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Paul Graham’s Haircut That Sparked Yellow Springs’ Civil Rights Battle
In 1961, a small barbershop in Yellow Springs, Ohio sparked a civil rights battle that shook the town. Paul Graham, a Black Antioch College student, just wanted a haircut.
Lewis Gegner said no. What came next was three years of sit-ins, court fights, and growing protests.
By March 14, 1964, tensions boiled over when 200 demonstrators faced off against 150 officers with tear gas and fire hoses. The chaos ended with 108 arrests, national headlines, and Gegner closing shop for good…