Kenya’s then Minister for Home Affairs Oginga Odinga, visited the United States of America in late December 1963 soon after Kenya attained independence on 12th December 1963. Amongst other things, Oginga addressed the United Nations General Assembly and witnessed Kenya’s admittance as the 113th member of the United Nations Organisation at a flag raising ceremony presided over by then UN Secretary-General U Thant and then UN General Assembly President Carlos Sosa-Rodriguez.
On the 21st of December 1963, Oginga also travelled to Atlanta, Georgia, and met workers of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). After Oginga had met workers of the SNCC at Toddle House Restaurant, one of the few establishments at the time that was integrated and catered for people of all race, 21 students were arrested and charged with the State’s “Anti-Tresspass Law” though it is unclear why, because as mentioned, Toddle House Restaurant was integrated not segregated.
The accompanying two page PDF file/attachment is the then SNCC newsletter “The Student Voice” of Monday, 23rd December 1963, which reports Oginga Odinga’s meeting as well as the arrests, and which also bears an image of Oginga Odinga on page 2. Accompanying PDF file/attachment courtesy of Civil Rights Movement Veterans i.e. http://www.crmvet.org
By Mundia Kamau
