there just awaiting the publicity.
~~~Where ever you go, There you are!!!