Sallie Robinson
Encyclopedia
Sallie Robinson a nineteenth century African American
civil rights
activist
.
On the evening of May 22, 1879, Sallie Robinson, a 28 year-old black woman, bought two first-class tickets at Grand Junction, Tennessee
, for a train trip to Lynchburg, Virginia
. Shortly after midnight she and her nephew, Joseph Robinson, described as a young black man “of light complexion, light hair and light blue eyes,” boarded the train and started into the parlor car. The conductor held Robinson back (“bruising her arm and jerking her roughly around,” she alleged) and pushed her into the smoking car.
A few minutes later, when Joseph informed the conductor that he was Robinson's nephew and was an African American, the conductor looked surprised. In that case, he said, they could go into the parlor car at the next stop.
The Robinsons finished the ride in the parlor car but filed complaints with the railroad about their treatment and then sued for $500 under the federal Civil Rights Act of 1875
. At trial, the conductor testified that he had thought Joseph to be a white man with a black woman and his experience was that such associations were “for illicit purposes.” The jury found for the railroad and the Robinsons appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, where they lost.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
activist
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
.
On the evening of May 22, 1879, Sallie Robinson, a 28 year-old black woman, bought two first-class tickets at Grand Junction, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, for a train trip to Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
. Shortly after midnight she and her nephew, Joseph Robinson, described as a young black man “of light complexion, light hair and light blue eyes,” boarded the train and started into the parlor car. The conductor held Robinson back (“bruising her arm and jerking her roughly around,” she alleged) and pushed her into the smoking car.
A few minutes later, when Joseph informed the conductor that he was Robinson's nephew and was an African American, the conductor looked surprised. In that case, he said, they could go into the parlor car at the next stop.
The Robinsons finished the ride in the parlor car but filed complaints with the railroad about their treatment and then sued for $500 under the federal Civil Rights Act of 1875
Civil Rights Act of 1875
The Civil Rights Act of 1875 was a United States federal law proposed by Senator Charles Sumner and Representative Benjamin F. Butler in 1870...
. At trial, the conductor testified that he had thought Joseph to be a white man with a black woman and his experience was that such associations were “for illicit purposes.” The jury found for the railroad and the Robinsons appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, where they lost.
External links
- Westin, Alan F.Alan WestinAlan F. Westin is Professor of Public Law & Government Emeritus, Columbia University, former publisher of Privacy & American Business, and former President of the Center for Social & Legal Research....
Ride-in!: Ride-ins and sit-ins are not new tactics of the Negro. They were first tried back in the 1870’s, and with great success. But that time High Court decisions were very different. American Heritage Magazine. August 1962, Volume 13, Issue 5. Retrieved September 23, 2006.