Civil Rights: The Story Continues

The Lemon Grove Historical Society’s long involvement with the successful 1931 Lemon Grove School Desegregation case prompts this editorial. For a fact sheet on the commemorative mural about the case, please contact ofield@lghistorical.org or visit 7963 Broadway, Lemon Grove.

A cultural folk hero becomes part of popular consciousness through bravery often in response to social injustice. A local example is the cohort of Mexican-American parents, who refused to send their children to a segregated school and won the 1931 case against the Lemon Grove School Board. Roberto Alvarez, Sr., age 12, ably represented his classmates in court as he spoke perfect English and was a U.S. citizen, born in La Mesa. His courtly presence impressed everyone and belied the school board’s assertion that the segregated children “spoke little or no English.”

We should include as folk heroes the lawyer who won the case, Fred Noon, who was raised in Nogales, spoke fluent Spanish, and had been recommended to the parents by the Mexican Consulate. Also, Superior Court Judge Claude Chambers, whose comments indicate he was appalled by the bigotry of the case. He pointed out that in 1931 it was legal to discriminate against African-Americans, Native Americans and Asian-Americans—but not Mexican-Americans, who were and are Caucasian, or “white.” Caucasian is the largest racial group on the planet.

Judge Chambers awarded victory to the parents on Mar. 11, 1931. Their children were back in the Lemon Grove Grammar School before the end of March. Roberto Alvarez. Sr. died in 2003—but he grew up to found Coast Citrus Distributors , a multinational produce company functioning today under the direction of family descendants. His son, UCSD emeritus professor of Ethnic Studies Roberto Alvarez, Jr., coined the phrase “The Lemon Grove Incident,” now in wide use.

In modern America, Mexican-Americans have achieved much in politics, government, education, science and medicine, the arts and many other fields. The Lemon Grove Historical Society seeks to celebrate the achievements of all peoples. We especially urge everyone to visit 7963 Broadway, where they can view the beautiful mural painted by artist Mario Chacon (chaconarte), celebrating the 1931 case and Lemon Grove’s agricultural history.

Students from San Altos School and Lemon Grove Academy Middle assisted Mr. Chacon. School District Superintendent Erica Balakian authorized purchase for every third grade child in the Lemon Grove School District of the remarkable book, Todos Iguales/All Equal, written and illustrated by Christy Hale and published by Lee & Low, available on Amazon and wherever books are sold. Bravo and thank you, Ms. Balakian!

More good news: Award-winning author Larry Dane Brimner wrote Without Separation (Calkins Creek/Penguin Random House), illustrated by Maya Gonzalez, about the 1931 case. It builds on Brimner’s elegaic book, Birmingham Sunday, about the horrific deaths of four little girls on Sept. 16, 1963, when Klan members bombed the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, a civil rights meeting center and frequent target of bomb threats. The City of Birmingham installed a beautiful bronze sculpture near the restored church, commemorating Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, all 14, and Cynthia Wesley, 11. Addie’s little sister, Sarah, survived, but lost her right eye.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., cabled Alabama Governor George Wallace with “the blood of our little children is on your hands.” Birmingham was torn apart as thousands of whites also were stricken by the bombing. Over 8,000 attended the girls’ funeral in the Sixth Avenue Baptist Church.

Two months later, President John Kennedy was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963. The Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964 under President Lyndon Johnson.

Brimner has written some 150 children’s books, some are amusing tales and fantasies, but many focus on real historical events—the trials of the Scottsboro Boys, the 1961 Freedom Ride, Blacklisting in Hollywood, labor strikes, the black-and-white confrontation in “Bombingham” (Rev. Shuttleworth and Bull Connor), civil rights leader Bayard Rustin, and more. No wonder Brimner’s awards keep mounting up, for these books about America’s contemporary history are written for everyone to understand, but especially generations coming up.

Christy Hale, too, has racked up dozens of awards for Todos Iguales/All Equal, with recognition coming from state and national educational organizations, and libraries.

The Lemon Grove Historical Society encourages everyone to subscribe to the weekly San Diego Voice & Viewpoint, whose motto is “A People Without a Voice Cannot Be Heard.” This 63-year-old newspaper not only showcases San Diego’s busy, accomplished African American community, it features a fascinating “Sunrise-Sunset” series of obituaries, an international section of rarely-seen, well-chosen articles, national news and plenty of color photographs by its gifted, in-house cameraman, Mike Norris.

This historic newspaper is published by the famous Dr. John Warren, a huge favorite on the speaking circuit and never more so than on the Lemon Grove Historical Society's free series, History Alive. Just go online to latanya@sdvoice.info or call 619-266-2233. A merry, kindly staff will help you subscribe. After that, you can find the paper in your online mailbox, or in your snail-mail box.

In America, civil rights are the bedrock of our democratic republic--but they need all the help they can get from decent, law-abiding citizens prepared to think, read, debate and raise up children to inherit, not the wind, but the greatness and rarity of this republic.