Esther F. Garrison: A Forceful Woman

​During the Civil Rights movement of the fifties and sixties there were many quiet but forceful women who led the way. Because they were not necessarily in your face they were assumed to be and remembered not to be radical. This presentation not only distorts who they were but allows a certain comfortability for whites with who they were. One of the prime examples of this (although recent books are trying to challenge this perception) was Rosa Parks. She is typically thought of as the woman who was too tired from a long hard day’s work who would not on this day move from her bus seat. This would be an act that started the Civil Rights Movement in the United States according to some.
It is often presented as a simple, unplanned, act. This of course is not true. She was a radicalized woman even in a short review of how she came to this decision. May be there is some truth that she was tired on this particular day. But not so much tired from a particular rough day at work but she was exhausted of the injustice that she and her race faced on everyday in America. She had only weeks before received non-violent training at one of America’s most notorious training center for the rights of humans the Highlands Folk Center in Tennessee. But even before that she had worked with the NAACP to investigate and observe ongoing trials for African Americans in her South. She was sent to investigate the case of a black woman who was gang raped in Abbeville and no arrest had been made, she wrote letters to the Federal Government protesting and documenting various lynchings in Alabama, although it took three different attempts and ignoring threats she was one of the only three percent of Blacks who had been able to successfully register to vote in Montgomery, through all this and more her rebellious life was on display (see the book The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks by Jeanee Theoharis).   The act of resistance on the bus was not out of the blue no matter how frightening this may be for the White Community. She was well aware of what she was doing and the consequences she might encounter.
Esther F. Garrison was one of Savannah’s ‘quiet women’ in the local Civil Rights Movement. Because of her unassuming manner she was never quite seen as the radical she was. She was the secretary of the local NAACP during Savannah’s Civil rights struggle of the sixties and seventies for twenty-eight years. She was a confidant and advisor to WW Law who many have called Savannah’s Gandhi. Her children remember W.W. Law stopping by almost every morning to strategize with her. Others talk about various meetings at her home to organize NAACP youth council meetings.
After the Stell v. Savannah-Chatham County Board of Education 255 F. Supp. 88 (S.D. Ga. 1966), decision against the board and for segregating the schools, Garrison was appointed to the Board of Education to monitor the activities to ensure they were abiding by the court rulings. This made Garrison the first black woman appointed on the school board. After four years at this position she ran for the Board and would serve as elected member for sixteen more years.
She served as a general office manager of the international Longshoremen’s Association for many years. The NAACP and ILA would work on many efforts together during this time. One would have to conclude that she was one of the chief coordinators of these efforts. While at the ILA she would see members sign their name with an X. So, she started a literacy program for these men.
She was a “pillar” of Mount Zion Baptist Church where she served in almost every capacity. This church was part of the ‘corridor’ of churches on the formerly (now MLK Boulevard”) West Broad Street that would serve as the meeting places for the mass civil rights meetings to organize. She served as the Youth Choir Director at the Church. She would insist that the church include money in the church budget to hire musical tutors so that the youth of the church and community would have the chance to advance their musical talents.   
She was known for her copious notes and professional demeanor. It was said although she was a quiet person, she could be quite vocal when the occasion called for it. Savannah’s first African American Mayor, Edna Jackson, would say,’ She would always be the one to say what needed to be said.”.
Because she became one of the key voices in the early Savannah Civil Rights Movement and her position as Youth Choir Director and one of the founders of the NAACP Youth Council she was a mentor for many. Although not a youth when he met her Dr. Alphonso Dandy a newcomer to Savannah said she functioned as his mentor. He would later create the Dandy Youth Development Program to mentor black youth in the community. Because of her influence on him and the community he named the Tutoring room Esther F. Garrison Room.
Because of her long stint and prominence in the Black and Savannah community the new Esther F. Garrison Elementary School was named after her. It has at times appeared hard to keep her name associated with the school as it has become one of the more desired schools in Savannah. Her name was almost stricken from the School as it became the K-8th public performing arts School. After the suggested rebranding of the school there was a discussion of should her name remain, it was felt by some the name would be too onerous. Yet her name persisted. It was decided that it would be known as Esther F. Garrison School of Arts. Later her portrait which had been relegated to the back offices was moved to the front lobby where everyone could see it.
Today, the School is one of the best in the state of Georgia. It emphasizes the arts for which we are sure the former Youth Choir Director would be proud. It has one of the best stages for performance in the city. As she help accomplished in her life the school too has added to the musical and integrated education of children throughout the community.
Esther F. Garrison (as Rosa Parks has been thought as) was the not so quiet and polite lady but the persistent agitator for the education and human rights of all.
 

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Front of Esther F. Garrison School

Yamacraw Performing Arts Center at Esther F. Garrison School for the Arts