august 9, 2014

Yesterday, an Illinois school finally righted a decades-old wrong. Back in 1959, a student by the name of Alva Early wasn't allowed to graduate, despite having completed all the requisite courses. Early was black, and had decided to have lunch in a park that was for whites only.

"We were just trying to send a message that we were people too." -Alva Early

Several colleges pulled their acceptance of him, but he was able to attend a small community college before graduating from University of Illinois. He went on to get a doctorate in Divinity and became an accomplished lawyer.

Read and listen to the full story via NPR.