Marti Turnipseed

Marti Turnipseed

Martha “Marti” Turnipseed was killed in a car crash in 1972, but her story lives on.  Marti was the first white student to join in Birmingham’s lunch counter sit-ins. For the full version of this piece, please see ‘Southern magazine, Winter/Spring 2013. Marti’s brother, Rev. Turnipseed, reflects on his sister’s action at: http://vimeo.com/birminghamsouthern/turnipseed.

Nobody dared her to do it

Nobody pressured her.  Nobody dared her to do it.  Her decision was hers to make.

On April 24, 1963, in a watershed moment in her life, Birmingham-Southern sophomore Martha “Marti” Turnipseed chose to join seven black students who were sitting in for justice at a segregated Woolworth’s food counter in downtown Birmingham.

Little did she know that Birmingham Police Commissioner Bull Conner had spying detectives everywhere.