Freedom Train

February 23, 1963

February 23, 1963 (Friday)

The last week had come and gone so fast that Annabeth found herself wondering if it truly happened or if she had just imagined it. Then, she remembered the looks of accomplishment on the faces of her partners in protest as they sat side by side inside of Northwood Theatre to watch Disney's 'The Castaways' (in color) and she reminded herself that they did this- together.

They had won!

By Monday, their cause had made the resident newspapers, drawing in help from local Universities who wanted to join in the protest. That afternoon, Dr. Wallace and other CIG (Civic Interest Group) leaders called a 2cd mass meeting at Morgan State, drawing in a total of 500 plus attendees from a student body of only 2,600! This helped their body count to climb exponentially at the theatre during protest. With everyone agreeing to adopt the mass arrest policy, it was safe to say that they were successfully filling the Baltimore jails.

Since the CIG adult assistance committee endorsed this idea, people seemed to be more at ease with the prospect of being arrested- Since it seemed there would be someone on the outside prepared to pay their bails.

But let's be clear. The way her friends were taken away was not a peaceful scene. It was chaotic and loud and most of them were roughed up a little as they were hauled off to the paddy wagon. Annabeth was mostly overlooked simply because of the color of her skin, the opposite issue for her friends of a darker complexion. It wasn't until Tuesday, when she knew Terry was already imprisoned and wouldn't have to witness her arrest once again, that Annabeth began to make herself a more vocal protestor.

Prosecuting police and city judges issued a statement threatening to place charges of disorderly conduct and trespassing against the arrested students and activists but that didn't stop them from moving forward. They had CIG on their side and they trusted Dr. Wallace enough to believe in the fact that he would keep them as protected as was humanly possible.

Annabeth had heard that by Monday night over 150 more people were arrested outside of the theatre. Luckily, this time, Annabeth wasn't one of them. She was there, but in the crowds, silent and out of the way- Trying to avoid Terry. When her eyes couldn't find him at the end of the night she knew that he had been one of the many taken.

By Tuesday their arrested friend's bail was set at an unattainable $600.00 each, as proclaimed in the morning paper. CIG couldn't afford to bail out their people, which was the exact result that the city was hoping to accomplish. They thought that this would deter their cause. Instead, it had the exact opposite reaction- making them more determined, prompting another flood of activists- resulting in another string of arrests.

A group of them had made signs Monday night, with slogans such as "City Officials Attempt to Stamp out Protest," and "Is It Disorderly to Want Equality?" These posters seemed to help draw in more press and publicity for the cause.

By Tuesday night, people were dropping their shopping bags and grabbing signs to join the protest. People of all shapes, sizes and colors. Students and civilians alike. Over another 100 people were arrested that night. This time, Annabeth was once again among the incarcerated.

Luckily, the man who arrested her this time was civil, as opposed to the other arrests she saw taking place around her. Jails were filling fast so the arrests had slowed- But somehow Candy, Bobby and Annabeth found themselves in cuffs that night.

Wednesday found them still on the inside. Candy and Annabeth were once again forced to shower with the God-awful smelling soap and made to wear starchy, stiff, gray dresses with a white collar that chaffed the skin on their necks.

Wednesday also found the beginning of the end of the protest when the theatre, CIG, city and state representatives met with Mayor Goodman. Theatre representatives asked CIG to call off the protest, saying that they would revisit the matter in five weeks. CIG refused. That night, Annabeth heard that 500 plus protestors picketed, causing over 50 more arrests, making more prisoners with nowhere to go.