| From Unity, 7 June 2008 |
Women and civil rightsby Lynda WalkerThe meeting to commemorate women’s contribution to the civil rights movement provided an emotional insight to the story. The meeting was chaired by Susan McKay, and on the platform were Inez McCormack and Ann Devlin (daughter of Paddy), who both gave interesting but very different contributions.Ann presented a dramatic piece that portrayed the forty years of struggle for civil rights, with some reference to her own involvement in the bloody march at Burntollet. Inez also gave a personal and political account of her initial involvement, with reference to her family members, some of whom were members of the RUC. Both contributions reflected the student movement and People’s Democracy’s role in the march from Belfast to Derry, a march that resulted in a bloody attack on the demonstrators at Burntollet. The audience participation began with Edwina Stewart, former secretary of the Civil Rights Association, who pointed out that the civil rights movement was much broader than the PD, with the Derry Housing Action committee, CRA, Campaign for Social Justice, the McCluskey family, Belfast Trades Council and others. Those in the audience gave some very moving contributions, including Dympna McGlade, who read from her mother’s writings about the civil rights movement. Rebecca McGlade was on the executive of NICRA and played a very active and positive role. Margaret McCluskey also gave a very interesting and moving account of her mother’s actions for civil rights. The meeting was then taken over by various conversations and reminiscences of different people in the audience. Several people made reference to the communists Madge Davison and Betty Sinclair and the role they played in the Civil Rights Association. Of relevance was the fact that the photo used in the commemorative booklet was that of the lorry on Bloody Sunday, as Madge hung on to the lorry platform. Others spoke about the mass of women who had helped to sell the Civil Rights papers, those involved in street committees, and the civil disobedience campaigns that women took part in, how they were prepared to stand up to the British army and go on demonstrations but often found themselves rushing back home to be there for their husband, to get the tea ready: “Public protest but domestic acquiescence.” Of special significance was a presentation to Sadie Campbell, who is believed to be one of the last survivors of the Springtown delegation. Springtown was a former US navy camp, made up of Nissen huts. Some four hundred families lived there under atrocious conditions in Derry. Sadie led a delegation to the Lord Mayor’s office; she explained how she was terrified but how the fight for justice drove her on. Time was given over to the civil rights issues of today. Inez McCormack spoke about the housing problems in north Belfast. Mary Gray spoke about the lack of women’s right to choose. The problems regarding the Rape Crisis Centre were raised, and access to water as a civil right. Saturday’s event was great, and the depth came from the audience participation, which was recorded on DVD. The attendance, however, was quite poor, and reflects the modern communication system of relying on e-mail. The old civil rights association would have sent letters, leaflets, posters, press statements and even street pickets to let people know that something was happening. |
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