Impact of an Image: Protesters Threatened With Acid

In 1961, civil rights activist J.T. Johnson participated in demonstrations in his hometown of Albany, Ga. His activism drew him to Florida, where he joined the St. Augustine movement and a historic protest to desegregate the Monson Motor Lodge swimming pool. To force the protesters out of the pool, hotel owner James Brock poured muriatic acid into the water. A photo of this event featuring Johnson was widely distributed in the media, and is credited as a contributing factor to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.