COLUMBUS (WCHM) -Columbus holds many ties to the Civil Rights movement, and that connection goes beyond the actions and legislation of the 1960s. Emmy Beach from the Ohio Historical Connection, stopped by the NBC4 studio to tell us how people and events in the Capital City helped shape history.Kelton House
The Underground Railroad is considered by some to be the first move towards civil rights. Columbus has its own connection to this history in the Kelton House. It was built by Sofia and Fernando Kelton in 1852, fervent abolitionists who helped slaves on their path to freedom. The home is now a museum, located on E. Town Street, which you can visit today.Vanguard League
The Vanguard League was established in 1940. This group banded together to fight against problems facing the African American community at that time, namely- segregated schools, discrimination in hiring and poor housing conditions.
One of the biggest victories for the Vanguard League was petitioning the Curtiss-Wright plant (a Columbus aircraft manufacturer) to hire African American women. As industry boomed after WWII, the highest paying jobs were reserved for white workers. The Vanguard League got the plant to hire these women so that they could more easily support their families and push their children to a better future.
Some of the ways they fought against this was through nonviolent direct action (tactics that Martin Luther King Jr. was later known to support)-strikes, sit ins, pickets.Harriet Taylor Upton
Harriet Taylor Upton was a leading figure in the national fight for women’s rights, and became active in the 1890s. She started Ohio Women in Convention, a group of women seeking equal opportunities with men, especially the right to vote. Upton also served as president of the Ohio Women’s Suffrage Association and was a founding member of the National League of Women Voters.
Besides advocating for women’s rights, Upton played other roles in politics. After the passage of the 19th Amendment, Upton became vice-
chairman of the Republican National Committee (the first woman to do so). She stayed active in politics for most of her life and was also a prolific author.Stonewall Columbus
In response to anti-gay efforts in Columbus, in 1981 Stonewall Columbus was established. Located in the Short North, the organization took its name from the Stonewall Inn, the New York City bar that was the site of 1969 riots that launched the gay rights movement.
Stonewall Columbus is a center for the LGBTQ community in this area and is involved in educating the public about LGBTQ issues, collaborating on political advocacy, and being a safe place for the community.Ohio History Center
You can learn more about Ohio’s role in the civil rights movement this weekend at the Ohio History Center. The center is open all weekend including Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
