Civil Rights in Alaska
Timeline:
1912, an Alaskan Native group is put into action: The Alaska Native Brotherhood. With natives at a stand still in the idea of becoming true citizens, groups like this would later become the foundation of such change. Others of course would have to help like William Paul. Who had a disagreement with the way the schools were being run. Natives and whites were put into separate schools, with different leaders of their school distracts. So Paul took his anger to the head of Alaskan Indian schools, Charles Hawkesworth. Hawkesworth then proceeded to shut down the Wrangell Indian School, causing all natives students who attended the school to enroll in the white school. This action though was override by the U.S. Commission of Education in Washington. Who reopened the school after two weeks of the school being closed.
Then in 1924, Alaskan Natives were granted full citizenship, thanks to the U.S. Indian Citizenship Act. With an open shot like this William Paul would not let it get away from him this time, so in 1929 a court case against Ketchikan School Board was opened. They were sued for not allowing native students within their white schools. Paul won the case, allowing students to pick the school they wished to attend.
Alberta Schenck worked as usher at the segregated movie theater in Nome, Alaska. She was angered at the way the mangers for forcing her, a half breed herself, to have to force natives out of the theater when there as no room on their side of the theater. She took her problems to paper and wrote to Major Marvin Marston, head of the Alaska Territorial Guard. He then wrote back telling her to send in her writings to the local paper and ask for them to publish it. To his surprise the paper was published. A couple nights after the paper was published Alberta was asked to see a movie with a white army sergeant. When they both got their, they took their places in the white section. Alberta of course though was disturbed by the manger who asked her to change seats. She promptly stayed her ground and was soon thrown out of the movie theater by the Chief of Police in Nome. She was then forced to stay the night in jail. The next morning she was released. Her father, Albert, began a case against the theater and the police. This information and actions were then used the next year,1945, when a bill that was submitted in to the Alaskan Legislation. It was then passed and signed by Ernest Gruening.
- 1912: 'Alaska Native Brotherhood founded, the first modern Alaska Native organization. Tanana Chiefs raise land rights issues'("Timelines " ).
- 1920: Wrangell Indian School was shut down by Charles Hawkesworth, head of Alaskan Indian schools. This was override by the U.S. Commission of Education in Washington and the school reopened.
- 1924: Natives were granted full citizenship, thanks to the U.S. Indian Citizenship Act.
- 1929: Court case against Ketchikan School Board for not allowing native students within white schools.
- 1944: Alberta Schenck court case.
- 1945: Bill to make segregation a crime is introduced. Billed passed that very same year by Ernest Gruening.
1912, an Alaskan Native group is put into action: The Alaska Native Brotherhood. With natives at a stand still in the idea of becoming true citizens, groups like this would later become the foundation of such change. Others of course would have to help like William Paul. Who had a disagreement with the way the schools were being run. Natives and whites were put into separate schools, with different leaders of their school distracts. So Paul took his anger to the head of Alaskan Indian schools, Charles Hawkesworth. Hawkesworth then proceeded to shut down the Wrangell Indian School, causing all natives students who attended the school to enroll in the white school. This action though was override by the U.S. Commission of Education in Washington. Who reopened the school after two weeks of the school being closed.
Then in 1924, Alaskan Natives were granted full citizenship, thanks to the U.S. Indian Citizenship Act. With an open shot like this William Paul would not let it get away from him this time, so in 1929 a court case against Ketchikan School Board was opened. They were sued for not allowing native students within their white schools. Paul won the case, allowing students to pick the school they wished to attend.
Alberta Schenck worked as usher at the segregated movie theater in Nome, Alaska. She was angered at the way the mangers for forcing her, a half breed herself, to have to force natives out of the theater when there as no room on their side of the theater. She took her problems to paper and wrote to Major Marvin Marston, head of the Alaska Territorial Guard. He then wrote back telling her to send in her writings to the local paper and ask for them to publish it. To his surprise the paper was published. A couple nights after the paper was published Alberta was asked to see a movie with a white army sergeant. When they both got their, they took their places in the white section. Alberta of course though was disturbed by the manger who asked her to change seats. She promptly stayed her ground and was soon thrown out of the movie theater by the Chief of Police in Nome. She was then forced to stay the night in jail. The next morning she was released. Her father, Albert, began a case against the theater and the police. This information and actions were then used the next year,1945, when a bill that was submitted in to the Alaskan Legislation. It was then passed and signed by Ernest Gruening.