By Tom Price and Jo Ann McClellan
In February 1946, community leaders and business owners Julius Blair and James Morton with veterans just returning from World War II, challenged the racial order in Columbia, Tennessee by taking a stand against a threat of violence. More than 100 African Americans were arrested, jailed, and charged with various crimes, including attempted murder. Dubbed the “Columbia Race Riot”, some historians believe this event “jump started” the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
Almost immediately, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was contacted and a team was sent from Nashville, Chattanooga, and New York.
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Jo Ann McClellan
Editor s Note: During the month of February commemorating Black History Month, The Columbia Daily Herald will partner with the Maury County Archives and county historian Jo Ann McClellan to feature African Americans, who have made an impact on Columbia and Maury County, past and present. In the Unsung Heroes series, look for profiles of the African American doctors, educators, business owners, artists and other community leaders who have helped shape Columbia into the community it is today.
In July 2020, the Canaan Rosenwald School, one of Maury County’s treasures was lost when it was destroyed by fire. The Canaan School was one of five Rosenwald Schools, which opened in the 1928-29 school year for African Americans.