Prisca Barnes at the Sumner County Genealogical and Historical Society meeting on Monday.

By Amber Countryman, Sumner Newscow — During a time when African Americans weren’t afforded equal rights, a brave group of young Wichita students decided to peacefully fight for their rights in 1958. The Dockum Drugstore sit-in was the first successful peaceful sit-in in the United States.

Prisca Barnes, Humanities Kansas speaker, presented “People, Pride and Promise: The Story of the Dockum Sit-In” at the Sumner County and Genealogical Society meeting held at Cowley College Sumner Campus in Wellington.

The Civil Rights Movement, a social campaign from 1954 to 1968 to abolish legalized racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement in the United States, was still in its infancy during this time.

A clipping from the Enlightener, a Black newspaper in Wichita.

Ron Walters, a 20-year-old Wichita college student, organized a peaceful sit-in protest at Dockum Drugstore, along with a young group of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. They were tired of being segregated and the treatment of African Americans in general.

Walters decided that a peaceful sit-in at Wichita’s busiest and most discriminatory lunch counter would prove their point. Walters inspired a change in the treatment of his own people in Wichita, which began a chain reaction of sit-in protests across the country.

During three weeks, beginning at 10 a.m. on July 19, 1958,  a group of 10 students took turns filling the Dockum Drugstore lunch counter stools, tried to order, and were refused service. During this time period, African Americans were not allowed to sit at the lunch counter and order food. They could order food, would have to pick it up through the back entrance.

Before the sit-in, the group practiced in the basement of the New Hope Baptist Church so that they’d be able to endure taunts, threats, and possibly violence for many months beforehand.

Dockum Drug Store in 1958.

Dr. Galyn Vesey was also instrumental in the Dockum sit-in. In 2016, he gave a presentation on Dockum for the historical society.

Chester Lewis was known for fighting against inequality and was not afraid to fight for what was right. His determination inspired the youth council and gave them hope for a successful sit-in event.

Eventually, lunch counter staff placed a “temporarily closed” sign on the counter to ward off the peaceful protest. Despite scare tactics and threats, the students continued to sit there without being served.

Dockum Drug Store in 1958

One day, a group of white youth came into the drugstore to try and disrupt the sit-in, and the police arrived. The second time it happened, the police told the group they were on their own. An African American youth called Chester Lewis sent a group of African American youth to stand across the street. They stood there peacefully, but it was enough to intimidate the white youth into leaving.

Lewis called a community church service at the New Hope Baptist Church to support and encourage the youth at the sit-in. The sit-in occurred July 19, 1958-Aug. 11, 1958.

One by one, the youth continued filling the lunch counter for three weeks. Mr. Dockum walked in one day and said “Serve them, I’m losing too much money,” and the sit-in ended. After this, a similar sit-in occurred in Oklahoma. Soon, Rexall drugstores across the nation were no longer segregated.

“The Soda Fountain” is featured at Finlay Ross Park.

Not many heard this story until 2008 when it was made public knowledge once again. A single piece of photographic evidence exists a grainy newspaper photo of the sit-in group. In Wichita, Chester Lewis is honored with a Chester Lewis Reflection Square Park. A bronze statue featuring the Dockum sit-in lunch counter will be permanently featured at the Finlay Ross Park in Wichita.

In 2020, Barnes wrote a children’s book about the sit-in entitled “People, Pride and Promise: The Story of the Dockum Sit-In”, which is illustrated by Priscella Brown. Barnes founded Storytime Village in 2009, to help ensure that under served children thrive through literacy. Throughout the years, RISE, a family literacy program, Literacy Champions high school leadership program, LEAP summer camp, and more have impacted over 25,000children and families, with nearly 20,000 books given to children who need them the most.