The Wilmington Ten
“THE STORY OF THE WILMINGTON TEN” TIMELINE
September, 1968 - Williston Senior High school, a prominent all-Black high school was suddenly closed in order to integrate its 1100 students into the two white high schools. The sudden closing angered many in
the Black community who felt that while it was inevitable and desegregation was necessary, it did not have to and should not have occurred in the sudden and traumatic manner in which it did.
December 18, 1970 - Black students upset over treatment at New Hanover High School, which was one of the newly integrated schools, gather at the nearby Wildcat Café . Seventeen students, all of whom were Black, were arrested after reportedly refusing to disperse. Of the seventeen arrested, 11 were expelled following an investigation by principal John Scott. Scott had previously been labeled a racist by most of the black students.
January 15, 1971 - After numerous appeals to school administrators to allow a memorial service for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were all rejected, seventy Black students stage a sit-in at Hoggard High Schools cafeteria. This peaceful protest led the expulsion of 15 students who were identified as leaders of the protest.
January 26, 1971 - Eight students form a boycott committee which drew up a list of grievances to present directly to Heyward Bellamy, superintendent of schools.
January 29, 1971 - A white minister, Rev. Eugene Templeton invites about 100 Black students to gather in Gregory Congregational Church (United Church of Christ) to begin a school boycott.
February 1,1971 - Heyward Bellamy meets with students at Gregory to discuss grievances. Rev. Templeton calls Rev. Leon White of the United Church of Christ-Commission for Racial Justice to ask for assistance for the students in presenting their grievances. White dispatches his field organizer Rev. Benjamin F Chavis, to Wilmington.
February 2,1971 - Ben Chavis along with student leaders hold a press conference at Gregory to present their grievances, demanding that the expelled students be reinstated immediately.
February 3,1971 - Frustrated by the seeming lack of concern of the part of the Board of Education to provide an acceptable response to the students grievances, the students marched some 500 strong to the Board of
Education demanding to speak to Bellamy. Bellamy agrees to meet with Chavis and two of the students. Chavis refuses, saying all the student leaders should be present. That night Chavis holds a rally at Gregory
encouraging the students to continue their struggle for equality in the schools. Students scramble for cover as shots are fired at the church. Later that night several buildings are burned to the ground including L. Swartz Furniture with damages estimated at over $130 thousand dollars.
February 4,1971 - Certain that there would be bloodshed accompanying the widespread violence, Rev. Templeton calls for a curfew. City Manager E.C. Brandon, speaking on behalf of Mayor Luther Cromartie and Chief Williamson, said afterward, “There was no evidence of any impending racial clashes or violence against the church. That Rev. Templeton has nothing to worry about,” later adding, “the police appear to be on top of the situation.” Mayor Cromrtie refused to grant a curfew saying that it would be “ not only inconvenient but expensive.” Responding to that comment, Chavis, along with several hundred students, march on City Hall to plead with the mayor to call a curfew. The mayor refused.
February 5, 1971 - About 400 Blacks march on City Hall demanding better protection for Blacks in Black neighborhoods. On the steps of City Hall, with hundreds of students chanting “We want action!” Chavis demanded that the mayor and chief of police call a curfew. When the city again refused to declare a curfew, Chavis, after a phone conversation with a major from the state Highway Patrol, said “ I want to publicly
charge the mayor and the city council with conspiracy, in setting up the Black community for annihilation.”
A Black minister, Rev. Vaughn, is shot outside of Gregory Church by white vigilantes as he tries to persuade men who were protecting the church to leave the church and go home. Lum’s Restaurant burns to the ground, and police and firemen responding to another fire at Mike's Grocery Store say they are fired upon by snipers.
February 6 , 1971 - Mike’s Grocery burns to the ground after being torched for a second night. A 17-year-old Black youth, Steven Corbett, is killed by police who say they were returning sniper fire from the vicinity
of Mike's Grocery Store.
Feb, 7 1971 HARVEY CUMBER GUNNED DOWN! When Harvey Cumber, a 57 year-old white male, drove through the barricade and began shooting, his life came to an abrupt end as someone behind the barricade returned fire. It was then that city officials decided that was time to call a curfew. When Steve Corbetts had died less than twenty-four hours earlier, Mayor Cromartie said Corbetts "will serve as a deterrent". A decision to bring in the National Guard was announced at 3:00 P.M. The curfew was announced shortly
after 7:00 P.M. It was in effect from 7:30 P. M. Saturday till 6:00 A. M. Monday. May 1971- Allen Hall charged with burning Mike’s Grocery. Says he and Ben Chavis burn store.
March 6, 1972 - North Carolina officials arrested Rev. Chavis on "conspiracy to murder" charges stemming from racial incidents in Wilmington in February 1971 in which Harvey E. Cumber, a 57-year-old white
man was killed. Other charges against Rev. Chavis were: assault on emergency personnel, conspiracy to assault emergency personnel, burning property with an incendiary device, conspiracy to burn property with an incendiary device. Bail for Rev. Chavis was set at $ 75, 000. The same charges were brought against Marvin Patrick, an associate of Rev. Chavis and Tommy Atwood. Others were arrested. The five
others were: Connie Tyndall, James McKoy, James Bunting Michael Peterson Cornell Flowers, Jerry Jacobs, Willie E. Vereen and Anne Shepard, a white woman. All except Ms. Shepard were charged with arson and conspiracy to assault emergency personnel (firemen and policemen). She was charged
with conspiracy to burn property and conspiracy to assault emergency personnel.
April 24, 1972 - Joe Wright, George Kirby and Reginald Epps arrested on charges of conspiracy to assault emergency personnel and conspiracy to burn property.
May 1, 1972 - Wayne Moore the last to be arrested. Trial for Rev. Chavis and the others charged with conspiracy to assault emergency personnel and arson postponed until a federal judge rules on a petition to
remove the trial to federal court. Attorneys for the defendants had asked for a delay to prepare their case but had been refused by the State of North Carolina. The petition to federal court provided the defense attorneys some additional time to prepare the defense.
June 12, 1972 - Mistrial declared for Rev. Chavis and the other defendants charged with conspiracy to assault emergency personnel and arson when the prosecutor becomes "ill. " Ten Blacks and 2 Whites had been seated in the jury box and accepted by the defense, but the prosecutor had not agreed to accept
them.
June 16, 1972 - Chavis and 12 other persons charged with offenses in the Wilmington violence released on bail.
October 17, 1972 - Chavis and the "Wilmington 9" convicted on charges of conspiracy to assault emergency personnel and burning with an incendiary device. Anne Shepard convicted on charges of "accessory before the fact" of firebombing. Her original charges had been reduced sometime after the mistrial was declared. Chavis was sentenced to 25-29 years for arson, and 4-5 years for End of Part One--Part Two Continued with Next Photo of The Wilmington Ten"