Black History Month: Author and retired educator remembers ‘The Wilmington Ten’
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — 53 years ago, The Wilmington Ten were wrongfully charged and convicted of arson and conspiracy.
After the desegregation of Wilmington schools in 1969, tensions in the city were at a boiling point. Protests and fighting between students became a regular occurrence.
By January 1971, tensions had boiled over and hundreds of black students boycotted the schools.
Bertha Todd was an assistant principal at Hoggard High School in 1971. She said her goal at that time was to deescalate tensions at Hoggard.
“I simply was trying to right a wrong,” Todd said. “Help the superintendent and the board members and trying to help them have a smoother transition for school desegregation than was happening.”
During the protests, Mike’s Grocery Store at the corner of Ann and 7th Streets was burned to the ground.
Police selected 16 people out of known protestors. They later reduced that number to ten people.
“I knew seven of The Wilmington Ten,” Todd said. “They went to Hoggard. I knew one from the community. And one young man told me ‘Mrs. Todd, I wasn’t anywhere near Mike’s Grocery. I was baby-sitting that night for my sister.’”
Todd said although there was no solid evidence to charge The Wilmington Ten, she feels that racism and the legacy of the 1898 Massacre likely played a part.
“Because of the atmosphere of the massacre, I think that individuals felt they could do pretty much what they wanted to do,” Todd said.
After the wrongful conviction of The Wilmington Ten, Todd later spoke with two ministers to then NC Governor James Hunt about the ten’s sentences.
“And a week later, he commuted those sentences, but did not pardon,” Todd said.
By 1978, the Wilmington Ten were released from prison, but it wouldn’t be until December 2012 that NC Governor Bev Perdue would pardon the Wilmington Ten.
“Now people see The Wilmington Ten as young people who heroically stood up for civil rights and equal justice 40 years ago,” civil rights advocate Benjamin Chavis said to WWAY in January 2013.
53 years later, Todd, now 94, hopes that we can remember the legacy of The Wilmington Ten.
“It’s my hope and prayer that we continue to heal forward and move forward together,” Todd remarked.
