User:Nymaker/AyleneQuin

Aylene Quin (born 1922) was an American civil rights activist and restaurant owner.

Early life & Activism
Born in Walthall County, Mississippi, first moving to Biloxi, Mississippi, where she worked for the U.S. Army, in the laundry department at Keesler Army Airfield. By 1953, Quin had moved to McComb, Mississippi, to open her restaurant, South of the Border.

Bombing
On Sunday, September 20, 1964, Quin's home was bombed. At the time of the bombing, Quin herself was en route to a "movement meeting," about an hour away. Two of her four children were inside, Jacqueline, who had turned nine that day, and five-year-old Anthony, along with family friend and frequent babysitter Johnnie Lee Wilcher. Despite the enormity of the blast, all suffered only minor injuries. In news accounts, local police claimed that in response to the bombing, an "angry" crowd of two to three thousand gathered, with some throwing "bricks and bottles" at responding officers -- an account disputed by local leaders. Some 20 protestors were arrested. The next day, Quin traveled to Washington, D.C., meeting with Justice Department officials and President Lyndon Johnson.

Legacy, Historical Impact

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