Diane Nash - Education

Education

Nash first went to Howard University in Washington, D.C., then transferred south to Fisk University, a small predominantly African-American college similar to Howard, in Nashville, TN. Although Nash had experienced discrimination in Chicago, she her first experience with widespread segregation. She attended many workshops at Fisk University with John Lewis. A turning point for Nash came during a visit to the State Fair, when she saw bathrooms marked "White" or "Colored." Nash couldn't believe it, coming from a desegregated city in the north; she was determined to see a change. Looking back at this important time in her life, Nash said to Fred Powledge in an interview: "My stepfather was a waiter on the railroads and he had to make trips to the South. He would tell about the segregated facilities down there. I believed him and listened to the stories, but I think it was an intellectual understanding. But when I actually got down there and saw signs, it really hit me that I wasn't, quote-un-quote, 'supposed' to go into this restroom or use a particular facility, then I understood it emotionally as well." Joining with other students in the Nashville area, she began to organize protests to fight the unacceptable racism. Around the same time, she started attending Gandhian nonviolence workshops, and after her initial skepticism, discovered that the idea of passive resistance was well-matched with her strong religious upbringing.