Newly restored film shows segregation protests at Houston lunch counters
HOUSTON -- For the first time in more than five decades you can take a look at a piece of Houston history; film that was shot of protests and demonstrations to end segregation in Houston.
On March 4 1960, students from TSU staged a sit-in at the Weingarten's lunch counter to protest segregation at Houston eateries. The following day, they held a sit-in at Madding's drug store.
KTRK was there and shot film of the sit-ins as well as a protest at the cafeteria at City Hall.
The film was not listed in our archive and was only discovered when we were searching for another reel of film and discovered 700 feet of film labeled, "lunch counter demonstrations".
PHOTOS: Lunch counter demonstration in Houston
Previous to the discovery, the only film we had on the events were one 3-inch reel of a lunch counter demonstration. The film has audio and includes an interview with one of the students. You can watch that film below.
WATCH VIDEO: Houston lunch counter demonstration in 1960
The demonstrations came to end after a "gentleman's agreement" was reached between students, the NAACP and city and business leaders. The agreement was that segregation would end at Houston stores and lunch counters but there would be no coverage by "the media".
