Wally and Juanita Nelson and the struggle for peace, racial equality, and social justice : 1935-1975

Author:John W. Wood

Summary:This dissertation examines the role of Wally Nelson (1909-2002) and Juanita Morrow Nelson (1923 - ) in the civil rights and peace movements from the 1930s to the 1970s. As radical pacifists they were involved in some of the earliest uses of Gandhian nonviolence to promote racial equality and to oppose militarism. As a conscientious objector, Wally was assigned to Civilian Public Service during World War II. He joined a small group of war resisters who challenged the authority of the government to hold them in the camps and were imprisoned. While in prison he joined other objectors in protests against racial discrimination and arbitrary authority. In 1947 Wally was one of twelve men who participated in the first "freedom ride," the Journey of Reconciliation, using civil disobedience to attack segregation in transportation. As a student at Howard University, Juanita helped organize and was arrested during the first sit-ins in 1941. Both were involved in the earliest actions of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). Juanita and Wally met in 1945 and became a couple in 1948. They were founding members of the radical pacifist group, Peacemakers, and also began a lifelong refusal to pay taxes in protest of military spending. The Nelsons organized and led civil rights protests in the Cincinnati area from 1949 to 1956. They experimented with cooperative living, and from 1948 on, dedicated themselves to exploring what they called nonviolent daily living (NVDL). . For over 60 years, as individuals and then as a couple, Wally and Juanita were deeply involved in the struggle for peace and equality. Their use of almost complete noncooperation in practicing civil disobedience and the willingness to accept the consequences of their stands served as an example for other activists. Even those who could not go as far as the Nelsons were encouraged to go farther than they would have.-- Author's abstract