“No, No, No Jim Crow”

“No, No, No Jim Crow”. . During the 1940S, California's Black population grew as African Americans came to work in jobs newly created by World War II. The fight for civil rights also grew, aided by organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). , In late 1947 hundreds of people began boycotting the Sears Roebuck and Co. department store on 3rd Street and Colorado Avenue. At the time, the store only hired African Americans in janitorial and other menial positions. For months protestors formed a picket line to demand equal hiring opportunities and pay. They chanted “No, no, no Jim Crow” and “Democracy has got to grow.” , The Sears protest was one of Santa Monica's earliest civil rights demonstrations. Though the unrest drew national attention, the store didn't change its practices until 1955, when it hired its first African American store clerk. , (Sidebar) , Protests at Sears (right) , Beginning in late 1947, Black residents and allies picketed the Sears Roebuck and Co. department store at 302 Colorado Avenue. For months, they chanted slogans and carried signs such as “We Can Buy at Sears, Why Can't We Sell” and “No Second Class Citizenship.” , Frank H. Barnes , Frank H. Barnes was president of the NAACP's Santa Monica-Venice branch and an employee of the U.S. Postal Service. Because he took a leadership role in the Sears protest, he was not allowed back at his job. After bringing the matter to court and winning his case, he returned to work. , Images credit: Santa Monica History Museum, Bill Beebe Collection