14 october 1968 & #memorylanemonday seven days in may protest

#OTD-ish 14 October 1968 #memorylanemonday Remembering the Seven Days in Monday protest sponsored by ACT (803 Florida Ave, NW) in 1965. ACT, the acronym for Associated Community Teams, billed itself as the city’s most militant organization. Julius Hobson was the chair of the local chapter.

For this protest, Hobson called in national leaders to support the organization’s efforts to end “police brutality, slumlords, unemployment, stupid welfare policies, racism practiced by DC government agencies and the failure of the ‘poverty war’.“

The “national militant leaders” included:

Rimsky Atkinson
Michael Boyd
Stanley Branche
Charles Cassell
Jesse Gray
Dick Gregory
Elwood Jackson
Gloria Richardson

According to the Washington Post, the protest began on Saturday 29 May 1965 with a 3pm rally in Lincoln Park. There were plans to protest at the homes of United Planning Organization director, James Banks; public welfare director, Donald D. Brewer; commissioner John B. Duncan; white police chief, John Layton; and white commissioner William Tobriner. There was also a meeting planned at the Dunbar Hotel for the 200 expected participants.

Your comments are welcome below. Did you participate in the Seven Days in May protest? Do have photographs? Did you go to Lincoln Park? Or the Dunbar Hotel? Did you protest at the homes of city officials? Do you remember seeing the national leaders? You may comment privately here.

Photo source: Courtesy DC Public Library Special Collections, Julius Hobson Papers, ACT Files. c1965.
”Rights Group Postpones Protest Week for 5 Days,” Washington Post 25 May 1965.