The Carolina Stories documentary, Jail No Bail, premiered in February 2011. The 30-minute long documentary pays tribute to the sit-in that introduced a new protest strategy and turned the tables on the establishment, while at the same time reinvigorating the Civil Rights movement nationally.
The Friendship Nine consisted of a group of nine African American young men who were sent to jail after staging a sit-in at a segregated McCrory's lunch counter in Rock Hill, South Carolina on January 31, 1961.
P.A. Bennett, the long-time host of SCETV's Connections, discusses the history of the Friendship Nine with historians Damon Fordham and Chris Leevy Johnson in this 2011 episode. A unique aspect to why the Rock Hill sit-in received national attention could be linked to famed civil rights photographer, Cecil Williams' connection to JET Magazine. Williams fed a live wire of the events as they unfolded to this popular magazine.
For more black history content, check out the Black History Month page. Visit the digital series, ETV Classics, to watch more gems from South Carolina ETV's vault.
SIDE NOTE:
Watch the Jail No Bail documentary below.
For more information on the Friendship Nine, visit the following stories:
- Friendship 9 Member Discusses the Civil Rights Movement
- Remembering Friendship Nine Member James Wells (Radio)
- Freedom Walkway Honors South Carolina Civil Rights Heroes
- A Counter Protest from History and the Rebirth of a Fabled Rock Hill Restaurant (Radio)
- Storytime with SCETV: No Fear for Freedom
- KnowItAll.org - Friendship Nine Collection
