‘Jail, No Bail’ exhibit in downtown Rock Hill will teach history of civil rights

This Sunday, “Jail, No Bail: How 30 Days Impacted the Civil Rights Movement,” an exhibit that tells the story of nine Rock Hill students remembered for making change in the push for equal rights, will open to the public.

The exhibit will be at Kounter, a restaurant on Main Street that inhabits the building where it all began.

In 1961, the building was a segregated lunch counter in McCrory’s Five and Dime. Several Black students, who attended Friendship Junior College, sat at the counter and staged a sit-in.

After ordering, nine members of the group later dubbed the “Friendship 9” were arrested. They could pay a $100 fine or spend 30 days in jail. They chose jail.

The 30 days would come to change the path of the civil rights movement. While the Friendship 9 endured harsh treatment in jail, their story gained national attention and coined the motto “jail, no bail.”

Historians credit their story with inspiring “jail, no bail” movements across the country. Rock Hill has continued to remember the Friendship 9.

There are plaques outside the Kounter building that explains the significance of their actions. Inside, nine barstools bare the names of the Friendship 9: Robert McCullough, Clarence Graham, James Wells, Willie “Dub” Massey, Willie John Gaines, Mack Workman, Willie McCleod, Thomas Gaither and David Williamson Jr.

The exhibit, sponsored by nonprofit S.C. Humanities and The Visit York County Partners in Tourism Foundation, will showcase biographies of the participants, information about the “Jail, No Bail” movement, information about Friendship Junior College, an interactive timeline of the 30 days and other interactive activities.

“It is important to share the story of the Friendship 9 in a format that creates a greater understanding and awareness of how this sit-in made a national impact. The Jail, No Bail Exhibit has accomplished that,” said Dr. Gladys Robinson, exhibit committee person and Chair of the Rock Hill African American Cultural Resources Advisory Committee. “The exhibit provides a greater insight into the sacrifices and struggles these courageous young men endured during a turbulent time in Rock Hill’s history.”

The exhibit will be open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The address is 135 E Main St. in Rock Hill.

This story was originally published December 8, 2021 at 1:55 PM.