"Joan of Arc of Boston": Religion and Support for R.O.A.R.

Selections from the program of R.O.A.R.'s first national covention in 1975.

Among the opponents of mandatory busing throughout the 1960s and 70s, no voice rang louder or more fervently than that of Louise Day Hicks. Having traded in her career as a lawyer for politics, Hicks served as a member of the Boston School Committee in the 1960s, a U.S. Representative from 1971-73, and then Boston City Council from 1973 onward. Prior to her leadership of City Council, during which time the Garrity decision was issued, Hicks had already established herself as a steadfast adversary of busing. She refused to acknowledge Boston's public schools as being racially segregated; she consistently argued that school demographics merely reflected that of their neighborhoods, and that there was no measurable discrepancy in school resources.

Hicks was integral to the 1974 formation and operation of an anti-busing coalition named Restore Our Alienated Rights (R.O.A.R.). The organization was marked by the militancy of its views. Busing was, for the members of R.O.A.R., nothing less than a complete annihilation of American freedoms that it would not tolerate. Hicks maintained a leadership role in the coalition prior to and after Judge Garrity mandated school desegregation. She promoted the mission of R.O.A.R. in national media, and developed a following of supporters across the country. Hicks capitalized upon the bolstering discontent in Boston concerning busing, promising a successful fight against the government's presumed mistreatment of whites.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Hicks became something of a target for supporters of desegregation. Given her status as the premiere opponent of busing, it was not difficult for critics to cast her as a bigot -- a shameful representative of Boston's dark side. Hicks took this in stride, often clarifying that R.O.A.R. was engaged in battle with busing, not desegregation. She by no means considered her actions to be reinforcing racist ideologies or structural inequality, as her rivals claimed. Instead, she understood herself as a representative for the families whose lives had been disrupted by "forced" busing.

Writers to Hicks sometimes drew upon their faith system to support her cause. Like Hicks, they rarely framed their support in reference to desegregation; they focused squarely upon busing as an infringement of supposedly God-given rights. Like Judge Garrity and Mayor White, Hicks received many letters from both the Boston metro area and from all corners of the country. Her contacts shared their prayers for Hicks' strength, general blessings, and sometimes political strategies relevant to churches. Ministers from beyond Massachusetts frequently invited Hicks to church-based rallies for the protection of "freedoms." What seems to be common across all these various messages is the recognition of Hicks as a victim, targeted unceasingly by liberals. Thus, many of their messages expressed a particular brand of New Right Christian faith, which called for divine support in the face of poltical persecution. To her supporters, Hicks had become both a champion of freedom and an embodiment of the self-sacrifice necessary for moral civic advancement. For them she had become, as one admirer stated, the "Joan of Arc of Boston."

This letter was sent from Louise Day Hicks to a reverend in Chesterfield, MO. The letter addresses the reverend's written interest in R.O.A.R. and acknowledges some religious support for the organization in the Boston area.

These materials were sent between Louise Day Hicks and a reverend affiliated with Boston College. The Reverend wishes blessings upon Hicks for her opposition to school desegregation.

This letter to Louise Day Hicks from Metairie, LA wishes her God's blessings and refers to her as "Joan of Arc of Boston" in an allusion to the negative publicity aimed at Hicks.

This letter sent to Louise Day Hicks and John Kerrigan from Chicago, IL shares a prayer for strength in the battle against school desegregation. The prayer refers to busing supporters as "unwitting agents of the devil."

These two letters were sent between Louise Day Hicks and a resident of Wrentham. The latter writes to Hicks to express appreciation for Hick's organization of R.O.A.R. The author acknowledges the many religious leaders who have spoken out against the organization and suggests a political strategy to stifle the religious community's opposition. In her response, Hicks refers to the same group as "religious do-gooders" and indicates that their advocacy might be unlawful given churches' tax-exempt status.

This letter was sent from Louise Day Hicks to inform a reverend in West Virginia that she would be unable to attend a rally for freedom (against forced school desegregation) held by his church. Hicks received many invitations to such rallies by churches across the nation.