The Beatles Helped Force Florida to Desegregate On This Day in 1964

     

Photo by Luiz Fernando Reis (Bealtes cor 36 on Flickr) 

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"We never play to segregated audiences and we aren't going to start now" 

- John Lennon

We all know, of course, that this day in history tends to evoke obvious memories of a dark day, and of tragedy. Nobody will forget what happened on this day 22 years ago, when the world changed. Most of us have stories of when it happened, particularly that moment when the second plane hit. We remember where we were, what we were doing, who we were with. 

This also is the anniversary of another September 11th that is regarded as tragic in another country: Chile. Because on this day back in 1971, a democratically elected leader was ousted and replaced by a dictatorship led by General Pinochet. In that instance, the United States played a less than noble role, actively assisting with a crucial role the coup d'état.

Well, this day also marked another anniversary, this one much more upbeat.

It was on this day in 1964 that the Beatles helped to force the then still strictly racially segregated policies in the state of Florida to reform. Specifically, they threatened to cancel an upcoming show at the Gator Bowl which was slated for September 11th. Just five days before being scheduled to perform there, they issued a statement:

"We will not appear unless Negroes are allowed to sit anywhere.”  

A number of states actively resisted the efforts by President Lyndon Johnson to end official racial discrimination, which he officially abolished with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which had been signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in July of that year. It had banned racial segregation in public places. Florida was resisting. Hell, Louisiana actually passed a Jim Crow law the next year, in 1965.

But change was afoot. And the Beatles tough and very public stance helped to change things, particularly in Florida in September of 1964. With that kind of pressure, and with the magnifying glass of the media now on them, the organizers at the concert gave in to the pressure, and allowed mixed audiences to the show.

"We never play to segregated audiences, and we aren't going to start now," John Lennon is quoted as having said at the time. "I'd sooner lose our appearance money." The promoters caved.  

“We weren’t into prejudice,” Paul McCartney said in 1966. “We were always keen on mixed-race audiences. With that being our attitude, shared by all the group, we never wanted to play South Africa or any places where blacks would be separated. It wasn’t out of any goody-goody thing. We just thought, ‘Why should you separate black people from white? That’s stupid, isn’t it?'” 

Just one more reason why the Fab Four remain my favorite band, as they are for so many. 

It should be noted that one well-known Beatles hit, "Blackbird," which was written by Paul McCartney, was inspired by Rosa Parks and her courageous actions, which also helped to end racial segregation in the Jim Crow South. 

When the Beatles Refused to Play Before a Segregated Audience Dave Lifton Dave Lifton Updated: June 8, 2020: 

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/beatles-jacksonville-1964/