Terry Sanford allows protests and seeks to maintain civility
McKissick reflects on former Governor Terry Sanford's legacy. Sanford was committed to improving education in the state, and he became the state's most prominent educator, shaping his citizens' attitudes not just with his statewide policies but also with his decisions to allow civil rights demonstrations to run their course without violence. It sounds like Sanford was concerned with maintaining civility during the protest era.
Citing this Excerpt
Oral History Interview with Floyd B. McKissick Sr., December 6, 1973. Interview A-0134. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) in the Southern Oral History Program Collection, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Full Text of the Excerpt
- JACK BASS:
-
Let me ask you one quick question. Getting back to North Carolina
politics, what is your perception of the role of Terry Sanford in this
state and how significant was his administration? During this
twenty-five year period?
- FLOYD MCKISSICK:
-
Well, I think he played a very significant role in North Carolina
politics. I think that his role cannot be underestimated. You can see
facts of what Terry Sanford has done in a number of ways. I knew
him…
- JACK BASS:
-
Can you give me a couple of examples?
- FLOYD MCKISSICK:
-
I think the educational system. He concentrated on education and
he's written a number of books, and he used education to
permeate the whole political system. It just permeated the whole
political system. To be fully aware of education. And you look at where
North Carolina schools were when he came in and when he went out. See,
he was a gifted man and he could meet and associate with anybody. He
took strong stands when it was time for him to take strong stands. He
took them and he made the movement. He was never a coward. If he told
you he was going to do something, he did it. If he wasn't
going to do something, he didn't do it. If you know him
personally…he has rendered some assistance on this project,
for example. Duke works with us in some ways on the Soul City
project.
- JACK BASS:
-
I think you said that he rasied the level of consciousness about
education. Do you think that is one of the factors that resulted
in overwhelming approval of this major bond issue
this year? Did that lead to that, is there a sort of cause and affect
relation?
- FLOYD MCKISSICK:
-
Well, Terry Sanford, used, while he was governor, he became the teacher
for North Carolina, in a sub-conscious way. He changed so durned many
people's attitudes. In education, he became the teacher of
attitudes in the state of North Carolina. He brought people together by
his public statements and his remarks. I don't know whether
many people realize just how effectively he could build attitudes so
rapidly in this state by virute of his committment to education. And so
many people…well, I'd say that when you talk about
education, I think that he would have pretty near 98% of the people with
him, that quoted him on educational issues and that same support would
go in other areas whenever he needed it. When you say that it had an
effect upon North Carolina, it has been a profound effect, even in the
civil rights issue while the struggle was going on. We used to meet with
him, have breakfast with him at the Mansion. He called me in and said,
"Now, look, I'm not opposed to the demonstrations. I
just don't want violence. You demonstrate all you want, just
recognize your limits." I said, "Well, we are going to
demonstrate." He said, "Well, I'm going to
set up a Good Neighbor Council in this state." That was one of
his first acts and Capus Waynick, I think, was the director of the Good
Neighbor Council, from High Point, used to be his visible
representative.
[END OF TAPE 1, SIDE A]
[TAPE 1, SIDE B]
[START OF TAPE 1, SIDE B]
- FLOYD MCKISSICK:
-
He took a personal hand in seeing that the Good Neighbor Council got off
the board, it was not a…it was called Good Neighbor Council
because that was probably the best name that it could be called in the
state of North Carolina at that time without being a radical. But it was
serving as a civil rights banner and then it also served to bring, I
think at one time we were in Goldsboro and the Klu Klux Klan was meeting
us on the street in a head on battle and we weren't going to
move out of the streets and the Klu Klux Klan wasn't going to
move out of the streets and he notified the highway patrol and he told
them to exercise due caution. He wouldn't let the local
police move out of hand if a demonstration was occurring. I talked to
him one time and I said, "A demonstration has got to run its
course. The best thing to do is to let it run its course." We
agreed upon that. I think that the attitude exhibited and Terry
Sanford's actions would put him, certainly in my mind, as one
of the very best governors that North Carolina has ever had.