African American children enter Fairgrounds Park Pool in St. Louis in 1949. They were the first African American swimmers to enter the pool, and they were assaulted by angry white residents soon after the photo was taken.

St. Louis Globe
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The Fairgrounds Park Riot
African Americans were permitted to swim for the first time at St. Louis, Missouri’s Fairgounds Park Pool on June 21, 1949. While approximately forty African American children swam at the pool that afternoon, nearly 200 whites surrounded the pool fence. Violence broke out later that day as the swimmers left the pool. Several men, women and children of both races were hospitalized; however, no one was killed.

Following the riot, segregation was re-instituted and remained in effect for the next twelve months.

A federal court ruling in July 1950 by Judge Rubey M. Hulen mandated racial integration