1966 Liberty Super Market protests

The 1966 Liberty Super Market protests were a series of Civil Rights demonstrations which took place on February 20–22, 1966 outside the Liberty Super Market at 420 13th Street North in Birmingham's Fountain Heights neighborhood. The first evening's protest ended suddenly when a man whose car was impeded by the crowd opened fire, wounding five people.

The protest was organized in immediate response to an incident that took place at the store on Saturday, February 19. A black man, Tyler Turpin, had entered the store and called for his wife, who was following him, to hurry up. According to Mrs Turpin, he used his nickname for her, "Chick", prompting the store security guard, who misheard him, to accost him for "cursing", which quickly escalated to a shoving match. Mrs Turpin attempted to intervene but was struck in the head. Turpin was beaten, forced to the ground, and had his nose broken.

Picketers gathered outside the store on Sunday, and again on Monday afternoon, carrying signs criticizing Liberty Super Market for allowing the beating and for not hiring more African-American workers. They were joined on Sunday evening by another group of about 150 demonstrators who marched from St Paul's AME Church in Smithfield. As the large group moved across the parking lot toward the sidewalk, a man attempted to drive out of the lot. He revved his engine to warn the group to disperse and when some approached his window to confront him, he pulled out a .32 caliber automatic pistol and fired eight shots. Alberta Tate, 56; Simon Armstrong, 70; William Maxwell, 32; Willie Andrews, 32; and Douglas Murray, 15, were injured. Witnesses at the scene differed as to whether the crowd was unruly, or if one or the other party opened the car door, or laid hands on anyone beforehand.

Later in the evening the driver, Emory McGowan, surrendered to police at Birmingham City Hall.

On Wednesday, Hosea Williams of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference led a group of marchers to the store. They carried signs

Meanwhile, Liberty Super Market and its owner, Dominic Stignani, filed a lawsuit against the SCLC claiming $2 million in damages. The suit accused Williams and the SCLC of defamation in calling the store's hiring practices discriminatory, and of causing their customers to be "frightened and wrongfully induced not to trade." In addition to damages, the suit requested an injunction against further pickets. In a separate ruling, District Court Judge Clarence Allgood issued a temporary order to limit the number of pickets at the store, writing that they had, "obstructed...and molested" customers.

Liberty Super Market later agreed to "start hiring Negroes," as part of a settlement to end the protests.

References

• Vaughn, Richard J. (February 26, 1966) "Shots Blast Pickets At Birmingham Store" The Southern Courier
• "Judge Considering Testimony On Limiting Supermarket Pickets" (March 2, 1966) The Montgomery Advertiser