Police Harrassment of Black Students Described

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Collection:: Land of (Unequal) Opportunity: Documenting the Civil Rights Struggle in Arkansas
Title:: Police Harrassment of Black Students Described
Publisher:: Fayetteville, Ark. : University of Arkansas Libraries
Date of Original:: 1960-05-28
Subject:: African Americans--Arkansas
Civil rights--Arkansas
Race discrimination--Arkansas
Segregation--Arkansas
Location:: United States, Arkansas, 34.75037, -92.50044
Medium:: interviews
Type:: Text
Format:: application/pdf
Description:: Statement by Ellis Thomas, Jr. of harrassment of black students at Central High School by white students and police in 1960.
Racism -- Desegregation -- Civil Rights -- Little Rock Central High School -- African-Americans -- Blacks -- Little Rock (Ark.) -- Police Harrassment -- Little Rock -- Pulaski
Jarrett Pine Bluff FR4-8967 My name is Ellis Thomas Jr. I live in Little Rock, Ark. and today as I left the Central High school, today, May 27, 1960, time approximately 3:45. I took Sybil home and after we dropped her off, Sandra had to go to the beauty parlor. While I was waiting for them as kids came out they began to throw eggs and rocks and Sybil came out. She was crying, she had eggs all over her, she had been struck in the head with eggs. We left, and one motorcycle police man followed us for about a block until I turned off to take Sybil home. When I came down 15th (Sybil lives at 8th and Park). As I was going down 16th I sat these two motorcycle policemen in front of me, and I guess they saw me too. So when I turned on ________, 16th and Bishop, they made a U-turn and came back and followed me. When I got down between 17th and 18th on Bishop well they tooted and negged for me to pull over so I stopped. He walked over and said "alright, pile out". And so I just stood there and looked at him because he snatched the door open and we all got out. He began to search us and search the car. They patted us down, the rest of them he patted down but when he searched me, he ran his hands through my pockets. He said, "We've got enough trouble as it is without you cruising around here." And so I said, "What did I do?" He said, "Did I say you did anything?" I said, 'Well, you act as if I did something. He said, "What is your name? I didn't say anything, he said "Get your drivers license, so I took my drivers license out and gave it to him and he said, "ELLIS THOMAS JUNIOR." as if to say another of them, tow of them huh. The other one was searching the other fellow and he was searching the other side of the car, then this officer snatched the keys out, and went around to the trunk, and I asked him did he have a search warrant. He said, "Do I need one?" I said, "Well I would think you would need one according to the law" and he fumbled around and couldn't get the trunk open. He said come over here and open this damn trunk." So he threw the keys down. I picked them up and opened the trunk, he looks in, looked through the trunk and he didn't find anything. He said, "You're one of them smart niggers, we ought to take you down and you won't be driving this car down, you're going down the wagon." I said, "So, what's that going to prove, taking me down, I'm tembling or something. And so he said you get in this car and get on away from here. We all got in the car and left. The other officer asked the kids their names, but he was mostly talking to me. Particularly this one [officer] he was pretty nasty about it you know (the one they call "Red" or "Big Red"), the other one he didn't say anything he just went through his routine. They searched the glove compartment of the car and pulled everything out. I have this Stilton wrench and he said, "Oh I guess that's for tightening bolts huh." I didn't say anything. He closed the trunk and we left and they stood up there awhile, talking among themselves, I guess. I went down the next block and let Sandra out and we left and came on home. When I had gone to pick up my brother I saw this motorcycle policeman about a block down so I turned before I got to him, and as I was turning I think he saw me and in turn came that way and followed me. When I got to the next corner I nosed the car as if I was going to turn right so he turned right I guess in order to cut me off but then I wheeled back left and went down the other way. I didn't see him anymore. Dictated tape, May 27, 1960 Transcribed, May 28, 1960
Metadata URL:: http://digitalcollections.uark.edu/cdm/ref/collection/Civilrights/id/1557
IIIF manifest:: https://digitalcollections.uark.edu/iiif/2/Civilrights:1557/manifest.json
Additional Rights Information:: Please contact Special Collections for information on copyright.
Contributing Institution:: University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Libraries
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