Restore Our Alienated Rights
Encyclopedia
Restore Our Alienated Rights (ROAR) was an anti-desegregation busing
organization formed in Boston, Massachusetts by Louise Day Hicks
in about 1974. The group's purpose was to fight off U.S. Federal Judge W. Arthur Garrity's court order
requiring the city of Boston to implement desegregation busing — an order intended to eliminate de facto
racial segregation
in its public schools.
To supporters, ROAR's purpose was its namesake; i.e., to protect the "vanishing rights" of white citizens. To its many opponents, however, ROAR was a symbol of mass racism
coalesced into a single organization.
ROAR was briefly a mass movement
, but it began to be broken apart by its enemies when it was at its political height in 1975. Notably, the Progressive Labor Party
(PLP) organized a coordinated, violent assault against ROAR when ROAR attempted to disrupt PLP's 1975 May Day
march with massive resistance
. PLP members also attacked ROAR rallies, functions, and even used direct action
to short-circuit racist attacks against black people by ROAR supporters. Assaults against ROAR by PLP continued for the rest of the summer. When schools reopened in September 1975, ROAR did lead successful demonstrations in Charlestown, Massachusetts
that were reminiscent of the Little Rock Nine
, but ROAR was noticeably unable to draw another mass rally, as it had that May and in the months before.
The end of 1975 thus saw ROAR's decline. Its activists continued to be infamous for spotty racist vigilante
actions against nonwhite citizens of Boston after 1975, but none of those ever approached the massive scale and influence of earlier that year. Slowly, even these vigilante actions were more and more successfully suppressed by anti-racists
working in the area (and led largely by PLP), meaning that ROAR and its influence soon disintegrated.
Desegregation busing
Desegregation busing in the United States is the practice of assigning and transporting students to schools in such a manner as to redress prior racial segregation of schools, or to overcome the effects of residential segregation on local school demographics.In 1954, the U.S...
organization formed in Boston, Massachusetts by Louise Day Hicks
Louise Day Hicks
Anna Louise Day Hicks was an American politician and lawyer from Boston, Massachusetts, best known for her staunch opposition to court-ordered busing in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early life:...
in about 1974. The group's purpose was to fight off U.S. Federal Judge W. Arthur Garrity's court order
Court order
A court order is an official proclamation by a judge that defines the legal relationships between the parties to a hearing, a trial, an appeal or other court proceedings. Such ruling requires or authorizes the carrying out of certain steps by one or more parties to a case...
requiring the city of Boston to implement desegregation busing — an order intended to eliminate de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
racial segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
in its public schools.
To supporters, ROAR's purpose was its namesake; i.e., to protect the "vanishing rights" of white citizens. To its many opponents, however, ROAR was a symbol of mass racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
coalesced into a single organization.
ROAR was briefly a mass movement
Mass movement
Mass movement refers to the political concept of a political party or movement which is supported by large segments of a population. Political movements that typically advocate the creation of a mass movement include the ideologies of communism and fascism...
, but it began to be broken apart by its enemies when it was at its political height in 1975. Notably, the Progressive Labor Party
Progressive Labor Party (USA)
The Progressive Labor Party is a transnational communist party based primarily in the United States. It was formed in the fall of 1961 by members of the Communist Party USA who felt that the Soviet Union had betrayed communism and become revisionist and state capitalist...
(PLP) organized a coordinated, violent assault against ROAR when ROAR attempted to disrupt PLP's 1975 May Day
May Day
May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures....
march with massive resistance
Massive resistance
Massive resistance was a policy declared by U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd, Sr. on February 24, 1956, to unite other white politicians and leaders in Virginia in a campaign of new state laws and policies to prevent public school desegregation after the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision...
. PLP members also attacked ROAR rallies, functions, and even used direct action
Direct action
Direct action is activity undertaken by individuals, groups, or governments to achieve political, economic, or social goals outside of normal social/political channels. This can include nonviolent and violent activities which target persons, groups, or property deemed offensive to the direct action...
to short-circuit racist attacks against black people by ROAR supporters. Assaults against ROAR by PLP continued for the rest of the summer. When schools reopened in September 1975, ROAR did lead successful demonstrations in Charlestown, Massachusetts
Charlestown, Massachusetts
Charlestown is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and is located on a peninsula north of downtown Boston. Charlestown was originally a separate town and the first capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony; it became a city in 1847 and was annexed by Boston on January 5, 1874...
that were reminiscent of the Little Rock Nine
Little Rock Nine
The Little Rock Nine was a group of African-American students who were enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in 1957. The ensuing Little Rock Crisis, in which the students were initially prevented from entering the racially segregated school by Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus, and then...
, but ROAR was noticeably unable to draw another mass rally, as it had that May and in the months before.
The end of 1975 thus saw ROAR's decline. Its activists continued to be infamous for spotty racist vigilante
Vigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....
actions against nonwhite citizens of Boston after 1975, but none of those ever approached the massive scale and influence of earlier that year. Slowly, even these vigilante actions were more and more successfully suppressed by anti-racists
Anti-racism
Anti-racism includes beliefs, actions, movements, and policies adopted or developed to oppose racism. In general, anti-racism is intended to promote an egalitarian society in which people do not face discrimination on the basis of their race, however defined...
working in the area (and led largely by PLP), meaning that ROAR and its influence soon disintegrated.
See also
- African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968)
- Desegregation busing in the United States