WICHITA, KANSAS.
PARTICIPANTS, SOME OF MY CLOSE
FAMILY FRIENDS.
>> Reporter: BROADWAY IN
WICHITA, KANSAS, BUSY TODAY, AND
63 YEARS AGO, WHEN A BUS STOP,
SET BY DOCKUM DRUGSTORE, A
RESTAURANT WHERE RIOTERS COULD
SIT AND HAVE A CUP OF COFFEE.
UNLESS YOU WERE BLACK.
>> THEY WERE ON THEIR WAY TO
CLEAN, WHITE HOMES.
PREPARING MEALS FOR WHITE
FAMILIES.
TAKING CARE OF WHITE CHILDREN.
THEY MIGHT HAVE WELCOMED ON COLD
MORNINGS TO HAVE A HOT CUP OF
COFFEE, SIT DOWN INSIDE WHILE
WAITING FOR THE BUS.
WELL, THAT WASN’T GOING TO
HAPPEN.
>> Reporter: DOCKUM DRUGSTORE
PROBABLY ISN’T IN YOUR HISTORY
BOOKS, BUT IT’D BE THE SITE OF A
CIVIL RIGHTS BREAKTHROUGH,
THAT’S JUST BEGINNING TO GET
RECOGNITION
RECOGNITION.
IF YOU WANTED SOMETHING TO EAT
AT THE DOCKUM DRUGSTORE, HOW DID
IT HAPPEN THEN?
>> THEY POLITELY TOLD US WE
COULD GET FOOD TO CARRY OUT.
>> Reporter: SEGREGATION WAS NOT
RESERVED FOR THE SOUTH.
IN THE 1950s, ASPECTS OF BLACK
AND WHITE COMMUNITIES IN WICHITA
WERE VERY MUCH SEPARATE AND
UNEQUAL.
>> CERTAINLY, I CAN REMEMBER
HAVING TO, IF I WENT TO A MOVIE
THEATER DOWNTOWN, HAVING TO SIT
IN THE BALCONY.
COULDN’T SIT ON THE MAIN FLOOR.
>> Reporter: THE YOUNG ADULT
CHAPTER OF THE NAACP DECIDED TO
PRESS FOR EQUALITY AT DOCKUM,
HOPING CHANGE AT ONE STORE WOULD
RIPPLE THROUGH THE FRANCHISE.
THEY PREPARED FOR MONTHS.
IN JULY OF 1958, ONE OF THE
LEADERS OF THE SIT-IN, CAROL
PARKS HAHN, DRESSED IN HER
SUNDAY BEST, SAT AT THE COUNTER,
AND ASKED FOR A COKE.
SHE WAS FOLLOWED BY ONE BLACK
STUDENT AFTER ANOTHER.
EACH TAKING A SEAT AT A STOOL.
THEY SIMPLY WANTED TO SIT AND
HAVE A SODA.
THEY WERE DENIED THEIR REQUEST.
PEGGY WESLEY WAS JUST 15 AT THE
TIME.
>> WE JUST WENT IN SHIFTS AND
SAT THERE.
WE WERE VERY QUIET.
IF SOMEBODY SAID ANYTHING TO US,
WE WERE NOT TO RESPOND TO ANY
NEGATIVITY, OF COURSE, AND NAME
CALLING AND WHATEVER.
THERE WAS A LOT OF THAT.
>> Reporter: THIS IS THE ONLY
PHOTO THAT EXISTS OF THE SIT-IN,
PUBLISHED IN THE LOCAL
AFRICAN-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER.
THE THREAT OF VIOLENCE ALWAYS A
CONCERN.
>> A YOUNG, WHITE MALE LOOKED UP
AND SAW ME, AND HE TURNED SO HE
WOULD BUMP ME.
HE DIDN’T HURT ME, BUT I KNEW
WHY HE DID THAT.
>> Reporter: THE SIT-IN WENT ON
FOR THREE WEEKS, UNTIL THE OWNER
OF DOCKUM DRUGSTORE WALKED IN
AND TOLD THE STORE MANAGER TO
SERVE THEM.
HE WAS LOSING TOO MUCH BUSINESS.
>> WE WERE JUST ELATED WHEN WE
FINALLY COULD SIT DOWN AND HAVE
A SODA WITH OUR FRIENDS AT THE
COUNTER.
>> Reporter: THE REXALL CHAIN
JOINED THE DOCKUM CHAIN IN
ABOLISHING DISCRIMINATORY
PRACTICES AT STORES NATIONWIDE,
MAKING THE DROKOCKUM SIT-IN THE
FIRST SUCCESSFUL FULFUL SIT-IN D
THE CIVIL RIGHTS ERA, ACCORDING
TO THE NAACP.
THE SIT-INS IN NORTH CAROLINA
BEGAN A YEAR LATER IN 1960.
WHAT DID YOU THINK WHEN WORD
STARTED TO REACH YOU THAT THIS
WAS HAPPENING IN OTHER CITIES?
>> THAT THERE IS SUCH A THING AS
POSITIVE CONTAGION.
GROWING UP AT THAT POINT IN
TIME, YOU BETTER DAMN MAKE SURE
IT IS SOMETHING POSITIVE THAT
YOU CAN GO HOME ABOUT AND FEEL
PROUD ABOUT.
>> Reporter: QUIET PRIDE, YOU
MIGHT SAY.
THE STORY OF THEIR SIT-IN BARELY
KNOWN WITHIN MANY IN THE BLACK
COMMUNITY IN WICHITA.
I GREW UP WITH SO MANY OF YOU,
AND THERE WERE A LOT OF US WHO
HAD NO IDEA THAT THE MAN WHO WAS
SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO ME IN
CHURCH HAD GONE THROUGH ALL OF
THOSE THINGS.
>> RIGHT.
>> Reporter: HOW IS IT THAT
FOLKS WEREN’T TALKING ABOUT
THIS?
WE -- I DIDN’T KNOW THIS.
>> IT WAS JUST -- IT WAS ANOTHER
EVENT IN OUR LIVES THAT WAS
OVER, AND IT DIDN’T APPEAR TO BE
A BIG THING THEN.
MOST OF OUR PARENTS, WHO WERE
NOT INVOLVED IN THE NAACP,
DIDN’T KNOW THAT WE WERE DOING
THAT.
>> Reporter: DID YOUR FATHER
KNOW WHAT YOU WERE DOING?
>> NO, NO, HE DIDN’T.
I NEVER DID DISCLOSE TO HIM.
>> WE REALLY DIDN’T TALK ABOUT
IT.
IN FACT, MY DAUGHTER DIDN’T EVEN
KNOW.
I HADN’T SPOKEN ABOUT IT TO
THEM.
>> Reporter: A LITTLE-KNOWN
SIT-IN.
A PEACEFUL ACT OF COURAGE FOR
THE RIGHT TO BE TREATED EQUALLY.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO TEENAGERS
NOW WHO HAVE THAT ITCH TO FIGHT
FOR CIVIL RIGHTS?
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A
YOUNG PERSON NOW, ALMOST 60
YEARS LATER?
>> THE WATER IS FINE.
IT MAY BE TOO COLD SOMETIMES, OR
MAYBE TOO WARM EVEN SOMETIMES,
BUT, SERIOUSLY, YOU’LL FEEL
BETTER ABOUT YOURSELF IF YOU
STRIVE TO MAKE THIS A BETTER
WORLD, A BETTER COMMUNITY.
>> MAN.
>> I HAVE SO MANY TAKEAWAYS.
I COULD TALK ABOUT THIS FOR THE
NEXT HOUR.
I THINK IF THERE WAS ANY
TAKEAWAY, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK
ABOUT BLACK HISTORY MONTH, WE
OFTEN TALK ABOUT MARTIN LUTHER
KING JR., ROSA PARKS,
TRAILBLAZERS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT.
I GUARANTEE, IF YOU’RE WATCHING
RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE
TRAILBLAZERS IN YOUR COMMUNITY,
A NEIGHBOR, SOMEBODY WHO SITS
NEXT TO YOU AT CHURCH, AND
SOMETIMES THEY’RE NOT SHARING
THEIR STORIES.
I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO SIT
DOWN AND TALK TO OUR RELATIVES
AND HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY.
REALLY QUICKLY, COMING UP IN OUR
THIRD HOUR, WE TRACKED DOWN THE
GRANDDAUGHTER OF THE OWNER OF
THE STORE AT THE TIME.
>> WOW.
>> GREAT.
>> SHE HAS SOMETHING TO SAY.
>> NOW I HAVE CHILLS.
>> WOW.
>> GOSH.
>> WHAT DID THEY DO WITH THE
BUILDING IN ACH THATWICHITA, IS
THERE?
>> NOT THERE ANYMORE.
IT WAS 60 YEARS AGO.
>> I LIKE HIS LAST COMMENT, THE
WATER IS FINE.
>> WATER IS JUST FINE.
>> THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL.
>> MAYBE TOO WARM.
>> THANK YOU FOR TALKING WITH
ME.
MY GRANDMOTHER HAD TO CALL THEM
AND GET THEM TO TALK.
RIGHT AFTER IT WAS OVER, PEGGY
SAID, OKAY, CAN YOU CALL YOUR
GRANDMOTHER NOW AND TELL HER
THAT I TALKED TO YOU?
>> I LOVE THE SYNERGY, THE FULL
CIRCLE, AND NOW YOU GET TO TELL
THEIR STORY.
>> SUCH AN HONOR.