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Marker #8 on Civil Rights Tour Will Honor SAU

Image of the 8th plaque on Davenport's Civil Rights Walking Tour shows two photos of leaders and text describing historical events.
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Image of the 8th plaque on Davenport's Civil Rights Walking Tour

Saint Ambrose will continue a long tradition of standing up for civil rights. Tomorrow on the university campus in Davenport, students, teachers, and others will begin a two-week observance of Martin Luther King's birthday with a silent march.

Michelle O'Neill reports the tradition is called, the "March to Remember."

Summary

Craig DeVrieze, SAU's Public Relations Director, says at the end of the march, officials will unveil the eighth marker on Davenport's Civil Rights Walking Tour. The plaque will highlight students, professors, and priests who fought for civil rights.

Charles Toney was the first black student to enroll at Saint Ambrose. He also filed the first civil rights suit in Davenport after he and his wife-to-be tried to buy ice cream but were not served. Toney filed the lawsuit in 1942 against the Colonial Fountain, a shop located on the corner of 12th and Harrison. It took three years, but a jury decided their civil rights had been violated.

The university's civil rights history also includes the first NAACP chapter to be established at a Catholic college. Students and Monsignor William O'Connor also formed the League for Social Justice.

St. Ambrose has scheduled two weeks of activities to celebrate the civil rights movement. A schedule is available at SAU.edu.

Officially, Michelle's title for 28 years was WVIK News Editor. She did everything there is to do in the newsroom and whatever was needed around the radio station. She also served as Acting News Director from September 2023 - January 2024.
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