The Winter of Desegregation: Civil Rights Activism in Reno and the 1960 Winter Olympics

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Authors

Drymalski, Noah Robert

Issue Date

2023

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1960 , 1960 winter olympics , civil rights , naacp , reno , winter olympics

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In February of 1960, the Olympic Winter Games came to Palisades Tahoe. The Games brought the eyes of the world to the region and the city of Reno, Nevada became known as the Gateway to the Winter Olympic Games as it was the closest city of notable size to Palisades. Because of this and the international attention the Games necessarily brought, Reno was thrust into the national and international spotlight in a way it never had been before. This provided an opportunity for Reno’s civil rights activists to lobby for an end to discriminatory policies that existed widely in the city and the state of Nevada. Activists used the attention on the Games as leverage to advocate for more equal treatment in public accommodations and casinos. In this process, Reno’s activists made important allies including organized labor, religious organizations, and others. They also worked with officials at every level of government and found roadblocks and a largely racist or ambivalent society in their search for progress. In spite of this, the activism leading up to the Olympics led to Reno’s casinos and hotels ending their discriminatory policies for the two-week duration of the Olympics. It also led to more vocal and militant activism in Reno later in 1960 and the following years, a crucial point as they pushed Reno and Nevada towards greater civil rights for African Americans prior to the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

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