black history month

The Hall-Pittman family at the 1960 Winter Olympics. Tarea Hall Pittman (far right) was the Western US Regional Director for the NAACP and played a key role in Nevada's fight for civil rights. Courtesy Tarea Hall and William Pittman Papers, MS 46, African American Museum and Library, Oakland, CA

Legends of Tahoe: The 1960 Winter Olympics and the Struggle for Civil Rights

The 1960 Winter Olympics marked an important first: because of the Games, it was the first time Reno was integrated as a city. While the Olympic events took place here in Olympic Valley, Reno, just forty miles across the border, stood ready as the gateway city, serving as the base of operations, with an airport, abundant lodging facilities, and other amenities to cater to the thousands of spectators eager to attend the Winter Olympics.  Despite its proximity to California, where race relations were far more progressive, most cities and towns in Nevada were heavily segregated.

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