User:Ander0056/Ezell Blair Jr.

Ezell Alexander Blair Jr. was born October 18, 1941 he is a civil rights activist who is best known as a member of the Greensboro Four, a group of African American college students who, on February 1, 1960, sat down at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina challenging the store's policy of denying service to non-white customers. The protests and the subsequent events were major milestones in the Civil Rights Movement.

Early life and education

See also: Greensboro sit-ins

Ezell Alexander Blair Jr. on October 18, 1941, in Greensboro, North Carolina. He received his early education from Dudley High School, where his father taught. His father was a member of the NAACP and very vocal on the subject of racial injustices and "things naturally rubbed off on me", described Ezell in a 1974 interview. It was said that when he experienced unjust treatment based on color, he "stood up." Ezell also recalls an American Civics teacher, Mrs. McCullough, who told her class “We’re preparing you for the day when you will have equal rights.”

Ezell was also influenced by Martin Luther King Jr. In 1958, he heard King speak at the local Bennett College. He was captivated as King addressed the audience in attendance. At that speech, King called for an escalation of nonviolent protests to end segregated accommodation. King's words had made a huge impact on Ezell, so much so that he later remarked that "he could feel his heart palpitating" and that the words of King "brought tears to his eyes."

In 1959, Khazan graduated from James B. Dudley High School and entered the A&T College of North Carolina. It was during his freshman year that Khazan and his roommate, Joseph McNeil; along with two other associates, Franklin McCain and David Richmond, devised a plan to protest against the policies of the segregated lunch counter at the downtown Greensboro F. W. Woolworth's store. On February 1, 1960, Blair, along with McNeil, Franklin, and Richmond, took the bold step of violating the Greensboro Woolworth's segregation policy. Khazan stated that he had seen a documentary on Mohandas Gandhi's use of "passive insistence" that had inspired him to act. Each of the participants in the sit-in had different catalysts, but it is clear that the four men had a close friendship that mutually reinforced their desire to act. His 1964 interview describes the Greensboro sit-ins in Chapter 5 of Who Speaks for the Negro?

The sit-in demonstrations were just the beginning of Khazan's community involvement. He joined Alpha Phi Alpha, was elected president of the junior class, and would later become president of the school's student government association, the campus NAACP, and the Greensboro Congress for Racial Equality. In 1963, Khazan graduated from A&T College with a Bachelor's degree in sociology and Social Studies. After graduation, He briefly studied law at Howard University Law School in Washington, DC. He continued his education at Massachusetts University and later at the New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied voice.

Later life

As he had been labeled a "troublemaker" for his role in the Greensboro Sit-Ins, life in Greensboro became difficult for Khazan. In 1965, he moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts, where he worked as a teacher and counselor for the developmentally challenged. In 1968, he joined the Islamic Center of New England and changed his name to Jibreel Khazan. Today Khazan is an oral historian, oracle,[citation needed] Mass-Star Story[clarification needed] teller, and lecturer.

Legacy

In 1991, Khazan received an honorary doctorate of humanities degree from North Carolina A&T State University. In 2002, North Carolina A&T commissioned a statue to be sculpted honoring Khazan, along with the three other members of the A&T four: Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, and David Richmond. In addition, each of the four men has residence halls named after them on the university campus. In 2010, Khazan received the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal from the Smithsonian Institution. On October 12, 2021, Khazan was honored with renaming a city park in his name on the west end of New Bedford, MA.

The International Civil Rights Center & Museum (ICRCM), located in Greensboro, North Carolina, features a dedicated exhibit commemorating the Greensboro sit-ins of February 1, 1960. The museum offers a thorough quest of the civil rights movement, focusing on this catalyst event. The exhibit showcases a range of props, multimedia presentations, and interactive elements designed to engage visitors in the documented context and significance of the sit-ins. Visitors can engage with photographs, newspaper clippings, and personal effects belonging to the participants alongside replicas of the iconic Woolworth's lunch counter and stools where the sit-in unfolded. Through audio recordings and video footage, the exhibit provides firsthand perspectives from individuals involved in the sit-ins, offering insights into their experiences and the more expansive impact of their actions. It serves as a testament to the bravery and resilience of the Greensboro Four—Ezell Blair Jr., Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, and David Richmond.

Relationships

Ezell Alexander Blair Jr., also known as Jibreel Khazan, and his sister Gloria Jean were born to Corene Lee Williams Blair and Ezell Blair Sr.. While, a student at A&T College of North Carolina in 1960, he became friends with Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, and David Richmond. They became close friends and collaborators in the civil rights movement, working together to challenge segregation and discrimination in public places. Khazan is married to the former Lorraine France George of New Bedford. Together, they have three children.

Bibliography

• Kowal, Rebekah J. (2004). "Staging the Greensboro Sit-Ins". TDR (1988-). 48 (4): 135–154. ISSN 1054-2043.
  • "Sitting Down to Take a Stand". upfront.scholastic.com. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  • "Woolworth's Lunch Counter - Separate Is Not Equal". americanhistory.si.edu. Retrieved 2024-03-08.