Carolina Stories: Jail, No Bail

SCETV will present the original documentary Jail, No Bail on public television on February 3, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. Jail, No Bail tells the story of the “Friendship Nine,” a group of college students from Rock Hill, SC who staged a nonviolent protest against the segregationist practice of not serving African-Americans at a local five-and-dime lunch counter on January 31, 1961. Several public screenings will take place in Rock Hill and York in the week leading up to the public television premiere. SC Humanities supported this documentary through a Major Grant in September 2009.

The Friendship Nine were arrested after the protest at McCrory’s lunch counter on Main Street in Rock Hill, and they resolutely refused bail, choosing the 30 days of hard labor at the York County Prison Farm over the $100 fine. This decision of “jail over bail” was a first in the Civil Rights movement and became a strategy that was widely emulated across the country.

Jail, No Bail will have its public premiere on the 50th anniversary of the January 31, 1961 protest. The dates of the public screenings and public television showings are listed below:

January 31 | 07:00 pm
Carolina Stories: Jail, No Bail Documentary Screening
Public premiere on the 50th Anniversary of the Friendship Nine’s protest on January 31, 1961
OldTown Bistro, 135 East Main Street, Rock Hill, SC 29730
Info: 803-324-3184

February 01 | 07:00 pm
Carolina Stories: Jail, No Bail Documentary Screening
Public screening
DiGiorgio Campus Center, Winthrop University, 2020 Alumni Drive, Rock Hill, SC 29733
Info: 803-324-3184

February 02 | 06:30 pm
Carolina Stories: Jail, No Bail Documentary Screening
Public screening
McCelvey Center, 212 E. Jefferson Street, York, SC 29745
Info: 803-324-3184

February 03 | 08:00 pm
Carolina Stories: Jail, No Bail Documentary
Public television premiere
SCETV Broadcast Network
Find your local channel!
Info: 803-324-3184

February 06 | 03:00 p.m.
Carolina Stories: Jail, No Bail Documentary Screening
Public screening
Levine Museum of the New South, Charlotte, NC
Info: 803-324-3184

February 06 | 04:00 pm
Carolina Stories: Jail, No Bail Documentary
Public television showing
SCETV Broadcast Network
Find your local channel!
Info: 803-324-3184

February 07 | 09:00 pm
Carolina Stories: Jail, No Bail Documentary
Public television showing
South Carolina Chanel Broadcast
Find your local channel!
Info: 803-324-3184

Jail, No Bail will be screened as part of the “Carolina Stories” program, a weekly series that highlights the rich cultural and historical landscape of South Carolina. Learn more: http://www.scetv.org/index.php/carolina_stories/.

The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. SC Humanities programs and initiatives are balanced, reflecting sensitivity to the diversity of ideas, encourage open dialogue, demonstrate integrity, and are ethical in operations.

Image: The York Co. Prison Farm; Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg Co. Library