She took on Jim Crow and won in the SCOTUS (new book: FEARLESS)

[progree]

3. Miss Hamilton was beaten and jailed many times - for insisting on being called "Miss Hamilton"

instead of just "Mary" by officials, and for civil rights activism in Alabama.

When 'Miss' meant so much more: How one woman fought Alabama -- and won, MPRNews, 11/30/17
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2017/11/30/npr-when-miss-meant-so-much-more-how-one-woman-fought-alabama-and-won

June 1963. Gadsden, Ala. Mary Hamilton, 28, stood in a courtroom before a judge.

She was a black civil rights activist, arrested for nonviolent protest. And the judge was losing his patience.

The atmosphere in Gadsden that summer "was truly frightening and terrifying," says Colin Morris, a history professor at Manhattanville College. "The Klan was highly active. On more than one occasion there had been attacks in Gadsden."

But Hamilton wasn't frightened. She was furious. She refused to answer the prosecutor's questions.

"I won't respond," she said, "until you call me Miss Hamilton."

She insisted on being called "Miss Hamilton" -- like she would have been if she had been white -- instead of "Mary". The
first half is her story -- that eventually reached the Supreme Court -- Hamilton v. Alabama (1964) -- which ruled in her favor in a summary judgement.

The second half is that of a friend of hers (Sheila Michaels) that fought the battle to be called "Ms."

I had not heard of either one before yesterday. Anyway, another similar story of African American female courage.


Mary Hamilton, seen here with James A. Farmer of CORE, was a civil rights organizer who fought for the right to be addressed as "Miss" in an Alabama court and won. Duane Howell | Denver Post | Getty Images