Wilson Daily Times, 9 April 1918.

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I knew Charlie Chaplin visited Wilson in 1918 — he was on tour selling war bonds. What I had not noticed was the timing of his appearance. The same day this article appeared in the Daily Times, Mary C. Euell and the other teachers of the Colored Graded School tendered their resignations to the school board and parents launched a boycott. Thus, when (or if) the children of the two dozen or so African-American county schools assembled with their banners, they found the Colored Graded School closed.

(What a visual though: hundreds of children in their Sunday best parading down Nash Street in the Liberty Loan parade. Minshew School! Brooks School! Turner School! Mitchell School! Whistles! Cheers!)