The Secret Meeting That Forever Changed the Course of Birmingham’s Civil Rights History

Birmingham in the early ’60s: A city divided

Amid the turbulent Civil Rights Era, the city of Birmingham found itself at the center of a societal flashpoint. In 1963, a full nine years after the Brown vs. Board of Education ruling mandated the integration of public schools, many private establishments in the Deep South, including most in Birmingham, were still practicing segregation. Black individuals were largely shut out from significant career opportunities such as teller positions in banks, reporting jobs at white-owned newspapers, and executive roles within corporations. The department stores were similarly void of black salespeople.

During this time, an unlikely hero emerged. At 90 years old, Michael Pizitz is perhaps the last person alive who attended a pivotal, secretive meeting of Birmingham’s downtown merchants in June 1963.

Pressure Builds: The Eye of the Storm

In the spring and summer of 1963, Black Southerners and their allies were advocating for their rights and stirring up powerful economic pressure. Their most potent weapon was a boycott of the retail stores in downtown Birmingham. Despite the strong stand of Bull Connor, the Commissioner of Public Safety who held administrative authority over the police, fire departments, and other public spaces in the city, the pressure on the retail businesses continued to intensify.

By May 1963, the mounting boycotts began hitting the retail owners. Pizitz, together with other department stores that attracted a large number of black shoppers, were hit hardest. The merchants, while facing boycotts from the black community, were also threatened with boycotts by white citizens should they choose to integrate. Amid this crossfire, tales of threats and intimidation towards the Pizitz family emerged.

The Secret Meeting that Changed Birmingham

Violence and social unrest were escalating, eventually leading to a decision that the store owners needed to find a path toward integration. Thus, was convened a furtive meeting of the downtown merchants, invited to discuss potential next steps for Birmingham. However, the meeting was not publicly advertised, and no official records exist of the discussions or the participants.

What we do know is that Michael Pizitz was present at this meeting, alongside representatives of renowned stores such as Loveman’s, Woolworth’s, Newberry’s, Burger-Phillips, S. H. Kress, Blach’s, Parisian, Sears, and a host of smaller stores. The decisions made at this meeting would signal the beginning of a profound change for Birmingham.

A Unanimous Decision Towards Integration

The merchants in attendance decided that, starting the week after the meeting, segregated water fountain signs would be removed in all their stores. In the following week, the segregated restroom signs would also be taken down. On the third Monday after the meeting, stores that had restaurants agreed to integrate them.

The final, and most controversial, task concerned the hiring of black salespeople. Despite the heated discussions and resistance from some factions, Pizitz department store and a handful of other businesses agreed to hire black salespeople, marking a significant shift in Birmingham’s employment landscape.

A city Transformed

The days and weeks following this secret meeting saw palpable changes within Birmingham. Hostilities started to wane, and Bull Connor left the city for a state position in Montgomery. Within six months, the sight of Black salespeople working in department stores became the new norm.

It was the economic pressure and fear of violence that eventually prompted Birmingham’s influential families to integrate their retail businesses. Indeed, this secret meeting marked a turning point for Birmingham, symbolizing the first significant steps the city took towards integration, and providing a precedent for the ensuing nationwide Civil Rights Legislation passed in 1964.