Tybee Island in Chatham County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Savannah Beach Wade-Ins
Photographed by Brandon D Cross
1. Savannah Beach Wade-Ins Marker
Inscription.
Savannah Beach Wade-Ins. . On August 17, 1960, eleven African-American students were arrested six blocks north of here at Georgia's first wade-in protesting the Whites-only public beaches. During the era of segregation, Savannah's African Americans were forced to travel outside of the city for public beach access. NAACP Executive Secretary Roy Wilkins announced the wade-in as a desegregation tactic for public beaches following the April 1960 wade-in at Biloxi, Mississippi, where an angry White mob attacked protestors. An extension of the Savannah Movement, the Savannah Beach wade-ins were planned and implemented by the local NAACP Youth Council under the leadership of W. W. Law. The last wade-in at Savannah Beach was in July 1963. Savannah Beach and the city's other public places were integrated by October 1963, eight months before the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
On August 17, 1960, eleven African-American students were arrested six blocks north of here at Georgia's first wade-in protesting the Whites-only public beaches. During the era of segregation, Savannah's African Americans were forced to travel outside of the city for public beach access. NAACP Executive Secretary Roy Wilkins announced the wade-in as a desegregation tactic for public beaches following the April 1960 wade-in at Biloxi, Mississippi, where an angry White mob attacked protestors. An extension of the Savannah Movement, the Savannah Beach wade-ins were planned and implemented by the local NAACP Youth Council under the leadership of W. W. Law. The last wade-in at Savannah Beach was in July 1963. Savannah Beach and the city's other public places were integrated by October 1963, eight months before the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Erected 2022 by The Georgia Historical Society, Tybee MLK Human Rights Organization, and the City of Tybee Island. (Marker Number 25-67.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights. A significant historical date for this entry is August 17, 1960.
Location. 31° 59.53′ N,
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80° 50.815′ W. Marker is on Tybee Island, Georgia, in Chatham County. It is on Strand Avenue north of Tybrisa Street, on the right when traveling north. Located near the entrance to the Tybee Beach Pier and Pavilion. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1511 Strand Ave, Tybee Island GA 31328, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Georgia’s Coastal Plain, on the Georgia Coast and the Golden Isles, in Greater Savannah, and on the Sea Islands. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 20, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 19, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 206 times since then and 42 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on July 19, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
