Esther Julia Burgess (1911 – 2004; née Taylor) was a nonviolent campaigner in the

Civil Rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...

movement. She was the wife of Reverend John Melville Burgess, the first Black bishop within the American Episcopal Church.

St. Augustine Sit-in Protest

In March 1964, Mrs. Burgess travelled from her home in

Newton Newton most commonly refers to: * Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist * Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton Newton may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Newton'' (film), a 2017 Indian film * Newton ( ...

, Massachusetts, to

St. Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Afri ...

, Florida, as part of a delegation of both white and black church members inspired by Reverend

Martin Luther King Jr Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 196 ...

. She participated in a peaceful sit-in opposing

segregation Segregation may refer to: Separation of people * Geographical segregation, rates of two or more populations which are not homogenous throughout a defined space * School segregation * Housing segregation * Racial segregation, separation of humans ...

together with several other wives of ministers, including Mary Peabody, who was the wife of Reverend Malcolm Peabody, and the mother of

Endicott Peabody Endicott Howard Peabody (February 15, 1920 – December 2, 1997) was an American politician from Massachusetts. A Democrat, he served a single two-year term as the 62nd Governor of Massachusetts, from 1963 to 1965. His tenure is probably b ...

, the sitting Governor of Massachusetts. They were joined by Dr. Robert B. Hayling, a Black dentist who had studied

nonviolent Nonviolence is the personal practice of not causing harm to others under any condition. It may come from the belief that hurting people, animals and/or the environment is unnecessary to achieve an outcome and it may refer to a general philosoph ...

protest methods and was a local leader in the

Southern Christian Leadership Conference The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) is an African-American civil rights organization based in Atlanta, Georgia. SCLC is closely associated with its first president, Martin Luther King Jr., who had a large role in the American civi ...

. After sitting in the restaurant at the Ponce de Léon Motor Lodge, Esther Burgess was arrested and went to jail along with Dr. Hayling. When Mary Peabody then returned the next day to the restaurant with another group, she was also arrested and spent two nights in jail. The ensuing publicity called attention to the injustices of segregation. The mounting demonstrations in St. Augustine were part of the long build-up to the eventual passage three months later of the Civil Rights Act.

Personal life

Esther Taylor was born in

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

, Canada, one of five children. Their father was a farmer. She graduated with honors from

Fredericton Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River, which flows west to east as it bisects the city. The river is the do ...

High School and worked as a stenographer before leaving Canada in 1943 to attend

College in Raleigh, North Carolina.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burgess, Esther African-American Episcopalians Activists for African-American civil rights Women civil rights activists NAACP activists People from Newton, Massachusetts 1911 births 2004 deaths St. Augustine's University (North Carolina)